In the time of the Old Kingdom, the 5th Dynasty, some 2,500 years BC there was a pharaoh called Djoser who was buried under the first pyramid. His genius architect was called Imhotep.

It may have been architect Imhotep's vision to replace the mound of soil with mounds of rock and at the same time to make them in the shape of sacred, pointed stones called the benbens.

The benben was a symbol of the rays of the Sun. Pharaohs reached their heavens by riding sunbeams using their solar boats (solar barques).