Ancient Egypt

This lavishly site conveys the wonder of Ancient Egypt through the daily activities of its people. Fathom the Life of Ancient Egyptians, probe The Pyramids and The Sphinx and review matchless pieces of Egyptian Treasures

Egypt in the Pharaonic Era  Read more... 

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A Treasure Found by Chance

During the construction of a railway station in an embankment at Tell Basta, the ancient Bubastis, near Zagazig in the eastern part of the Delta, a hidden treasure of gold and silver vessels and jewelry was uncovered. These artifacts were most probably taken from the residence of the Ramesside kings at Pi-Ramesse and hidden in a repository at the temple of the cat goddess at Bubastis.

It is likely that these treasures were then forgotten until the construction workers found them around AD 1906 or 1907 after they had been hidden for more than 3000 years!

These treasures are now divided among the Egyptian Museum, the Metropolitan Museum, and the Berlin Museum.

Al-Fustat, Islamic Port and Arsenal

Al-Fustat was built near the Babylon fortress. It was a center of foreign marine trade because of its location on the Nile between Lower and Upper Egypt. Al-Fustat had access to the northern ports of Egypt and the southern towns of Upper Egypt through the Nile. In the Fatimid era, this role was enhanced by its connection with Cairo, the headquarters of the Fatimid Caliphs. Al-Fustat became a port for the trade from China, India, Yemen, and Europe and became the main center of shipping. Al-Maqrizi described it as being distinguished with prices lower than those of Cairo. Commercial stores were established on Al-Fustat shores where goods were directly unloaded into the stores' doors. It was impossible to transport goods on animals due to the crowdedness of Al-Fustat City. The traveler Al-Maqdissi who visited Al-Fustat was astonished at the great numbers of ships and boats he saw in the city's port. The traveler Ibn Said who also visited Al-Fustat said, "I am truthful when I report that on Al-Fustat banks I saw what I have never seen on any other river bank."

When ships loaded with different types of grains arrived in Al-Fustat, porters carried such loads to their respective storage areas located in several parts of Cairo.

The commercial status of Al-Fustat was not greatly affected after the famine that took place during the reign of the Fatimid Caliph Al-Mustansir Billah.

Ahmad Ibn Tulun also built an arsenal on al-Roda close to Al-Fustat and when Mohammad Ibn Taghg al-Ikhshidi came into power, he transformed the site of the Fustat arsenal into a garden and built a new arsenal in AH 325 (AD 937).

A shipyard for the construction of ships and boats was built. It is believed that this shipyard existed throughout the Fatimid, Ayyubid, and Mamluk eras. Historical sources also mention that this city was the production center for the fleets Salah Al-Din used in the Mediterranean to fight the Crusaders, and again in the time of King Al-Kamil Mohammad and his son King Al-Salih Najm Al-Din Ayyub. These ships were equipped with weapons and warriors then sent from Al-Fustat via the Nile to the northern ports of Alexandria, Rosetta, and Damietta. The arsenal also played a vital role in the construction of naval ships in the Mamluk period, as can be seen from Sultan Al-Zahir Baybars prohibition of disposing of the ship's wood and ordering the construction of 20 ships. Sultan Al-Ashraf Khalil Ibn Qala'un and his brother Sultan Al-Nasir Mohammad Ibn Qala'un were also great shipbuilders at Al-Fustat. Historians wrote the shipyard of Al-Fustat had stopped its activities during the reign of Al-Nasir Mohammad Ibn Qala'un.

Amarna Art

The Aten Cult founded by Akhenaten was based upon the concept of "maat," or justice, and on realism in art and human relations.

Akhenaten was the sole prophet of the god Aten, who was depicted as a solar disk with descending rays ending with human hands bestowing life and prosperity upon the king and his family. The sculpture of this era is characterized by a realistic style in portraying royalty.

First the style was exaggerated and grotesque, then it became relaxed and less exaggerated, and later the features were softened to an extent.

An Introduction to the Luxor Complex

Luxor Temple was built for the worship of Amun-Re, Mut, and Khonsu, who are called the Theban Triad. It was constructed on older foundations built during the Middle Kingdom, the Second Intermediate Period, and the early New Kingdom.

The existing important buildings in the temple were constructed by two kings, Amenhotep the Third of the Eighteenth and Ramesses the Second of the Nineteenth Dynasty.

A triple shrine, built earlier by Queen Hatshepsut and Tuthmosis the Third in the Eighteenth Dynasty, was ruined and rebuilt in the time of Ramesses the Second.

Parts of the wall decorations were changed by later kings, such as the scenes of the Opet Feast from the time of Tutankhamun and Horemheb as well as scenes of the bark sanctuary in the time of Alexander the Great.

Ancient Egyptian Clothing

The types of clothes worn by ancient Egyptians were symbolic of their status. Daily dress in the Old Kingdom was a simple rectangular piece of linen, about 0.5 to 1 meter and about 60 centimeters or 24 inches wide, which was wrapped clockwise around the body to cover the area between the waist and the knees. The end of this loincloth was turned back to make it a double thickness while the top was tucked under the part already wrapped. Then a piece of material was pulled up against the body and given a twist to prevent the inside part from slipping down.

The dress of nobles and high officials was different from royalty and the common people. A different type of kilt was worn by the nobles of the Old Kingdom on official occasions. It was a half-pleated kilt that was put on in a counter-clockwise direction around the body. The pleated part, which was drawn forward, was protected from soiling or wrinkling by the fingers when pulled into place by using a tab behind the belt. A knot in the center of the belt is a type of peculiarly tied bow, with ends generally tucked out of sight.

All the known statues and sculptures wearing this kilt are shown with the details almost always formalized and sometimes incorrect.

Fashions were affected by well-to-do Egyptians during the New Kingdom and new styles appeared. Nobles, both men and women, are depicted dressed in long garments with pleated sleeves flared at the elbow. Also, they sometimes wore short kilts under long transparent ones.

The leopard skin appears in scenes from the Old Kingdom onward and was connected with a certain class of priests usually called Sem priests. It could be worn over the normal dress and was held in position by a strap or cord, which was shortened by a kind of slipknot on the shoulder.

Ancient Egyptian Nile Deities

The River Nile was called in Egyptian "Iteru-aa." The water of the Nile, together with canals, wells, and lakes, was important for washing, purification, and rituals.

The ancient Egyptians worshiped several gods and goddesses associated with the Nile. The main god of the Nile was Hapy or "Hapy, father of the gods." Hapy was portrayed as a man with full breasts and belly, painted black or blue, and symbolizing the fertility that the Nile gave Egypt. Hapy was depicted holding flowers, fowl, fish, vegetables, and fruits, as well as the palm frond, the symbol of years. Sometimes the Nile god would have the lotus flower of Upper Egypt and the papyrus of Lower Egypt on his head.

Another god of the Nile was the crocodile god Sobek, who was worshiped in Esna, Kom Ombo, and Faiyum.

The ram-headed god of inundation, or flooding, and creation was Khnum who was worshiped at Aswan. He was responsible for creating humans together with their Kas, or guardian spirits.

Khnum's wife was the goddess Satet and Khnum's main cult center was at Aswan.

The Aswan cult center supervised the water and its distribution from the island of Elephantine northward and from the island of Begah at the First Cataract to the south.

The frog Heket was a goddess of water who was usually portrayed near Khnum, when Khnum fashioned the child and its Ka on the potter's wheel.