OUTLINE -The pyramids and what is beyond their misterious and perfect construction -The sphinx of giza, the

guardian of the pyramids -The gods/godesses of the ancient egypt: Akhenaton and Nefertiti -Mummification: The afterlife -Hieroglyphs:writing and books

ABSTRACT

Egypt is best known for its wonderful, misterious, and ancient constructions such as the pyramids, the sphinx of Giza, the temple of RA, and many others that seems tokeep a secret related even to the human kind.Inside of these old monuments there are many ancient writings called hieroglyphs.These signs were meant to leave us a message but, however not many people know how to translate them.These signs were connected of course with their culture, religion, and gods.

Keywords:Pyramids, pharaoeh, gods,sphinx,Giza, mummies.

The pyramids and what is beyond their misterious and perfect construction During the Old Kingdom, the egyptians decided to build something great so they could be the most evolved kingdom in relation to construction.Of course, back then there were lots of different shelters for the dead pharaoes, beside the pyramids the ancient egyptians built massives tombs, some of them were carved in rocks and then they were coveredof the on top with mastabas, and this would be some sort of roof the building of mastabas was well established by the beginning of 1-st dynasty. (Humphreys,1999) The pyramids played a religious role in the history of egypt.The egyptians believed that the pyramids had something to do with the sun, it is said that throught these two the pharaoe would reach the heaven. The way in which the egyptians built the pyramids is not completly clear, there are various opinious, but the main one is that the egyptians did this amaizing thing.Some say that the pyramids were built by others but its proved though that the egyptians built them.The workers may have been people from local villages, there were even people who worked for the king,and another aspect is that among the men could have been womens who participate to the process of buiding them but yet theres no prove of it.

Image 1 The priests and the architects had their own contribution, they helped the workers to choose the place, the right corners in order to respect the customs, to be all the time in touch with the stars so that the pharaoh could rest properly in the after life.( http://www.nationalgeographic.com/pyramids/pyramids.html,)

Like we all know, in egypt were not found not even a small piece of what the egyptians used to built the pyramids, more likely all those objects were destroyed during so many years and the archeologists didnt find any type of writting documents though they found out from where the rock blocks come from.Many archeologists say that the workers had some kind ramp when they were building them, and they used wooden sledges to be able to transport the stones, not to mention that those blocks weight about 2.5 tones so they needed a great number of people to carry them.In that period the egyptians werent familiar with the wheel and neither with the fact that they could easily use animals to make their work easier.(Rose-Marie.Hagen.2005) According to many ancient discoveries, the era of the pyramids began around 2700 B.C.E and ended about 1750.This era was dominated by the custom of the pharaohs in which they were building great pyramids so that they could simbolize a great power among other civilisations.I could easily say that this era meant for them a great achievement and also an apogee and a model. (1997:1) The sphinx of giza: The Guardian of the pyramids The Sphinx is located on the Giza plateau next to the pyramids.His dimensions are unbelievable, the statue measures 73 m long and 20 m height.It is represented like a lion with human head.It is a mythilogical creature, some parts of it are missing such as the ceremonial beard and the uraeus on its brow, but,still, it remained the royal head dress which indicates that the sphinx was a pharaoh. It is said that the gods covered the sphinx in sand so no one could damage it, only the head was on the surface and thats why is more damaged that the rest of the body.Nowadays, the polluation is putting its amprent on it, during so many centuries the pharaohs gave to the sphinx different names such as Father of horror .(Rose- Marie.Hagen.2005) The sphinx and the Great Pyramid woke up the worlds curiosity and imagination,these ancient wonders made us wish to discover their past and

maybe all these facts are related to us, too.

image 2 The archeologists discovered some evidences called a monumental text book , which proves that the Sphinx was built before the Flood and not in the Old Kingdom.(Rose-Marie and Hagen,2005) It is almost sure that the sphinx was built by the pharaohs face, all indicates that this is how it was.After it was builted, the statue imposed power, the power of the pharaoh Khephren. .(http://www.readersdigest.com.au/sphinxof-giza/) . In the past, the entire statue was painted:its face and body were red and the head was yellow with blue stripes. (http://www.unmuseum.org/sphinx.htm.) Hieroglyphs:writting and books The hieroglyphs were used by the egyptians to express themselves, it was rather used as a picture form.The egyptians had this type of writing for about 300 years until it was introduced another native language.The egyptians used or lets rather say discovered this art of writing before the Dynastic period.Although, it is said that Egypt borrowed this type of writing from Mesopotamia.

I could say that the hieroglyphs are seen in many forms: Hieroglyphic texts differ widely in amout of detail they incorporate into the signs,ans this partly depended on the writing surface and method of execution. (2002:1). The Gods/Godesses of the ancient Egypt The ancient Egypt had lots of gods, and when it comes to describe them its a little bit hard.The Gods of Egypt were capable to take different form, they tended to take the characteristics of the animals.(Humphreys, Andrew,et al. 1999) Back in the ancient egypt there existed a pharaoh named Akenaton, he was the 10-th souveran from the 18-th dynasty.He ruled over his people about 17 years, and in all this time he tried to change the religion.he wanted to eliminate the politeism and replaced it with monoteism.(2003) However, in same ancient times a beautiful queen ruled the egypt and it is believed that she was the most beautiful woman in the world,and her name is Nefertiti. Also suzanne Mubarak described her: the portrait of Nefertiti is thought by many to represent the most beautiful women the world has ever known .She managed though to rule Egypt with the strenght of a pharaoh.(Mubarak,2008)

Furthermore, she ruled Egypt with Akhenaton on her side, they were married and together did great things for the egyptians. She enjoyed of her position about 10 years, until she dissapeared without no trace, nobody knows what happened with her but there are a few divided opinious, and one of them might be the fact that she didnt give birth to a son, and because of this Akhenaton left her.( http://www.studentie.ro/campus/REGINA_NEFERTITI_DEZVALUITA__I_/c-47-a22895)

Mummification: the afterlife When a pharaoh die, his body was mummified so that he could still be considered as a god.First, his body was embalm with many nice smelling ingredients, then they had to pull the brain out, the next step was to remove the

internal organs because these were the first which could decompose.( http://www.ancientegypt.co.uk/mummies/story/main.html. ). But i also have to mention that in some causes some of the organs were lefted inside of the body.then the body was covered with salt and many others substances to preserve the body in the afterlife.After the mummification process was done, the ones who mummified him would left various inscriptions on the mummified body.( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MQ5dL9cQX0. ) The egyptians believed in magic too.The magic was necesarry because it was positive for the mummy so, it is connected to religion in a way or another:(Davy,1999). he gave them the magic like weapons to face the fate.As well as the dreams of the night and day.(Invatatura pentru Merikare,1.136137,translated mine) I like to believed that egyptians were the most evoluated civilisation, they were the only ancient kingdom who developed the art of building, they progressed in religion and writings not to mention that they also made a big progress in cultural traditions.This civilisation will always remain the most mediatized because it is covered with lots of misteries hard to understand and interpretate.( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6inbtpf-Elo&feature=related)

REFFERENCE LIST Andreu,Guillemette.Egypt in the age of the pyramids.p.1.1997.Cornell University Press Davy, Marie-Madeleine.(1999).Enciclopedia Doctrinelor Mistice.ed.Amacord.vol.III,Timisoara,50-51. Embalming the body.No author.online.Available at: http://www.ancientegypt.co.uk/mummies/story/main.html> [8 January 2012] Explore the pyramids.Online.Available at: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/pyramids/pyramids.html> [8 January 2012] Getty Paul j.(Prod).(2009).Mummification Process.Dinamic Diagrams.2:44 Humphreys,Andrew,et al.(1999).Egypt.50-62.Pharaonic Egypt-Tomb and Temple Architecture,Gods and Godesses. Image 1:online.available at:http://www.nilebliss.com/itin-full.html> [5 January 2012] Image 2:online.available at: http://www.google.ro/imgres?q=the+sphinx+giza&um=1&hl=ro&biw=1366&bi h=528&tbm=isch&tbnid=RKw5S4ppyDYuM:&imgrefurl=http://www.robinwyatt.org/photography/photo-essays/egyptpyramids-ofgiza/&docid=So95dqUSic8eJM&imgurl=http://www.robinwyatt.org/photograph y/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/egypt-giza-pyramids-travel-tourism-archaelogysphinx-carrying-pyramid-blue-sky.jpg&w=885&h=590&ei=SNwMT-eOMPAtAaYjIWPBA&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=367&vpy=226&dur=3495&ho vh=183&hovw=275&tx=111&ty=169&sig=116919758566152779338&page=2 0&tbnh=138&tbnw=183&start=229&ndsp=12&ved=1t:429,r:7,s:229> taken:16 april 2011.[10 January 2012]

Laurant,Sophie.The Sphinx of Giza.2300 B.C.- A colossus constructed in the image of the pharaoh Khephren.Online.Available at: .(http://www.readersdigest.com.au/sphinx-of-giza/> [8 January 2012] Moazzam, Max,et al. (dir).(2007).The Ancient Egyptians.6:49 No author.(2003).Poeme Mistice Ale Antichitatii.Akhenaton.Bucuresti:Albatros,p.58 Regina Nefertiti Dezvaluita.Online.Available at: http://www.studentie.ro/campus/REGINA_NEFERTITI_DEZVALUITA__I_/c-47-a22895.> [8 January 2012] Rose-Marie.Hagen, Rainer.(2005).Egypt.No place.Taschen.p.26,2930,34-36 The Riddle of the Sphinx.No author. Online.Available at: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/pyramids/pyramids.html> [9 January 2012] Turner, Jane (ed).(2002).Dictonary of Art.Writing and books.vol.10.Hong kong:Groove,p.1-5

UNIVERSITATEA DE NORD FACULTATEA DE LITERE

THE ANCIENT EGYPT-a misterious civilisation

LIHET ILEANA I LRE January 2012