Ancient Egypt

Ancient Egypt -- a land of mysteries. No other civilization has so captured the imagination of scholars and laypeople alike. Mystery surrounds its origins, its religion and its monumental architecture: colossal temples, pyramids and the enormous Sphinx. The Egyptian pyramids are the most famous of all the ancient monuments, the only remaining wonder of the seven wonders of the ancient world.


Just as life arose from the waters, the seeds of civilization were first sown along the banks of the Nile. This mighty river, which flows north from the heart of Africa to the Mediterranean Sea, nourished the growth of the pharaonic kingdom. The long, narrow flood plain was a magnet for life, attracting people, animals and plants to its banks. In pre-dynastic times, nomadic hunters settled in the valley and began to grow crops to supplement their food supply. Seen as a gift from the gods, the annual flooding of the river deposited nutrient rich silt over the land, creating ideal conditions for growing wheat, flax and other crops. The first communal project of this fledgling society was the building of irrigation canals for agricultural purposes.


The sun was a principal deity whose passage across the sky represented the eternal cycle of birth, death and rebirth. The pharaohs were seen as gods, divine representatives on earth who, through rituals, ensured the continuation of life. After death, they became immortal, joining the gods in the afterworld.


The Egyptians also believed that the body and soul were important to human existence, in life and in death. Their funerary practices, such as mummification and burial in tombs, were designed to assist the deceased find their way in the afterworld. The tombs were filled with food, tools, domestic wares, treasures -- all the necessities of life -- to ensure the soul's return to the body so that the deceased would live happily ever after.

Why did the ancient Egyptian civilization emerge in the Nile Valley?

Why did it last longer than the civilizations that came after it?

Why did the ancient Egyptians mummify the bodies of the deceased?

Why did the pharaohs build pyramids?

Who was Tutankhamun and how did he die?

The splendours of the ancient Egyptian civilization have been a source of inspiration down through the ages. Since the Greek historian Herodotus first wrote about his travels through Egypt in the fifth century B.C., people have speculated about how the Egyptians built their massive monuments, and marvelled at the beauty of their art and architecture.

From time immemorial, humanity has searched for the meaning of life, trying to reconcile its mortality with a profound desire to attain immortality. Nowhere is this better illustrated than in ancient Egypt. The pharaohs’ journey to eternity has been preserved in Egyptian art, architecture and writings.

Egyptian civilization originated over 5,000 years ago, and the country’s historic sites are among the world’s greatest tourist attractions. The first seeds of civilization were sown in the fertile Nile Valley, surrounded by the endless desert, at the crossroads between East and West. Here, the first multinational state was born, the first writing system using hieroglyphs was invented, the concepts of kingship, religion and bureaucracy were developed. It is little wonder that Egypt continues to capture our attention as we search for the roots of our humanity.

The most imposing tombs are the famous pyramids, shaped like the sacred mound where the gods first appeared in the creation story. These were incredibly ambitious projects, the largest structures ever built. Their construction was overseen by highly skilled architects and engineers. Paid labourers moved the massive limestone blocks without the use of wheels, horses or iron tools. The conscripts may have been motivated by a deep faith in the divinity of their leaders and a belief in immortality. Perhaps they thought that their contributions would improve their own prospects at the final judgement in the afterworld.


The gigantic pyramids were conspicuous targets for tomb robbers, whose plundering jeopardized the hope for eternal life. Subsequent generations of kings hid their tombs in the Valley of the Kings in an attempt to elude the robbers. In the desert valley near the ancient capital of Thebes, now called Luxor, they prepared their royal tombs by cutting into the side of the mountain. Despite efforts to hide the entrances, thieves managed to find the tombs, pillaging and emptying them of their treasures.


One tomb was spared, however: Tutankhamun’s. Although his resting place was disturbed twice by robbers, the entrance was resealed and remained hidden for over 3,000 years. Its discovery by the British archaeologist Howard Carter in 1922 is considered the greatest archaeological find in history.


Carter spent the rest of his life working on the tomb, removing its treasures to Cairo, and documenting and studying its contents, including the pharaoh’s gold coffins and mask. Tutankhamun’s mummy remains in his tomb, the only pharaoh to be left in the Valley of the Kings.
Today, Egyptian archaeologists are still making important discoveries, and the scientific study of royal mummies is shedding new light on the genealogy of the pharaohs.


The ongoing deciphering of hieroglyphic writings and research on the life of the peasants are also answering many questions related to the evolution of Egyptian culture. The pharaonic religion gives the impression that the Egyptians were preoccupied with death; however, there are ample indications that they were a happy lot who knew how to enjoy life.

As we approach the new millennium, it is appropriate to look back in time to discover the origins of human culture. Mysteries of Egypt takes us on a voyage that traverses the centuries, with amazing views into the wonders of ancient Egypt.

Like all religions, that of ancient Egypt was complex. It evolved over the centuries from one that emphasized local deities into a national religion with a smaller number of principal deities. Some theologians think that Egypt was moving towards a monotheistic faith in a single creator, symbolized by the sun god. There was no single belief system, but the Egyptians shared a common understanding about the creation of the world and the possibility of reverting to chaos if the destructive forces of the universe were unleashed.

Myths are stories that become part of humanity's collective memory. They are said to represent the dreams of a society. It is possible to interpret them from a variety of perspectives to explain natural phenomena, such as how the earth was formed. At another level, they are a rich source of insights into society and human behavior.

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he concept of kingship is a key to understanding the development of Egyptian civilization. In the Old Kingdom, kings were viewed as incarnate gods, the physical manifestation of the divine. They were the builders of pyramids, an enduring symbol of the pharaohs' absolute power. In the Middle Kingdom, the concept of kingship was revised. Rather than being gods, kings were considered divinely appointed representatives of the gods on earth. They were responsible for guiding their people. If they did not conduct the affairs of state in a wise and just manner, they would not be admitted into the celestial realm when they died.

Three papyrus fragments, written no earlier than the end of the eighteenth dynasty, give insight into the role and responsibility of a pharaoh. The text, addressed to King Merykare, recommends that he be just and kind towards the oppressed, since all his actions will be examined on the Day of Judgement. The citation urges the king to be earnest and industrious, reminding him that the "hidden creator" is the supreme judge of all.