In ancient Egypt, the heart was not just a physical organ but was seen as the repository of one’s moral life. Protecting it was crucial for ensuring a favourable judgment in the afterlife. Due to the heart’s significance, it was one of the few organs left in the body during mummification or reinserted after preservation,...
24th December, 2024: Opinion Piece “In a chamber beyond a tomb full of treasures, a sarcophagus adorned with gilded gold takes centre stage, with the serene face of the instantly recognizable beauty of beauties carved delicately into the hard stone or wood. Inside, the perfectly embalmed mummy of a queen lays, beyond the wrappings, her...
To the Egyptians, Hippopotami were associated with the protective goddess Taweret who was associated with childbirth, pregnancy, and motherhood. The Egyptians saw hippos as a fearsome creature who protected their young from predators, with the ferociousness of the hippo encapsulating protective love. Therefore, the nature of the hippo became a symbol of guardianship during pregnancies,...
While we don’t have detailed accounts of how the Winter and Summer Solstices were exactly marked and specifically celebrated in Ancient Egypt, it is clear and evident that the Egyptians recognized the importance of the cycle of seasons, agriculture, and associated such with the eternal cycle of life, death, and rebirth. All evidence suggests to...
Architecturally, the Osireion is unique due to its subterranean design, constructed at a much lower level than the surrounding Seti I’s temple, suggesting it was either built into an existing depression or the ground level has significantly changed over time. The structure features massive blocks of red granite, some weighing up to 100 tons, which...
Mut, whose name means “mother” in Ancient Egyptian, was a significant deity in the Egyptian pantheon, particularly revered as the mother goddess and queen of the gods. She was considered a primal deity, linked with the primordial waters of Nu from which creation emerged, symbolizing her role as the creator of life itself. Mut was...
In Ancient Egypt, both cows and bulls held significant cultural, religious, and symbolic importance, though their roles and perceptions were quite distinct. Bulls were used in religious ceremonies not only because of their association with deities but also due to their symbolic representation of strength, fertility, and life’s renewal. Their sacrifice was a way to...
Despite its name, the obelisk was not from the reign of Cleopatra VII, but was originally erected by Thutmose III in the city of Heliopolis and later usurped and inscribed by Ramesses II. The obelisk was moved in 12 B.C. to Alexandria, where it remained for over 1,800 years. It is made of Aswan granite....
A pregnant Queen Ahmose, with her daughter (and future ruler of Egypt) Hatshepsut in utero. This scene is depicted within the walls of Hatshepsut’s funerary temple Djeser-Djeseru (“Holy of Holies”) and documents the mythos of Hatshepsut’s divine conception and birth, therefore giving her divine-right to the throne of Egypt. It is known as the Birth...
“Egypt Carrying the Light to Asia”, also known as “Progress”, was the proposal of erecting a neoclassical colossal statue at the Suez Canal entryway in Port Said, Egypt. Designed in the late 1860s by French artist Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, the statue was planned to be that of a robed female named “Saeid Misr” or “Upper...
