Copy of `Alex Searle's Egypt Glossary`

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Alex Searle's Egypt Glossary Category: History and Culture > Pharaohs and pyramids Date & country: 29/12/2010, USA Words: 45

Tutankhamen
(1343-1325 BC), Egyptian pharaoh of the 18th dynasty, the son-in-law of Akhenaten, whom he succeeded. He became pharaoh about the age of 9 and ruled until he died about the age of 18. The worship of Amon, abandoned under Akhenaten, was restored and Thebes, the city sacred to Amon, was again made Egypt's capital. Although he was not an important king, Tutankhamen is well known today because his t...

Thutmose III
The son of Thutmose II, was Pharaoh for 54 years between 1490-1436, relegated to an inferior position for the first 22 years by Hatshepsut while she ruled Egypt. At her death (1468), he emerged as the sole ruler of Egypt and was a great conqueror.

Thutmose II
Pharaoh for just 5 years between 1495-1490, Son of Thutmose I and half brother of Hatshepsut, whom he married, and was later relegated to the background by. Father of Thutmose III, who succeeded him.

Thoth
Egyptian god of the moon, he was a universal deity, and the master of words and wisdom. He was depicted as a man with the head of an Ibis, as an Ibis, or as a baboon with a dogs head.

Thutmose I
Pharaoh for 30 years between 1525-1495, successor of Amenhotep, was father of Thutmose II, who reigned after him.

Thebes
Located on both banks of the River Nile, about 450 miles south of modern Cairo. Thebes is partly occupied today by the towns of Karnak and Luxor. Known to the Egyptians as No-Amon (`the city of Amon”), it was named Thebes by the Greeks, who also called it Diospolis (`heavenly city”). Thebes first appears in Egyptian records during the Old Kingdom (c. 2686-2181 BC). Tombs of Egyptian pharaohs dat...

Solar Boat
Home of a 142 foot long cedar wood solar boat, discovered in a pit beside the Great Pyramid; in 1224 pieces ready to be `sewn` back together using rope. Intended for use by the pharaoh in the afterlife, where he would have servants to rebuild the boat for him.

Sphinx
The ageless Sphinx is the world's oldest riddle. A reclining statue of a lion with the head of a man, it is partly carved from the plateau rock near the Great Pyramid. The fact that it is rapidly falling apart, is all that is known with any great certainty about the Sphinx. Underwent extensive restoration work in late 1990`s.

Senenmut
Architect to queen Hatshepsut, designed and built the Deir El Bahari mortuary temple.

Seti I
The son of Ramesses I, and father of Ramesses II; he was the second ruler of the 19th Dynasty. Fought to regain territory lost during the later stages of the 18th Dynasty, he conquered Palestine, and battled against the Hittites. He had a magnificent temple built at Abydos, that is well preserved and can still be visited today.

Ramesses III
The second ruler of the 20th Dynasty. He repeatedly defended Egypt from invasion from both the Libyans and a group known as the `Sea People`; these victories can be seen illustrated on the walls of his mortuary temple at Medinet Habu.

Ramesses II
The son of Seti I. Fought to regain territory in Africa and western Asia that Egypt had held during the 16th and 15th centuries BC. His opponents were the Hittites, a powerful people of Asia Minor, against whom he waged a long war. In 1258 BC a treaty was signed and the contested lands were divided and Ramesses agreed to marry the daughter of the Hittite king. The remaining years of his rule were...

Qa`a
Last Pharaoh of the 1st dynasty.

Ra
Sun god depicted as a human body with the head of a hawk. Ra was usually considered the creator and controller of the universe, his chief symbols being the sun disk and the obelisk.

Ramesses I
Reigned for a little over a year, founded the 19th Dynasty, planned and started to build the colonnaded hall at the temple of Karnak. Is said to have been chosen from among Horemhebs commanders.

Pyramids
The true pyramid exists only in Egypt. Usually of stone, it is square in plan, with triangular sides facing the compass points, sloping at an angle of about 50° and meeting at an apex. Most notable are the three pyramids of Giza. The Great Pyramid of Khufu or Cheops (2680 BC), one of the SEVEN WONDERS OF THE WORLD, is the largest ever built; 13 acres in area and 482 ft (147 m) high.

Pylon
A monumental gateway in the form of a pair of truncated pyramids serving as the entrance to ancient Egyptian temples.

Pharaoh
Egyptian meaning "Great House" originally the title for the kings palace, but later [between 1350 BC and 900 BC] became the name for the king. He was thought to be the son of Osiris, who`s responsibility it was to rule on earth, and act as a link between man and god.

Mut
Egyptian goddess, the wife of Amon and queen of all the gods, usually depicted as a woman, occasionally with the head of a vulture.

Osiris
Who represented the male productive force in nature, became identified with the setting sun. Thus he was regarded as the ruler of the realm of the dead in the mysterious region below the western horizon. Osiris was the brother and husband of Isis, goddess of the earth and moon, who represented the female productive force in nature.

Merneptah
Reigned after his father Ramesses II, he was his 12th son, but due to his fathers long life was the eldest living child.

Luxor
Town in east central Egypt, on the river Nile, adjacent to Karnak, it is on the southern half of the site of ancient Thebes and contains the ruins of a great temple built in the 14th century BC. In 1979 Luxor, together with the entire Thebes complex, was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Kalesh
Horse drawn carriage, the horses are quite often neglected.

Khafre
4th King of the 4th dynasty, was the son of built the second largest pyramid. Greek names Chefren /Chephren.

Ka
Every person was believed to have a body, Ba [personality or soul], and Ka [spirit]. These three elements would be separated at death, and would need to be reunited in the afterlife to form the Akh [new life], who would then be able to live with the gods in the after world.

Heliopolis
Site of the main temple of the sun god Ra.

Horemheb
Pharaoh of the 18th Dynasty (1321-1295) succeeded Ay. Served in the army under 4 Pharaoh`s before claiming the throne after the death of Ay.

Howard Carter
British archaeologist, who with the help of Lord Carnarvon, discovered Tutankhamen's tomb virtually intact in 1922.

Flagellum
A flail carried by the pharaoh symbolising his power; attribute of Osiris and Min.

Hatshepsut
Queen of ancient Egypt, daughter of Thutmose I. She ruled Egypt by relegating her husband, Thutmose II, to the background. After he died, she continued in power as regent to his son, Thutmose III: her reign of 22 years (1486–1468) was peaceful. She built the famous temple at Deir el Bahari in Western Thebes.

Egyptian Museum
Home to some of Egypt's most valued items, including most of the contents of Tutankhamen's tomb. It would take 9 year to look around, if you spent just one minute at each item.

Felucca
Traditional wooden sailing boat, has a triangular (Lateen) sail.

Deir
A walled monastery, for example Deir el Bahari the mortuary temples of Mentuhotep II (11th Dynasty) and the mortuary temple of Hatshepsut (18th Dynasty) are preserved.

Canopic Jars
Containers (usually four) found in ancient tombs which stored internal organs which were believed to be essential for the dead person`s existence in the afterlife.

Book of the Dead (The)
Also known as the `Spell for coming forth by day”, is a name generally given to a large collection of funerary texts of various dates, containing magical formulas, hymns, and prayers believed by the ancient Egyptians to guide and protect the soul (Ka) in its journey into the region of the dead (Amenti). Egyptians believed that the knowledge of these texts enabled the soul to ward off demons attemp...

Ay
Pharaoh of the 18th Dynasty (1324-1321) succeeded Tutankhamen, and married his widow Ankhesenamen.

Ankhesenamen
Wife of both Tutankhamen and Ay, who succeeded him as Pharaoh.

Anubis
Egyptian god of the dead, represented as a black jackal or dog, or as a man with the head of a dog or jackal. His parents were usually given as Re in combination with either Nephthys or Isis. After the early period of the Old Kingdom, he was superseded by Osiris as god of the dead, being relegated to a supporting role as a god of the funeral cult and of the care of the dead.

Amenhotep I
Pharaoh of the 18th Dynasty (1551-1524) succeeded Ahmose I, started work on the temple of Karnak.

Amon
Originally a local Theban god of reproductive forces, represented as a ram. Amon, his wife, Mut (the mother), and his son the moon god Khon (to traverse the sky), formed the divine triad of Thebes. Later Amon was identified with the sun god Ra of Heliopolis, and was known as Amon-Ra, the father of the gods, the fashioner of men, the creator of cattle, and the lord of all being.

Akhenaten
Pharaoh of the 18th Dynasty (1349-1333) succeeded Amenhotep III, introduced the worship of the sun`s disc, the Aten, and moved the capital to Armarna. Considered a heretic King, his name and image were removed from statues and walls after his death. He was the father of Tutankamen.

Twosret
Queen between 1190-1188, widow of Seti II, tried to expunge the memory of her predecessor Siptah.

Usabti Statues
One of the most interesting and collectable artefacts from ancient Egypt, a magical statue found in tombs. These statues were intended to be servants which would magically come to life, and do any unpleasant chore the deceased might be called upon to perform in the after life.

Valley of the Kings
The valley containing the tombs of the New Kingdom Pharaohs, all men except Hatshepsut.

Valley of the Queens
The valley containing the tombs of the most important New Kingdom Pharaohs wives and children.