Signs of royal power among the Egyptian gods. Egyptian pharaohs were white-skinned

Still from the film "Pharaoh" (1966. Director Jerzy Kawalerowicz)

Many pharaohs of the Old Kingdom era are depicted wearing shenti, a wig and reed sandals, or barefoot. The first deviations from the generally accepted shenti appeared precisely in the foraon’s costume. These were like second aprons made of pleated fabric, worn over the usual loincloth.

The signs of the royal power of the pharaoh were a golden tied beard, a crown and a staff. In the Archaic era, before the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt (c. 3200 BC), the ruler of each of them had his own crown. According to the list of pharaohs of Manetho - 2900 BC. X. Upper Egypt ruled Pharaoh Men, perhaps the same one that is called in other sources Narmer. Men moved north with a large army and captured the Nile Delta. Thus a single Egyptian kingdom was formed, stretching from north to south for about 1000 km, from the Mediterranean Sea to the first Nile cataracts. The unification of Egypt by Pharaoh Men is considered the beginning of Egyptian history, but before the end of the Old Kingdom era, the kingdom was divided into two territories, and the pharaoh was called the ruler of Upper and Lower Egypt (Scientists suggest calling this period Early Kingdom). The crown of Upper Egypt is white, in the form of a pin, the crown of Lower Egypt is cylindrical red, with a high rounded protrusion at the back. After the unification, from the beginning of the era of the Old Kingdom, the crown of the pharaohs was a combination of these two forms: one was inserted into the other, the colors were preserved. The double crown symbolized an important stage in the history of the country. It was called - pschent(pa-schemti). Atef- a white crown with two red-dyed ostrich feathers on the sides, worn by the ancient Egyptian god Osiris. Between two ostrich feathers (they symbolized two truths - life and death) is the white surface of the crown, similar to an elongated onion. Ostrich feathers are lush at the base and form a small curl at the top. The same feathers (only one at a time) were worn by the goddess of wisdom Maat. The atef crown on the head of Osiris is a kind of symbol of control of the underworld. Feathers represent truth, justice and balance. In appearance, the atef crown is similar to the crown hedget, worn by the pharaohs of Upper Egypt. The difference between the two crowns is that the Hedget crown did not have feathers on the sides. In the New Kingdom, somewhat modernized types of royal headdresses also arose. When performing priestly duties, the pharaoh wore a sky-blue metal helmet ( khepresh) . Khemkhemet(also known as the "triple crown of atef") is an ancient Egyptian ritual crown. Khemkhemet consists of three atef crowns, each of which is painted with multi-colored stripes of yellow, blue, green and red; on both sides the khemkhemet is crowned with ostrich feathers; the crown can also be decorated with solar disks of Ra; at the base of the crown two ram's horns twisted in a spiral branch; sometimes, especially in cases where similar crowns were worn by the pharaohs, large uraei could hang from the horns of the hemkhemet. Depending on the context, ram's horns were a symbol of the sun god Amun, the creator of all living things, Khnum, and the moon god Yah. A similar crown was sometimes worn over Nemes. The name of the crown can be translated as "cry" or "war cry".

The luxury that the nobility allowed themselves was nothing compared to the pomp with which the royalty surrounded themselves. The pharaoh was considered the son of the sun god Ra himself, and his person was deified. Divine origin and unlimited power were indicated by special symbolism - a hoop with a ureus snake, the bite of which led to inevitable death. A golden ureus snake wrapped itself around the royal forehead so that the head of the terrible snake was in the center. Not only the pharaoh’s headband, but also his crown, belt and helmet were decorated with images of a snake and a kite. All attributes of power were richly decorated with gold, colored enamel and precious stones.

The second most important headdress of the pharaoh was a large scarf made of striped fabric. It served as protection from the sun and dust and was called "klaft-usherbi"- an attribute of the cult of the god Amun - and also belonged to the ancient symbols of royal power. The claft consisted of a large piece of striped fabric, a ribbon and a diadem with a “uraeus” - a sculptural image of a cobra, the keeper of power on earth and heaven. The transverse side of the fabric was placed horizontally on the forehead, strengthened with a ribbon, and a tiara with a sculptural image of a snake inflating its hood was put on top. The material hanging from behind, on the back, was collected and tightly wrapped with a cord, creating a semblance of a braid. The sides of the claft were rounded so that straight pieces of fabric would be presented clearly straight on the front shoulders. In addition, the pharaoh willingly wore, especially during military operations, an elegant and simple blue helmet with uraei and two ribbons on the back of the head - khepresh. Nemes- a special royal scarf, was large enough to rip off a small round wig. It was made of fabric, encircled the forehead, descended from both sides of the face to the chest and formed an acute-angled pocket at the back. Nemes was usually white with red stripes. It was prepared in advance. It was secured on the head with a gold ribbon, which was simply necessary when the pharaoh placed a double crown, the crown of the South or the crown of the North on top of the “nemes”. In addition, two feathers or an “atef” crown were installed on the nemes: a cap of Upper Egypt with two high feathers placed on the horns of a ram, between which sparkled a golden disk, framed by two uraei, crowned with the same golden disks.

The number of rank signs used in the official costume of representatives of the top government also included striped collar necklace, tailored in a circle - a solar sign. Also played a significant role stripe colors: yellow - for secular dignitaries, blue - for priests, red - for military leaders. Blue (wide and narrow alternately) stripes on a yellow background on the claft and collar were the privilege of the pharaoh. In addition to the uraeus, the main symbol of royal power, the pharaoh owned three-tailed whip and scepter with a hooked top part. There were also several scepters: simple staff- a symbol of agriculture and cattle breeding, rod the height of a man, which ended in a bident at the bottom, and at the top was decorated with a pointed image of a jackal’s head. An equally important sign of rank for the pharaoh during all ceremonies was fake beard- a symbol of land ownership. Beards, like wigs, were made from various materials, including gold. They had different shapes: elongated in the form of a braided pigtail with a curled tip; elongated, completely flat and smooth; curled in small curls in transverse rows; in the form of a small cube or spatula. The beard was also decorated with a small uraeus. It was usually fastened with two garters.

The attire of the royal persons differed from the clothing of the nobility in the high cost of the material and the finest workmanship. The main part of the pharaoh's attire, like all Egyptians, was a loincloth, but the royal one was made corrugated. She wore a wide belt with a metal buckle, with superbly executed hieroglyphs in a royal cartouche on the front and a bull's tail on the back. Sometimes an apron in the shape of a trapezoid was tied to the belt. This apron was made entirely of precious metal or of strings of beads stretched over a frame. On both sides the apron was decorated with uraei topped with solar disks. Jewels and decorations complete this decoration. The pharaoh wore a variety of necklaces. Most often they were strung gold plates, balls and beads with a flat clasp at the back. The classic necklace consisted of a number of beads and weighed several kilograms, but the list of necessary jewelry did not end there. Around the neck, on a double chain, they wore a breast ornament in the shape of a temple façade and at least three pairs of bracelets: one on the forearm, the second on the wrists, and the third on the ankles. Sometimes, on top of all these decorations, the pharaoh wore a long transparent tunic with short sleeves and the same transparent belt tied in front.

The pharaoh and his wife wore sandals with gilt and gold decorations. The toe of these sandals was turned up. The sandals themselves were attached to the foot with long, colorful straps, wrapping them around the foot all the way to the knee. Domestic and military scenes were depicted on the soles. It was forbidden to appear at official receptions without shoes. But since it was a sign of a privileged position, they were very cherished. Even the pharaohs walked barefoot, accompanied by a servant who carried sandals. In general, Egypt is the only civilization of the Ancient East about which we know quite a lot. Due to its closeness from neighboring states, over three millennia of its existence, a diverse world of rules, traditions and preferences was created. The pharaoh was bound by particularly strict rules of etiquette. Neither he nor his subjects could deviate one iota from their once and for all defined role in the general “state performance.” The sacred meaning lay in all the words and actions of the pharaoh - the living god, on whom the well-being of the “land of Kemet” depended. Even in the family circle, the pharaoh wore a wig and special attributes of power, which, together with the required bracelets and necklaces, weighed several kilograms.

The pharaoh's wife, like all women, wore kalaziris. It could be complemented by a luxurious belt or a tunic-like dress, or a cloak made of transparent fabric. The indispensable rank marks of the queen were the uraeus and a headdress in the shape of a hawk - a symbol of the goddess Isis, which covered her head with its wings and held a signet ring in its claws. The queen's second rank headdress was a decorated cap with a small cap-like protrusion to which a lotus flower was attached. The queen was given a scepter in the shape of a lotus flower.

Surrounding objects The pharaoh and his family usually had a symbolic meaning, which determined their shape and decoration. Royal throne- the most important accessory of power, has retained since ancient times the simple shape of an equilateral cube, but the splendor of its decoration surpassed all other utensils. The chair itself was upholstered with gold sheets, the seat was painted with multi-colored enamel, on which lay a richly embroidered pillow. The throne chair was decorated with hieroglyphic inscriptions explaining the divine origin of the pharaoh. The royal throne stood on a luxuriously decorated wide dais. Above it rose a flat canopy, which was supported by four columns, the capitals of which depicted the sacred lotus flower. All the decoration of the throne was supposed to symbolize the power of the pharaoh.
No less luxuriously decorated throne stretcher, in which the pharaoh sat during solemn processions. The stretchers were carried by the noblest dignitaries of the state. Made of gold, they were decorated with the symbolic figure of a hawk - the emblem of wisdom, a sphinx with a double crown - the emblem of dominion over both worlds, a lion - the emblem of courage and strength, uraei, etc. A fan was installed above the seat, which replaced the canopy.

According to Plato's records, the ancient Egyptian priests indicated that the sacred line of pharaohs originated from Atlantis.

The first Egyptian pharaohs in the Predynastic (end of the 5th millennium - ca. 3100 BC) and Early Dynastic period (3120 to 2649 BC) history of Ancient Egypt, up to the 4th dynasty, the pharaohs are known only under the only Choir name, since the pharaoh was considered the earthly incarnation of the heavenly god Horus-Horus, whose symbol was the falcon. Horus is the god of the sky, royalty and sun. Horus from Vedic: Harshu - hṛṣu – Agni, fire; Sun;. According to early Egyptian myths The falcon brought soma from the sky - the sacred drink of the gods.

At the end of the Old Kingdom, the name of the pharaoh is associated with the myth of the god Osiris. The word pharaoh Pharaoh; Greek Φαραώ; glory Perun, from "Paro" - "descendant of the Sun" .)

The pharaohs of Ancient Egypt traced their lineage back to the gods; incest was considered an acceptable measure to preserve the sanctity of the royal family. Tutankhamun's pedigree is quite complex; there were incestuous marriages in his family.

Tutankhamun was born in 1341 BC and died in 1323 BC. at the age of 19 years.
His father was Amenhotep IV, who proclaimed monotheism in Egypt, the only god was the Sun, and himself his son, and took the name Akhenaten - “son of the Sun” (reign: 1351 and 1334 BC).

As shown by genetic analysis of the remains of Tutankhamun's mummy (mummy KV35YL), his mother was Akhenaten's sister. Tutankhamun was born a weak child, as his parents were brother and sister.

Tutankhamun's stepmother was white-skinned In 1348 BC Nefertiti and Akhenaten had a daughter Ankhesenamun- half-sister of Tutankhamun. At the age of ten, Tutankhamun married her, his half-sister.

Name Tutankhamun (Tutenkh-, -amen, -amon), in Egyptian: twt-nḫ-ı͗mn; belonged to the 18th dynasty of Egyptian kings, reigning from 1333 BC. -. 1324 BC This period of Egyptian history is called the "New Kingdom".
Tutankhamun means " living image of Amun" . Tutankhaten (Tutankhaten) means “living image of Aten” - the sun god.

Researchers have been able to identify a number of mummies from Tutankhamun's family tree. The research results are based on CT scans and two years of research DNA from 16 mummies, including Tutankhamun.
Pharaoh Amenhotep III (mummy KV35EL) may have been the grandfather of Tutankhamun.
Pharaoh Akhenaten (mummy KV55) father of Tutankhamun.

Teye - wife of Pharaoh Amenhotep III, mother of Akhenaten and grandmother of Tutankhamun.

Mummy KV35YL - mother of Tutankhamun, although her identity is still shrouded in mystery, DNA testing reveals that she was the daughter of Amenhotep III and Teii, and she was also dear sister of her husband Akhenaten, who ruled ancient Egypt from 1351-1334 BC.

Teje - wife of Pharaoh Amenhotep III, Mother of Akhenaten, grandmother of Tutankhamun

After the death of Akhenaten's father, Tutankhamun became pharaoh at the age of 10 in 1333 BC. , and reigned for only nine years until his death.
At the age of 12, Tutankhamun married his half-sister Ankhesenamun, the daughter of Akhenaten and Nefertiti, but the couple had no surviving children.

Tutankhamun was one of the last kings of Egypt of the 18th dynasty and ruled during a critical period in history, after the death of his father Akhenaten Egyptian priests and the priests regained their powers and, rejecting monotheism (monotheism) returned the cult of polytheism, worship of several deities of ancient Egypt.

Discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb in 1922 belongs to a British archaeologist Howard Carter. More than 5,000 unique exhibits were found in Tutankhamun's tomb.

In 2009 and 2010 in Zurich at the Center for DNA Genealogy (iGENEA) Swiss genetic scientists conducted extensive DNA research on the mummy of Tutankhamun and other members of his family. In February 2010, the results of Y-DNA research were only partially published; information about the Y-DNA results was closed.

It turned out that the Y-DNA of the mummy of Tutankhamun, his father Akhenaten and his grandfather Amenhotep III belongs to the Y-chromosomal haplogroup R1b1a2, widespread in Italy, the Iberian Peninsula and western England and Ireland.

Up to 70% of Spanish and British men belong to the same Y-chromosomal haplogroup R1b1a2 as the Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun. About 60% of French men belong to the R1b1a2 haplogroup.
About 50% of the male population in Western European countries belongs to the R1b1a2 haplogroup. This indicates that they have a common ancestor.

According to the results of a study by the Swiss Center for DNA Genealogy (iGENEA), among modern living in Egypt Of Egyptians, haplogroup R1b1a2 is less than 1%. Very few modern Egyptians are related to the ancient pharaohs.

Director of the iGENEA Center Roman Scholz said that Pharaoh Tutankhamun and members of the royal family who ruled Egypt more than 3,000 years ago belonged to the genetic haplogroup R1b1a2, common among modern Europeans, and which does not exist today among modern Egyptians.

Pharaoh Tutankhamun belongs to haplogroup R1b1a2, like more than 50% of all men in Western Europe, which means that Tutankhamun was a “white” - “Caucasian”, that is, a man of European appearance, and not a “Caucasian”, as some wise guys translate.

The ancient Egyptians used for embalming various synthetic resins that turned mummies black. This gave the false impression that the ancient Egyptians were Africans. Indeed, white-skinned pharaohs were considered the highest caste dominating the dark-skinned Egyptian population, consisting of different tribes. It is likely that the pharaohs' white skin also played a role in their deification 3,000 years ago. The lighter the skin color, the higher the person's status in society.

iGENEA researchers believe that the common ancestor of people carrying the genetic haplogroup R1b1a2 lived in the Caucasus approximately 9500 years ago. Haplogroup R1b1a2 comes from haplogroup R1b and R1a, whose representatives from the Black Sea region and the Caucasus came to Africa (Egypt) through Asia Minor during the Neolithic period (Neolithic population). Haplogroup R1a is Proto-Indo-Europeans and... and legendary Arias, according to the DNA of their modern descendants.

The earliest migrations of people with haplogroup R1b1a2, which arose in the Black Sea region around 9,500 years ago, spread throughout Europe with the spread of agriculture in 7,000 BC.

New tomb found in Egypt carved into desert rocks near the Egyptian city of Thebes, dated to approximately 1290 BC — time after the reign of Tutankhamun. Princesses of the ruling dynasties, including the daughters of Pharaoh Thutmose IV, are buried in the tomb. Buried in the same tomb police chief and his wife , which indicates the high status of this government position, ensuring peace and order in Egyptian society. Despite the fact that the “tomb of the princesses” was plundered in ancient times, archaeologists managed to excavate rooms where the robbers had not visited, and found unique ivory items, ritual vessels and jewelry, providing an opportunity to see the wealth and splendor of the pharaohs of Egypt.

On a bas-relief found in the Theban "tomb of the princesses" depicts the princesses of Egypt performing sacred purification rituals before Pharaoh Amenhotep III in honor of his anniversary. The bas-relief dates from around 1390-1352 BC

The time will come and the pharaohs will come to life. Just as we wanted

Johannes Krause, a paleogeneticist from the University of Tübingen, reported in the journal Nature Communications that of the 151 mummies the German researchers worked with, genome of three mummies managed to be restored completely, since they DNA is well preserved . They have survived to this day, as the scientist put it. Preserved despite the hot Egyptian climate, high humidity in the burial sites and the chemicals used for embalming.

Complete genome restoration three mummies promises - even in the distant future - restoration of their owners by cloning. This would suit the ancient Egyptians quite well, who hoped that somehow and someday rise from the dead, that's why they were mummified! It's as if they foresaw that the remains of flesh and bones will be useful.

Beginning with the XI dynasty of the Middle Kingdom, the pharaoh chose five titles, or throne names, for himself at his coronation. These throne names (the title of the pharaoh) were not accidental, but indicated the intentions of the pharaoh, the future actions of the ruler - what he wanted to accomplish during his reign. In addition, the list of throne names contained an indication of a god who was especially revered and important for this pharaoh.

The first was the “name of Horus,” and thereby emphasized the role of the pharaoh as the earthly incarnation of the god Horus. The second name - “the name of Nebti”, or “the name of both mistresses” - emphasized that the pharaoh is the ruler of Upper and Lower Egypt. The goddess Nekhbet, who was depicted on the coat of arms as a kite, was considered the patroness of Upper Egypt, and Wadjet - represented as a cobra - was the patroness of Lower Egypt. The third name is the “golden name of Horus.” Its meaning has not been precisely established. The fourth is the throne name of the ruler of Upper and Lower Egypt, which emphasized the unity of the two parts of the country. The fifth name is considered to be the personal name of the pharaoh, given to him at birth, equipped with the necessary indication of his divine origin - the son of Ra. In science, pharaohs are most often called by their first, fourth and fifth names. All names were indicated by the corresponding hieroglyphs, and a long row was obtained. Listing all the names of the pharaoh is difficult to remember. The personal name of the pharaoh, given to him at birth, was known only to a narrow circle of close associates and relatives. After the coronation, when the pharaoh received all his names, he was not called by name at all. On reliefs and pictorial images, the name of the pharaoh was placed inside a cartouche - an oval frame, by which scientists immediately determine that we are talking about a name.

The cartouches were quite large to accommodate numerous hieroglyphs. For example, the five throne names of Pharaoh Tutankhamun looked something like this:

• The first name of Horus is “The mighty bull, perfect in his incarnation.”
• Nebti's second name is “The driving force of the Law that pacifies both countries, pleasing to all gods.”
• The golden name of Horus is “Giver of signs, reconciler of the gods.”
• Throne name - "King of Upper and Lower Egypt, Manifestation of the god Ra."
• Personal name - Re: Tutanchamun (heqashema). “Son of Ra, Living Image of Amun, Ruler of Upper Egypt and Heliopolis.”

The fourth and fifth names are placed in cartouches. The pharaohs of the first dynasties began to frame their names of Horus in a frame, the so-called serekh - a simplified drawing of a fortress with the image of a falcon, the symbol of Horus. Only the fourth dynasty pharaoh Snefru (circa 2639 - 2604 BC) ordered his personal name to be enclosed in a cartouche. Pharaoh Neferirkare of the V Dynasty, who reigned around 2483 - 2463 BC. e., used a frame for the throne name.

In the language of the ancient Egyptians, the cartouche was called shenu from the verb “sheni”, meaning “to surround”. Perhaps, when drawing the cartouche, the “Ring of Shen” - the ancient Egyptian symbol of Eternity - was taken as a model. In the religious worldview of the ancient Egyptians, a name was extremely important for life after death. Cartouches with the names of hated pharaohs were chipped from stone slabs of sarcophagi, temples and tombs. People were forbidden to say their names.

The priest-historian Manetho calls King Menes the first pharaoh. According to ancient inscriptions, he was the king of Upper Egypt and was called Narmer or Aha. This ruler united the Upper and Lower Kingdoms into a single state under his rule and for the first time wore the white and red double crown. After him, several more kings of the First Dynasty ruled - the successors of Horus (the falcon god).

The mention of King Menes as the ancestor of the ancient Egyptian kings is repeated in the writings of Greek and Roman historians, but it is possible that this is a legendary figure - a generalized image of the founding king and leader-commander. It is believed that Menes (Aha) was born in Upper Egypt, in the city of Tin. According to Herodotus, King Menes carried out extensive excavation work to build a fortress that later became the city of Memphis - the residence of the pharaoh and the capital of the ancient Egyptian state. He built a temple to the local god Ptah to the south of the fortress and for the first time performed symbolic rites of combining papyrus (symbol of the North) and lotus (symbol of the South). King Menes crowned himself with a double red and white crown, symbolizing the eternal unity of Upper and Lower Egypt. In a solemn procession he walked around the sanctuary and fortress. This coronation ceremony became traditional, and it was repeated by all the pharaohs of Ancient Egypt when ascending to the throne.

The text, carved on a stone stele in the temple of the god Amun in Thebes, speaks of the “cursed Menes,” under whom the Egyptian people lived poorly, while he himself was drowned in bliss and luxury. From other inscriptions it follows that King Menes established new cults and order of temple rituals.

Diodorus recounted the legend of how King Menes was hunting in the Fayyum and was attacked by his own dogs. The resourceful Menes jumped from the shore into the lake, and there was a Nile crocodile swimming there, who put him on his back and ferried him to the other shore. In memory of his miraculous salvation, King Menes built a city on this site and dedicated the lake to the crocodile. Diodorus also writes that the king built himself a pyramid (although the pyramid was invented by the vizier Imhotep four centuries later) and that this wise king taught his people to offer prayers to the gods and live like humans. This statement may be a vague echo of the activities of an energetic ruler in a country in which strife and bloody civil strife had been seething for a long time.

According to a quotation from Manetho given by Africanus, the great king Menes died in the 63rd year of his reign from wounds received while hunting hippopotamuses. Hunting hippopotamuses was a favorite pastime of ancient Egyptian kings, so this tragic episode seems quite plausible, although most likely it is as much a legend as crossing the lake with the help of a friendly crocodile. Although Menes is considered the first pharaoh of a united Ancient Egypt, he is still a figure more legendary than historical. It is unlikely that historians will ever be able to obtain more reliable information about this mysterious person.

Djoser the Magnificent (Necherichet, Tosorphros by Manetho), who reigned around 2635 - 2611 BC. e., - the second pharaoh of the III dynasty and the era of the Old Kingdom. Inscriptions on a stone slab near Aswan tell of a seven-year drought during the reign of Pharaoh Djoser and a terrible famine that struck the country. The wise Djoser gave the priests of the goddess Isis the island of Philae, and the priests of the god Khnum the island of Elephantine. The all-powerful gods took pity on the Egyptians, and the drought stopped.

Djoser established his power in the Sinai Peninsula, where turquoise and copper ore were mined. He established the new border of Egypt along the first threshold on the Nile. His military campaigns gave Egypt many slaves, who were useful in the construction of monumental buildings, most notably the step pyramid, which glorified Djoser over the centuries much more than his military victories and territorial acquisitions. The famous step pyramid of Djoser and the complex of temple buildings were built by a remarkable builder, a talented architect and an outstanding scientist Imhotep, who was the vizier (chati) and high priest of the god Ra under Djoser. It is assumed that Imhotep himself invented the pyramidal form of construction. He built three more smaller mastabas over the rectangular stone mastaba of the pharaoh, and a four-stage pyramid was obtained, which was subsequently built up to six steps, so that the pyramid reached a height of 61 m. It is possible that the first mastaba began to be built for the pharaoh Sanakht, but the pyramid of Djoser is considered to be the first stone structure of ancient Egypt.

The Pyramid of Djoser was built as a family tomb for his entire family. Later, only pharaohs were buried in pyramids, not their relatives. In Djoser's pyramid there was a place for all his wives and children. The spacious structure had 11 burial chambers. The pyramid has survived to this day, only it has become several meters lower.

The tomb of the pharaoh himself was not located in one of the burial chambers inside the pyramid, but was carved into the rock under the foundation of the pyramid. For this purpose, a square shaft with an area of ​​about 7 m2 and a depth of 27.45 m was punched into the rock. At the bottom, a tomb was built from granite slabs brought from Upper Egypt. A hole was provided in the roof of the tomb for laying the mummy. After the burial, the roof was covered with a granite slab weighing 3.5 tons. The entrance to the mine was located far outside the pyramid, in a narrow tunnel to the north of it. The tunnel led deep down under the pyramid and ended in a shaft. This underground passage and the shaft were filled with rubble up to the granite roof. From the large central well, underground corridors ran in all directions. The walls of some of them were covered with blue tiles that imitated reed mats - they resembled light partitions in the palace of the pharaoh. The total length of the underground passages was at least a kilometer. All the tunnels carved into the rock, with their unexpected bends and dead ends, ultimately led to numerous hiding places, where there were thousands of stone vases and jugs, carved from alabaster and from porphyry, a very hard stone that is difficult to process. Some vessels are signed with the names of Pharaoh Djoser and his predecessors.

An ensemble of stone buildings was grouped around the step pyramid. Previously, a wall was built around the tomb of the pharaoh, inside which sacrifices were made. In the layout of the entire memorial complex, Imhotep showed real innovation and scope: he built a stone wall about 10 m high and 1650 m long. There were 15 gates in the wall, and only one gate was real, all others are false. Inside the fortress, Imhotep erected stone buildings lined with carved limestone slabs. There is no such decoration of the external walls of buildings anywhere else in Egypt. Some of the reliefs on the walls may have been associated with the festival of Sed, a ritual so ancient that its contents have long been forgotten. On the wall of one of the tunnels in the rock under the fence of the pyramids, a stone relief has been preserved, representing the running Pharaoh Djoser in a double crown. The fast running was presumably part of the ceremony, that is, the pharaoh showed his strength and endurance, necessary for the ruler of the country.

In addition to the pyramid at Saqqara, in Bet Khallaf, in the southern part of the necropolis in Abydos, a huge symbolic tomb was built by order of Djoser. The length of the brick mastaba was 100 m and the height was 10 m. A long staircase led to an underground room divided by partitions into 18 rooms, one of which was the burial chamber.

It is not known exactly how many years Djoser ruled; all dates of his reign are speculative; in any case, it was the golden age of Ancient Egypt. Under Pharaoh Djoser, the construction of the famous Egyptian pyramids began, and the first Egyptian solar calendar was compiled.

Amenemhet III Nemaatra (in Greek sources - Lachares) was the son of Pharaoh Senusret III. During his reign, the pharaoh's power was stronger than under any other pharaoh during the Middle Kingdom. Scientists have noticed that under Amenemhat III the luxurious tombs of the nomarchs were not built. This means that he managed to create support among the new nobility, who emerged from officials and military personnel, and significantly limit the power of the nomarchs. There were relatively few military campaigns under Amenemhat III, because the borders of Egypt were established and reliably fortified under his predecessors. But in the inscriptions relating to his reign, there are still indications of the “defeat of Nubia” and the “discovery of the countries of Asia.”

The reign of Amenemhat III was marked by intense creative activity. He improved the structure of Egyptian settlements in Sinai, took care of the water supply and provided Sinai with constant security. These measures bore immediate fruit: ore production at copper mines increased, and the development of turquoise deposits began to provide greater benefits.

Despite the long reign of Amenemhat III, very few inscriptions remain from him. But in all records the reviews about this pharaoh are favorable.

Under Amenemhat III, large irrigation works in the Fayum oasis, which began long before his reign, were completed. Amenemhet III built a huge embankment (43.5 km long) to drain most of the Fayum oasis and make it suitable for agriculture. From the writings of Greek authors it is known that the Egyptians built locks and dams, with the help of which excess water from the Nile flood was diverted into the Fayum Reservoir (for the Greeks - Lake Merida). Modern calculations show that in this way it was possible to store enough water to double the flow of water in the river downstream from the Fayum for 100 days during a low water level in the Nile.

On the drained land of the Fayum oasis, the city of Crocodilopolis (or Arsinoe) and a temple dedicated to the local crocodile god Sobek (or Sebek) were built. On the northern border of the drained part of the oasis, two massive pedestals were installed in the form of truncated pyramids, more than 6 m high. Huge (11.7 m) statues of Amenemhat III, carved from yellow quartzite, stood on the pedestals. During the Nile flood, the pedestals sometimes went almost completely under water, and the statues protruded directly from the water - unshakable, massive, majestic.

There, in Fayum, Amenemhet III created an interesting stone structure that aroused admiration among the Greeks. The Greeks called this vast building with many corridors and halls the Labyrinth. The labyrinth had truly impressive dimensions: length - 305 m, width - 244 m. It consisted of 3,000 rooms, including 1,500 underground rooms. The Greek geographer Strobo wrote that the ceiling of each room consisted of solid stone, and all the corridors were covered with polished stone slabs of unusually large sizes, and neither wood nor other materials were used in construction - only stone. The building, which made a lasting impression on Greek travelers, may have been built as a mortuary temple for Amenemhat III.

It can be assumed that the Labyrinth had a different purpose, and in each hall there should have been statues of numerous gods - general Egyptian and local noms. A single sanctuary for all could serve as a spiritual unification of the people of all Egypt under the rule of the ruling dynasty. From the Labyrinth Temple, only fragments of reliefs that decorated the walls of the building and several pieces of broken columns have been preserved.

Amenemhet III built two pyramids for himself. This happened very rarely: after the reign of Sneferu during the era of the Old Kingdom, none of the Egyptian pharaohs built two pyramids at once. One pyramid of Amenemhat III was built at Dahshur from mud bricks. Granite was used only to strengthen the ceilings of the chambers and for the pyramidion - a pyramid-shaped stone that crowned the top of the pyramid. Pharaoh ordered two entrances to be made in this pyramid. One of them was traditionally located on the northern side of the pyramid and led into a labyrinth of corridors that ended in a dead end. The second entrance was located in the southeast corner and also led into a long labyrinth, but along the corridors of this labyrinth one could get down into the burial chamber with a red sarcophagus. Amenemhat III was not buried in this pyramid. Near it, the tomb of another pharaoh was discovered, probably from the next XIII dynasty. Why the pharaoh did not use a completely ready-made pyramid, built especially for him, remains a mystery.

The second pyramid of Amenemhat III was built in Hawar. This pyramid stood in the center of the newly founded royal necropolis, of which the famous Labyrinth may have been part. Now all that remains of it is a flattened clay cone with a diameter of about 100 m and a height of 20 m. The entrance to the burial chamber was located on the south side of the pyramid. The chamber itself is beautifully made and is a fine example of ancient Egyptian architectural traditions. The spacious burial chamber is hewn from a single block of hard yellow quartzite and weighs more than 100 tons. The thickness of the walls is 60 cm. The quartzite lid is 1.2 m thick and weighs about 45 tons. The chamber is covered on top with a gable roof made of two limestone blocks weighing 50 tons each. every. The chamber contains two sarcophagi. Judging by the inscriptions, Amenemhet III himself was buried in one, and his daughter Ptahnefru in the other. A small pyramid next to the main one was intended for the daughter. Amenemhet III reigned for about 45 years and, like his father, left behind a series of remarkable sculptural portraits of excellent workmanship.

The pharaoh, a mediator between people and gods, was necessary for the well-being of Egyptian society. In this article we will tell you about its titles and different names.

Example of a king's title: Thutmose (1506-1493)

Horus, the Strong Bull, beloved of Maat; Two Lady, Crowned with a uraeus, whose power is great; Golden Horus, whose years are beautiful; He who quickens hearts; King of Upper and Lower Egypt, Great manifestation of ka Ra, Son of Ra, Thutmose, living forever and ever!

The numbers following the name of some rulers, such as Amenemhet IV, Thutmose III, Amenhotep II, Ramesses II, Ptolemy VIII and others, were not used by the Egyptians; they were introduced by modern historians to simplify the naming of these kings.

Since the end of the Old Kingdom, the pharaoh had a special title: it consisted of five parts, each of which was followed by a name, which changed from pharaoh to pharaoh. Personal names could have common elements, but two different kings could not be called by the same title. Of this title, the last two names, which were inscribed in a cartouche, were most often used. Let's tell you more about each part of the title.

Gor (Ng)

This is the most ancient name for a king, used since the pre-dynastic era. It likened the pharaoh to the falcon god Horus. The name that followed this title was often enclosed in a rectangle, which symbolized the fence of the royal palace.

Two Mistresses (Nbty)

This title provided the ruler with the protection of two guardian goddesses of Upper Egypt (Nekhbet of El-Kab) and Lower Egypt (Wajit of Buto).

Golden Horus (Hr nwb)

The history of the origin of this title is unknown to us. A later interpretation speaks of the victory of Horus over Set from Kom Ombo (a city in Upper Egypt), which was called in ancient Egypt, which explains the image of a falcon on the gold necklace.

King of Upper and Lower Egypt (nsw bjty)

The title communicates the power of the pharaoh over Upper and Lower Egypt.

This title can be replaced or combined with others: Lord of the Two Lands, Lord of Rites, or Perfect God.

Son of Ra

The pharaoh is proclaimed the son of the solar god Ra.

This title could be combined with the title Lord of Crowns.

Other names for the king

Cartouches come from the sign "shen" (sn) depicting a rope tied in a ring. This is a symbol of the space through which the sun passes, that is, a symbol of the universe. To enter the name of the king into it, the Egyptians lengthened the sign so that it turned into

The full royal title was used in inscriptions on temples and in signatures to important government documents, and could be depicted on both steles and papyrus. Much more common is an abbreviated title consisting of three parts: Horus, King of Upper and Lower Egypt and Son of Ra.

Also, a number of special words and expressions were used to name the pharaoh. One of the most common is “king” (nsw). He was also often called "lord" or "prince".

However, the most famous name is undoubtedly “Pharaoh”. This word comes from an expression that originally meant “great house,” that is, the royal palace.

It was only during the Middle Kingdom that the king began to be called a pharaoh, and this expression transcended the borders of Egypt: it was noted first in the Bible, then in Greek texts, and is still used today. In those days it was often contained in a cartouche.

And finally, the king was called “Majesty”; in the third person they spoke of him as “His Majesty,” and when addressing him directly, they called him “Your Majesty,” since addressing him as “You” did not exist in Ancient Egypt. The pharaoh himself called himself “My Majesty.”

The unlimited power of the pharaoh is determined not only by his powers, but also by special attributes, symbols of his chosenness. These ancient objects - wands, headdresses and crowns - assert his power over the country and people and remind of its divine nature.

In Ancient Egypt, the pharaoh was an absolute monarch. The people believed that he was a direct descendant of the god Horus, that is, not just a king, but more of a real god. The power of the pharaoh was inherited, as a rule, from father to son: here the exception was a few women, in particular, Queen Hatshepsut. If the pharaoh died without leaving an heir, another family came to power. Each family that ruled Egypt is called a dynasty. For three thousand years - that is how long Egypt of the pharaohs existed - no less than thirty-two dynasties changed on the throne. The pharaoh kept order in the country, administered justice and was at the same time the political and spiritual leader of his people. As a descendant of the gods, he was also responsible for natural phenomena: it was thanks to him that the sun rose above the horizon every day, and the Nile generously spilled its life-giving waters across the fields. Pharaoh was holy, no one had the right to challenge his power, touch him or even look at him. All the Egyptians prostrated themselves before him, and his every movement and action, even the most mundane, was sacred.

King's titles

The king's divine origin was the basis of his power, and during his coronation he received no less than five names that recalled his essence.

The word “pharaoh” means “big house,” i.e., nothing more than a metonymic transfer is observed here.

In addition, the pharaoh was called "lord", "his majesty" and "king".

In ancient Egypt, a ruler could be referred to in many different ways. The main names were called by royal titles. The title of the pharaoh consisted of five such names, which fit into his cartouche and indicated the divine origin of the ruler of Egypt. These names refer us, in most cases, to the three supreme gods of the pantheon: Horus (“the victorious bull, beloved of Ra, the one whom he called king, instructing him to unite the Two Lands”), the golden Horus (“mighty in valor, who defeated the Nine Bows, great victory in all lands") and Ra, king of Upper and Lower Egypt ("bright coming Ra, chosen one of Ra").

The name according to Nebti, “Both Ladies”, or “Two Ladies” also often appears in cartouches; it places the king under the protection of the two goddesses referred to in this title: the white vulture of Upper Egypt, Nekhbet, and the cobra of Lower Egypt, Wadjet. For example, the cartouche of Pharaoh Tutankhamun begins with the hieroglyph “Nebti, whose laws are perfect, the one who pacifies both Earths and delights all the gods.” The name Nesut-Bit, literally "he who belongs to the reed and the bee" is another common title for the pharaoh. Egyptologists believe that he should be deciphered as “ruler of Upper and Lower Egypt.” This is a symbolic identification of the pharaoh with flora and fauna and therefore with the two parts of his kingdom.

The name "Sa-Ra", which is placed immediately before the cartouche, has been used since the reign of Pharaoh Khafre. It connects the king of Egypt with the cosmic power of the universe. This title begins with the hieroglyphs of duck (sa) and sun (Ra), followed by the name given to the pharaoh at birth, enclosed in a cartouche.

Thus the first element of the royal title is Horus, the second is the two goddesses, the third is the Golden Horus, the fourth is a personal name preceded by the expression "king of Upper and Lower Egypt," and the fifth is the name given at birth preceded by the expression "son Ra."

The names of Horus and Golden Horus

The name Horus provides the pharaoh with the protection of the sacred bird Horus, the son and heir of the solar god Ra and the ruler of Hierakonpolis, the hometown of Narmer, the first ruler of Egypt. This is the oldest title. It invariably begins with the hieroglyph of the falcon Horus (Ger), as in the cartouche of Tutankhamun: “Gerka nakht here mesut” (Horus, the mighty Bull, beautiful by his birth).

Another famous pharaoh, Amenhotep III, bore the following title: “Horus, the mighty bull who appears in radiance from Maat.” Some pharaohs, especially the most ancient ones, are known to us only by the name Horus, without other epithets or metaphors. The name of the Golden Mountain has been used since the reign of Pharaoh Cheops. It identifies the king with the solar and heavenly Horus.

Lord's Crowns

There were also many crowns, symbolizing the power of the pharaoh. The most famous of them - pasehemti ("two strong") or, in ancient Greek transcription, pschent - is a combined double crown: red and white. It recalls the union of Upper and Lower Egypt. The white crown symbolizes the power of the pharaoh over Upper Egypt, who is patronized by the vulture goddess named Nekhbet from the city of Nekheb.

The red crown symbolizes power over Lower Egypt, which is patronized by the cobra goddess Wajit, originally from the city of Buto, located in the western Nile Delta on the very edge of the swamps. Pharaohs wore pschent for the coronation ceremony or for celebrations on the occasion of their anniversary. But the symbolic significance of the third crown of the pharaohs was especially great, since it was worn before battles. We are talking about the khepresh, or blue crown of Egypt. For a long time, researchers considered this crown to be an ordinary helmet because it often appears in depictions of war scenes involving the pharaoh. In fact, it symbolizes the victory of the ruler of Egypt over his enemies; it was worn not only on military campaigns, but also in the palace. This is the most famous crown of the New Kingdom era: Pharaoh Ramesses II crowned himself with it many times. There were other crowns, but they were worn only for religious ceremonies. Among them, we note the antef crown with two ostrich feathers, which was worn by Osiris, Amon and Pharaoh - this is a symbol of justice, truth and perfection.

Cartouche

The cartouche is one of the main royal symbols of Ancient Egypt. The hieroglyphs that made up the name of the pharaoh were inscribed into this contour with rounded edges and a clasp in the form of a horizontal line at the bottom. Only the king had the right to use it. The predecessor of the cartouche was the so-called serek. As we remember, the pharaoh had five names, five components of the title, which were given to him on the day of his ascension to the throne, but only the first two were usually included in the cartouche. Beginning with Khafre, the last two names, throne and personal, were inscribed in a cartouche called “shen” (circle, surround) - a rope tied in a ring that symbolized the universe.

Headdresses and wands

With or without a crown, the pharaoh always wore a headdress. The most famous of them is called nemes - it is a scarf made of striped fabric that covers the forehead, tied at the back and descending along the face in two panels. It was the nemes who was most often depicted in the first books about Ancient Egypt, written in the 19th century. Surprisingly, in some frescoes and bas-reliefs the nemes scarf can be seen on the heads of noble persons and common people. However, these are erroneous images, because only the pharaoh had the right to wear the nemes, which was exclusively a royal attribute and could be worn either under a crown or without it.

As for the royal staffs, they were most often depicted together: a staff and a whip crossed on the pharaoh’s chest. As a rule, the ruler holds the staff in his left hand, and the whip in his right, but the opposite is also possible, and sometimes even both objects are placed in one hand. The hake rod symbolizes the shepherd's crook with which the pharaoh, as a shepherd, guides his people. This attribute will survive the Egypt of the pharaohs, and in the Middle Ages it will be worn by Catholic bishops of Europe. The nehekh whip, or flagellum, is an attribute used by the pharaoh to protect the Egyptians. It is also called “fly fan.” It consists of three “tails”. Another staff, the sash, which is a straight staff with a thick cylindrical knob, was used in rites of sacrifice to the gods.

Another symbol of power is the pyramid

The pyramid shape is a powerful symbol. In ancient Egyptian, this hieroglyph was read as “mer.” The pyramid is nothing more than the sun's rays embodied in stone. The vertical axis connects the earth with the heavens, and the pharaoh with his divine father Ra, to whom he ascends after death. The horizontal north-south axis (earth's axis) is parallel to the Nile, which flows from Upper Egypt to Lower Egypt and is associated with royal power. The east-west axis (celestial axis) is parallel to the solar axis and is associated with the idea of ​​resurrection, because the pharaoh, like the sun, in his eternal abode is born, dies and is reborn endlessly, day after day.

In step pyramids, the steps symbolize the path that the pharaoh must take to join the gods in the afterlife.

Other attributes

A narrow false beard is a symbol of immortality and the divine essence of the pharaoh. By the way, Queen Hatshepsut also wore this purely male attribute, thereby deceiving many Egyptologists, before Champollion finally discovered that under the false beard of the pharaoh there was actually a woman hiding.

Egyptian rulers often decorated themselves with all sorts of symbols of different gods; for example, the shen ring, which has neither beginning nor end, symbolized eternity. In addition, it was associated with the solar disk, with a serpent clutching its own tail, and with birds of the air, which were often depicted with this symbol in their talons.

The pharaoh's crown was often crowned with a uraeus - the divine cobra. This snake was associated with the sun god, the kingdom of Lower Egypt, the kings and their family, and many deities. The uraeus was a protective amulet and guarded the gates to the underworld, scaring away the enemies of the royal family and accompanying the dead pharaohs on their journey to the domain of Osiris. And finally, the vulture was a symbol of Upper Egypt. The pharaohs wore a uraeus (cobra) and a vulture's head on their foreheads as a sign that they were protecting their people.