Bishoy Hakeem

19/12/2021

The trmple of Khonoum in Esna.
(Photos taken by myself).

21/08/2021

The great Hathor Temple in Dendara
Photo credits: Manadily

21/08/2021

The Infamous Shabaka Stone:
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This unimpressive looking artifact is very unique. It is the only hieroglyphic 𓌃𓂧𓅱𓀁𓊹 “mdw-nṯr” (divine writing) record of the creation myth of Ptah 𓊪𓏏𓎛𓀭 “ptḥ” as the supreme creator. It is also harks to the Christian philosophical idea of ‘Logos’, “with a spoken word, life is created”.

The Shabaka Stone is a heavy, nearly black 𓆎𓅓𓏜 “km” slab of "Green breccia" from Wadi Hammamat 𓂋𓏤𓉔𓏌𓈉 “rˁ-hnw” of 137 wide. The left side is ca. 91 cm, the right side ca. 95 cm high. With a density of 2.7g/cm³, its weight is about 430 kg. It is named after the "black" Pharaoh Shabaka 𓆷𓃝𓂓 “š3-b3-k3” (ca.712- 698 BCE), who ruled in the XXVth Dynasty.

Retrograde Inscription:

“This writing was copied out anew by his majesty in the House of his father Ptah-South-of-his-Wall, for his majesty found it to be a work of the ancestors which was worm-eaten, so that it could not be understood from the beginning to the end. His majesty copied it anew so that it became better than it had been before, in order that his name might endure and his monument last in the House of his father Ptah-South-of-his-Wall throughout eternity, as a work done by the son of Re [Shabaka] for his father Ptah-Tenen, so that he might live forever."

Photo credits:
British Museum- London - UK
Artifact exhibit no. 498

11/06/2021

When writing was invented, the first texts were recorded by carving on surfaces of rocks or clay producing texts that were heavy and difficult to transport. Then, people found better ways of writing using tools, that left marks of pigment on a surface, like reed pens or brushes.
To make a reed pen, scribes took a piece of reed about 20cm, which had no damage. They left the end that would be cut to soak in water, so it wouldn’t splintter when cut into a square, and split at the point to hold the ink during the writing process.
Ancient Egyptian scribes were the first to use reed pens to write on papyrus. They dipped a reed pen into ink, which was retained in the split at the point. The ink writing was known in Greek as hieratic or priestly script. Carved and painted texts on monuments are hieroglyphs. This suggests that from the earliest times, writing in Egypt had two functions: one was ceremonial, a display script - carved. The other was in the service of royal and temple administrations - written. Carved and written characters are close in date, ca 4000-3500 BCE.
Photos credits:
- Egyptian Museum in Cairo (Egypt)
- Louvre Museum (Paris - France)
- Ancient Egyptian temples’ walls (Karnak - Philae - Ramesseum)

27/04/2021

THE WISDOM GOD:
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Thoth was worshipped from the Predynastic Period to the Greco-Roman times. He was the deity of writing, magic, wisdom, the moon, and the principles of balance, thus was symbolized as Lord of Ma’at and portrayed the husband of Maat, the deity of truth, justice & the cosmic order.
Thoth was presented in many origin stories in the ancient Egyptian mythology, with the older lore mentioning how Thoth was either born from the lip of Ra or was self-born, or as an ibis which laid the cosmic egg that holds all the creation.
Later origin myths put Thoth as part of the Osiris saga, wherein the deity was oddly born when Set accidentally swallowed Horus‘ seed. In any case, Thoth equally healed and aided both the parties Horus and Set in their epic battle.
Thoth was often depicted as a man with the head of an ibis or sometimes as a seated baboon (in his A’an aspect). Due to his academic qualities, Thoth was perceived as the patron deity of scribes, astronomers, priests and some kings like Thutmose ( born of Thoth)
Thoth was also credited as the inventor of the alphabet, mathematics, surveying, geometry and even botany. As he was the patron god of scribes, it was said that scribes would pour out one drop of their ink in Thoth's honor before they began their daily work.

27/04/2021

King Tutankhamun's signet ring made of pure gold and engraved with his throne name, ca. 1336-1327 BCE.
Photo credits: Metropolitan Museum of Art- NY city.

07/04/2021

HYMN OF IST (GODDESS ISIS)
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Lots of people and Ancient Egypt lovers always wonder about the pharaonic music and what type of chants were sung in the Ancient Egyptian temples ... well, for the first time in modern history a real Ancient Egyptian chant was sung live during the Mummies parade in Cairo a few days ago.
Lyrics for this chant were written on the walls of a small temple in Luxor called (Shalweet temple) and composed by the phenomenal composer Hisham Nazih who inspired the music from the chants and songs used in the Egyptian Coptic Orthodox Church till now (as the early christians adopted this kind of music from the chants of the Ancient Egyptian Temples and edited the lyrics to fit the christian religion).

The translation to the chant Lyrics is:
O people and gods on the mountain
She is the only lady
Give veneration to Ist (Isis), for she gives birth to the day
Veneration to Ist , for she is the lady of the West and the two lands together
Isis is feared, for she is a great eye of Ra in the provinces
Respect to Isis , for she is the one who gives a lot to the king of Upper and lower Egypt.

Enjoy the stunning performance and great music my dears 🙏😍

04/04/2021

Ancient Egyptian burial sarcophagi:
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Each mummy is to be placed inside three different sarcophagi (one inside each other). The first, called the inner case, is usually made of pure gold or wood (depends on how wealthy you were) and matches the body features, then, the second one - the middle case - made of wood and painted in gold. The last is known as the outer case usually made of stone (Granite, Basalt, or marble) and carved with magical spells to protect the mummy through the afterlife journey.

Photo credits: the Egyptian museum in Cairo, Egypt.

29/03/2021

The french inscription or graffiti on the east side of Philae temple entrance is one of the most famous modern graffitis and the first to be placed by Europeans on the walls of this temple - soon to be followed by other visitors’ names - It was placed to dedicate the final victory of the french campaign led by Napoleon Ponabarte himself over the Mamluks (the local rulers of Egypt then on behalf of the Ottoman Empire).
As it is written in French language, the translation to this graffiti is:

YEAR 6 OF THE REPUBLIC / 13 MESSIDOR / A FRENCH ARMY COMMANDED / BY PONABARTE LANDED / IN ALEXANDRIA. / THE ARMY PURSUED THE MAMLUKS / TWENTY DAYS AS THEY FLED / AS FAR AS THE PYRAMIDS / DESAIX IN COMMAND / OF THE FIRST DEVISION / PURSUED THEM BEYOND / THE CATARACTS WHICH HE REACHED ON / 13 VENTOSE OF YEAR 7. / BRIGADIER GENERALS / DAOUST FRANT AND BILLIARD / DONZELOT CHIEF OF STAFF / LATOURNERIE COMMdt OF THE ARTILLERY / EPPLER HEAD OF THE 21ST LIGHT / 13 VENTOSE YEAR 7 OF THE REPUBLIC / 3 MARCH AD 1799 / INSCRIBED BY CASTEZ SCULPTOR.

29/03/2021

The GEM a.k.a the Grand Egyptian Museum ... opening soon 🙏🇪🇬😍

21/03/2021

God AMUN statue (made of pure gold) was bought by Howard Carter himself in 1917 from one of the farmers in Luxor for ONE Egyptian pound 😳😳 and later on gifted by Carter to Lord Carnarvon on his birthday.
In 1983 it was sold by the Carnarvon’s family in a public auction for 83 Million USD.
The statue was created in the 22nd Dynasty (945-712 BCE) and exhibited now in the Met (Metropolitan Museum of Art - NY city)
Photo credits: Metropolitan Museum of Art

17/03/2021

Nostalgia to the beginnings of Nile Cruises in Egypt ca. 1922
Video credits: tribe x production (2020-Egypt)

16/03/2021

- Philae Island:
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Flooded Temple of the Goddess Isis at Philae, ca. 1902-1920, after the construction of the Aswan low dam (built at the end of the XIX century):
the east exterior side of the "House of Birth" (the Mammisi) with five of its seven Hathoric-columns, located in the Open Court of the Temple.

When the first dam was built, this was the level of the Nile's Flood at Philae for six months: after the construction of the High dam, the highly sacred island of the Goddess was completely submerged, and the Sanctuary of the Goddess Isis was dismantled and relocated to the Agilkia island as part of the UNESCO Nubia Campaign project (the dismantling began in 1976 and the reconstruction was inaugurated in 1980)
- Photo credits: unknown

16/03/2021

(BEWARE THE IDES OF MARCH)
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The Ides of March is best known as the date on which Julius Caesar was assassinated in 44 BC. Caesar was stabbed to death at a meeting of the Senate. As many as 60 conspirators, led by Brutus and Cassius, were involved. According to Plutarch, a seer had warned that harm would come to Caesar no later than the Ides of March. On his way to the Theatre of Pompey, where he would be assassinated, Caesar passed the seer and joked, "The Ides of March are come", implying that the prophecy had not been fulfilled, to which the seer replied "Aye, Caesar; but not gone." This meeting is famously dramatised in William Shakespeare's play Julius Caesar, when Caesar is warned by the soothsayer to "beware the Ides of March." The Roman biographer Suetonius identifies the "seer" as a haruspex named Spurinna.

- Photo credits: The MET (Metropolitan Museum of Art - NY city) of one of the master pieces exhibited there for Julius Caesar.
- Andrea di Pietro di Marco Ferrucci (Italian, 1465–1526). Julius Caesar, ca. 1512–14. Marble.

14/03/2021

12/03/2021

Endless Passion for these places

12/03/2021

From the deepest tomb in Valley of the Kings (138 m. - 450 feet) the greatest, the most impressive, and the most preserved so far. My personal favorite, the tomb of King Seti First 👍👌😍
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