Gold and jewellery making played an important part in Egyptian culture, with the Egyptian era essentially dominated by gold. The enduring image of the Tutankhamun’s Death mask quantifies that superbly (above). The impact of such a bold use of metal
HISTORY OF THE COPTIC MUSEUM Interest in Coptic art was revived at the end of the 19th century when Mr. Gaston Maspero, a French Egyptologist, brought together many pieces in dedicated rooms of the Egyptian museum. In 1908, Marcus Simaika
History of the Valley of the Kings The earliest tombs located in the Valley of the Kings were opportunistically placed in naturally formed clefts, well-hidden in the crags of limestone bluffs or cliffs. In these clefts, the softer marl and worn
Horus is the name of a sky god in ancient Egyptian mythology which designates primarily two deities: Horus the Elder (or Horus the Great), the last born of the first five original gods, and Horus the Younger, the son of
Isis endured a difficult pregnancy with exceptionally long labor and gave birth to Horus alone in the swamps of the Delta. She hid herself and her son from Set and his demons in the thickets, only going out at night
The Cult of Horus in Egypt, as noted, was already ancient by the time the Osiris Myth became popular and that myth elevated the worship of Osiris, Isis and Horus to a national level. The Cult of Isis became so
Having conquered Set and restored order, Horus became known as Horu-Sema-Tawy, The Horus, Uniter of the Two Lands. He reinstated the policies of his parents, rejuvenating the land, and ruled wisely. It is for this reason that kings of Egypt, from
Archeologist and Egyptologist Howard Carter knew he was making the archeological triumph of the 20th century when he uncovered King Tutankhamen’s tomb in 1922. But no one could have predicted just how influential this discovery would be in the fashion
Astronomy may be the oldest natural science in the world. Before humans ever took to systematically studying the skies, we were craning our necks upwards, observing the curious movements of some bright points of light, and the stillness of others.
When Entering Egypt: Entry into Egypt requires a passport valid for at least six months from the issue date for Australians, British, Canadians, EU residents and USA travelers. Nationals of these countries can get a tourist visa on arrival, which
The Hyksos were a Semitic people who gained a foothold in Egypt c. 1782 BCE at the city of Avaris in Lower Egypt, thus initiating the era known in Egyptian history as the Second Intermediate Period (c. 1782 – c. 1570 BCE). Their name, Heqau-khasut, translates as ‘Rulers of Foreign Lands’
Ibn-Khaldun Nearly four centuries would elapse after Al-Muqaddasi before Ibn-Khaldun enters the frame of Islamic scholarship to set up the foundations for our modern social, economic, historical and political sciences. There is no need to go into the life and
The tombs and remains unearthed by archaeologists in ancient Egypt reveal a complex society with many distinct rituals carried out by both commoners and kings. Egyptologists concur that immortality was an important aspect of the ancient Egyptian belief system, and
Event Report In the footsteps of the Holy Family… In August 2007 the curators at the Coptic Museum in Old Cairo organized a workshop for children and teenagers on the topic “The Flight of the Holy Family into Egypt”. For
The nude figure is a universal visual theme, deeply rooted in the history of art, and it is seemingly ubiquitous in the art of the ancient civilizations of the Near East and Mediterranean. The Antikenmuseum, in Basel, Switzerland, recently opened a new exhibition – Naked!
LEARNING OBJECTIVES Create a timeline of ancient Egyptian civilization, marking the Old, Middle, and New Kingdoms KEY TAKEAWAYS Key Points Ancient Egyptian art reached considerable sophistication in painting and sculpture , and was both highly stylized and symbolic. The Nile
INTRODUCTION: COPTIC LANGUAGE by Dr. Kamal Farid Isaac The Coptic Language is the Egyptian Language in its last phase. It was written in the Coptic alphabet which was derived from Greek letters and Demotic Egyptian signs. It differs in some
Isis was the ancient Egyptian goddess of marriage, fertility, motherhood, magic and medicine. Many myths and legends exist about Isis in Egypt and Egyptian literature uses several names and titles for this goddess. Worship of Isis, her temples and her cult
Two pages from the Nag Hammadi Library (Codex II) Inv. No. 10544 Papyrus H: 28 cm, W: 15 cm Jabal al-Taref, near Nag Hammadi, 4th century In 1945 a farmer discovered 13 codices (books) near the town of Nag Hammadi
Emerald was Queen Cleopatra‘s favourite gemstone. She had her jewellers carve emeralds in her likeness, which she gave as gifts to foreign dignities. Emeralds were mined locally in ancient times close to the Red Sea. Egypt monopolized the trade in emeralds
The ancient Egyptians exhibited a love of ornament and personal decoration from earliest Predynastic times. Badarian burials often contained strings of beads made from glazed steatite, shell and ivory. Jewelry in gold, silver, copper and faience is also attested in the early Predynastic period; more varied materials were introduced
Ever wondered when and how jewelry first came into existence? Or how jewelry has changed over the years? In this new series on our blog, we’ll be exploring the history of jewelry and its development throughout time. The history of
Ever wondered when and how jewelry first came into existence? Or how jewelry has changed over the years? In this new series on our blog, we’ll be exploring the history of jewelry and its development throughout time. The history of
Just like in any other civilization, the economy of Ancient Egypt relied on a variety of skilled and unskilled labor. There were many different careers available in Egypt, ranging from breaking rocks in mines to making scientific discoveries in a
As with other contemporary civilizations, ancient Egypt’s economy was dependent on a mix of both unskilled and skilled labour. How ancient Egypt organized its labour force was one of the contributing factors to its enduring survival. There were many different careers
Unlike many other countries where everyone was either a peasant or a nobleman, Egypt had a very large middle class. These people tended to live in cities or on small country estates. They made a decent amount of money from skilled
Roman Sculpture Roman sculpture blended the idealised perfection of earlier Classical Greek sculpture with a greater aspiration for realism and mixed in the styles prevalent in Eastern art. Roman sculptors have also, with their popular copies of earlier Greek masterpieces, preserved for posterity invaluable works
Egypt was again divided as it now entered the Third Intermediate Period (1069-525 BCE). The government at Thebes claimed supremacy while recognizing the legitimacy of the rulers at Per Ramesses and intermarrying with them. The division of the government weakened Egypt which
Frieze decorated with a Nilotic scene Inv. No. 7211 Tamarisk wood H: 20 cm, W: 95.5 cm Unknown provenance, 6th century The depiction of Nilotic elements goes back as far as Pharaonic times. A rich variety of animals and plants
At first, nothing existed except Nun, the celestial waters. Ra sprang from Nun with words on his lips and those words created the first firmament. Then he created his daughter Tefnut from his spit and his son Shu from his breath.
A writer would receive a response from the dead in a number of different ways. One could hear from the deceased in a dream, receive some message or ‘sign’ in the course of a day, consult a seer, or simply
In the biblical Book of Luke, the story is told of Lazarus and the Rich Man in which a man of wealth and the poorest beggar both die on the same day. The beggar, Lazarus, finds himself in paradise while
None of the achievements of the remarkable ancient Egyptian civilization would have been possible without the Nile River. There is always a connection between landscape and how a people develop. It does not take the wisdom of a sphinx to
Between the Middle Kingdom and the era known as the New Kingdom falls the time scholars refer to as the Second Intermediate Period (c. 1782-c.1570 BCE). During this era rule in Egypt was divided between the foreign kings of the Hyksos in
Luxor Temple Luxor Temple, or The Temple of Luxor, is among the most beautiful temples throughout Egypt. During the New Kingdom, it was known in as Ipt-Rsyt, or the southern shrine, in order to differentiate between this temple and Karnak
Located in Upper Egypt Luxor has been described as the world’s largest open-air museum. Nowadays it has been elevated to the status of governorate, although it is still classified as being in the province of Qena. Luxor has a population of
Ma’at (aka Maat) was the ancient Egyptian concept of cosmic order and balance. The philosophy of Ma’at allowed them to rationalize the events occurring around them. As long as the universe revolved around Ma’at there would be a purity that
All these doctors practiced a combination of what one today would consider practical medicine and magic. Since disease came from supernatural sources, it was reasonable to conclude that supernatural treatment was the best recourse. In the present day, one may
The priests of the temple cults understood this but their function was to honor and care for their particular deity and ensure a reciprocity between that god and the people. The priests or priestesses, therefore, would not invoke Heka directly
