The Unfinished Step Pyramid of Sekhemkhet in Saqqara (Featuring Dr Zahi Hawass)

We call this pyramid 'The Unfinished Pyramid', because this pyramid was not finished. It belongs to the last king of Dynasty Three, his name was Sekhemkhet. This pyramid was found by the Egyptian archaeologist, his name was Zakaria Goneim.

Goneim made this discovery in 1954, it was the headline of newspapers everywhere. The most amazing thing that he found was a treasure of gold. Gold shining with the Sun god Ra. He found twenty pieces of gold: bracelets and beads – it was an amazing discovery. But at the end he came to the discovery of this sarcophagus. It is made of alabaster. When Zakaria Gonaim went here, he looked around it and found that the sarcophagus was completely sealed. He went everywhere searching how he could open this sarcophagus. He couldn't.

This is why he informed the government. In that time the revolution just started, Nasser was just becoming a hero. Gamal Abdel Nasser went for the opening of the solar boat discovery in 1954 in the same month that Zakaria Goneim found this pyramid. And he came. He came because it was published in the paper that the sarcophagus is sealed. Completely! Since 5000 years ago! That means there is something inside! All the press came here, came to this burial chamber, and Nasser and everyone. They began to open the sarcophagus and they looked inside – it was empty. Nothing inside!

But the story did not finish. That is a sad story. We have in Egypt – like everywhere – jealous people. I always call these people 'the followers of the god Seth'. The god Seth was a devil god in Ancient Egypt. All these followers, when they see someone successful, they try to kill him.

When Zakaria Goneim became famous, became very important, he was in a charge of a store at Saqqara. The store was full of antiquities. A committee came, without any reason, to review the objects at the store. They reported that some objects were not there. They became to accuse this honest man, Zakaria Goneim, who was not a fighter like me, he did not fight them back.

He became very sad, he even went to the casino in Manial El-Roda, Cairo near the Nile and he threw himself into the river. He died without defending himself. Two days later they found the missing artefacts. And this is why I'm telling this story to everyone to understand: fame is not easy, to make an important discovery is not easy.

I want to say one thing: it is the first time for me to enter this pyramid. Can you believe: I'm a person, who studies pyramids and I have never been here! And I'm going to tell you: maybe no one since 1954 has entered this pyramid.