My Egypt

Fire Lighter

2011-11-09T12:59:00.000-08:00

Among the interesting household items found in the tomb of Tutankhamun is this genuine and unique wooden fire lighter, which the ancient Egyptians used for creating fire. The fire lighter functions through the fast rotating, by hand or by using a bow with thongs, of the fire stick into drill holes.

The fire stick has 12 holes that contain resin to create the spark by friction which then ignites the nearby tinder.

The drill stick is topped by a separate head which helped the user to hold it steady.

Dimensions: Length 21 cm

Eternal Egypt

Topics: Sculpture

2011-06-27T18:04:00.000-07:00

Statues were among the most important features of Egyptian arts. A statue had an essential function in the tomb throughout Pharaonic times, which was to enable the spirit to identify the features of the deceased person so that it could find him in the hereafter. Throughout the Old, Intermediate, and New Kingdoms, the art of sculpture flourished and produced a number of statues of different types. Egyptians used the size of their sculptures to show the social order. The pharaoh was larger than life-size, sometimes weighing hundreds of tons. Scribes and court officials were life-size, and servants and peasants, although made with high precision, were small, usually less than 50 centimeters. These statues exhibited the servant in various attitudes of working. Also, the shawabti statues, a few centimeters high, were like servants that are called by the master in the hereafter to perform the tasks he needs. There were 365 such shawabti statues, representing the days of the year.

A basic feature of Egyptian sculpture was the Pharaonic Needles, made through utilizing high architectural technology, as the needle was cut from a single stone block. Needles were among the most prominent elements of ancient architecture, usually located on both sides of entrances to temples. Columns had a special status in Egyptian temples in the Pharaonic and Greek eras. A column consists of three parts: the base, body, and crown. Columns were either square or rounded. Crowns took different shapes similar to flowers and plants, such as the palm tree and the lotus plant. A common shape was that of a woven basket with an ornamental plant shape or grape vines inside.

In the Greco-Roman era, Romans discovered many types of marble in the Red Sea mountains, which they used extensively in sculpture and construction. Movement and dress folds became evident in sculptural style. Several statues, particularly of kings and gods, have been found apart from their heads. A special type of sculpture emerged during that era, known as terracotta, which are small statues made of pottery with heights ranging between 5 and 20 centimeters. Large numbers of statues were found representing animals, such as a vulture, cat, hippopotamus, monkey, bull, lion, and dog, as well as human figures.

The Coptic culture only focused on two particular types of sculpture. The first type is the tombstone, which is a plate of limestone whose upper part is often shaped like a triangle with drawings. The tombstone bears the portrait of the deceased and date of death. The second type of sculpture is the cornice, which is a carved decorative element above or below walls and used for decoration of churches and abbeys. They usually had plant or animal ornamentations and in special cases, human figures. Since the sixth century AD, the cross appeared in the middle.

Sculpture played a small role in Islamic culture, since Islam rejected all aspects of the previous pagan religions. Therefore, only a few statues from that time period were found; these were not carved, but made out of templates. Most of these small statues were of small animals, such as a rabbit or gazelle.

Eternal Egypt

Coffin of Sepi

2011-05-12T04:15:00.000-07:00

Egyptian priests compiled funerary and ritual texts to assist the deceased during the

journey in the underworld.

The priests intended to provide the deceased with information about the journey of the sun and about the creatures and demons living in the underworld.

These texts further instructed the deceased on how to overcome all the difficulties and obstacles that would endanger the journey through the underworld. By overcoming these obstacles the deceased could achieve resurrection.

In the Old Kingdom, the so-called pyramid texts were written on the walls of the burial chambers in the pyramids. These texts were later developed into the "Coffin Texts" during the Middle Kingdom and were enhanced with illustrations of the underworld and the offering items. The coffin of Sepi provides an example of these texts.

In the New Kingdom, the Book of the Dead, another major development, portrayed the same ideas regarding the hereafter

Eternal Egypt

Famous Egyptian Women

2011-05-10T05:15:00.000-07:00

A few queens became sole rulers in Egypt in ancient times

This normally occurred after the death of their husbands, while their sons or stepsons were still underage.

In these instances, the queens took over as "King of Upper and Lower Egypt," which, according to tradition, was not tolerated by the ancient Egyptians.

Their names and deeds were mostly erased from both memories and monuments. Their reigns usually marked a change in the dynasty or ruling family.

These famous female rulers were Neith-iqeret or Nitocris, Sobek-nefru, Hatshepsut, and Ta-wesert. Neith-iqeret, or Nitocris, might have been a widow of the last king of the Sixth Dynasty. She ruled for a very short time.

Sobek-nefru ruled after the death of her husband, Amenemhat the Fourth, at the end of the Twelfth Dynasty.

Hatshepsut was the greatest female ruler in the history of Egypt. She became ruler after the early death of her husband, Tuthmosis the Second, in the Eighteenth Dynasty. Hatshepsut ruled for about 20 years, first together with her very young stepson, Tuthmosis the Third, as co-regent, then alone.

Ta-wesert was the widow of Seti the Second, the last king of the Nineteenth Dynasty

Ptolemaic Queens' Influence on Their Husbands

During the Ptolemaic period, women of the ruling class were equal to their husbands in all ways and played a large role in public affairs. They would sponsor expeditions and supply all the expeditions' needs with funding from their husbands.

Women built temples, founded cities, led armies, and owned castles and forts. They sometimes took the position of king or ruled as absolute equals to the king. These queens developed the same interest their husbands had in education. A woman like Arsinoe the Second, Ptolemy the Second's wife, was beautiful and very powerful. She naturally had an impact on all those who surrounded her, especially her brother, who was also her husband, to the extent that he was called Philadelphus, or "lover of his sister."

Arsinoe was mainly responsible for her husband's foreign policy. People and messengers from other cities would seek her counsel. It was probably based on his wife's advice that Ptolemy the Second sent an expedition to Rome requesting friendship. Arsinoe's death ended the Ptolemaic expansion since she had control over the middle Greek countries and because Ptolemy could not resist her influence. When she died, he named the Al-Faiyum province after her, which became known as Arsinoe Province after it was reformed.

Notable Mothers of Sultans

Although very little information is available to us about the upbringing of a sultan's children, we learn from stories such as One Thousand and One Nights that it is obvious that mothers were extremely loving and protective of their children. Mothers were constantly trying to spare them from their fathers' punishments by hiding their mistakes. Mothers might even murder anyone who threatened the lives of their sons.

During the Ayyubid period, the mother of Nur al-Din helped her son escape the wrath of his father Al-Malik al-Adil, who swore to cut off his hands as a punishment for drinking alcohol.

Historians mention that Al-Khatun, the daughter of Baraka Khan, poisoned Prince Belik when she overheard his plan to prevent her son from becoming Sultan of Egypt.

The mother of Sultan Al-Nasir Mohammad Ibn Qala'un is said to have escaped from the Egyptian territories with her son for fear of plots to get rid of him in order that another could take the throne.

Another example is that of Khawand Zeinab, daughter of Khasbak. She chose to leave the Citadel Palace and join her two sons, Al-Muayyed Ahmed and Muhamad, in prison. She nursed Ahmed until his death and then requested the permission of Sultan Khashqadam to take his body to Cairo to bury him next to his father Al-Ashraf Inal.

As for Khawand Aslabay, mother of Sultan Al-Nasir Mohammad Ibn Qaitbay, upon learning of a threat on her son's life from his uncle Konsowah, she made them vow loyalty to each other.

Another historical story is that of Anook, son of Sultan Al-Nasir Mohammad Ibn Qala'un. When Anook fell in love with a singer named Zahra, his mother, Khawand Toghay, helped him. When his father the Sultan found out, he vowed to kill Anook, but Al-Nasir Mohammad's wife, Khawand Toghay stopped him.

The great respect and privileges that mothers enjoyed at the time is repeated in several historical Mamluk sources.

An example of this great love is the amazing building Al-Ashraf Shaaban built in honor of his mother, Umm al-Sultan Shaaban.

Famous Muslim Women

Many historical writings indicate that Muslim women were involved in both religious and intellectual life.

Numerous women specialized in grammar, poetry, and the Prophet's sayings.

One example is Fatma, daughter of Abbas Shikha of Rebat (convent) Al-Baghdadia, named "The Lady of her times" by the historian Al-Makrizi, who described her as having great intellect and wisdom.

Other women were known by reciting the Prophet's sayings from the Bukhari book in gatherings that took place at the Citadel.

Many intellectuals of the Mamluk period were taught and certified by famous women, Muslim scholars at the time. A historian named Al-Sakhawy describes how many students crowded to listen to Anas, daughter of Abd Al-Karim. In his book, "The Golden Light in the Elite of the Ninth Century," he includes over a thousand biographies about women that lived during that century (Ninth Century Hijri, Fifteenth Century AD).

Before that, during the Wallah age, Sayeda Nafisa, a descendant of the Prophet, gave religious lessons in her house and was a great woman loved by the Egyptian population.

One of the most famous women of Egyptian Islamic history is Lady Meskah, a slave to Sultan Al-Nasir Mohammad Ibn Qala'un. She raised him and played a major role in the social life of the time. Lady Meskah established a mosque and taught Islamic knowledge and wisdom in the area of Sayeda Zeinab.

Lady Khawand Toghay was a slave to Al-Nasir Mohammad Ibn Qala'un. He freed her and made her his wife. She was a great beauty and a kind-hearted woman who attended to all her slaves' needs. She was the mother of Prince Anook and her greatness continued even after the death of Al-Nasir Mohammad Ibn Qala'un. Khawand Toghay built a khanqa, a monastery or Sufi convent. This khanqa, had houses linked to it where Sufis lived and received their education. She arranged the presence of a prayer reader at her son's grave. She also donated money so that bread could be given to the poor.

Another famous woman of the Mamluk period is Khawand Baraka, mother of Sultan Shaaban and wife of Prince Iljay Al-Yusufi. She enjoyed greatness and high status. The school of Umm al-Sultan Shaaban, which was built for her, is a great building with a public fountain which is located near the Citadel. She also arranged for lessons of the Shafii and Hanafi religious rites to be taught there. She was buried there along with her son Al-Ashraf Shaaban.

Eternal Egypt

Kom Ushim (Karanis) Museum

2011-05-07T05:22:00.000-07:00

King Senusert the First was the second king of the Twelfth Dynasty. His reign was during a time when literature and craftsmanship were at their peak. It was a period of affluence and a remarkable time for mineral wealth, gold, and the fine jewelry produced with this abundance.

Considerable efforts were made to procure amethyst, turquoise, and copper for both jewelry and sculptures. But it was also a time of great stability and development.

Senusert the First built his pyramid and funerary temple at Lisht, near Faiyum. This was the new residence that he made after Thebes was abandoned. Many statues of him were found there.

He built an elegant bark-station, or shrine, for Amun-Re at Karnak. It depicts marvelous reliefs showing the king's relationships with the Theban deities.

Faiyum is the earliest known agricultural area in the world, located in the western desert, about 90 kilometers or 56 miles southwest of Cairo.

This oasis was developed by the kings of the Middle Kingdom who started great irrigation and cultivation projects at this site. Its water level was 85 meters or 279 feet higher than today and the Nile regularly flooded through the low mountains.

Kom Ushim, near ancient Karanis, boasts of a small museum. Many artifacts found within the Fayium region are housed in this museum. Displays include delicate glassware and pottery, as well as female heads that are thought to have been used to model hairstyles.

The museum also exhibits two of the famous "Faiyum Portraits" (others can be seen in the Cairo Museum). Toward the end of the Greco-Roman period, these personal portraits were painted on wood or linen and were used to cover the face of the mummy. The faces are always serious and have very large dark and staring eyes. They are often portrayed in the prime of life.

The portraits, which greatly influenced Coptic art in Egypt, provide a link between the art of the ancient Egyptians and later portraiture during the Middle Ages.

Thuya

2011-05-02T09:44:00.000-07:00

Thuya and her husband Yuya came originally from Akhmim. They were the parents of the Great Royal Wife, Queen Tiye, the wife of Amenhotep the Third.

Thuya had many titles such as the Chanteress of Amun and Supervisor of The Dresses in The Royal Palace

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The Temple of Luxor

2011-04-22T03:30:00.000-07:00

as been a center of worship for multiple religions from the time of the Pharaohs through the Christian and Islamic eras.

An Introduction to the Luxor Complex

Article

Luxor Temple was built for the worship of Amun-Re, Mut, and Khonsu, who are called the Theban Triad. The existing important buildings in the temple were constructed by two kings, Amenhotep the Third and Ramesses the Second.

Luxor Temple and its Orientation

Article


Luxor Temple was oriented on a north-south axis, perhaps to align it with the northern complex of Karnak Temple and the Avenue of Sphinxes, which connected the two temples.

Sphinxes

Article


A sphinx is a statue of a lion with a human face or head or the head of a ram, falcon, or jackal.

Obelisks

Article


An obelisk is a four-sided pillar that tapers into a pyramid. The Ancient Egyptians used considerable skill in quarrying, transporting, carving, and raising the huge stones.

Temple Pylons

Article


"Pylon" is a Greek term for a monumental gate or door erected in front of an Egyptian temple and consisting of two towers with an entrance between them.

The Kadesh Battle

Article


In 1285 BC, there were two superpowers in the ancient Near East, Egypt in the south and the Hatti, or Hittites, in Asia Minor to the north. The two superpowers clashed in the Battle of Kadesh.

Temple Architecture in the New Kingdom

Article


The New Kingdom temples at Thebes, on the east and west sides of the Nile, consist of pylons, or main gates, peristyle and hypostyle halls, side rooms and sanctuaries. Peristyle halls are courts enclosed by columns. Hypostyle halls have roofs or ceilings enclosed by rows of columns.

Architecture in the Time of Amenhotep the Third

Article


Huge, elegant buildings were built in Luxor, Karnak, the west of Thebes, and Nubia during the reign of Amenhotep the Third

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Ka Statue of King Auib-Re-Hor

2010-12-12T08:58:00.000-08:00

This wooden structure is a magnificent, well-preserved masterpiece. It depicts the Ka statue of King Auib-Re-Hor, which is clearly marked by the Ka hieroglyphic sign as two upraised arms topping the head. The Ka, or guardian spirit, had to survive in the statue to keep its owner alive.

The statue, found within its accompanying naos, or shrine, was covered with a fine layer of painted stucco. The king is sculpted wearing a three-part long wig, leaving the ears exposed. He wears a long, curved divine beard.

It is noteworthy that the sculptor successfully modeled the inlaid eyes to lend a lifelike appearance to this expressive face. The eyes are inlaid with rock crystal and quartz.

It seems that the Ka statue once held a scepter in its right hand and a staff in its left hand. The statue of the king was fixed to a wooden panel that could be taken out of the naos.

Dimensions: Height 170 cm Length 77 cm Width 27 cmEternal Egypt

Topics: Religion and Spirituality

2010-11-19T02:08:00.000-08:00

Since the prehistoric age, Egyptians believed that all aspects of life were controlled by supernatural powers. One important religious concept was the creation of the universe. For the Egyptians, creation was essentially an act of generation, represented by the yearly flooding of the Nile River. Each day was also considered a repetition of the act of creation. As the sun, represented by Atum, traveled across the sky to rise and set and begin the cycle again, so the Egyptians felt assured that the created order of their world was eternal and ongoing.

Unlike modern religions, which are based on a set of theological principles, the ancient Egyptian religion was concerned with interactions between people and their gods, the ethics of dealing with others, and the performance of spiritual duties. The universe was believed to work according to a strict eternal law, Ma’at, which means Right or Balance. For the Egyptian, the universe functioned with predictability and regularity. In the moral sphere, purity was rewarded and sin was punished. Man had to subdue his desires and actions to that law in order to live a good life so that society would be on the right track.

Some deities were worshiped countrywide and others were worshiped in certain regions. The worship of a number of gods was a distinguishing feature of the ancient Egyptian religion until the reign of Akhenaten. Akhenaten unified all the gods in the image of one single god, which he named Aten, the sun god. This god was depicted as a solar disk, sometimes with wings or with life-giving hands on rays. After Akhenaten's death, the Egyptians returned to their previous religious traditions.

In the Greek era, Ptolemy the First introduced Serapis to Egypt so that both Egyptians and Greeks would have a supreme deity in common. Serapis was a composite of several Egyptian and Hellenistic deities, especially Osiris and the bull Apis. The official trinity of the Ptolemaic period was Serapis, Isis, and Harpocrates. The temple of Serapis was constructed in Koum Al-Dekka in Alexandria and his legacy lasted well into the Roman period. The Roman Empire's policy of religious tolerance paved the way for ancient religions to mix with each other. Isis, for example, was worshiped throughout the Roman Empire.

The history of Christianity in Egypt dates back to the beginnings of Christianity itself. Many Christians hold that Christianity was brought to Egypt by the Apostle Saint Mark in the early part of the first century AD. Important Christian manuscripts, the oldest of which date back to the second century AD, have been found, such as the papers of the Bible of Saint John and a Christian Bible. Although Christianity was readily embraced by many, the Roman emperors persecuted Christianity until the reign of Emperor Galenus. Nevertheless, Christians went on worshiping in secret and had various unofficial schools. The reign of Emperor Constantine was the real birth of Christianity, as it was then declared the official religion of the Roman Empire.

By the fourth century AD, Egypt had contributed to Christian literature, including biographies of the heroes and martyrs. Many groups and schools emerged with different religious concepts, mainly about the nature of Jesus, which led to a great controversy. That controversy reached its climax when the Orthodox Church of Alexandria separated from the Roman Church. Most of the Egyptian Christians follow the Orthodox Church.

The spread of Islam in Egypt was totally different from that of Christianity. Islam came into Egypt after its diffusion into all parts of the Arab Peninsula and the completion of its basic beliefs. Those who follow Islam believe the Qur'an is the final revealed Word of God that provides a complete guide for human behavior. Its text was revealed directly to the prophet Muhammad, who is revered by Muslims as the last of God’s prophets, but he is not worshiped. However, the richest contribution of Egypt to the Islamic religion was the Sufi movement, which emerged in Egypt at the end of the second century AH (eighth century AD). A Sufi is a mystic, meaning the practitioner has a greater awareness and lives on a higher plane than which we normally live.

Eternal Egypt

The Museum of Islamic Art

2010-11-03T07:20:00.000-07:00

The idea of constructing the Museum of Islamic Art was in 1869, prior to the establishment of the Committee of Arab Antiquities. It began with a collection of Islamic antiques housed in the courtyard of the Mosque of Al-Hakim, which became crowded and the collection had to be moved to the present premises on Port Said Street (formerly Al Khalig Al Misry) on Ahmad Maher Square. The Eastern part of the premises is known as the House (Dar) of Arab Antiquities, while the Western part is known as the Sultanic Library (Book House).

The Museum entirely faces Historic Cairo. It has two entrances; one on the north-eastern side and the other the south-eastern side. A beautiful garden with a fountain once led to the first entrance but was later removed. The entrance on Port Said Street features a very luxurious facade, rich with decorations and recesses inspired by Islamic architecture in Egypt from various periods. The Museum is a two-story building; the first floor comprises the exhibition halls and the second floor comprises the general stores. The basement contains a store connected with the Restoration Section.

The Museum is considered one of the greatest in the world with its exceptional collection of rare woodwork and plaster, as well as metal, ceramic, glass, crystal, and textile objects of all periods, from all over the Islamic world. It houses more than 102,000 objects. The Museum carries out archaeological excavations in the Fustat Area and has organized a number of National and International Exhibitions.

Eternal Egypt

Mummification and the Afterlife

2010-10-31T12:25:00.000-07:00

The Egyptians had such a love for life that it was important for them to continue that enjoyment even after death.

Elaborate burials were a part of the acceptance of death. The Egyptians were not preoccupied with death, but they did spend much time preparing for the time when their life on this earth would cease and they would enter the afterlife.

The Egyptians believed that the mummy housed the soul and the Ka, Ba, and Akh. The goal in the Underworld is to live in one's Ka, as this holds the physical resemblance to the deceased. Therefore, the ancient Egyptians developed the process of mummification to keep the body in a good state and to preserve its physical features so that the soul might identify it, for the destruction of the body would have meant also the decay of the soul.

The more elaborate burials were reserved for royalty and their families, priests, and other high-ranking officials. Even those people who were not able to afford the most elaborate burial, valued their family members enough to give the most basic mummification.

The actual mummification process took approximately 70 days. The body of the deceased was cleaned and purified to begin the journey into the afterlife. The next step involved removing the inner organs. In order to dry out the organs and prevent decay, they were placed in natron, a type of desert salt used for drying.

The organs were wrapped in linen strips and placed in canopic jars. The body cavity was then stuffed with additional natron. The embalmers never removed the heart of the deceased; it was believed that the heart was the central point of being and intelligence. Then the brain and surrounding tissue were removed with extreme care.

The potential to disfigure the face during the process of removing the brain made this part of the mummification process extremely important. However, the brain was not saved, as the Egyptians considered it an unimportant part of the body.

The body was then covered in natron to remove the moisture. This allowed the body to slowly dry out and retain much of its shape.

The actual drying of the body took approximately 40 days. The natron was then removed and the body was washed. The corpse was wrapped in hundreds of yards of linen. Each finger and toe was wrapped individually and then the entire hand and foot.

During the process of wrapping the mummy, good luck charms, words of wisdom, and prayers were placed within the layers of the wrappings. It was also common for a mask, or likeness, of the deceased to be placed upon the mummy's face between layers of head wrappings. Throughout this process, the mummy was coated with resin and the wrapping resumed. Finally, the mummy was wrapped in a shroud or cloth.

When the mummy was completed and ready for burial, the ceremony and rituals began. The priests would use a special instrument to touch parts of the body to open it for the afterlife. This ritual is called the "Opening of the Mouth." The instrument enabled the priest in opening the senses of the dead and, the ceremony allowed the dead person to eat and speak in the afterlife.

The Egyptians believed that this ritual released the Ba and Ka to travel into the afterlife. When all the rituals were complete, the mummy was sealed within the coffin, placed in the burial chamber, and the tomb was blocked.

Meritamun

2010-06-30T09:57:00.000-07:00

Meritamun is the fourth daughter of Ramesses the Second by his beautiful wife Nefertari. After the death of her mother, Meritamun held the title of the Great Royal Wife. She was also a priestess of the goddess Hathor.

Parts of Tutankhamun's Senet Game

2010-04-02T14:44:00.001-07:00

Games, toys and sports were indications of leisure in ancient Egypt because, during the three months of the inundation, Egyptian peasants, had plenty of leisure time with no work.

These game pieces, found in the tomb of Tutankhamun, were used in one of the most popular games played by peasants as well as kings in Egypt. This was the Senet game; Senet means "passing." It was played by two persons on a board divided into squares, each player had an equal number of pieces and moves were determined by the four sticks called "throw-sticks" or by these two knuckle-bones called "astragals."

The Senet game was not only found in tombs but was also depicted in wall paintings in private tomb chapels. The pictures show the deceased playing the game with a partner. It is not clear whether it was regarded simply as entertainment or as a symbolic contest intended to replicate the journey through the netherworld.

Source / Eternal Egypt

Aten

2010-04-01T03:50:00.000-07:00

Aten, like all Heliopolitan deities, was a sun god. By the beginning of the New Kingdom, the cult of the Heliopolitan gods became increasingly influential. It reached its highest degree under the reign of Akhenaten, who neglected all the traditional cults of Egypt to honor only one god. Aten was represented as a sun disk with rays ending with human hands that gave the signs of life and prosperity to the royal family. The temple of Aten at el-Amarna, the capital of Akhenaten, or at Karnak, did not have a roof to allow the sun's rays to penetrate inside it. After the death of Akhenaten, Aten was returned to his normal place as one of the pantheon of the Egyptian gods.

Amenhotep the Third

2010-03-12T03:13:00.000-08:00

Amenhotep the Third was the son of Tuthmosis the Fourth by a secondary wife named Mutemwia. After two years as king, he married a non-royal young woman called Tiye, who had great influence on her husband.

Amenhotep The Third was unquestionably involved with international diplomatic efforts, which led to increased foreign trade. During his reign, we find a marked increase in the amount of Egyptian materials found on the Greek mainland.

Furthermore, Egyptian art reached its highest glory as a result of the peace that existed at that time. Amenhotep the Third built a number of very elegant monuments, such as the temple of Luxor and the funerary temple on the west bank of Thebes, from which only the Colossi of Memnon remains. He also had two temples built in the Sudan.

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Museum of Archeology in Tanta

2010-03-03T04:30:00.000-08:00

The Governorate of Al Gharbiya is known for its ancient history; for it was here that a number of ancient Egyptian capitals were established. This governorate had an important role in the history of Egypt throughout the different ages, due to its strategic location in the middle of the Delta. No wonder that the Egyptian Government, represented by the Ministry of Recognition (now the Ministry of Education), and the local council of Tanta city chose the year 1913 AD for the establishment of a Museum of Archeology in this city. The municipality building was chosen to be the location of the museum. However, very soon the museum was shut down and its content were put in storage. It reopened in 1935, and was closed for a second time. In 1980, the Egyptian Antiquities Organization, now (the Supreme Council of Antiquities), prepared the present museum. It was opened to the public on 29 October 1990 AD. The museum is on five floors; antiquities are exhibited on the first four floors, while the fifth floor contains the administration department, storage facilities, and a conference room. At the main entrance to the Museum, there is a souvenir shop. Within the Museum there are artistic and architectural pieces that represent Egypt's civilization from the time of ancient Egypt, through the Greco-Roman, and Coptic and finally the Islamic periods. The museum cannot be considered as just a local museum, because it also contains important pieces from places outside the Governorate of Gharbiya.

Seated Statues of Rahotep and Nofret

2010-02-23T08:55:00.000-08:00

Rahotep might have been a son of King Senefru and thus, a brother of King Khufu. He held the titles of High Priest of Ra at Heliopolis, General of the Army, and Chief of Constructions.

He is seen here wearing a short kilt, short hair, a fine mustache, and a heart-shaped amulet around his neck.

Rahotep's wife, Nofret, is described as "the one acquainted to the king." She is seen wearing a shoulder-length wig, decorated with a floral diadem and a broad collar. Her natural hair can be seen under the wig.

We recognize the distinction in the skin coloring of the two statues: reddish brown for the man and cream wash for the woman. This was an artistic convention followed throughout ancient Egyptian history. The colors are well preserved and the faces have realistic expressions.

The torchlight reflecting on the inlaid eyes of these two statues caused the workmen who first gazed at them to be afraid.

Dimensions: Height 121 cm Length 69 cm Width 51 cm

Head of a Leopard from a Ceremonial Dress

2010-02-05T08:46:00.000-08:00

This leopard head once decorated a garment that imitated the animal's skin through the use of silver stars in place of spots.

This representation can be traced to the ancient concept of the leopard as a symbolic representation of the sky.

The leopard skin was a distinctive garment of the Sem priest who was charged with revitalizing the mummified body of the pharaoh in the ritual known as "Opening the Mouth."

Dimensions: Height 13 cm

National Library and Archives

2009-12-20T06:10:00.000-08:00

The National Library and Archives was established by an AH 1286 (AD 1870) decree from Khedive Ismail on an initiative from Ali Pasha Mubarak. By virtue of that decree, the Library of the Egyptian Khedivite occupied the first floor in the Palace of Prince Mustafa Fadel, the Khedive's brother, in Darb Al Gamamiz. The library was established for the purpose of "collecting the valuable and precious manuscripts held back by the Sultans, Princes, Scholars, and authors from the Mosques, Shrines, and Institutions of Learning."

As the Library grew, the palace became crowded with the collection, and a new location was found in Bab El Khalq Square for the Khedivite Library and the House (Dar) of Arab Antiquities, the present Museum of Islamic Art. The ground floor was allocated to the latter, while the two upper floors were allocated to the former. The Library moved to the new premises in the year 1903 and was officially opened in the beginning of the following year.

The building, once again, became too small to hold the ever-increasing collection, and a foundation stone of a newer building, overlooking the Nile at Ramlet Boulak, was laid in July of 1961. Transfer to the newer premises began in 1973, but the official opening came later in 1977.

In the current development of the Library, new information technology systems were introduced in the reading, manuscripts, and documents halls. The modern system allows users to gain access to the Library's great resources in manuscripts and documents, which include more than 57,000 of the most valuable manuscripts in the world. The manuscript collection covers a vast number of subjects, fully documened, dated, and compiled. It also houses a rare number of Arabic papyri, including a group totalling 3,000 that were discovered in Kom Ashqow, Upper Egypt. These are related to marriage, rent, and exchange contracts, as well as records, accounts of taxes, distribution of inheritance, and the payment of dowries and other items. The oldest papyrus group dates back to the year AH 87 (AD 705), only 444 papyri out of these were published. A good collection of official documents representing endowment deeds and records of different ministries and courts in the various fields of archaeology and history can also be found in the Library. The Library also keeps a good collection of Arabic coins, the oldest of which dates back to the year AH 77 (AD 696).

from this museum

http://www.eternalegypt.org/EternalEgyptWebsiteWeb/HomeServlet?ee_website_action_key=action.perform.location.search&language_id=1&location_id=1000490

The Greco-Roman Museum

2009-12-04T05:16:00.000-08:00

The Greco-Roman Museum was officially opened on 17 October 1892 by Khedive Abbas Helmy the Second. Giuseppe Botti, an Italian, had undertaken the task of creating a museum in Alexandria dedicated to the Greco-Roman period.

Interest in this period had begun in earnest after 1866, when Mahmoud El-Falaki completed his excavations in Alexandria, bringing to light the plan of the ancient city. Interest in the museum was enhanced by the formation of the Society of Archaeology in Alexandria in 1893.

Initially, the collections were housed in part of a building situated in Rosetta Street, which is now El-Horreih Road. Construction of the first ten galleries of the present building was completed in 1895. The additional galleries (numbers 11 to 16) were completed in 1899 and the facade was completed in 1900. Some of the Greco-Roman artifacts, especially the coin collection, were obtained from the Bulaq Museum (now the Egyptian Museum) in Cairo.

When Giuseppe Botti assumed responsibility for the management of the museum, he enriched it with collections obtained from his excavations in the city and its environs. When Evaristo Breccia and Achille Adriani subsequently took charge of the museum, they continued to supply it with objects from excavations in Alexandria. They also began to obtain artifacts for the museum from excavations in the Fayium region.

The collections in the museum mostly date from the third century BC to the third century AD, spanning the Ptolemaic and Roman periods. The collections are categorized and organized in 27 rooms with some objects exhibited in the small garden.

Negotiations Egypt Germany later this month to regain the Head of Queen Nefertiti

2009-12-04T01:27:00.000-08:00

Scheduled to take place Egypt this month, talks with Germany in its bid to reclaim the statue of Queen Nefertiti, as confirmed by the Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities Dr.. Zahi Hawass, Egypt would continue its claim to recover the head of Queen Nefertiti from Germany.

Hawass added that he would meet on December 20 with Frederika Svrid director of the Egyptian papyri in the Berlin Museum, where the new displays famous statue, which attracts hundreds of millions of visitors from around the world.

He pointed out that he would submit to the director of the museum, who is visiting Cairo for the discussion of the evidence is that the head escaped from Egypt illegally, pointing out that successive German governments refused Egypt's request to return the statue, which abound in the world or painted images made like him.

The head of Nefertiti is the effect due to the Pharaonic reserves in 3400 by Germany, attracting millions of tourists each year, and had left
From Egypt in mysterious circumstances
1912,
Have often been replaced except P diplomat between the two countries.

Statuette of the God Cupid

2009-08-21T08:58:00.000-07:00

A bronze statuette of Cupid, the Roman god of love, called Eros by the Greeks, depicts the god as a child of seven years old with two wings. This statuette has lost a wing and part of one foot.

He is sometimes shown carrying a quiver of sharp arrows. Sometimes he is blind, as love is blind, and does not see the faults of the beloved person. Ancient poets wrote a lot about love in their poems. The worship of Cupid was often related to the worship of his mother Venus (Aphrodite).

Dimensions: Height 9.2 cm

Information on the history of the Sphinx

2009-02-04T10:30:00.000-08:00

It is guarding the three pyramids It is a monster made of rock and the head of human body Assadullah We believe that there is an ambiguous one could not interpret a look at the far reaches of the Sahara And the kind of glory Ibg high and 18 meters And 57 meters tall 5000-year-old Why brown sphinx?? There are some inscriptions by the ancient kings of Mlcan Says that the sphinx is a form of the sun god The purpose of this statue to remove all kinds of evil Transferred from the cemetery of the pyramids The meaning of the word sphinx Balfronih (Mr.)

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Re-discovery of the Sphinx of the Western world at the passage of Napoleon in Egypt in 1798, and there are too many statues of the Sphinx on the world, mostly in Egypt and the Giza And some of them as the son of the Egyptian goddess of the sun (Ra) and is thus a force and wisdom and was a symbol of the strong presence of Egypt for centuries ago, but that there is another type of the Egyptian Sphinx and the form of a scapegoat and was continued for another god (Amon) He (Onubis) guard in charge of the cemetery and embalming

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Sculpture of the Sphinx Bazlte rock hard and you may also have set a smaller head of the body because the body was buried under the sand preferred to maintain a coherent structure from the elements in contrast to the desert to bury the head and revealed a number of times over the centuries, the sand removed from the body of the Sphinx fully in 1905 to reveal the beauty of this statue

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Foot length of 15 m and height up to the full 45 m, 10 m high head and offer 4 p.m., and because the composition of the statue of the blessed are several layers have been eroded from other areas and kept the other form and has lost much of the fine details of the original form

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The most common theory that the King Khafre (2558-2532 BCE) of the strain is the fourth property is the construction of the Sphinx, Khafre, the son of Cheops (the pyramid is the largest) and there is a straight path between the Sphinx and the pyramid East (the tomb of Khafra)

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Exist between the feet of the Sphinx gate now called the gate of dreams and carving out the story, tells the story of the eighth generation, the Royal Ttmosis two tenths VI - (c.1400-1390 BCE) Thutmosis IV Nam at the top of the Sphinx, who was lying with earth until his neck. Ttmosis dream that sphinx speech and his promise to become a king but in return to free them from the desert sands and to remove the soil by

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Did not know which it really happened in that period, but it seems that Ttmosis removed sand from the Sphinx then, and believed that the dream was a story fabricated for political purposes, the type of propaganda to prove its credibility and legitimacy of the King For as the ancient Egyptians believed that the gods are decided supported by the pharaoh and the next, and perhaps in this case, the Sphinx itself ..

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Plate made of granite over the gate tells the story of the dream addition to the registration of the first year under the rule of Ttmosis and to the gate of dreams, there is a kind of altar, where the pagan rituals in the era of Ramses II

The Eternal Egypt Website

2009-01-10T07:57:00.000-08:00

The centerpiece of Eternal Egypt is a trilingual website which offers the most robust repository of information and media about Egyptian cultural history available on the web today. High-resolution two- and three-dimensional artifact scans, 360º panoramas of locations, annotated multimedia animations, virtually-reconstructed environments, and real-time photos from webcams are woven into a multi-epoch journey through the museum that is Egypt itself.

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The website began as a concept, "Egypt Everywhere," which strove to highlight the major themes that run through the course of Egyptian history. Spanning periods, peoples, and cultures the website was envisioned to appeal to the sensibilities and interests of a global audience. To reflect this concept in the development of a look-and-feel for the site, and consequently all other aspects of the project, IBM conducted a global "call for entries" amongst the e-business Innovation Centers in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, D.C., Hamburg, London, Madrid, Milan, Paris, Stockholm, Sydney, Tokyo, Toronto, and Vancouver. The most visually appealing aspects of these designs were taken as inputs for a truly globally-inspired look-and-feel for the entire Eternal Egypt project.

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Ease of use and diversity of options for interacting with the wealth of content characterize the advanced functionality available on the Eternal Egypt website. Organized primarily in "articles", small segments that cohere thematically and can be grouped into stories or tours, the content for the site is accessed in a variety of ways. Visitors can take a birds-eye view of the site by exploring content by type - artifacts, characters, and places - or by the multimedia which represents it. Visitors can think more geographically and explore the collections by the sites and museums which contain them. Or, information can be explored even more visually by moving around an interactive, zoomable map of Egypt. Visitors more interested in exploring chronological relationships between the elements of Egyptian culture can use an interactive timeline. For a truly impressive experience, the Connections function can be used to visualize the implicit and explicit relationships between the artifacts, places, and people. Connections allows the serendipity of thematic connections in Egyptian culture to be your guide through Eternal Egypt.

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A dynamic media viewer enables easy interaction with the thousands of images and multimedia on the website. The viewer adapts to the media under consideration, allowing zooming for high-resolution two-dimensional images and greater manipulation of panoramic movies and virtual environments. The viewer itself is scalable so that monitors of varying sizes and resolutions can experience the most rich visual presentation of content. IBM Text-to-Speech technology enables spoken narration of the content throughout the website and nicely complements the viewer. As visitors explore a three-dimensional reconstruction of the lighthouse at Alexandria, for example, they can also be listening to the story of how this lighthouse came to be, in English, French, or Arabic.

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Personalization features of the website include My Collection, a persistent "notebook" which allows the visitors to assemble their favorite elements from the site. These elements can be saved for later retrieval on the Digital Guide, allowing a truly multi-modal experience of the same content. For example, visitors can assemble their favorite objects in advance of a trip to Egypt for easy retrieval as a cell-phone based tour upon arrival. My Visit charts a visitor's progress through the website, allowing easy backtracking to precisely the elements that were viewed before. A guided tour of site functions, an interactive page-specific glossary, extensive help section, and a low-bandwidth version for different access speeds rounds out the site functionality that makes Eternal Egypt so special.

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The Eternal Egypt site is served to its World Wide Web audience from a "farm" of IBM xSeries servers located at the MCIT Hosting site in Smart Village, Cairo, Egypt. This infrastructure runs on a Linux platform and has been designed to provide a secure, scaleable, and flexible environment, which makes it possible for the Eternal Egypt website to support millions of "hits" each day.

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http://www.eternalegypt.org/EternalEgyptWebsiteWeb/HomeServlet?page.refresh=Y&link_key=5&ee_website_action_key=action.display.about&language_id=3&new_language_id=1

Places of Worship

2008-06-13T08:44:00.000-07:00

Most of the known Pharaonic temples such as the Temples of Karnak, Luxor, and Ramesses the Second belonged to the era of the New Kingdom. Many of Egypt's temples became complex systems of buildings, added to by generations of pharaohs. The architecture of the temple was characterized by spaciousness and the contrast between light and darkness. It was built so that the temple floor rose toward the holiest place of the temple. This design symbolically represented the ancient Egyptian religious concept of creation where in the midst of the primordial waters, the god created a hill upon which he settled.

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Egyptian temples were often located at a point of religious interest, and usually oriented in the direction of another significant religious point, such as the believed site of a god's birthplace or grave. However, in a practical sense, the building was often located near a population center, heavily traveled routes, or necessary resources. For example, the Osirion in the temple of Seti the First at Abydos apparently needed a pool of water around the subterranean "grave" of Osiris and so it was located near a natural spring.

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Most of the temples established during the Greco-Roman era such as the Temple of Horus at Edfu and the Temple of Dendera were in the areas of Upper Egypt and Nubia. In general, all these temples have the same features as the Egyptian temple, a style that continued throughout the Roman era. The Sobek temple, discovered in 1912 at Faiyum, is a marvelous example of a Roman temple. When the Christians were suffering from Roman persecution, they would take refuge in the desert, dwelling in the ancient Pharaonic temples. They left many writings on temple walls next to the ancient writings. The Karnak and Edfu temples still show remnants of Christian worship.

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During the Christian period, the church became the official place of worship. Coptic churches in Egypt were built in the Basilic style, such as the Basilica at Dendera, the Virgin Mary Church, the Hanging Church, and Mar Girgis Church. Marble, mosaic, ebony, and wood were used in marvelous architectural elements, such as altars, lamps, and candelabrums containing inscriptions and crosses. Many of these churches are built where it is believed that the baby Jesus and his family made stops in their journey through Egypt.

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The rise of monasticism in Egypt produced a unique Christian architecture in the monasteries. These were built in places far from urban communities to provide the inhabitants with serenity and calmness. A number of monasteries have been discovered in the Natron Valley, Esna, and Nekada. Many Coptic Christian popes were selected from the Monastery of Saint Macarius in Wadi Al-Natron. Saint Antony's Monastery is billed as the world's oldest monastery and other ancient monasteries include the White Monastery and the Red Monastery.

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Because Islam spread through a vast territory quickly, the use of local building material and ideas by local craftsman and architects created distinguished regional variants. Despite their differences, most mosques follow the basic architectural design of the prophet Mohammad's mosque. This architectural design is mainly concerned with the functional elements for worship and contains many elements such as the mihrab, or prayer niche, and the wooden gates. Such elements were decorated with plant and geometric embellishments. Artists excelled in engraving those pieces and adorning them with ivory and metal inlay.

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In formal mosques, a demarcated space allows room for congregational prayer and is almost always partially roofed and partly open to the sky. The covered prayer hall, or sanctuary (haram), usually varies relative to the size of the open courtyard (sahn). The towering minaret, the most visible part of a mosque, was not in the original design. The expansion of Islam into urban areas created the need for an elevated place so that the voice of the muezzin calling worshipers to prayer can be heard at a maximum distance.

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The first mosque to be established in Egypt was Amr Ibn al-As Mosque, known as the "Old Mosque," established in AD 641. A number of other large mosques then followed, including the Ibn Tulun, Al-Hakim, and Al-Aqmar Mosques. The Al-Azhar Mosque is considered the first Fatimid monument in Egypt. After the Fatimid era, the hanging mosque style appeared. It sits atop five archways and has a double flight of stairs leading to the main door. Despite the weakened Egyptian state during the Ottoman era, many artistic mosques were built, such as the Solayman Pasha, Senan Pasha, and Queen Safeyah Mosques.

Block Statue of Bak-en-Khonsu

2008-06-02T21:57:00.000-07:00

This block statue bears the name of Bak-en-Khonsu. He is crouched on a thin round cushion. His arms are crossed on his knees and he holds in his right hand a well-detailed plant.

He wears a headdress that reaches his shoulders leaving ears and neck uncovered. He has a small beard and wears a tight belt.On the right shoulder, two cartouches of King Osorkon the Second of the Twenty-Second Dynasty, are engraved.

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A scene at the front shows Bak-en-Khonsu, designated as "Justified Dead," offering the sign of Maat, or justice, to Amun and Osiris. A long dedicatory hieroglyphic text is on the other sides of the statue.

Dimensions: Height 52 cm

Topics: Myths

2008-06-02T21:51:00.000-07:00

Early Egyptians lacked scientific knowledge to explain events such as why the Nile flooded annually, how the sun rose and set each day, and how the world was created. They used stories about gods and goddesses, called myths, to explain these natural events and to reflect their society's ideals. Religious significance separates myth from folk tales or legends as myths are considered both sacred and true.One ancient Egyptian creation myth originating from Heliopolis relates the story of the Ennead, or group of nine gods. It tells of a time when nothing existed. The primordial waters of chaos receded and left in their wake a mound of fertile black soil on which the god Atum was seated. From himself, he created the deities Shu and Tefnut. Shu and Tefnut gave birth to Geb and Nut who gave birth to Osiris, Isis, Seth, and Nephthys.

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Another creation myth originated in Hermopolis, where Thoth was worshiped as the patron god. In this tradition there are eight gods, called the Ogdoad, who are made up of four male and female couples: Nun and Nunet, Amun and Amunet, Heh and Hehet, Kek and Keket. The males had the heads of frogs and the females had serpent's heads. The Hermopolis creation myth has several variations. The Cosmic Egg from which the god of creation was born was laid by a celestial goose or in some versions, the ibis, the bird associated with the god Thoth. Or a lotus flower rose from the waters and opened to reveal a child-god.

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Most ancient Egyptians would not live past the mid-twenties, so they sought comfort in the idea of life continuing after death. Their observations of nature supported this belief; the sun died in the west and was reborn in the east each day and grain that appeared dead sprouted into a new plant once it was put in the ground. The myth of the death and resurrection of Osiris strengthened the Egyptians belief that they would live again.

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After the creation of the world, Osiris took the throne and married his sister, Isis. He is said to have introduced agriculture, built the first temples, and set fair laws for his people. Osiris was killed by his evil brother Seth, who tore the body to pieces and scattered them. Isis was able to gather all the pieces of the body except one, which had been eaten by a fish. She bandaged them together, creating the first mummy, and used her magic to restore Osiris to life. Osiris then traveled to the underworld to be king and judge of the dead. Before Osiris was killed, Isis became pregnant with Horus, who would grow up to defeat Seth and avenge his father's death.

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When the Greeks and then the Romans conquered Egypt, they found many similarities among the gods of Egypt and the Greco-Roman gods. Their gods and goddesses were guided by human emotions and stories about them were used to entertain, teach morals, and explain the unknown. Ptolemy the First introduced a god named Serapis who was intended to be a supreme deity shared by the Greek and Egyptian people in Egypt. Serapis, whose name is a combination of Osiris and the Apis Bull, was the god of fertility, healing, supreme leadership, and the afterlife.

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By the Islamic period, Egyptian mythological influences were still present in religious thinking. The Muslims were concerned with a life after death in heaven as well. Although not specifically mentioned in the Qur'an, some religious scholars made references to the scales in the afterlife in which the books containing the deceased's deeds are weighed, similar to the weighing of the heart against the feather of Ma'at, or what is true and right.

Pharaoh: Lord of the Two Lands

2008-05-10T10:40:00.001-07:00

The most powerful person in ancient Egypt was the pharaoh. The pharaoh was the political and religious leader of the Egyptian people, holding the titles: 'Lord of the Two Lands' and 'High Priest of Every Temple'.
As 'Lord of the Two Lands' the pharaoh was the ruler of Upper and Lower Egypt. He owned all of the land, made laws, collected taxes, and defended Egypt against foreigners.
As 'High Priest of Every Temple', the pharaoh represented the gods on Earth. He performed rituals and built temples to honour the gods.
Many pharaohs went to war when their land was threatened or when they wanted to control foreign lands. If the pharaoh won the battle, the conquered people had to recognise the Egyptian pharaoh as their ruler and offer him the finest and most valuable goods from their land.

Stamp information on this site Enter now

http://www.ancientegypt.co.uk/pharaoh/home.html

Pharaoh Akhenaten

2008-04-19T13:36:00.000-07:00

1369-1332 BC: Amenhotep IV - Akhenaten

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The Pharaoh Akhenaten was known as the Heretic King. He was the tenth King of the 18th Dynasty. Egyptologists are still tying to figure out what actually happened during his lifetime as much of the truth was buried, for all time, after he died.
Akhenaten lived at the peak of Egypt's imperial glory. Egypt had never been richer, more powerful, or more secure. Up and down the Nile, workers built hundreds of temples to pay homage to the Gods. They believed that if the Gods were pleased, Egypt would prosper. And so it did.
Akhenaten and his family lived in the great religious center of Thebes, city of the God Amun. There were thousands of priests who served the Gods. Religion was the 'business' of the time, many earning their living connected to the worship of the gods.
All indications are that as a child Akhenaten was a family outcast. Scientists are studying the fact that Akhenaten suffered from a disease called Marfan Syndrome, a genetic defect that damages the body's connective tissue. Symptoms include, short torso, long head, neck, arms, hand and feet, pronounced collarbones, pot belly, heavy thighs, and poor muscle tone. Those who inherit it are often unusually tall and are likely to have weakened aortas that can rupture. They can die at an early age. If Akhnaton had the disease each of his daughters had a 50-50 change of inheriting it. That is why his daughters are shown with similar symptoms.

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http://www.crystalinks.com/akhnaton.html

The use of lasers in renovating ancient buildings

2008-04-15T07:12:00.000-07:00

Antiquities said at its last meeting on the request by the American Research Centre on the use of a Japanese company to carry out an archaeological survey using laser synagogues in Luxor and Karnak, for a number of digital images for use in analysis and identification of sensitive Synthetic temple buildings in certain designated areas movements of the earth. It also helps in the evaluation study changes in the level of the base loads for buildings

The newspaper world today that the Standing Committee approved the draft submitted after the presentation to the Institute of Laser Egypt for approval before implementation and action must be taken in conjunction with the projects sector Supreme Council of Antiquities

On the other hand, the Standing Committee agreed to the participation of two universities in the Americas projects in the coming period, as the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Mission, headed by Dr. Joseph and make the execution of the richest in South Abidos Sohag includes a Man in a cemetery Senusret III and the Governor's house, and restoration architect of the precise number Other graves.

As the Mission League bin Hest America updating branches in the Alaozyreon to learn modern sediment thickness and reduce the level of water lake region and the lifting of stones falling within the lake and disinfected.

Talk on the history of the Pharaohs

2008-03-12T12:28:00.000-07:00

Egyptian Geography Section:After the whole developments of this site, we have realized that we must provide our visitors with some information about the Egyptian geography and the tourism in Egypt, that will make reaching Egypt an easy thing and in Egypt you could know more and more about The pharaohs. If you want to visit this section please click the shape from the bar at the top of every page that seems to the one in the right.

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http://thepharaohs.100megspop2.com/index2.htm

TOur Egypt

2007-12-22T02:36:00.000-08:00

Alexandria News (New!)Amira's WorldAswan NewsCairo Fixer (Travel Advice)Egyptology NewsLiving in EgyptLuxor NewsMessage Center ReporterNuweiba NewsSharm el-Sheikh NewsTaba NewsVirtual Khan Blog

Enter on this site

http://touregypt.net/

Why was the Pharaohs Ihnton dead

2007-11-23T01:34:00.000-08:00

Miraculous nature and overseas: Why was the Pharaohs Ihnton dead?

The Egyptians loved life, and it was important for them to continue to enjoy even after death.

The Aldvinat good part of the acceptance of death. The Egyptian-preoccupied with death, but they Samoa and time-consuming to prepare for after their death and the other world. A new scientific study showed that the ancient Egyptians were using complex mixtures of plant and animal extracts for embalming their dead.
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British researchers have conducted tests for thirteen sample of the material used by the ancient Egyptians in the embalming Momciawathm. The analysis revealed the existence of a very large components, including the types of animal fats and vegetable oils, beeswax and Glues plant.
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The researchers discovered that the materials that he created the Pharaohs Taxidermy was a mixture of cheap materials, and other precious and rare at that time, such as oil, rice and Juniper who were importing from outside Egypt.
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The analysis showed conducted on samples taken from Momciawat belong to successive eras that the Pharaohs have developed materials Taxidermy over time by adding components of the deadly germs to protect Moumyawat of decomposition.
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A study by two scholars of Chemistry, University of Bristol in Britain, in order to study the evolution of methods Taxidermy Over two thousand and three hundred years of age Pharaonic civilization
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Scientists monitoring the evolution of materials Taxidermy through the change in the components during that long period of time. He Investigators are Dr. Richard Aevrashid Dr. Stephen Buckley that vegetable oils and animal fats were the basic components of materials Taxidermy.
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The scientists believed that the ancient Egyptians were combined these oils and fats that were available and inexpensive limited quantities of other materials are scarce and expensive to prepare materials that were used in embalming the dead.
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I think that the Egyptians Moumia place is the soul and spouse and instinct. The other goal in life is to life through Ilkka or spouse because they reservation physical form of the deceased. We have therefore developed the ancient Egyptian method Taxidermy to maintain a sound body and maintains physical features to identify the spirit, because the destruction of the body may mean extinction spirit.
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The most distinguished Aldvinat restricted to kings, priests and their families and senior officials. Even those people who have not been able to get Dvinat distinct bombers to members of their families that Ejehzounam reasonable limitation of Embalming.
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The operations Taxidermy takes about seventy days, and here was cleaning the body of the deceased and to cleanse the world journey begins another. The next step is to extract Guts Interior, in order to dry up the Guts To prevent erosion was placed in Nitrite, a type of salt used in the drying desert.
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The Guts was damage to the tapes linen and then placed in pots Alcanobh. The clean formation stomach and filled in quantities other Nitrite. No tended Embalmers never deceased heart where I think the heart is the center of the entity and reason. The brain tissue and around the products were very carefully.
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The fear of making the female face during remove the brain, that this process has become very important during Taxidermy. However, the brain was difficult to maintain and therefore I believe that the ancient Egyptians were not an important part of the body. After this process, the body covering Balntron to extract moisture from it. This has allowed the body to slowly dried and kept in its outer.
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The process of drying the body takes about forty days. Here Nitrite was removed from the body, which was then wash. The body wear in hundreds of yards of linen sheets. Each finger was surrounded and then damaged unit then all of the hand or foot.
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During the process of the body wrapped packages placed Amulets and Conjurations to the body and read the calls and prayers also been written in the Scrolls. It was common for a mask or similar in Moumia between reels the head. After this process has been Moumia Balratnj compromise with the Scrolls. In the end the damage to Kevin Moumia or cloth.
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After ending process Moumia Taxidermy and become ready for burial, the rites and rituals begin. Here, the priests use a special feeling of the parts which were due to open for the other world. This was called the weather Tksh hole mouth. Facilitate tool used by the priest to open Hawass deceased (or retrieval) be able to deal with the deceased and his food speaks in the other world.
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We believe that these ancient Egyptians Tksh also launched Alba and Ilkka to move to the other world. When completed all the rituals Moumia within coffin placed in the burial chamber and closed the cemetery and ends. The former believe in the idea of Egyptian life after death. The ancient Egyptian religions say that man can not send in the afterlife only after returning the soul to the body.
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I think that the Pharaohs embalming the dead to protect his body from decomposition spirit to be able to find the body of the process of the Baath. The Pharaohs have developed methods Taxidermy over hundreds of years and they discovered that it must first remove the internal organs to protect the body from decomposition, and then addressed Glues salt and rice, oil, honey and bitumen view drying and protection of germs.
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Investigators stated in the report Nscherah scientific journal Nature that the selection of the components of materials Embalming was influenced by the cost factor and throwing fashion that prevailed. If he is wealthy former Egyptians are keen to buy precious materials Taxidermy to honor their dead as some wealthy resort today for the purchase of precious Coffins and build luxurious graves

Egypt maintains a museum of Pharaonic pig

2007-11-12T11:20:00.000-08:00

Cairo-b a d

Begins the Egyptian Ministry of Culture to establish a museum of Pharaonic pig Kum Ambo area south of Egypt. The museum, which is the first of its kind to include ten Momciawat pig freezer graves found in archaeological cities south and the large number of stone statues of the pig, which was Egypt's Pharaonic temples decorate sizes and different forms.

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Hall and includes museum tells the history of the ancient Egyptians canonization of Temsah, who was called the machine "Subic" and copies of the fees that campaign walls of temples and narrates the relationship kings Pharaohs this machine. He said Sabri Abdel Aziz, President of the Egyptian antiquities museum, the ministry's area will be 900 square meters along the Kum Ambo pharaonic temple which allows visitors to visit the temple at the end of round

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It is scheduled to be implemented at the museum according to the latest techniques Altvi supply of cold lighting and glass boxes introduced to ensure the safety of goods, and the scheme completed in 8 months, to be inaugurated end of this year in a ceremony attended by interested on Ancient Egypt and informed Egyptologist. It is noteworthy that the ancient Egyptian worship Alligator because it was believed that the spirit of god force had calmed the animal, which lived along the old River Nile

lsmailia Governorate

2007-10-06T03:08:00.000-07:00

Tonight conclusion Ismailia International Film Festival for Documentary filmsViolence, oppression and the search for freedom .. most important feature films session atheist ten
The port of Nuweiba preparing for the return of 15 thousand MaatmerThe port of Nuweiba preparing for the return of 15 thousand Maatmer and deaths 4Maatmarin and six thousand JD compensation to the families
25 million pounds for infrastructure works erected in Abu KhalifaMajor General Abdul Jalil Isma'ili governor announced that Isma'ili adoption of 25 million pounds to start implementation of infrastructure of the industrial area.
Sunday, October 7 holiday Stock Exchange and banks ( 3 / October / 2007 )7th of the October holiday Egyptian Case and banks

http://www.ismaelya.gov.eg/Home/default.aspx

cairo islamic monuments

2007-09-11T13:57:00.000-07:00

The Early Islamic Period
The Toulunids
The Ikhshids
The Fatimid Period
Ayyubid Rule
The Mamluke Period
The Mamluke Period
The Ottoman Rule
The Dynasty of Mohammed Ali Pasha

http://www.cim.gov.eg/maineng.asp

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Qalubiya Governorate

2007-06-01T01:21:00.000-07:00

Location:
Qalubiya Governorate is located in the Nile east region near the head of the Delta.It is barred from the south by both Cairo and Giza governorates , From the north by Dakahlia and Gharbia governorates , from the east by El-Sharkia governorate and from the west by El-Monofia governorate.Regarding the special location of governorate it is considered the meeting point of the main transport lines between the northern governorates
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Population
The governorate population is calculated on 1/1/2000 by about ( 3586385) with about 1852119 males and 1734267 females.The urban citizens are estimated as 1456626 and the rural citizen are estimated as 2129759 citizens
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The administrative distribution
The Qalubiya governorate consists of 7 local units for provinces and towns and two towns , two districts , 46 rural local units , 195 affiliated and 901 fiefs and small villages
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The governorate area:
The total area of the governorate is estimated as 1001.09 km2. The cultivated area is about 192952 fedins which are 810 km which equals 81% of total area.
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The national feast of the governorate
The governorate celebrate annually the national feast on the thirtieth of August which was the same date opening El- Kanater El- Khairia in 1868 which is one of the advantages of the governorate as tourists and visitors from the whole Republic come to watch the beautiful natural scenery , the parks and orchards which occupy about 500 feeding of the city.
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The most important things which the governorate is famous for
The governorate is famous for its agriculture production from crops, fruit and vegetables. The most important crops , are maize , cotton , wheat , citrus , banana , apricot and kinds of vegetables. Moreover, the governorate has the biggest industrial complex in Shoubra EL- Kheima where there a lot of factories for instance , spinning factories , Electrical cables factories , plastic , cars and oil refinery factories plus food industries and packing and metallurgical industries. Besides , the industrial region in Abo Zaabel city which famous for fertilizers and chemical industries , etc… And the governorate is constructing an integral industrial region in El-Khanka city.
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matrouh

2007-05-08T13:16:00.000-07:00

Matrouh is the largest governorate in Egypt . IT is located in the north. West along 450 km . up to the Libyan borders . IT is stretched For 400 km in the depth of the desert in the south . the area of Matrouh is 166563 km2 while its population is 278048 people
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Location
Matrouh governorate is located in the north. west of Egypt stretched From [the 61 km] in the west of Alexandria up to the Egyptian- Libyan borders [salloum ]. IT stretched For 450 km along the Mediterranean sea and 400 km in the depth of the desert in the south of siwa Qasi . Alexandria and EL-Behira are adiacent to Matrouh to the east and the new valley and Giza to the south
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Area
The are of Matrouh is 166563 km2 “20% “of The total area of Egypt .
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Populated Area
Populated area includes dwelling area , remote houses , utilities , graveyards , ponds , wasteland , and cultivated land.
Matrouh governorate can be geographically divided into Five sectors
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1- Coastal sector
It is a plain patalleled to the Mediterranean sea Coast . Its area is 25-60 km consisted of deposits which were born by heauy rain
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2- Libyan Hill
It adjoins the plain in the south . It is considered a high surface stretched to sedra Guif in the west at Tripoli in libya .
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3- Qattarah Depression
It begins Fram the south of El- Alamein at distance 31km . It isagreat depression in which government studies the ability of generating electricity by digging a canal that links the Medi terranean sea water to the depression, but this project hasn't Finished yet be cause of minefields which hinder a lot of development projects in Matrauh
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4- Oases Area
It adjoins Siwa oasis which is located under the sea level about 17 m . It contains a lot of water springs which are enough to local Consumption and provide thousands of Feddans with water . Siwa is located in the south – west of Matrouh and at 300 km in the south of Marsa Matrouh.
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5- Moving Sand Area
It begins From the South – west of Matrouh ond it is Sometimes Called the Great Sandsea . thesoil of this area is very soft sand,heavy and stretched For thousands of kilometers.
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http://www.matrouh.gov.eg/matrouhsite/en/indexen.jsp

Amun

2007-05-01T05:48:00.000-07:00

Amun, King of Gods, appeared during the Old Kingdom as a member of the eight cosmic gods of Hermopolis. Early on, Amun was a minor god of the city of Thebes, where he eventually flourished and gained prominence through the political rise of that city.

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By the Middle Kingdom, Amun became the one and only supreme deity in Egypt, and the lord of the Karnak Temples. Together with his wife, Mut, and their son, Khonsu, the moon god, the three formed the Theban Triad, a sort of heavenly family for their people. Each year a festival would be held celebrating the marriage of Amun and Mut.

Suez Canal

2007-04-23T09:50:00.000-07:00

The Suez Canal is considered to be the shortest link between the east and the west due to its unique geographic location; it is an important international navigation canal linking between the Mediterranean sea at Port said and the red sea at Suez. The idea of linking the Mediterranean sea with the red sea by a canal dates back to 40 centuries as it was pointed out through history starting by the pharaohs era passing by the Islamic era until it was dredged reaching its current condition today.
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It is considered to be the first artificial canal to be used in Travel and Trade. The Whole Idea of establishing a canal linking between the red sea and the Mediterranean dates back to the oldest times, as Egypt dredged the firs artificial canal on the planet’s surface. The pharaohs dredged a canal link in between river Nile and the red sea. This canal ran a while and then stopped until Muslims conquered Egypt under the leader ship of Amr-Ebn-El-Aas complying with the orders of Omar Ebn El Khattab. When the Portuguese discovered Ras El Raga El Saleh at the beginning of the 16th century the world trade movement changed making Egypt and Alexandria not considered the heart of it anymore.
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After that it was Francis Delicips the one with the idea of re-dredging the Canal in (25 April, 1859) and was formally opened during the ruling of El Khedive Ismael (17 November, 1869) in a major celebration which was attended by most of Europe’s kings and Princes and the license period was 99 years from the date of opening of the canal and then it becomes after that a property of the Egyptian Government, and the French owned most of its stock.
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After July 1952 Revolution, president Gamal Abd El Naser publicized the canal in announcement in (26 July, 1956) making the management of the canal a 100% Egyptian, which enraged the major countries leading to the Triad assault on Egypt in (29 October, 1956) which caused to the closing of the canal and it was reopened in (march 1957) and after that it was closed again ( 1976) due to the ships laying in the bottom of the canal and was not reopened again until (June 1975).
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The dredging of the canal took almost 10 years using Egyptian labor, and it was opened for navigation for the first time in 17 November, 1869. Its depth was about 8 meters, its water are was 304 m2 and the largest ship load that can pass through was 5000 tons, which was typical for ships sizes in these days. As the ships developed and increased its sizes, the canal needed to be developed, which happened when it was still a foreign joint venture before being publicized to take ships with depth of 35 feet and its water area to be 1100 m2 by the end of 1956 and when the canal was publicized by the Egyptian government on the 26th of July, 1956. The Egyptian administration was keen to develop the
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In May 1962, the water area of the canal was to reach 1800 m2 and the allowed depth to 38 feet. In June 1966, a development was to be executed on 2 stages as it was announced the depth would reach 48 and 58 feet consecutively. This program was started in February 1962, but was soon halted due to the war that erupted on the 5th of June, 1967. It was reopened for international; navigation in June 1975 after purifying it from the ships that sank in its bottom during in the 1962 and 1973 wars with the same water area and depth before it was closed. The development projects then started by the Egyptian administration in order to receive ships of a 210,000 tons load, specially after increasing the water are to 4800 m2 and a depth of 62 feet , with a length of 190.25 km, in addition to the redesign of the canal's turns so that each one has a half radius of at least 5000 m and also dredging a new verge starting from the 17th km south of port said heading directly to the Mediterranean east of port Fouad to allow the loaded ships going north to go to the sea without passing through port said port. The Suez canal is distinguished by its stable level of water which varies very slightly having the highs tide reaching 50 cm in the north while reaching up to 2 m in the south.
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Vice Admiral/Ahmed Fadel has assured head of the Suez Canal port authority, the depth will reach 66 feet by 2006 pointing out that this stage will enable all container vessels; about 17,000 container vessels; as well as taking all bulk vessels world wide. His Excellency also pointed that the Canal will be able to take in about 99 % of all methods used in world maritime transport after reaching a depth of 72 feet in 2012, as well as taking about 99% of he dead weight tons for the bulk vessels 82% of the petroleum tanks and a 100% of all the remaining types of ships used in maritime transport; specially container vessels with all its future generations; in addition to empty vessels reaching up to 560 thousand tons.
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Suez Canal

Head of Queen Hatshepsut

2007-04-14T09:10:00.000-07:00

Queen Hatshepsut is the most famous female ruler of ancient Egypt. This head, which is one of the masterpieces of Eighteenth Dynasty sculpture, is part of a statue that once represented the queen in the shape of the god Osiris

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The head, made out of painted limestone, bears all her distinctive feminine features: the gently curved eyebrows, the wide eyes extended by cosmetic lines, the delicate aquiline nose, the full cheeks, and the gracious mouth.
Dimensions: Height 61 cm Width 55 cm

Statue of Apis Bull

2007-04-13T01:06:00.000-07:00

The gigantic statue of the god Serapis is sculpted in basalt, a dark gray or black dense rock. The statue represents Serapis in the form of a strong bull with a solar disk and uraeus, or royal cobra, between his horns

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The inscription originally placed on the pillar that supports the body of the bull indicates that the statue was set up around AD 130 in the time of the Roman Emperor Hadrian

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Serapis was a new god derived from the god Osir-Apis to unite the Greek and Egyptian population of Alexandria.
Dimensions: Height 180 cm

Luxor

2007-04-11T07:47:00.000-07:00

River Nile split Luxor into sides. East side where you find Karnak and Luxor temples, it is calledthe living city during the ancient times.West side because Sun Set in the West is called the city of the death. That is why you will find all the Tombs and the funural temples located in the Western Bank of Luxor
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The frist temple you will see is the funural temple of Amonphes the third father of king Aknaten. His temple is used as a quary to rebuild other temples that is why you will find some ruins and the two big statues which is called now Memnoun. Every one of them is one sinbgle peace of stone which weaght nine hundred tones. Represting the king looking for the Sun rise every dayon his face
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In the West side you will visit the Valley of the kings where we have discovered 62 tombs. The most famous one is king Tut Ank Amoun. It was found in 1922 by an English Egyptologist. Also the Valley of Queens in that side where 75 Tombs have been discovered. Most famous Tomb is Queen Nefertary wife of Ramsess second. The tombs of the Nobles between the kings and Queens where more than four hundred Tombs have been discovered. They are very beautiful colors
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In the Western side you can visit too the temple of Ramses third which called Medaint Habu. It is one of the most beautiful funural temples where you will find the colors still on the walls as if the Artist finished it yeasterday.You can see Ramses second too where you find beautiful statues of the king in difrent stones.Seti Frist temple also worth a visit too
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Tomb of Queen Thiti Thiti was the wife of one of the numerous Ramses of the XX Dynasty, maybe Ramses IV. Her tomb, abandoned and reduced to a donkey stable, is well preserved and features an interesting embossed decoration on limestone highlighted by a light pink shade
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Tomb of Amon-her-KhopechefBefore Amon-her-Khopechef, son of Ramses III, this tomb was built to house the mortal remains of another prince, son of the same Pharaoh. Simply structured - a stairway that leads to a square room and a corridor that leads to the room of the sarcophaghi - the tomb is characterized by a brightly coloured decoration. An unusual sepulchre is the dominant colour in the whole sepulchre
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