Egypt, Ancient
Hieroglyphics
A fragment from a hieroglyphic vase made of crystal. The hieroglyph decpicts Mafdet as Mistress of the Hut Ankh (Mansion of Life).
Steele, Lawrence E.
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Still image
Pit in the ground lined with stones at the necropolis Umm El Qaʻāb at Abydos, Egypt.
Pottery
Four pieces of Ancient Egyptian pottery.
Toys
Lion
Ivory
A pair of ivory lion gaming-pieces.
Tools
A section of old pipes or tubing that have been damaged or corroded.
An decorated vessel or jar with a handle and a spout for pouring.
A collection of stone artefacts including stone arrowheads.
Drawings
Mural painting and decoration
A drawing of an Egyptian wall painting depicting a battle scene.
Relief (Art)
Wall relief of three figures surrounded by hieroglyphics.
Carving (Decorative arts)
An inscription on a stone artefact which depicts two birds, an insect, mountains and other hieroglyphic symbols.
Abydos (Egypt : Extinct city)
Inscribed ebony tablet found at the Tomb of King Menes at Abydos, Egypt. The inscription is one of the earliest known examples of hieroglyphic writing.
Tombs
A tomb in the process of excavation in Abydos, Egypt.
Stele (Archaeology)
Limestone stele depicting Nefer, a member of the royal court who lived during the reign of Pharoah Semerchet. Discovered in Abydos, Egypt.
A local excavation worker standing in an excavation site in Abydos, Egypt. High stone walls surround the man.
Skeleton
A human skull with hair attached, identified with label Y354.
Grantine Stele of Peribsen found in Abydos, Egypt. From the 2nd Dynasty, around 2800 BCE.
Ruins of the city of Tanis. Large inscribed stones are piled on top of each other. Two people are visible in the distance.
Piles of large stones in a hilly desert landscape in Egypt.
Nile River
Nile riverbank with sparse vegetation and water visible in the background.
Maps
The map shows the route of the Suez Canal and the surrounding area, including cities such as Cairo, Zagazig and Suez.
Statues
Temples
Collapsed colossal statue of Ramesses II at the mortuary temple of Ramesses II, known as the Ramesseum.
Carving
A large stone carved in the shape of a hand or a foot.
Sphinxes (Mythology) in art
Two statues depicting Amenemhat III in lions' bodies located in the Egypt Museum of Cairo.
Hand-drawn map depicting the geographic location of the Desert of Eltih and the Red Sea.
Engraving of a pharaoh and hieroglyphs on stone.
Hieroglyphics on a label from Semerkhet's tomb
Carved slab of stone against stone wall.
Site of the tombs of Perabsen and Khasekhemui in the Umm el-Qa'ab in Abydos, Egypt.
Stone with a decorative carving of a bird and a hand.
Corner of stone tomb at the necropolis Umm El Qaʻāb in Abydos, Egypt.
An engraving of a man etched into a rock.
Tombs of Den and Perabsen
A stone slab from the Tombs of Den and Perabsen at Abydos, Egypt.
Pyramids
Aerial photo providing a wide view of the Pyramids of Giza, Egypt.
View of the Step Pyramid of King Djoser, the oldest pyramid in Egypt.
Egypt
Mosques
A busy scene inside the Mosque of Muhammad Ali, with people walking and standing.
Man in Egypt holding a vessel and bowl, with a satchel-like object strapped around his shoulder in a busy street with horses behind him.
Distant view of Mosque of Muhammad Ali in Cairo, Egypt. A man bends over in the foreground.
Group of women with baskets and jugs scattered around them, leaning over the water.
Bicycles
Two men, one dressed in dark clothes leaning on a bike, talking to another man dressed in light clothing.
Drawing of one side of the Great Pyramid of Giza (Gizeh) with measurements.
Picture of two men seated under palm trees, with two donkeys next to them, another man farther off, and a pyramid in the distance.
Aerial view of Cairo which also includes a view of the Mosque of the Sultan Hasan.
People kneeling in the courtyard of the Mosque of al-Azhar in Cairo, Egypt.
The Pyramid of Meidum, located in the Faiyum region, is also known as the "collapsed pyramid" as it no longer resembles a pyramid.
Side view of the Mosque of Mamluk Sultan Hasan in Cairo, Egypt.
Detailed map depicting the geographical regions of Lower Egypt, Middle Egypt, and Upper Egypt and surrounding areas.
A distant view of the Mosque of Muhammad Ali including a view of the Saladin Citadel of Cairo, Egypt.
Fountains
Fountain located in the Mosque of Sultan Hasan, Cairo, Egypt.
A man standing in front of a wall with a woman balancing a pot on her head with one hand.
Pyramid
A desert-landscape with pyramids in the distance, including individuals walking on foot and riding camels.
Timeline of the Egyptian dynasties from 7000BC to 1750BC.
Egyptian man with donkey on a street surrounded by buildings.
An intricate bridge across a river, possibly the Nile, with people and carts crossing it.
Ṣaqqārah (Egypt)--Antiquities
Two men, one of whom is holding a jar, sitting next to the Pyramid of Djoser at Saqqara, Egypt.
Stone surface carved with hieroglyphics.
Portion of ceiling in the burial chamber within the Pyramid of Unas at the entrance of the site of Saqqara, Egypt.
Steep slope with stone slabs and smaller stones falling down it. Possibly part of the Pyramid of Unas at the entrance of the site of Saqqara, Egypt.
Detailed map of the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt, with list of references and height table.
Sculpture
A side-view of the statue of King Khufu in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, Egypt.
A statue of King Khufu in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, Egypt.
Two images of the statue of King Khafre (Kephren) in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, Egypt.
View from the top of the Great Pyramid of Giza
Two men sit at the top of the Great Pyramid of Giza, Egypt, with a view of the desert behind them.
A view looking out over a village and the Pyramids of Giza, Egypt. Animals are visible in the foreground.
Wall carved with hieroglyphics in the burial chamber in the Pyramid of King Unas, Saqqara, Egypt.
Several people climbing up the large stone blocks of the Great Pyramid of Giza, Egypt.
The entrance to the Great Pyramid of Giza
Two images of different entrances of the Great Pyramid of Giza, Egypt. One image has multiple Egyptian men standing around the entrance.
Two men standing in front of the Great Pyramid of Giza.
Two people in King Khufu's chamber in the Great Pyramid of Giza, Egypt.
Sphinxes (Mythology)
Different views of the Great Sphinx at Giza, Egypt.
A wide view of the Great Pyramid of Giza, Egypt.
A room in the Temple of Khafre with a granite doorway to the left and end of the hall. There is also a well which was dug into the floor of the room.
Obelisks
An Egyptian landscape with people and palm trees in the foreground, in the distance there can be seen structures, including a temple and an obelisk.
The Heliopolis Obelisk which stands 21 m (69 ft) tall. Originally erected in Heliopolis (modern day Cairo). The obelisk is covered with hieroglyphics.
London (England)--Buildings, structures, etc.
The Heliopolis Obelisk or Cleopatra's needle erected on the Victoria Embankment in London. It was transported from Alexandria, Egypt, in 1877 as a commemoration of Britain's victory over Napoleon.
The Heliopolis Obelisk, known to the locals as the “Al-Massallah obelisk” located in the Cairo suburb of al-Matariyyah.
The Pyramids of Giza including the Great Pyramid of Khufu, the Pyramid of Khafre and the Pyramid of Menkaure. All structures were built during the fourth dynasty of the old kingdom of Ancient Egypt, between 2600 - 2500 BC.
The Great Pyramid of Khufu, also known as the Pyramid of Cheops, is the largest of the three pyramids at Giza in Egypt. The pyramid was built by Khufu, the second king of Egypt's fourth dynasty. The Pyramid of Khufu was the largest man-made structure for 3,800 years.
The Temple of Kom Ombo is an unusual double temple in the town of Kom Ombo in Aswan Governorate, Upper Egypt. It was constructed during the Ptolemaic dynasty, 180–47 BC. Some additions to it were later made during the Roman period. it is dedicated to the crocodile god Sobek, god of fertility and creator of the world with Hathor and Khonsu and the falcon god Haroeris ("Horus the Elder").
Boats
Traditional Egyptian sailboat or Gyassas sailing on the River Nile.
Hand-tinted map of the Eastern Mediterranean.
Hand-tinted antiquarian map of the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, with Latin names.
Map of Ancient Egypt with archaeological sites marked.
A decorated terracotta dish with handles decorated with animals and heads.
Collection of 5 decorated pottery objects.
A collection of five decorated pottery items, included bowl and plate.
Alexandria (Egypt)
Luxor Temple (Luxor, Egypt)
Sarcophagus
Four Ushabtis. Ushabtis were placed in tombs among the grave goods and were intended to act as servants or minions for the deceased, should they be called upon to do manual labor in the afterlife.
Dendera (Egypt)
Carved doorway in Dendera Temple complex.
The Obelisk of Hatshepsut, Karnak Temple Complex.
Karnak (Egypt)
The obelisk of Hatshepsut, built in the year 1457 BC, during the XVIII dynasty, is the second biggest of all the ancient Egyptian obelisks. Made of one single piece of pink granite, it has a height of 28.58 metres and its weight is 343 tons. It is located in the Big Temple of Amon, in Karnak. The obelisks are in its origins a homage to the Sun God. The Pharaohs were considered the sons of the sun and the woman which gave birth to it. The upper part, in pyramid form, would represent the rays of the sun falling on earth, was usually covered in gold, bronze or metal alloys, so that they would shine when the sunlight would fall on it. They received the name of pyramidion. The pharaohs erected their own obelisks in honour of certain events. In each of these four faces of the monolith inscriptions were sculpted that glorified the pharaoh. The obelisk symbolised stability and permanence.
The Obelisk of Thutmose I, Karnak Temple Complex.
The Obelisk of Thutmose I at the Karnak Temple in Luxor, Egypt, is a nearly 21.7-meter-tall, 143-ton granite monument from the New Kingdom period (c. 1506–1493 BCE). It features hieroglyphic inscriptions celebrating Pharaoh Thutmose I, his achievements, and his divine favor. As one of the oldest and tallest surviving obelisks, it stands within the sprawling Karnak complex, serving as both a significant historical artifact and a testament to ancient Egyptian architectural prowess.
Mummies
Sarcophagi
The Singer of the Residence of Amun, Ankhshepenwepet, was buried in a tomb within the precinct of Hatshepsut's temple in Deir el-Bahri. The burial was plundered and no traces were left of her mummy, which would have been placed in the inner coffin. The inner coffin of Ankhshepenwepet has a new shape which was developed during Dynasty 25. It is broader, with square shoulders and an over-sized head. On her head she wears a lappet wig (the hair painted blue), and a vulture headdress formerly worn by only queens and goddesses. The decoration on the lid includes the scene of the weighing of the heart from the Book of the Dead, and below it, for the first time on coffins, the mummy is depicted. It lies on an embalmer's bed and a ba-bird, symbolizing Ankhshepenwepet's spirit, hovers above it (see detail photo). Beneath the bed are two groups of objects; four canopic jars and four viscera bundles (containing the internal organs). The fact that the bundles are depicted suggests that the jars are "dummy" canopic jars, like the ones in Ankhshepenwepet's tomb (25.3.205a-d).
Painted Egyptian mummy case. Roman period.
Painted Egyptian Mummy case from the Roman period.
Mummy of a Greek youth, aged 19-21, named Artemidorus in a cartonnage body-case with mythological decoration in gold leaf and an encaustic on limewood portrait-panel covering the face and inscription on the chest. There is an inscription in Greek on the mummy-case. Skull - there is an extensive stellate fracture of the vault of the skull which may be ante mortem. All teeth appear to be present. The cervical spine is obscured by the mandible and packing material which is present in the neck and shoulder region. Thorax and Abdomen - These cavities appear to be filled with some sandy material. The dorsal spine is in disorder; all the ribs have been dislocated at their costo-vertebral junctions, but not fractured. The lumbar spine appears intact, but the intervertebral discs are opaque. There is bilateral sacrilisation of the 5th lumbar vertebra. The iliac epiphyses have by no means closed, hence the estimate of age. Arms - Extended. Hands with extended fingers in the pubic area. Legs - Menisci opaque. No fractures, dislocations, or lines of arrested growth.
Tetradrachm depicting Queen Cleopatra VII.
Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt, -30 B.C
Coins
Tetradrachm depicting Cleopatra VII. Cleopatra VII Thea Philopator was Queen of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt from 51 to 30 BC, and the last active Hellenistic pharaoh. A member of the Ptolemaic dynasty, she was a descendant of its founder Ptolemy I Soter, a Macedonian Greek general and companion of Alexander the Great.
Cleopatra (69–30 BCE) was queen of Egypt when the Roman Empire was gradually expanding into the wealthy eastern Mediterranean. By allying herself first with the powerful Roman generals Julius Caesar (100–44 BCE) and then Mark Antony (83–30 BCE), she hoped to maintain her country’s independence and her own authority. The political alliance between Antony and Cleopatra worried Caesar’s heir, Octavian, who, in 31 BCE, defeated the couple in a sea battle. Rather than suffer the humiliation of surrender, Cleopatra and Antony killed themselves. This coin was minted during Antony and Cleopatra’s alliance. By pairing their faces on coinage, the rulers advertised their powerful partnership, which was so strong that Cleopatra’s profile is an exact copy of Antony’s portrait. Cleopatra’s image appears on the front of the coin, which identifies her as the more important of the two rulers. A crown circling her carefully braided hair symbolizes her status as a queen.
Monuments
Pompey's Pillar (Arabic: عمود السواري, romanized: 'Amud El-Sawari) is a Roman triumphal column in Alexandria, Egypt. Despite its modern name, it was actually set up in honour of the Roman emperor Diocletian between 298–302 AD. The giant Corinthian column originally supported a colossal porphyry statue of the emperor in armour.[1] It stands at the eastern side of the temenos of the Serapeum of Alexandria, which is now in ruins. It is the only ancient monument in Alexandria that is still standing in its original location.
Rosetta stone.
Egyptian language--Writing, Hieroglyphic
The Rosetta Stone is a stele of granodiorite inscribed with three versions of a decree issued in 196 BC during the Ptolemaic dynasty of Egypt, on behalf of King Ptolemy V Epiphanes. The top and middle texts are in Ancient Egyptian using hieroglyphic and Demotic scripts, respectively, while the bottom is in Ancient Greek. The decree has only minor differences across the three versions, making the Rosetta Stone key to deciphering the Egyptian scripts. The stone was carved during the Hellenistic period and is believed to have originally been displayed within a temple, possibly at Sais. It was probably moved in late antiquity or during the Mamluk period, and was eventually used as building material in the construction of Fort Julien near the town of Rashid (Rosetta) in the Nile Delta. It was found there in July 1799 by French army officer Pierre-François Bouchard during France's invasion of Egypt. It was the first Ancient Egyptian bilingual text recovered in modern times, and it aroused widespread public interest with its potential to decipher this previously untranslated hieroglyphic script. Lithographic copies and plaster casts soon began circulating among European museums and scholars. When the British defeated the French, they took the stone to London under the terms of the Capitulation of Alexandria in 1801. Since 1802, it has been on public display at the British Museum almost continuously and it is the most visited object there.
Bas-Relief Panel Showing Queen Cleopatra VII in Costume with Sun Disk, Cow Horn Headdress of Hathor.
Cleopatra VII Thea Philopator was Queen of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt from 51 to 30 BC, and the last active Hellenistic pharaoh. A member of the Ptolemaic dynasty, she was a descendant of its founder Ptolemy I Soter, a Macedonian Greek general and companion of Alexander the Great.