Egyptian Museum Tour  

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> Egyptian Museum
part 1 - part 2 - part 3 - part 4

The Egyptian Museum, Cairo
 part 2.    The Middle & New Kingdom

When the pyramid times bluntly ended with the 6th Dynasty the country went into chaos and lots of small kingdoms.

The new unification came first after 130 years (around year 2050 BC) and then from the ruler of ancient Waset (Luxor). The country was once again one nation and the 11th Dynasty ruled the country from Waset.

Having time to look around, here among the treasures of TutAnchAmon. See larger photo

During the 11th and 12th Dynasty the country remained united for nearly 300 year and this is the period today known as the Middle Kingdom.

In the 11th Dynasty Pharaoh Mentohotep builds a temple under a cliff on the west bank of Waset, the same place the famous terrace temple of Hatshepsut is built some hundred years later. The statue above is Mentohotep, and was found among the remains of his temple in Waset.

Sensuret I, here by 3 of him See larger photo

In todays Lisht, close to Hwt-Ka-Ptah (Memphis near Cairo), 12 statues was found of Pharao Sensuret. The capital had been moved from Waset to Hwt-ka-Ptah when the 12th Dynasty was established.

Sensuret had one of the few pyramids that were built after the Old Kingdom ended. Apart from that, in legendary Yuno or Heliopolis where the sungod was born, the only remaining obelisk is the obelisk of Sensuret I.

All 12 statues of Sensuret are today exhibited in the Egyptian Museum, here by 3 of him.

Statue of two Niles See larger photo

In this statue of two Niles we clearly see African element, just look at the rings around the necks. Plants and fish are described in front of each person. Found at Tanis in the Nile delta.

Since the sculpture above and to the head of Hatshepsut below, Egypt has been occupied by Hyksos coming from east. It should go more than 200 years before the two brothers Amose and Khamose from Waset managed to kick out Hyksos in year 1567 BC. Khamose was killed in a battle just before this and Amose founded the 18th Dynasty with Waset again as Egypt's capital. The glorious New Kingdom has started.

The father of Hatshepsut is ThothMoses I, and his grandfather is above mentioned Amose. ThothMoses I establish Egypt's imperium and is the first pharaoh buried in what later is to become known as the Valley of the Kings.

The look of Hatshepsut MaatKaRa Hatshepsut See larger photo

Pharaoh MaatKaRe Hatshepsut is still ruling with a smile, but have a second look as its said she got the forerunner to Mona Lisa's mysterious smile...

Hatshepsut was not the only female pharaoh in Egypt, but she is today the most known together with Cleopatra VII.

MaatKaRe bringing offerings to Amun See larger photo

Here is a statue of MaatKaRe Hatshepsut bringing offering to her father the sungod Amun. Many will let you know that since she wears the false beard she tried to behave as a man to be a pharaoh. What then about British male judges with long white wigs, do they try to become women? Fact is rather that she as all female and male pharaohs wore the ceremonial outfit of a pharaoh.

One truly beautiful statue is found showing her as a true woman; unfortunately this is in the Metropolitan Museum and not here in her homeland.

Senemut and NeferuRe See larger photo

A statue easily forgotten among so many alternatives is the granite statue of Senemut and NeferuRe. Senemut was the vizier, architect - and some believe lover of MaatKaRe Hatshepsut. Here he is showed protecting MaatKaRa's daughter NeferuRe.

Much indicates that MaatKaRe planned for NeferuRe to take over the throne after her, but NeferuRe dies unfortunately in a young age.

Find markets where no tourist buses comes See larger photo

This is one of the many lion sphinxes with face of Hatshepsut which guarded the road up to her terrace temple in Deir El Bahari in Luxor. All found were more or less broken, but this one is now put together so it can guard the Egyptian Museum.

The image section we have chosen here show very well the aesthetics in the lion form, just look at how the lion tale are rounded around her back foot.

Pharaoh Djoser with the god Horus See larger photo

ThothMoses III, son of MaatKaRe Hatshepsut's half-brother ThothMoses II.

Many say that he hated Hatshepsut as she kept him away from the throne many years and tried to destroy the memory of her after her death. This is by far not a cemented fact, indications show sometimes the opposite. If so it was rather a strong section among the Amun priests who tried to remove her name and history all over.

This statue shows ThothMoses as a boy as he wears the hair lock children wore before they came to puberty. Look at the face, there is no wonder the art during the times of Hatshepsut and ThothMoses III got the name "classical period" in ancient Egyptian art.


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