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In the first half of the last century
The Egyptian history and religion the manners and customs of the people were more easily understood
Due to the successful decipherment of the hieroglyphic script by Champollion and his colleagues
Thousands of artifacts were then excavated
But were subsequently transferred into European and American museums or even fell in the hands of private collectors and
antiquities dealers
The first collection of artifacts gathered by the Egyptian government was given later to Austria as a present
Oh
Mariette the renowned French archaeologist not only discovered many important monuments throughout the country
But also urged the Egyptian government to build a proper museum for preserving and exhibiting the Egyptian artifacts
The present Egyptian museum in Cairo was inaugurated in 1902
And its collection was enriched by the discovery of the monuments from the Valley of the Kings and the artifacts from Giza, Saara, Tannis, Abidos, Kall el Amarna and Nubia
The tomb of the young King Tutankhamun who died some 3300 years ago was found nearly intact in 1922
With its more than 3000 objects of furniture, accessories and jewels
The tomb of the young King Tutankhamun was found nearly intact in 1922
With its more than 3000 objects of furniture, accessories and jewels
The 11 kilogram gold funerary mask of the king preserved the head of the mummy which was covered under the bandages
The magical texts written upon the mask also helped keep the head intact. The brow of the head of the king was protected by the cobra and the vulture
Also symbols of both halves of the country
The second wooden anthropoid coffin is richly gilded and inlaid with semi-precious stones and coloured glass representing a true image of Tutankhamun
With all royal insignia, the Ureus and Vulture, the two protecting goddesses of lower and upper Egypt, they are attached to his brow for protection
The wooden nauls are also kept inside the mummy
Here is the wooden nauls, contained once the canopic chest and in which the internal organs of the mummy were kept inside four miniature coffins of solid gold
Tutankhamun owned six chariots drawn by horses which he used to drive during his life and his travels, hunting trips and festivals
They were put in his tomb to be used in the afterlife and were gilded and decorated with stone and glass inlays and were provided with equipment for the rider and the horses
The king's mummy was to be laid upon funerary beds for the
ceremonies and for the journey to the sky. They are made in the shape of sacred animals like the cow, the lioness and the hippopotamus
The model of the sunboat is one of many left in the tomb to be used by the king when he travels in the company of the god through the sky
Two life-sized wooden statues for the residing of the king's car ought to receive the offerings and prayers and guard the tomb and the mummy as well
The jackal, called Anubis, was chosen to be the patron deity of the necropolis and mummification. Food offerings were presented to him to leave the mummies untouched
A statue of the goose, symbol of the god Amun, from the same treasure
The only Egyptian throne preserved from pharaonic times is that of Tutankhamun. The wooden frame is covered with gold sheets and the marvelous scene at the back shows the queen or even the queen of Egypt
The statue of the king is a symbol pointing the relaxed king
The figures of the royal couple receive blessing and long life wishes from the rays of the Atun sun god
This is an imitation of a folding chair and was used in the ceremonies. It is decorated with ebony and ivory inlays
The small chest, which contained once sandals and robes, a headdress and accessories, is painted with fine miniature war scenes against the enemies of Egypt
as well as hunting scenes of desert and wild animals
The text at the short sides speaks of the good lord who tramples the enemies
This wooden box is veneered with ivory panels on which are shown in painted relief the queen presenting the king with flowers
The statue of the king is a symbol pointing the relaxed king
Here are boxes decorated with beautiful texts carved on ivory panels or ornamented with magical symbols of long life and prosperity
The statue of the king is a symbol pointing the relaxed king
This box is made in the shape of the royal cartouche where the name of the king is inlaid with ivory and ebony
Another box ornamented with the symbols of stability and Isis knot and the king's names are protected by urii
This small shrine for a statue of the serpent goddess of magic, Wered Hekau, is covered with gold leaves
Here are the fans and the two trumpets of the king, one of gold and the other of silver
The statue of the king is a symbol pointing the relaxed king
The Senate game was played to pass the time during the lifetime and should be played in the afterlife too
To overcome the harms and the dangers there, he had to show not only his physical fitness but also his intelligence
The statue of the king is a symbol pointing the relaxed king
The personal fan of Tutankhamun had a symbolic value besides its being a practical means of creating an air current
One of the ceremonial shields is decorated with open work of scenes of the king upon his throne
The statue of the king is a symbol pointing the relaxed king
And in the third, the king is represented as a lion overpowering the enemies
Another shows the king holding the lion by the tail
Different objects found in the tomb of Tutankhamun were made of alabaster, the Egyptian marble
Here is the fine canopic shrine for the internal organs of the king's mummy
The boat with the statues of the princess with her deformed maid and the ombrand and perfume vases
The exquisite perfume vessel symbolizing the unification of upper and lower Egypt
All are unique masterpieces showing the craftsman's powers in carving and polishing the surfaces
and also show new forms of the creative artists and craftsmen
25 gilded statues for deities of the underworld and 7 for the king himself were found wrapped in linen cloth and enclosed inside black wooden shrines
They represent different legends, especially the struggle between Horus, the sun god who intended to take revenge from his uncle Seth, the assassin of his father Osiris
Here are figures of Pithach, the patron deity of craftsmen, the cobra, the king carried by the god Menkaret in the procession and at last the king upon the leopard
By the power of magic, 413 royal Shoaabdi figures ought to work for the king as substitutes in the work gangs of the other world
By the power of magic, 413 royal Shoaabdi figures ought to work for the king as substitutes in the work gangs of the other world all year round
They were sculpted in wood, stone or fire, some of them were gilded, decorated and provided with baskets and hoes
Here is the head of the young Tutankhamun emerging from the lotus flower like the sun god who came into existence at the time of creation of the universe
This wonderful gilded cartilage mask of Thuja was founded in the tomb of Yuya and Thuja, the grandparents of Akhnaten and the valley of the kings
An elegant inlaid jewel box and the chair of their granddaughter Princess That Amun were also sculpted
The well preserved mummies of this couple were laid in gilded and decorated anthropoid coffins
Statues of Akhnaten, the first Egyptian king to change the state cult from the many gods into the one and only god Atun
Ought to represent him with his characteristic features no more idealistic but rather with a tendency towards realism to agree with the new philosophy of the Atun cult
Queen Nefertiti was wife to Akhnaten, she was famous for her beauty, even her name Nefertiti means the beautiful one is coming
Or when he carries an offering tray
New subjects were allowed in the poses of sculpture such as this statue of Akhnaten kissing his daughter
Or his scenes with the family playing or praying and offering to the Atun sun god represented as sun disc only
On this teller the king and his queen Nefertiti play with their daughters under the protection of the god
This beautiful wooden anthropoid coffin covered with gold sheets and inlaid with semi-precious stones and glass paste was most probably made for the successor of Akhnaten called Semenehkara
Queen Hatshepsut ruled Egypt as a pharaoh for more than 20 years at the beginning of the 15th century before our era
Her peaceful reign was marked with great building achievements such as her marvelous commemorative temple at Deir el-Bahri in Luxor
Artists represented her as king and sphinx like other pharaohs
Here are some scenes from the expedition sent by Hatshepsut to this African country showing the wife of the chieftain of Punt or Somalia, her followers and the donkey which was her main means of transportation
A marvelous limestone head for Hatshepsut with her notable female features
And here again is a kneeling statue of the queen offering two wine jars to the god
King Thotmus III succeeded Hatshepsut on the throne of Egypt and his 32 year long and prosperous reign resulted in expanding the Egyptian empire in the north and in the south
Many statues of varieties of stones were sculpted for the king and depict the king as a handsome and elegant monarch
This statue of the cow goddess Hathor which is protecting the figure of the king and its shrine came from his temple at Deir el-Bahri in Thebes
Here are two huge wooden coffins for queen Merit Amun found in Deir el-Bahri. Two statues found at Karnak for Amenhotep II who is being protected here by the cobra goddess Merit Sigr, patroness of the mountain of Thebes
In the other statue he is kneeling and presenting an offering tray to the god
King Thotmus IV wanted to be represented here with his beloved mother Tia whom he respected very much
A statue of the mayor of Thebes, Sinepha and his wife embracing each other
Statues for private people were more relevant but simply realistic such as the grey granite statue of the vizier Amenhotep son of Habu
Offering scenes from the stela of the priest Neb Nakhdo and his family
Fine reliefs showing Amenhotep III upon his war chariot in a victory scene. Ramesses II ruled Egypt for about 67 years in the 13th century before our era
His monuments distributed all over the country make Egypt an open air museum. Here is an outstanding example of royal sculpture showing the personified name of the king under the protection of the huge falcon symbol of the sun god Horus
Perhaps the most attractive building hewn in the rock ever designed and executed in the history of mankind was the temple of Abu Simbel built in the time of Ramesses II some 3300 years ago
The main gateway of Luxor temple, the obelisks, the statues and the first court were built in the time of Ramesses II. Here is the funerary and commemorative temple of Ramessia with its huge granite statue
The statue of the kneeling king and that one of princess Merit Amun are considered masterpieces of sculpture of the 19th dynasty
Here is the decorated outer coffin of an artisan from Thebes who was called Khunso
Scenes from the book of the dead ought to provide him with protection, food and drinks and ease his journey through the underworld
The statue of the kneeling king and that one of princess Merit Amun are considered masterpieces of sculpture of the 19th dynasty
In the year 1220 BC, Meren Ptah son of Ramesses II,
rescued Egypt from invasions and threats of Libyan coalitions and sea peoples of the Mediterranean
Here are masterpieces of small royal and private statues sculpted mostly in wood
Artists used to represent Ramesses II with the deities of Egypt to show him as a pious pharaoh
Here he is sitting between Osiris, Isis and Horus
Ramesses III was the last great king in the history of the country
His well preserved temples at Medinet Habu and Karnak were decorated with complete battle and religious festival scenes
His tomb in the Valley of the Kings was elaborately decorated with painted reliefs from the books of the underworld
Here is a unique group statue of the king
Here is a unique group statue representing the coronation of Ramesses III by the two main deities of Upper and Lower Egypt
Patrons of kingship, Horus and Seth
After the end of the Old Kingdom and a period of civil wars and disorder, Egypt was reunited by King Mentor Hoteb II around the year 2000 before our era
Memphis lost its leading role and Thebes became the new capital of the country
A monumental tomb and temple were constructed for the pharaoh at Deir el-Bahri where this statue was found by Howard Carter
It shows the strong monarch clad in his jubilee dress wearing the red crown of the north
Wooden models representing troops of soldiers found in the tomb of Mesihite at Asyut depict order and show their uniforms and weapons 4000 years ago
Brown skinned Egyptians carry lances and shields and dark skinned Nubians bows and arrows
Song playing
In the seven town of the steward, Meketra, which belongs to the 11th dynasty, many wooden
models for the farm and the activities of the master's household were found.
Such were the senses of cattle, which was done once every year in the presence of the
master who is seated under the canopy watching the cattle.
These models were fashioned some 4000 years ago and show also the offering bearers the
different boats for the transport of the funerary equipment for the pilgrimage to Abydos and
for fishing.
From another find there are models of granaries and brewers and filling the beer in the jars.
There are also models of wood workshop with the carpenters manufacturing a sarcophagus
and a textile workshop.
In the 12th dynasty, the capital of the country was moved to a place near the Fayoum oasis
where land reclamation was achieved at a greater scale.
Fine limestone figures of Thysos Thrys I were found there.
There were also two fine wooden statues discovered.
One of them shows the king with the crown of upper Egypt holding the crook and represent
the king as the shepherd of his people.
the process of mummification the removed human viscera and intestines were
preserved in special vases called canopic jars and were put under the protection of
four jinni known as the four sons of Horus.
In the Middle Kingdom, stelae were installed to contain the offering formula for the sake
of the deceased and offering scenes to the deities of the underworld. They show the members
of the family as they wish to be united together in the afterlife.
In the 12th dynasty, kings were no more thought of as gods, but were real human beings who suffer and grow old.
The technique of Middle Kingdom jewelry reached a very high level in the design, in the workmanship,
and in the color combination of the stone inlays. These pectorals show the victorious
King Sezoustris III as a griffin smiting Egypt's enemies, or Eminem had III smiting them.
This is the palette of King Nama on which he commemorated his victories upon the people of
the Delta and uniting both Upper and Lower Egypt in one state some 5,000 years ago. The king is
shown smiting an enemy, symbolizing the people of the Delta.
On the other side, he marches with his officials in a parade of victory,
while the two halves of the country are represented as fabulous animals in an act of reconciliation.
The king, shown as a bull, is destroying a Delta-captured fortress. This schist statue
of King Kha Sechem of the Second Dynasty shows him wearing the dress of the 30 years feast.
It is a good example of the sculpture of this early period in Egyptian history.
4700 years ago, King Zosa of the Third Dynasty was buried under the Steppe pyramid, constructed
of stone at Saara by his genius architect, Imhotep. This limestone statue was kept in
a closed room north of the pyramid to hear the prayers and invocations of the pious priests
for the sake of the deceased king.
This Ebeneze statuette is the only sculpture known of King Khufu.
The owner of the great pyramid at Giza, which was the royal tomb and monument for the king
who ruled the country for 23 years in the 27th century before Christ. It is one of the
seven wonders of the ancient world. The statuette shows the king wearing the red crown of Lower
Egypt and holding the symbol of dignity. The Duraite statue of Khufra of the Fourth
Dynasty shows the powerful pharaoh of a vital country who represents the god upon earth,
wearing the linen headdress protected from the front by the Urias and attaches the false
beard of dignity to his chin.
It is an intelligent solution uniting god and kingship. The symbols of unification are
decorated on both sides of the lion throne on which the king sits. The second pyramid
and the great sphinx at Giza were executed in his time and they clearly merge in spirit
with the landscape of the necropolis in Giza. Grey Wake, group statues of Manqoura, the
builder of the smallest pyramid together with Hathor and figures of the Egyptian provinces
were found in the valley temple of the king at Giza. They show the youthful pharaoh in
the middle accompanied by Hathor, the cow goddess of music and love at the left and
a figure personifying the province of Asyut. These are the limestone statues of Prince
Rahoteb and his wife Nofred. Rahoteb, probably a brother of Khufu, was the general of the
army and the high priest of the sun god Ra at Heliopolis. The artist succeeded in giving
the figures a lifelike appearance by applying the bright colors and inlaying the eyes with
semi-precious stones. This group statue of the dwarf Seneb and his family is showing
the satisfied wife holding her deformed husband affectionately. Two of the children of Seneb
substitute the short legs of their father. Two wooden statues of the priest Ka'apir
known as Sheikhe-el-Balad or the head man of the village belong to the fifth dynasty.
They were sculpted some 4500 years ago. One shows him as a young man with fine inlaid
eyes.
The second statue represents him as an old man. Realism is achieved here by inlaying
the eyes with quartz and rock crystal and the modeling of the head and body. The beautiful
painting of the geese from the tomb of Nefer Ma'at at Maidoun belonging to the fourth dynasty
and dating back to the 27th century before our era. Here are some wooden statues belonging
to the old kingdom and show the ability of the sculptor to represent the features of
the masters perfectly.
Egyptian high ranking officials liked to own statues representing them as scribes which
meant that they belonged to the intellectual staff rather than being mere scribes. The
wooden statue of Metri. Here the artist succeeded in reflecting satisfaction and relaxation
of the youth Ka'em Hesed with his fine mustache and decorated collar. In the old kingdom servant
statues sculpted of stone or wood were put in the tombs of the high officials to serve
their masters through magic in the hereafter as well. And here is a double statue of the
judge Ne Ma'at Hesed from the fifth dynasty. Such images helped the guardian spirit to
dwell in their figures to receive invocation offerings. This is a family group statue of
Mer Su'an and his two daughters who wanted to immortalize themselves and stay together
until the day of resurrection. The fifth dynasty grey wake headed statue of King Uzerkav owner
of the first sun temple ever built in Egypt at Abu Sir. This is the statue of Ni'an Khrar
who was a genius chief physician in the sixth dynasty.
closed room inside his famous sa'aratu. His ka' or guardian spirit ought to take
possession of the statue to receive the offerings. Here the prayers smell the aroma of incense
when the ceremonies are done by the priests and family members. This crowned falcon of
Horus was sculpted some 4300 years ago. It is fashioned of beaten gold and the eyes are
inlaid of obsidian. These statues cast of copper for King Pepe the first and his son
4200 years ago witnessed the perfect technique of metal sculpting made to shape against a
wooden or clay statue. The black inlays of the eyes are of obsidian and the white of quads.
This mummy was wrapped in linen cloth and ornamented with real flowers and another
one was laid in painted cartilage decorated with figures of deities for protection.
Silver was imported from Syria and was more precious than gold which was mined from the
eastern desert and from Nubia. An anthropoid coffin of silver for King Susenus of the 21st
dynasty
ornamented with a ureous of gold was found in the king's tomb at Tanis in the delta.
Another coffin for King Shashank of the 22nd dynasty with a falcon's head was also discovered
in 1939. Here is a painted wooden cow image found in the area dedicated to the sacred
animals cult at Saara. It represents the divine cow mother of the apis bull. The coffin of
Pettuserius, high priest of Thoth in the Tolmake era contains inlay texts of spell 42 of the Book
of the Dead for the protection of the body of the deceased. A great collection of wonderful gilded
masks of cartilage and painted plaster from the Roman period for women and men are exhibited in
our museum. Such masks were formed taller than the older usual ones to cover the chest and obtained
Hellenistic features. The souls of the dead could then recognize their owners in the hierafter.
Now we come to the end of our tour through the ancient monuments and the history. In the
Egyptian Museum in Cairo we hope that you've enjoyed it.