Publication Date: 28 July 2016
Inside:
Mummy Masks
The Egyptians were superb organisers of their own afterlife. Eternity was less about wishful thinking, and more about good, thorough preparation.
One of the must-haves for a successful hereafter was a great mummy mask. Bright and shining like the sun, these gorgeous, glowing masks transformed the mortal into the divine.
Pyramideering
Been there. Climbed that.Climbing the Great Pyramid used to be the thing to do at Giza. For the sake of the pyramid—and people’s lives—it is now banned. But what is it like to stand atop the last ancient Wonder of the World?
Ramesseum
“Of all Theban ruins,” wrote Amelia Edwards in the 19th century, “the Ramesseum is the most cheerful.” We look at Ramesses II’s “Mansion of Millions of Years”.
Photography in the Egyptian Museum
Photography is again permitted inside the world’s greatest storehouse of Egyptian antiquities, the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. Enjoy bright, fresh images of some of the Museum’s great masterpieces.
From Alexandria to Abu Simbel
Within just a few months of the invention of photography in the 19th century, the first intrepid photographers arrived in Egypt, camera in hands (they were rather large). A new Viennese exhibition features stunning images of the early days of photography in Egypt.
Hetepheres
Queen Hetepheres is still missing. Her tiny Giza tomb was discovered in 1925, packed with golden furniture, but no queen. Harvard University has brought us closer to our enigmatic royal with the recreation of one of her stunning gilded chairs.
Abu Simbel
One of ancient Egypt’s greatest temples was built on shaky ground—and the worst damage was never fixed. We imagine that Ramesses II would have been furious—if he was ever told.