Egypt Museum

mythology

Khonsu

The moon god of Ancient Egypt, radiant son of Amun and Mut, and the silent companion of night travellers. Khonsu’s name meant “the traveller,” for he wandered nightly across the sky, marking time and guiding the tides of life and magic.

Often shown as a young male with a side-lock of youth and a lunar disc atop his head, or sometimes even as a falcon-headed figure, Khonsu was not only a celestial being, but a healer, an exorcist, and a protector against evil spirits.

In temples like that of Karnak, he was worshipped with mystery and reverence, his moonlit presence thought to hold sway over sickness, dreams, and divine power. He was the protector, providing a sacred glow to the Egyptian night.

The Swallow in Ancient Egypt

“the good and beautiful swallow who remains in eternity,” In the bright blue skies of Ancient Egypt, few creatures fluttered with more quiet mystique than the humble swallow. Known to the Egyptians as menet or occasionally wer, this elegant little bird, most likely the Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica), with its deeply forked tail and acrobatic...

Horus of Buto

Horus of Buto (also known as Horus the Behdetite or Horus of Pe) is a potent manifestation of the falcon god Horus, closely tied to the ancient northern city of Dendera (Per-Wadjet), one of Egypt’s oldest and most sacred cult centres. This revered Delta city, home to the cobra goddess Wadjet, guardian of Lower Egypt,...

Dwarfism in Ancient Egypt

Dwarfism in Ancient Egypt was not only recognised but often respected, and individuals with dwarfism could hold positions of considerable prestige. Rather than being marginalised, many dwarfs were integrated into society, particularly within elite or sacred spheres, and there were indeed religious and mythological associations that cast their condition in a positive, even divine, light....

The Solar Boat of King Khufu

Nestled within a specially designed museum at the base of the Great Pyramid of Giza, the so-called Khufu ship, more accurately known as the Solar Boat, is one of the most extraordinary archaeological survivals of the ancient world. Discovered in 1954, buried in a sealed limestone pit near the pyramid’s southern face, this full-sized cedar...

Cats

Few creatures captivate the imagination quite like the cat. From the earliest days along the Nile’s fertile banks, the Ancient Egyptians observed the elegance, agility, and protective instincts of wild cats that prowled the granaries and fields. Over time, these graceful hunters became more than companions, they evolved into powerful symbols of fertility, domestic harmony,...

Ba Bird

The Ba was a profoundly mystical and vital element of the soul, representing a person’s unique essence and individuality. Often depicted as a bird with a human head, the Ba was far more than a mere symbol. It embodied a person’s personality, mobility, and memories, those intimate qualities that distinguished one being from another. Unlike...

Nefertum

To the Ancient Egyptians, Nefertum, the radiant deity of the blue lotus, emerged from the primordial waters as the fragrant bloom that first opened at the dawn of creation. Often depicted as a handsome youth crowned with a lotus flower (sometimes flanked by plumes or lions), Nefertum embodied both rebirth and divine fragrance, serving as...

Colossal Khepri

Amidst the sprawling grandeur of Karnak Temple in Luxor, once the spiritual heart of ancient Thebes, stands a most curious and venerable monument: a colossal stone scarab carved from rose-hued granite. It is thought to date from the reign of Amenhotep III (r. 1391-1351 B.C.), during Egypt’s glittering 18th Dynasty, a period marked by architectural...

Lake of Fire

The Lake of Fire in Ancient Egyptian belief is a compelling and multifaceted concept, primarily depicted in funerary texts such as the Book of the Dead. This lake, known in Egyptian as the “Lake of Flames,” served as both a perilous obstacle and a source of purification for the deceased navigating the Duat, the Egyptian...