False door in the offering hall of the mortuary temple at the pyramid of Unas. Ṣaqqārah, Egypt

"The term 'false door' is itself something of a misnomer as, from Egyptian perspective, these features were fully functional portals by which the spirit of the deceased might leave or enter the inner tomb to receive the offerings presented to them." [Wilkinson R., 2000: The Complete Temples of Ancient Egypt. Thames and Hudson]. "Saqqâra (Ṣaqqārah) is a large necropolis south of Cairo and west of ancient Memphis. It was the necropolis of ancient Memphis; has remains of several pyramids from 5th and 6th dynasties and the famous Step Pyramid, the earliest true pyramid in Egypt, built for King Zoser (Djoser) of the 3rd dynasty ca. 2630 BC by his prime minister Imhotep. It is not to be confused with the modern town of the same name." [The J. P. Getty Fund: Thesaurus of Geographical Names].This photograph was taken when Eliot Elisofon was working on "The Nile" project and traveled to Africa from March 14, 1961 to March 31, 1961, visiting Egypt.