Jewels of the Nile: 11 Awesome Egyptian Museums The Coptic museum holds the largest collection of Egyptian Christian relics in the world. Courtesy Experience Egypt, Egyptian Tourism Authority
For much of the 20th century, the Egyptian Museum in the center of Cairo was the gold standard for collections along the Nile.
Mainly because among the many nuggets inside were the glimmering death mask of Tutankhamun and all the other relics discovered in the boy king's tomb by archeologist Howard Carter in 1922.
But Egypt has always had far more treasures than a single museum could display.
The museum turned over the coffin after learning it had been looted from Egypt back in 2011
The coffin, believed to be crafted between 50 and 150 BC, was purchased by the Metropolitan Museum of Art two years ago — but was fooled by phony documentation. It appears to have been stolen from Egypt during the 2011 uprisings. NBC New York’s Gus Rosendale reports.
The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art has announced the “Queen Nefertari: Eternal Egypt” exhibition will be coming to Kansas City in November. The exhibition celebrates the mysterious queen and wife to Pharaoh Ramesses II, who referred to her as “The One For Whom The Sun Shines.”
The exhibit will not only focus on the queen herself, but also will feature the women of ancient Egypt. Emphasis will be put on royal life in palaces, everyday life of female artisans, and the strong underlying belief system of ancient Egypt. The exhibit is scheduled to run from Nov. 15 to March 29.
Inside One of Egypt’s Biggest Royal Weddings The relief above the text shows Ramses II (left), enthroned, wearing the white crown of Upper Egypt. The gods Ptah (second from left) and Seth (seated at right) sit with him. Standing to the right is his bride, Queen Maathorneferure, and her father, King Hattusilis (far right), who did not accompany his daughter to Egypt.
When Ramses II married a Hittite princess, it strengthened the political alliance between the two former enemies. But the arrangements weren’t easy to make.
RAMSES II ENJOYED one of the longest reigns in Egyptian history. He spent more than 65 years on the throne during a period of military and cultural splendor which would win him the title Ramses the Great.
In 1249 B.C. Ramses II had been ruling for 30 years. To commemorate such a notable occasion, pharaohs held jubilee celebrations known as Heb Sed. Ramses chose his magnificent new capital city, Pi-Ramses, to stage a suitably lavish celebration for this milestone.
When does vandalism become an archaeological feature? When it’s done in antiquity, of course.
In the featured image of this article above is a photo of a particular kind of vandalism commonly referred to as “pilgrim gouges.” I’ve noticed these peculiar scoops of stone in various photos of columns, ashlar blocks, monuments and so on, but never really stopped to think about what they were.
In hindsight, all the examples I can think of or locate on the net or in books, are within reach of people. Still, my first guesses included eroded palimpsests and some sort of vandalism in antiquity.
Check out Kat Luno's Art Work! Book Cover painting for "The Union of Isis and Thoth" by Nicki Scully and Normandi Ellis; Inner Traditions Bear & Co. 9" x 12" Oil on Panel.
Kat is an oil painter & illustrator who loves working with color, symbolism, and portraiture. Her work is infused with a fascination for subjects such as world mythologies, psychology, science fiction & fantasy, as well as various mystical systems such as Tarot and Qabalah. Stylistically, she is influenced by a number of disparate artistic genres that all seem to coalesce into something cohesive in her mind. These include classical realism (particularly turn-of-the-century Russian realism), surrealism, visionary art, spiritual & religious iconography, as well as many kinds of illustration genres
A sarcophagus with a mummy inside is seen in the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization (NMEC), Cairo, Egypt, on Sept. 21, 2019. Egyptian Minister of Antiquities Khaled al-Anany witnessed on Saturday the unpacking process of two ancient sarcophagi ahead of their restoration and display in a new museum. The mummies in the two sarcophagi belong to a senior official of the New Kingdom of Egypt, and his wife, said Mostafa Waziri, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities.
The golden coffin of the Egyptian Pharaoh Tutankhamun will be restored for the first time since its discovery, ahead of a new museum exhibit next year.
The three thousand year old Egyptian relic is in a fragile state and will require careful restoration before it goes on public display next year.
An Egyptian historian was granted access to a tomb in the Valley of the Kings that has been marked unsafe for years, and she uncovered an "underground paradise".
KV17, located in Egypt's Valley of the Kings, is the tomb of the Pharaoh Seti I of the Nineteenth Dynasty. It was first discovered by Giovanni Battista Belzoni on October 16, 1817, but has been closed since the early 1960s due to significant damage to the structure. However, historian Bettany Hughes was granted special access during the filming of her Channel 5 show “Egypt’s Greatest Treasures”.
ANWAR MAHAJOUB GREW UP IN the village of El-Kurru, Sudan, along the Nile between its Third and Fourth Cataracts. Besides at its delta, which offers a flourish of emerald where the river meets the Mediterranean Sea, the Nile is almost entirely bordered by just a thin band of foliage, beyond which are the sepia sands of the Sahara. For centuries, the desert has obscured and protected the tombs of kings, riverside temples, even entire ancient cities. Mahajoub grew up next to one of these sites, so it was never obscured to him. Recent excavations there have made the tombs and world of ancient Nubia—specifically the Kingdom of Kush that ruled over it for hundreds of years—feel even closer.
A collection of four gigantic objects have arrived at the Grand Egyptian Museum for eventual display on the museum’s grand staircase.
They include two rosy granite colossi of Senosert I, a 20-tonne red granite triad statue featuring Ramses II between deities Ptah and Sekhmet, and the top of a Hatshepsut obelisk, weighing 14 tonnes,
One day several thousand years ago, an Egyptian mummy supplier crept up on a wild crocodile and bashed it with a club, fracturing its skull and killing it.
The animal was quickly taken to be processed. Its damaged skull was fixed. Its body was treated with salts, oil and resins, and wrapped in multiple layers of linen.
Its last meal was still in its stomach.
The demand for mummified crocodiles was intense in ancient Egypt.
Emma Slattery Williams considers whether the fêted pharaoh – master builder, war hero and peace broker – was actually a brilliant propagandist who knew how to curate his image.
Ramesses II is often counted among Ancient Egypt’s greatest pharaohs. He certainly saw himself that way: he spent most of his reign covering his kingdom in monuments dedicated to himself. The third ruler of the 19th Dynasty had an unusually long kingship, fathered hundreds of children and – if you believe his own press – was a mighty warrior who could hold his ground against an entire army. “My name is Ozymandias, king of kings,” wrote Percy Bysshe Shelley in his 1818 poem Ozymandias, adopting the name the Ancient Greeks used for Ramesses II. “Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!
Egyptian archaeologist Dr. Zahi Hawass, the former Minister of Antiquities, revealed the details of “Tutankhamun opera “, scheduled to be displayed on the sidelines of the opening ceremony of the Grand Egyptian Museum. Dr. Hawass will write the script of “Tutankhamun opera “.
During a phone call with TV anchor Amr Adieb during El Hekaya program broadcast on MBC Misr satellite channel, Hawass said that opera Aida was produced 148 years ago and must be changed, pointing out that the new opera is named “Tutankhamun”, because he is the hero in the new Egyptian Museum.
Every two months, the Nile Scribes bring you summaries of the latest news and discoveries in Egyptology, both from the field and the library. We introduce you to the newest archaeological finds or rediscovered artefacts from museum collections, plus other new theories stirring in the Egyptological Zeitgeist.
The beginning of summer has revealed a wide array of new finds including brightly-decorated coffins, parts of an older church hiding under a basilica, and a large amount of rock art near Aswan.
An ancient temple dating back to the Ptolemaic era was uncovered in a house in Sohag Governorate .
On September 11, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities Mustafa Waziri said that the stones that were found in the village of Kom Ashqaw in the center of Tama, north of Sohag , is formed of limestone.
The limestone was discovered during the work of a contracting company to complete the sewage project in the village.
Egypt has begun a new international project in Luxor with the collection, restoration and reinstallation of two statues of King Ramses II.
The plan follows the restoration and assembly during the past three years of three statues of the ruler at Luxor Temple.
During his recent visit to Luxor, Egyptian Minister of Antiquities Khaled Al-Anani gave the green light for the restoration of two more statues of the pharaonic king at the western side of the temple.
Assassin's Creed Origins represented a turning point for the Assassin's Creed series. A departure from the style of gameplay that the franchise had become known for, 2017's Origins puts players in the shoes of Bayek of Siwa; a Medjay of Ancient Egypt and a proto-assassin doing assassin-like things before the Brotherhood had even been established.
An Ancient Egyptian sheriff of sorts, Bayek travels far and wide to avenge his son's death at the collective hands of the Order of the Ancients, a mysterious and dangerous collective of proto-templars. Unsurprisingly, it is a pretty big burden for Bayek to bear; traveling around Egypt and righting wrongs is hard work, but he still manages to get it done and in style. Here's a breakdown of the top 10 best armor sets in Assassin's Creed Origins because what good is getting revenge on the people responsible for your son's death if you don't look good while you do it?
In the Marvel Universe, the ancient Egyptian lunar god Khonshu has been reimagined as the society's God of Vengeance who selected Marc Spector and his dueling personalities as his avatar to deliver bloody justice to the world as Moon Knight.
However, Moon Knight Annual #1, by Cullen Bunn, Ibrahim Moustafa and Matt Horak, reveals that Spector is far from the first individual in history to be chosen as Khonshu's champion on Earth. And, with the fate of the entire time stream at stake, Spector finds himself partnered with them all as he battles a classic villain through time and space.
At the heart of Egypt’s ancient history is the 14th-century-BCE pharaoh Akhenaten, a leader depicted with full lips, a long nose, and evident breasts. At the heart of the visual cornucopia in Philip Glass’s 1983 opera Akhnaten is Anthony Roth Costanzo, a slender singer with full lips, a long nose, and a voice so high and clear it seems implausible coming from a man’s throat. There’s a lot of uncertainty around the historical figure, who is almost as famous for the woman he married (Nefertiti) as for his own accomplishments, which were considerable.
For centuries rumours have persisted about a powerful and mysterious substance. And these days, adverts and videos offering it for sale can be found online. Why has the story of "red mercury" endured?
Some people believe it's a magical healing elixir found buried in the mouths of ancient Egyptian mummies.
The symbol of Anubis, a black canine or a muscular man with the head of a black jackal, the ancient Egyptian god of the dead was said to oversee every aspect of the process of dying. He facilitated mummification, protected the graves of the dead, and decided whether or not one’s soul should be granted eternal life.
Strange that a civilization known to worship cats should come to personify death as a dog.
By analysing the dentistry of a woman who lived in Ancient Egypt, archaeologists have made a surprising discovery: her unusual profession. Take a look at the video above for all the details...
With this incredible discovery, archaeologists have gone from surprise to surprise. A short time ago, a team of scientists from the University of Alberta, in Canada, analysed the teeth of a woman who lived 4000 years ago, in Ancient Egypt. From this study, they learnt a lot more than they expected.
We liked him instantly — perhaps because he’s so unlike all of the other gods and goddesses of Ancient Egypt we had seen carved onto temple walls and painted in the dark, narrow tombs. And since most of those deities feature animal heads, that’s saying something.
Even so, Bes is perhaps the most unique character in the Ancient Egyptian pantheon. I’d try to come up with my own colorful description, but once Duke read this to me, I figured why bother? I can’t top Alastair Sooke’s write-up in Frieze, who describes this “grotesque little fellow” so evocatively.
Khepri - Total Solar Eclipse Scarab God
The Internet Archive has done a pretty good job of preserving my 'Khepri - Total Solar Eclipse Scarab God' eclipsology "web site". Here is the complete text of the original website with the two main GIF animations that it displayed.
From head to toe, Egypt is one of the most intriguing places you will ever get the pleasure of visiting. It has something of a bad reputation and that isn't entirely unjustified, and it's certainly worth discussing from time to time. However, we aren't here to debate the ins and outs of Egyptian law—we're here to work with the word 'fascinating.'
The French and international news outlets reported that the temporary exhibition of King Tutankhamun currently on display at the Grande Halle La Villette in Paris broke records of turnout of the French cultural exhibitions.
International media outlets stated that the exhibition is the most visited exhibition in France, where the total number of registered visitors so far has reached 1,371,476, according to the latest official census issued by the exhibition officials, explaining that the number will increase. Visitors
Egypt’s vast, much-delayed museum is scheduled to open in 2020. But while Tutankhamun’s treasures are being readied for tourists, some critics see the building as a vanity project.
In the vast, shade-dappled atrium of Egypt’s new Grand Egyptian Museum, construction work surrounded a colossal statue of Ramses II, his left foot striding forward and fists clenched in readiness.
As Marvel fans begin looking ahead to the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the time has come to look at the announced films and projects coming in the MCU’s Phase 4. One of the most prominent films that everyone is talking about has to be Marvel’s The Eternals.
A relatively unknown property to casual Marvel fans, the Eternals are a race of immortal beings created by The Celestials millennia ago. Bestowed with their own unique abilities, The Eternals have been around long enough to see the Marvel gods emerge. Here are ten Marvel gods we hope to see appear.
Watch | A Night At The Museum With Egyptian Icon Sawsan Badr
Proudly showcasing her silver locks, Egyptian screen siren Sawsan Badr takes an enchanting tour of the Egyptian museum in downtown Cairo, Egypt.
Lovingly dubbed ‘the fugitive from the museum’ due to her uncanny resemblance to the Ancient Egyptian queen, Nefertiti, Sawsan’s reputation precedes her. Add to that a career that has spanned nearly 40 years, and her persona in the public eye is almost unparalleled.
This next excerpt from Lewis Holmes’ book The Mystery of Music reads more like a pulp-fiction mystery novel. However, the story is preserved on 3000 year old papyri. It has torture, conspiracy, bribery and, yes, a bit of music.
The setting: Egypt, 1080 BCE. It was the end of the second Ramessid dynasty, during what Egyptologists call “The New Kingdom.” Law and order had decayed in the once great cities. Crime and corruption were on the rise as gangs looted old tombs and palaces for the precious treasures buried with the dead.
The scene of this crime was the "Valley of the Queens," an ancient burial site for the wives of pharaoh over the centuries.
The Find the Path podcast is an officially-licensed partner of Paizo, the makers of the Pathfinder roleplaying game. Comprised of a group of longtime friends, the Find the Path podcast invites gamers and non-gamers alike into the world of Golarion and the Pathfinder RPG system.
Known for their strong grasp of the Pathfinder rules system and genuine, cooperative table dynamics, Find the Path tells an engaging and exciting story set in an Ancient Egypt analog that is full of diverse, multifaceted characters and epic fantasy adventure.
According to various local media outlets, Egypt’s government is stepping up preparations for the inauguration ceremony of the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) which is set to open by 2020.
Working jointly, Prime Minister Mostafa Mabdouly and the Museum’s supreme committee have been arranging several logistical aspects of the ceremony such as the actual date, its program spanning multiple days, and the consultation of specializing international companies which can organize and arrange the ceremony.
EGYPT archaeologists uncovered a “subterranean world” hidden below the city of Saqqara, just metres from one of the most famous pyramids of the ancient world.
Saqqara is best known for being home to the Pyramid of Djoser, also known as the Step Pyramid. Built in the 27th century BC, during the Third Dynasty, the six-tiered structure is the earliest known attempt of what the ancient civilisation became best known for. However, below the constructions lies something more sinister.
This month many of us are preparing for another academic semester, as teachers or as students. This fall promises to be an exciting season as several compelling exhibitions will be on display in North American museums in Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, and Quebec. The Nile Scribes are excited about these four upcoming exhibitions about the Nile Valley cultures in Egypt and Sudan. Why not plan a weekend to visit one of these exhibitions for your next Egyptological getaway?
With the end of summer upon us, the Nile Scribes are getting closer to our first ever Scribes on the Nile tour leaving for Egypt on October 17 from Toronto! With our group of 15 participants, Thomas and Taylor will be travelling up and down the Nile from Cairo to Aswan and back, taking in the sights and enjoying the culinary wonders Egypt has to offer. In our blog this week, we round up our Top 5 favourite guidebooks any prospective visitor should consider getting to learn as much as you can before, and during, your trip to Egypt!
I was initially attracted to The Pyramid Supper Club because of its kooky architecture and its surprising location on a rural Wisconsin road next to a cornfield. I admit I thought it was a joke.
As a 1991 advertorial noted, “The Pyramid Supper Club on Highway 33 east of Beaver Dam is surrounded by a bare, flat-land setting much like the original pyramids depicted in the interior wall paintings.”
In an attempt to develop Tahrir Square and to show the whole world Egypt’s unique civilisation, eight blocks of one of Ramses II’s obelisks, found in his temple at San Al-Haggar archaeological site in Zagazig, arrived in Cairo on Friday.
They will be restored, assembled and erected in Tahrir Square.
Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities decided on Friday to display the coffin of ancient Queen Tausert, the last ruler of Egypt's 19th Dynasty, to the public for the first time since its discovery two decades ago.
In a statement, Secretary General of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA) Mostafa Waziri said that the coffin will put on display within the few coming days at the Luxor Museum in Upper Egypt.
He explained that the coffin has already been transferred on Thursday from the place of its discovery, at the closed tomb of King Bay in Luxor's west bank, to the Luxor Museum.
The director of Antiquities Museum at Bibliotheca Alexandrina and the supervisor of Zahi Hawass center for Egyptology Hussein Abdel Baseer revealed that the famed ancient Egyptian Queen Hatsheput died because of cancer at the age of 50 and was a diabetes patient as well.
Abdel Baseer announced that in a lecture entitled ‘’Egyptian Queens..Drama of Love and Power’’ at Zahi Hawass center for Egyptology.
Anubis Dog?
The Xoloitzcuintli (Mexican hairless dog). A dog considered to be the guide for the dead to reach the underworld. It resembles Anubis. Also it most commonly believed to be behind the legendary chupacabra.
A Virgil Finlay illustration from Weird Tales, October 1936
Labor Day is a holiday in the United States, and one most of us look forward to celebrating. (Who doesn't like a day off work?) This link is to a post from Labor Day 2015 about what was it like to be a working man or woman in ancient Egypt.
Throughout this workshop, you will learn about the smells that defined the mummification chambers and tombs, and the scents that the ancient Egyptians themselves wished to be surrounded by in their life after death. In the first hour, Dora will teach you about the olfactory motivation for mummification and the substances employed during the process. In the second hour, she will give you a detailed insight into the materials. You will be able to smell each ingredient and you will learn about their significance for the Egyptians and the reasons behind their use. In the third and last hour, you will recreate the essence of mummification in a bottle by using the very same ingredients the ancient Egyptians employed for embalming their dead. Don’t worry, you will end up with an exceedingly pleasant smell.
On August 30th, National Toasted Marshmallow Day celebrates one of America’s favorite fire-roasted treats. Be sure to stock up on marshmallows so you can celebrate!
Believe it or not, marshmallows date back to Ancient Egypt. The mallow plant provided a sap that the Egyptians used to create a candy with nuts and honey.
Ligonier, Indiana holds an annual Marshmallow Festival (Labor Day Weekend) and is the marshmallow capital of the world.
The new slot game launched by Play’n GO promises to position itself as a favorite of online casino players. This is Rise of Dead, a fun 5-reel game set in Ancient Egypt, which is based on the legendary Book of Thoth, a manuscript through which readers gain infinite knowledge.
The game is loaded with myths, spells and Egyptian traditions related to the pharaohs who ruled Egypt. Each of the symbols and figures of the game, represent real elements and characters found in the history of this ancient civilization.
Intriguing artefacts have been on display at Wisbech and Fenland Museum's Hudson Gallery throughout the summer holidays.
The exhibition will now continue to run until October 26.
In 1864 a group of men including the Barclay brothers took Lord Alexander Peckover on a tour of Egypt to ease his broken heart after the death of his young wife.
They boarded the riverboat Zuleika at Cairo to visit Luxor, Karnac, Thebes, Edfu and the Valley of the Kings.
The new game features an Egyptian theme, transporting gamers to an ancient pyramid where expeditions are underway. As an ALLPAY slot, the game does not have win lines but uses symbols combinations to provide 243 ways to win on 5 reels!
On Aug. 27, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly presided the first meeting of the Higher Committee, formed under the supervision of President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi to set scenarios of the opening ceremony of the Grand Egyptian Museum.
The meeting was attended by Minister of Antiquities Khaled al-Anani, Minister of Culture Inas Abdel Dayem, Minister of Tourism Rania al-Mashat, Governor of Giza Ahmed Rashed, and officials of a number of concerned authorities.
A group of scientists from the University of Hawaii made international headlines last week when they claimed to have recreated the perfume of Cleopatra, Egypt’s legendary queen known for her allure. In Egypt, the local beauty sector has also been banking on “Pharaonic recipes” to compete with pricey international beauty brands.
The ancient Egyptian queens whose faces are seen on murals or well-known statues were not simply natural beauties — Cleopatra, Nefertari and Nefertiti had complex beauty routines that included honey, mud or goat's milk, and modern versions have been growing in popularity in Egypt over the last decade.
How Medical Technology Reveals the Secrets Of Ancient Egyptian Mummies Media make images of the Egyptian mummy Nestawedjat, which dates to approximately 700 BC, at a press preview at the Museum of Fine Arts Wednesday, August 28, 2019 in Montreal. The museum will be showing the exhibition Egyptian Mummies: Exploring Ancient Lives this fall and winter. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz
Nestawedjat, a wealthy, married “lady of the house,” died in the ancient Egyptian city of Thebes sometime around 700 BC.
Some 2,700 years too late to save her, she was brought to a British hospital to undergo a thoroughly modern medical procedure: a CT scan.
In recent years, medical technology has allowed researchers to learn intimate details of the lives of ancient Egyptian mummies that go far beyond the biographical details gleaned from their tombs.
In 1922, British archaeologist Howard Carter would make one of the most important discoveries of the 20th century. . . In King Tut’s tomb, Carter and his team also discovered a pair of ancient trumpets, one of sterling silver and one of bronze or copper, which hadn’t seen the light of day for over 3,000 years.
Papyrus Part of an Ancient Puzzle A piece of papyrus fragment found at The Catholic University of American in Washington is a small piece of a larger scroll. COURTESY
Jacco Dieleman, a research associate professor in the department of Semitic and Egyptian languages, recently made a startling discovery while examining artifacts housed in The Catholic University of American in Washington’s Semitics/Institute of Christian Oriental Research collections. Dieleman identified a papyrus fragment from the university’s collection as a small piece of a larger papyrus scroll from the Tebtunis Temple Library, an important collection of ancient manuscripts that is shedding new light on the world of ancient Egypt.
In the spring term of 2018, a group of Drexel University students created a video game, Sons of Ra, for a group project. Exactly a year later, that same game won the E3 College Game Competition, one of the biggest game contest for college-level game designers.
The Ministry of Antiquities uncovered an ancient winding wall that extends about 60 meters to the east of Amenemhat II pyramid. This wall is considered an important architectural element that dates back to the Middle kingdom era.
A number of stone, pottery and wooden coffins were also found, some of which had mummies which were uncovered in good condition, in addition to a number of wooden masks some of them are incomplete and a set of tools that were used in cutting and polishing.
Every year in August, the constellation Orion returns to northern hemisphere skies at dawn, bearing with him the brightest star in our sky after the Sun ~ the star Sirius.
Sirius played a significant role in every aspect of Ancient Egypt culture, a role that carried on well into the 20th century, because its heliacal rising in mid-August each year was the signal from the natural world that the mighty river Nile was about to flood. At the heliacal rising of Sirius, people would move off the flood plain to make way for the river, which would rise up to 46 feet in some places!
Freud famously related the interpretation of dreams to the translation of hieroglyphs.
He provided an account of one of his own ‘hieroglyphic’ dreams in which nightmarish bird-headed figures are sexually-threatening hieroglyphic characters come to life. Freud’s willingness to address the sexual nature of Egyptian iconography was notably at odds with most contemporary Egyptologists.
Zahi Hawass describes the discovery of the mummy of the ancient Egyptian queen Hatshepsut in the Valley of the Kings.
This article describes the adventure of the discovery of the mummy of queen Hatshepsut, who was from the same dynasty as our Egyptian star Tutankhamun.
She ruled before Tutankhamun was born, along with a young boy called Thutmose III who was her stepson from her husband Thutmose II. After the death of Thutmose II, his son became the king of Egypt, but Hatshepsut took over the throne and ruled the country for almost 20 years.
She built a beautiful temple on the west bank of the Nile at Luxor, which was designed by her architect Senenmut.
Former government archaeology official and world-renowned Egyptologist Zahi Hawwas is known for his passion for ancient Egypt and his eagerness to attract more tourists to his country.
However, Hawwas is also interested in the bridging of civilizations. So, it was no surprise to see Japan, another nation with a great ancient civilization, at the forefront of his endeavors while promoting tourism in Egypt.
Note: I could not find the film mentioned in the article, but I found a decidedly strange trailer for an animated Cleopatra film that is quite infamous (on the internet at least). Warning: it's x-rated!
The pyramids of ancient Egypt are one of the many wonders of the world. The architectural achievements they managed to pull off were astounding for the era and their prowess shows as they continue to stand to this day. The pyramid of Giza is the only one of the seven great wonders of the world that are still standing, which is a feat of its own accord.
There is so much we still don't know about the pyramids, but we have come a long way in our discoveries since the first time modern man laid eyes on them. Investigations are still ongoing inside of these monstrosities and we cannot wait to see what is to be found in the years to come. Keep reading to learn about ten things you didn't know about the pyramids!
![Pilgrim gouges on the buttocks of sphinxes on the Avenue of Sphinxes at Karnak. Photo by Cammyjams [Flickr].](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXPSmb9EAMbdcXeVtW5bbQ_Zbrv4uzzQ5mh3qUbOmWEN0fokQRWNYS7kVAHItyIUrDdMC3spBDQlF-_XpqtgCRkDOMTWVBuCvOb0vD1RM7b9guI-z5_D8C3Q7HleHSQ2NgkpmnZeilP90i/s1600/pilgrim-1.jpg "Pilgrim gouges on the buttocks of sphinxes on the Avenue of Sphinxes at Karnak. Photo by Cammyjams [Flickr].")
