Sons of the Sun God: Ancient Egyptian Pharaohs
The Egyptian Empire rose with the unification
of Upper and Lower Egypt, along the banks of the river Nile, around 3000 BC. The ruler of the empire was the pharaoh. He was the chief lawmaker, the High Priest of Every Temple, commander of the soldiers and administrators, and owner of all the land in the empire. He was considered not an ordinary man, but the son of Ra, the Sun God.
Tutankhamun’s
death mask
The death mask of Tutankhamun, an Egyptian Pharaoh
of the 18th dynasty
who died early
in the 14th century BC,
is one of the most famous archaeological finds
in the world.
Nemes
The informal
headdress
of the pharaohs, decorated with an
uraeus (rearing cobra)
on the forehead.
Wig
Wigs were made of finely braided human hair or plant fibres.
They were usually dyed black.
Women’s dress
A typical long dress with shoulder straps, with a cloak
worn over it.
The shoulders were covered with a colourful collar.
In ancient Egypt men wore eye makeup as well as women which, according to their beliefs, secured the protection of Horus and Ra. Indeed, the paint used as eyeliner had healing, albeit not magical properties. The disinfectant substances
they contained (e.g. copper, phosphorus) helped fight diseases.
Flail (nekhakha)
The flail was another important symbol
of the pharaoh’s power. Originally
associated with Osiris, it represents the pharaoh’s role in providing for the
people and protecting
the fertile land.
False beard
Ancient Egyptian men shaved regularly, but since beards were associated with divinity and religion, pharaohs had to wear false beards.
Crook (heka)
The shepherd’s crook symbolises the pharaoh’s
duty to protect his
people like a shepherd protects his herd of
sheep. One of the most important symbols of the power of the pharaoh.
The pyramids, these gigantic constructions
built of huge stone
blocks, were the tombs
of the pharaohs. Since
they believed in life continuing after death in another form, the pyramids were supposed to provide an eternal residence for them.
The pyramids
of Giza
Were designed
for pharaohs Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure.
Some pyramids had already been plundered in ancient times. To secure a safe resting place, pharaohs were buried in rock-cut tombs in the Valley of the Kings, near Thebes, for over 500 years. The best known of these tombs is that of Tutankhamun, which was excavated by Howard Carter’s team of archaeologists in 1922.
Valley of the Kings
Pyramid
of Djoser in Saqqara (‘Step Pyramid’)
Rulers and Empires
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Rulers and Empires
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