Millions of tourists visit the ancient Egyptian sites annually and are inspired by the ruins. Yet it is impossible for them to photograph the ruins adequately: the sites are overrun with tourists, photography is forbidden in various locations and amateur cameras cannot correct the perspectives of the monuments. Meanwhile no book currently exists of professional-quality photographs specifically portraying the monuments.
Most of the "wonders" of our ancient past have come down to us unencumbered by written information. In particular, this is the case of the Great Pyramid of Giza and of many other ancient Egyptian monuments. However, there is no doubt as to the interest of their builders in the celestial cycles: the "cosmic order" was indeed the true basis of the pharaoh's power. This book takes the reader on a chronological journey through ancient Egypt to explore the relationship between astronomy, landscape, and power during the most flourishing periods of ancient Egyptian civilization. Using the lens of archaeoastronomy, Giulio Magli reexamines the key monuments and turning points of Egyptian architecture and history, such as the solar deification of King Khufu, builder of the Great Pyramid, the Hatshepsut reign, and the Amarna revolution.
Following the Napoleonic military campaign in Egypt (1798-1801), Europe rediscovered the ancient Egyptian civilization, and later expeditions deepened and amplified knowledge of the country's archaeological monuments, giving birth to a new science, Egyptology, which is still very active. In 1828, Charles X of France and Grand Duke Leopold II of Tuscany financed the first international scientific expedition to Egypt, the aim of which was to explore the historic monuments of the country. Unlike the Napoleonic Commission, the Franco-Tuscan expedition was able to take advantage of the understanding of hieroglyphic script and therefore examine the antiquities more systematically. The leaders of the expedition were Jean-François Champollion, the man who deciphered the hieroglyphs using the Rosetta Stone, and Ippolito Rosellini. Born in Pisa in 1800, Rosellini was noted for his study of the monuments, deciphering of the hieroglyphs and, above all, for his contribution to science in the form of his illustrated work, The Monuments of Egypt and Nubia. This volume recounts the era of early Egyptology at the start of the nineteenth century, and presents the most beautiful plates from Rosellini's original work made following the long expedition.
The renowned Egyptologist presents a fascinating and comprehensive history of Ancient Egyptian pyramids, mausolea and other funerary monuments. The royal tombs of ancient Egypt include some of the most stupendous monuments of all time, containing some of the greatest treasures to survive from the ancient world. This book is a history of the burial places of the rulers of Egypt from the very dawn of history down to the country’s absorption into the Roman Empire, three millennia later. During this time, the tombs ranged from mudbrick-lined pits in the desert, through pyramid-topped labyrinths to superbly decorated galleries penetrating deep into the rock of the Valley of the Kings. The Royal Tombs of Ancient Egypt is the most comprehensive study of ancient Egyptian funerary monuments to date. Egyptologist Aidan Dodson examines not only the burial places themselves, but also the temples built to provide for the dead pharaoh’s soul. The volume covers the tombs of both native and foreign monarchs as well as royal family members.
A “richly illustrated . . . engaging, lucid account” of Ancient Egyptian Pyramids, what we know about them now, what we don’t, and what is still debated today (Kirkus Reviews). Hailed by Science News as “the new seminal text,” The Pyramids is a comprehensive record of Egypt’s most awe-inspiring monuments and what Egyptologists now know about them today—from their construction and purpose to the culture that surrounded them. Distinguished Egyptologist Miroslav Verner draws from the research of the earliest Egyptologists as well as the startling discoveries made with late twentieth century technology. Here you will find a clear, authoritative guide to the ancient culture that created the pyramids five thousand years ago without iron or bronze, and with only the most elementary systems of calculation. As Verner explains the magnitude of this accomplishment, he also traces the stories and ideas of the intrepid scientists who uncovered the mysteries of the pyramids. “Editor’s Choice . . . this comprehensive volume details everything you ever wanted to know about pyramids.” —Rosemary Herbert, Boston Herald “Displays both a deep respect for the research of Egyptologists and a comprehensive knowledge of it . . . An important, comprehensive resource for the study of those most mysteriously, enduringly impressive structures.” —Kirkus Reviews “An accessible introduction to the culture of the ancient Egyptians.” —Die Welt
Have you ever wondered what it was like to live and work in Egypt, the most powerful kingdom of the ancient world? Spend a day with 24 Egyptians to see Egypt through their eyes - the sights, the smells, the struggles and the conflicts.
"Sphinxes are legion in Egypt--what is so special about this one?... We shall take a stroll around the monument itself, scrutinizing its special features and analyzing the changes it experienced throughout its history. The evidence linked to the statue will enable us to trace its evolution... down to the worship it received in the first centuries of our own era, when Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans mingled together in devotion to this colossus, illustrious witness to a past that was already more than two millennia old."--from the IntroductionThe Great Sphinx of Giza is one of the few monuments from ancient Egypt familiar to nearly everyone. In a land where the colossal is part of the landscape, it still stands out, the largest known statue in Egypt. Originally constructed as the image of King Chephren, builder of the second of the Great Pyramids, the Sphinx later acquired new fame in the guise of the sun god Harmakhis. Major construction efforts in the New Kingdom and Roman Period transformed the monument and its environs into an impressive place of pilgrimage, visited until the end of pagan antiquity.Christiane Zivie-Coche, a distinguished Egyptologist, surveys the long history of the Great Sphinx and discusses its original appearance, its functions and religious significance, its relation to the many other Egyptian sphinxes, and the various discoveries connected with it. From votive objects deposited by the faithful and inscriptions that testify to details of worship, she reconstructs the cult of Harmakhis (in Egyptian, Har-em-akhet, or "Horus-in-the-horizon"), which arose around the monument in the second millennium. "We are faced," she writes, "with a religious phenomenon that is entirely original, though not unique: a theological reinterpretation turned an existing statue into the image of the god who had been invented on its basis."The coming of Christianity ended the Great Sphinx's religious role. The ever-present sand buried it, thus sparing it the fate that overtook the nearby pyramids, which were stripped of their stone by medieval builders. The monument remained untouched, covered by its desert blanket, until the first excavations. Zivie-Coche details the archaeological activity aimed at clearing the Sphinx and, later, at preserving it from the corrosive effects of a rising water table.
