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Egypte fata morgana, Eltakka Street, Cairo (2026)

30/05/2026

THE TOMB OF PASHEDU VALLEY OF ARTISTS ;
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The entrance of the stunningly beautiful tomb of Pashedu, tomb TT3 at Deir el-Medina. This tomb requires an extra ticket in addition to the standard Deir el-Medina entrance ticket, and there's a VERY steep path up to reach the tomb entrance, but the effort is well worth it.

Pashedu was a "Servant in the Place of Truth" (ie a craftsman at Deir el-Medina, working on the royal tombs in the Valley of the Kings) during the reigns of Seti I and Ramesses II. His wife, who was also buried in the tomb, was called Nedjmet-behdet. During the reign of Ramesses II, Pashedu became "Foreman of the Left Side"; that is, he was in charge of the work gang which decorated the left side of tombs.

Pashedu's tomb is wonderfully decorated. He used all his skills as a royal craftsman in his own tomb. I took this photograph in March this year, and was very pleased to discover that since my previous visit to the tomb in 2023, the glass panels on the walls have been removed (they always caused problematic reflections in photographs) and there's now just a rope barrier in front of the side walls.

Above the doorway of the tomb we see a depiction of the funerary god Ptah-Sokar, shown as a falcon perched on a boat. The brilliantly decorated wings stretch out below a wadjet-eye. Pashedu's sons, Menna and Kaha, kneel on both sides of the boat with their arms raised in the Egyptian attitude of prayer, worshipping the gods depicted on this and the adjacent walls.

In the scenes below, to the left of the entrance, Pashedu is shown kneeling before a doum palm tree and drinking from a pool of water. This is a representation of Spell 62 of the "Book of the Dead", entitled "drinking water in the necropolis", ensuring that the deceased's "ka" has a good supply of water in the afterlife. To the right of the entrance are three registers in which Pashedu's parents and relatives are shown.

It's perhaps of interest to note that Pashedu's son Menna was named after his paternal grandfather. Modern Egyptians continue this tradition. An elder son is very commonly named after his father's father.

27/05/2026

The Philosophy of Eternity and the Secrets of Mummification in Ancient Egypt;
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The concept of the afterlife for the ancient Egyptians was inextricably linked to the preservation and integrity of the physical body. Preserving the material form of the deceased served as the fundamental pillar supporting the essence of the soul (the Ka and the Ba) throughout its eternal journey.
Driven by this belief, the ancient Egyptians developed innovative and scientific methods to preserve the bodies of the dead across different eras. This journey began with what is known as "natural preservation" during the Predynastic Period, where the deceased was buried in the arid, scorching desert sands, wrapped in pieces of linen or hides. The intense solar heat slowly evaporated the body's moisture, naturally protecting it from decomposition—a phenomenal process that later inspired our ancestors with the concept of immortality.
As theological and scientific thought evolved, the Egyptians transitioned into the stage of "artificial mummification" as a comprehensive methodology for bodily preservation. This technique is deeply rooted in history, with its earliest traces evident in the archaeological discoveries within the tomb of King Djer at Abydos. Mummification was never a static practice; rather, its techniques evolved from one era to another and were directly influenced by the social class of the deceased. For the impoverished and lower-income classes, simple and rudimentary techniques were applied, which omitted the extraction of internal organs and instead relied merely on washing the body with water and treating it with natron salt for dehydration.
Conversely, the elite and upper echelons of ancient Egyptian society received highly complex and distinguished mummification techniques that followed a strict funerary protocol. The process commenced by counteracting decomposition through the precise evisceration of internal organs and viscera, followed by cleansing the bodily cavities with a blend of luxurious aromatic oils and palm wine. In a unique theological gesture, the embalmers always left the "heart" intact within its original position inside the body after its treatment, as it was revered as the center of intellect, emotion, and the repository of human deeds to be judged before the tribunal of Osiris. Subsequently, the body was completely desiccated in natron salt for an extended period to ensure the total dehydration of both the skin and internal cavities—a method that reached its artistic zenith and global renown during the Golden Age of mummification in the New Kingdom.
This funerary care was not restricted to humans; the doctrine of veneration and eternity extended to the animal kingdom. The ancient Egyptians mummified numerous sacred animals and birds using sophisticated scientific techniques that closely mirrored those applied to human mummies, albeit with certain technical modifications tailored to the anatomical nature of each animal.

26/05/2026

Worship in Ancient Egypt

Religion was the center of life in Ancient Egypt.
The Egyptians believed in many gods and goddesses and built magnificent temples to honor them.
Pharaohs were seen as intermediaries between the gods and the people.

Daily Life of Worship

People made daily offerings of food, flowers, and incense in temples.

Priests performed rituals to honor the gods and keep Ma’at (order and balance).

Festivals were celebrated to thank the gods for the Nile floods, the harvest, and protection.

The Gods of Ancient Egypt

Ra
God of the Sun and creator of life. Egyptians believed he traveled across the sky each day in his solar boat.

Osiris
God of the afterlife and resurrection. He ruled the underworld and symbolized eternal life.

Isis
Goddess of magic, motherhood, and healing. She was one of the most beloved goddesses in Egypt.

Horus
God of the sky and kingship. He was often shown as a falcon or a man with a falcon head.

Anubis
God of mummification and protector of the dead. He guided souls to the afterlife.

Ptah
Creator god and patron of craftsmen and builders. Egyptians believed he created the world through thought and speech.

Daily Life in Ancient Egypt

Ancient Egyptians were farmers, craftsmen, scribes, soldiers, and traders.
The Nile River was the source of life, bringing water, food, and prosperity to Egypt.

Religion, kings, and daily life were deeply connected in Ancient Egypt.
They believed the gods guided their lives and protected their kingdom.

24/05/2026

The statue was not created to decorate a tomb.

It was created to remain.

In ancient Egypt, royal Ka statues were believed to preserve the symbolic presence of the individual after death. They served as a spiritual image through which offerings, prayers, and remembrance could continue long after a lifetime had ended.

What makes this figure remarkable is its material.

Not gold.

Not granite.

Wood.

And yet the craftsmanship still carries an unusual sense of presence thousands of years later.

The inlaid eyes give the face an almost living awareness. The raised arms above the head represent the Ka, the spiritual essence connected to identity, continuity, and survival beyond death.

Even the surface tells part of the story.

Cracks in the wood, worn textures, and traces of age remain visible across the figure, preserving the passage of time rather than hiding it.

Ancient Egyptian artists were not simply carving a likeness.

They were creating permanence through form, ritual, and belief.

The statue survives because the culture that created it believed memory itself required protection.

And in many ways, it worked.

More than three thousand years later, the figure still stands as a reminder that some objects were made not only to be seen, but to endure.

23/05/2026

Tomb TT277,

The tomb of Amenemonet in the Qurnet Murai necropolis Amenemonet's mummy lies on a lion bed, the standard appearance of a mummification bed. The four canopic jars containing his organs that were removed during mummification are underneath the bed, while above the mummy flies Amenemonet's "ba", the part of the soul that was free to roam the world of the living, always shown as a bird with the head of the deceased person.

22/05/2026

HONEY IN ANCTIENT EGYPT ;

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Liquid Gold in Ancient Egypt: Sacred Healing and Divine Rituals
History records that the ancient Egyptians were among the vanguard of peoples to recognize the exceptional value of honey and its multifaceted applications. To them, honey was far more than a mere nutrient; it occupied a prestigious status in both their social occasions and religious festivities. As its status elevated, the demand for honey witnessed exponential growth, leading to a significant rise in both its material and symbolic value. Our ancient Egyptian ancestors revered the bee as a sacred insect carrying the secret of healing—a belief thoroughly documented in ancient medical papyri that expounded upon bee products. Prominent among these is the famous Edwin Smith Papyrus in the field of surgery, which prescribed honey for wound healing, as well as the Ebers and Kahun papyri, both of which contained medicinal remedies and solutions for various ailments.
The ingenuity of the ancient Egyptian was vividly manifested in utilizing honey across diverse spheres of daily and ideological life. On the spiritual front, honey was a fundamental element in religious rituals, offered as a lavish oblation to the gods to appease them and court their favor. In daily life, it emerged as a staple dietary component that enriched the baking industry and various culinary dishes, in addition to being a cornerstone in the manufacturing of aromatic perfumes and cosmetics that distinguished the Egyptian civilization.
The utility of honey was not confined to nutrition and ritualistic practices; it extended to medical emergencies and applied sciences. It was relied upon as an effective therapeutic agent due to its potent antimicrobial properties, utilized in treating ophthalmic diseases, cleansing wounds, and serving as a key ingredient in herbal medicinal formulations. Beyond these medical applications, the Egyptians ingeniously integrated honey and bee products into other innovative domains; it was utilized as a source of illumination, a binding adhesive in writing, and in the processes of statue casting and woodworking, culminating in its vital role as a secretive and essential component in the mummification of corpses to ensure their preservation across millennia.

21/05/2026

Face of Eternity

What if a face could defeat time?

This is the golden mask of Tutankhamun… not just a burial piece, but a statement of immortality.

Crafted from solid gold and inlaid with deep blue lapis lazuli, the mask captures a calm, eternal expression—neither alive nor dead… but beyond both.

The striped nemes headdress frames the king’s face, while the cobra and vulture rise above his forehead —symbols of Lower and Upper Egypt united under his rule.

Look closer…
The eyes are outlined with precision,
the false beard curves with divine authority,
and every detail whispers one message:

“I will live forever.”

This wasn’t just art.
It was identity… preserved for eternity.

When you look into this face… do you see a young king, or a god in the making?!!

18/05/2026

The Lotus Flower

was more than just a beautiful plant in Ancient Egypt...

It symbolized creation, rebirth, purity, and the eternal cycle of life. According to ancient beliefs, the sun itself emerged from a sacred lotus rising from the waters of Nun at the beginning of time.

Every morning, the lotus opened with the sunrise and closed at sunset, becoming a living symbol of renewal and immortality. Its image appeared everywhere across Egypt:
Temples
Papyrus art
Jewelry
Columns and sacred architecture

The blue lotus was also connected to spirituality, healing, and royal ceremonies, making it one of the most powerful symbols in Egyptian culture.

From muddy waters... came one of history’s most elegant symbols.

17/05/2026

Box of Shabtis

Inside the box were brightly colored wooden shabti figures, servants destined to work on the deceased’s behalf in the afterlife.

16/05/2026

TUT ANCH AMON
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Do you know that the most heartbreaking thing about Tutankhamun has nothing to do with gold?

Forget the mask. Forget the documentaries. Forget the merchandise and the museum posters and the gleaming iconic face that has been reproduced so many times it has almost stopped feeling real.

Look at this one instead.

This is a wooden bust found inside his tomb. Painted terracotta red. His head shaved and emerging from a lotus flower, ancient Egypt's symbol of rebirth and the rising sun. His ears pierced. His lips slightly parted. His eyes lined carefully in black by hands that may have actually known him, that may have actually looked at this face while it was still alive and breathing and trying to figure out who it was going to become.

He was around eight or nine years old when they put the double crown of Egypt on his head.

He was around eighteen or nineteen when he died.

Think about that for a moment. Really think about it. At eight years old he was pharaoh. Lord of the Two Lands. Living god. Commander of an empire that stretched across northeast Africa and into the ancient Near East. And he had not yet lost his baby teeth.

Nobody knows exactly why this bust was made or when. It may have been created while he was still alive, used as a ritual guardian placed at the entrance of a sacred space, the king's face standing watch in the darkness. It may have been carved after his death, assembled quickly as part of the funerary equipment rushed together to send a teenage pharaoh into eternity without adequate time to prepare.

We do not know. We may never know.

What we know is that someone sat down and carved this face with genuine care. Not the frozen perfection of idealized royal portraiture. Not the strange elongated style of his father Akhenaten's Amarna revolution. Just a face. A real face. A young face that looks exactly like what it is.

A boy who never finished growing up.

The paint is peeling now. The wood shows through in places. Three thousand years of slow patient time have written themselves across a surface that was painted to last forever. And it has lasted. Longer than the empire that created it. Longer than the religion that surrounded it. Longer than the language that named it.

He has been dead for over three thousand years and he still looks young.

He was never given the chance to look anything else.

The gold mask is magnificent. But this face is the one that stays with you. Because this one looks like someone you might have known. Someone you might have passed in a hallway or sat next to without realizing you were sitting next to a king.

A boy with his whole life ahead of him and not nearly enough of it left.

Egypte fata morgana

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