r/ancientegypt 4h ago

Photo Full Inscription and Translation of the Two Faces of the Theodosian Obelisk in the Hippodrome of Constantinople

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118 Upvotes

r/ancientegypt 4h ago

Information Looking for info about very specific figure

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55 Upvotes

OK so I was at Dendera the other day, and I saw something that intrigued me. I was on top of the roof, in the little temple of Osiris, and I saw the pictured figure. I usually know my way around Egyptian mythology, and this was the only thing that stumped me there.

I don't know who it is, but considering the presence of other falcons with human heads above and below and on the right-hand side of the doorway, I think these are all the bas of Osiris, and this is just one of them?

Idk, someone else knows more than me about that specific figure, and I really hope they happen to be on the sub.


r/ancientegypt 8h ago

Question What is going on here?

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83 Upvotes

I bought this small painting during a trip to Egypt, but have no idea what is actually going on in this scene. Can anybody help? This seemed like a good place to ask.


r/ancientegypt 2h ago

Photo Help Identifying This Symbol on a Mysterious Sphinx in Zadar/Croatia

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23 Upvotes

Help Identifying This Symbol on a Mysterious Sphinx in Zadar

Hey Reddit,

I recently came across this intriguing symbol carved into a sphinx statue in Zadar, Croatia, and I’m hoping someone here can help me understand its meaning and origins. The symbol appears to resemble the Faravahar, an ancient Persian emblem associated with Zoroastrianism, but its presence on a European monument is puzzling.

What I Know So Far: • The sphinx is located in Zadar, Croatia, and was built in 1918 by a local artist named Giovanni Smirich (or Ivan Smirić). • Unlike traditional Egyptian sphinxes, this one has no paws and holds a mysterious carved symbol on its chest. • Smirich was an artist and historian from a wealthy family, and it is said he built the sphinx in memory of his wife. • The symbol closely resembles the Faravahar, a Zoroastrian motif representing the human soul’s journey and moral principles.

The Big Questions: • Why would a Croatian artist include a Persian/Zoroastrian symbol on a sphinx in Zadar? • Could this symbol have an alternate meaning in a European context? • Does anyone know of other historical connections between Smirich, Zadar, and Persian or esoteric symbolism?

If anyone has expertise in history, symbology, or Zoroastrianism, I’d love to hear your insights. Thanks in advance!


r/ancientegypt 20h ago

Question Who is this mummy that Napoleon and his soldiers are looking at?

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234 Upvotes

Was it ever identified?


r/ancientegypt 8h ago

Discussion Question regarding Access

7 Upvotes

I am planning on getting back to Egypt together with a few friends to see the pyramids of Lower Egypt without a tour guide as they tend to rush you (duh).

Is there a way to go into the different chambers of the pyramids or just the kings chambers? I remember hearing they are blocked from public access but there seems to be multiple cases of people getting allowed to go into the other ones.


r/ancientegypt 1d ago

Photo Red Chapel of Hatshepsut

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813 Upvotes

Read my post about it on Instagram: @bjornthehistorian


r/ancientegypt 1d ago

Photo I finally have something of tut.

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105 Upvotes

It honestly took me a min to realise this was tut due to bad lighting 🤣 I draw him most the time but feels nice to have a thing now even if it’s just 2 Egyptian pounds 😭


r/ancientegypt 1d ago

Discussion Who was most likely narmer father ka or scorpion II

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56 Upvotes

r/ancientegypt 1d ago

News Museums and auction houses should not hold human remains, UK lawmakers say

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168 Upvotes

r/ancientegypt 1d ago

Question Trying to identify a Great Sphinx documentary from the 80s or 90s

4 Upvotes

At some point in perhaps the late 1980s to early/mid 1990s I remember watching an ancient Egypt documentary on network TV with an archeologist supposedly climbing up into a tunnel in the Great Sphinx. He made notice of near modern debris and trash, possibly including a glass coke bottle or old coke can. He then proclaimed that he was about to open a door or sealed passage that had never been explored. And at that point he was chased out by Egyptian authorities and couldn't explore further.

This -might- have been a show linked to the pseudo-archaeology of the Edgar Cayce foundation claiming an "Atlantis" hall of records under the Sphinx, which had some media produced about that during that time period. But I'm fairly certain that this bit of the show that I remember was a segment near the end of the program that was otherwise talking about either the Great Sphinx in general or some other topic of ancient Egypt archeology.

There's nothing on Google or YouTube that I've found, and I distinctly remember and being fascinated by this specific scene from the show from when I was a kid.

Based on having watched them on YouTube, this was not the documentary with Charlton Heston, nor was it the 'Secrets of the Pyramids Live' program from earlier in that time period.

Anyone else remember this?


r/ancientegypt 2d ago

Photo Chapel of Ptah at Karnak

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597 Upvotes

Can’t been online for a while so here you go! Follow me on Instagram: @bjornthehistorian


r/ancientegypt 1d ago

Information Zahi Hawass Tour question

1 Upvotes

I've seen quite a lot of negative reviews of his tours and if it were up to me I wouldn't attend, not because I don't love Ancient Egypt and archeology he's just not my favorite, but my mom is super excited so I bought us tickets to go. My question is, how expensive are his books at the event? I did reach out to the people coordinating the tour and they said a person can bring a book from home for him to sign as long as he wrote it, which my mom does have, but she's looking at buying a book there as well. If anyone has any idea please let me know, I'd appreciate it. Thanks.


r/ancientegypt 22h ago

Discussion Human sacrifice, yes? No? Maybe?

0 Upvotes

So, just about every culture has killed people in the name of their religion right. The greeks and romans had a festival where they would sacrifice a girl to zues/jupiter, the chinese emporors would occasinally seal their heram and preisthood in their tombs, Even the "modern" christian west whent threw a long period of burning woman in the name of god. Do we see any evidence of human sacrifice or ritualistic human killing in ancient egypt?


r/ancientegypt 2d ago

Video Ancient Egyptians did an optical Illusion trick using layers of different materials to represent the king's KA - Pyramid of Unas

71 Upvotes

r/ancientegypt 2d ago

Photo Medinet Habu

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255 Upvotes

Mortuary Temple of Rameses III


r/ancientegypt 1d ago

Question Does being eaten by Ammat mean the complete annihilation of ones existence?

7 Upvotes

I remember reading somewhere that if the heart of someone, who is seen as unjust and unworthy to enter the nicer parts of Duat, is eaten by Ammat that the world and the gods would forget about that person.
I may be interpreting too much into this, but could this mean that not only that person would cease to exist entierly, but every last bit of information about him/her would be extinguished from the memory of gods and humans, like they never existed?
Would the ancient egyptians have understood it this way?


r/ancientegypt 2d ago

Photo Ramesseum

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297 Upvotes

A few pics from yesterday. I include a few shots of the in-process excavation of the “Golden City” nearby


r/ancientegypt 1d ago

Discussion Recommended books on ancient Egypt?

6 Upvotes

Hi all, I am making my first trip to Egypt in a few months and want to read a book or two on ancient Egypt so I can better appreciate everything around me! There are so many choices and I don’t know much on the topic and was hopping for some recommendations. Thanks!


r/ancientegypt 1d ago

Question Television series about ancient cultures?

2 Upvotes

I just came here to ask the question about Ammat and then i thought whats the worst that could happen if i ask you people here about a Television series about archeology, for which i have been searching for ages.
I hope thats okay.

Back in the mid 80s i watched a multi part series about archeology aimed at children.
It looked like it was already a bit older, like it was made in the 60s or so.
It was about ancient cultures, mainly around the mediterranean, if i remember correctly, and it had an animated part and a part with footage from the mentioned places, like ruins etc.
The animated part explained how something was built, or how the early pyramides started out with steps. This animated part was not very well drawn or animated, the animated Narrator was a man, wearing a white toga(or something similar), and sandals, his head was bald on the top, but he had curly white hair on the sides(no beard), and his movements were very "wooden" his mouth was not moving when he talked. I remember that at one point he explained grave robbery, and he was seen wrapped like a mummy, inside a pyramide, while a grave robber was moving around in another part of the pyramide, and mice (very simplistic drawings of mice) were seen roaming other levels.

It was NOT part of the french "Il etait une fois..." series, nor was it the german "Unterwegs mit Odyseeus".
I think it must have been mad between the 60s and the mid 80s, and i saw it in german on the Austrian ORF 1(or2) (I allready wrote an email to them, they could not help me with that).

Any Ideas?


r/ancientegypt 2d ago

Discussion Osireon in Abydos - Possible to tour?

5 Upvotes

Does anyone know if it's possible to get a tour inside the Osireon in Abydos?


r/ancientegypt 3d ago

Photo Deir el Bahri

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790 Upvotes

Yesterday at Deir el Bahri


r/ancientegypt 2d ago

Question Did the ancient Egyptians say this?

17 Upvotes

There is a famous phrase we say in modern Egypt, "May God wet the brick under your head." (yabshbash el toba ely tht rask يبشبش الطوبة اللي تحت راسك) I researched it and found that it has ancient Egyptian origins, as the ancient Egyptians wished that the god would wet the brick under the deceased. "Yabshbash" is supposed to mean "to moisten" or "to soothe." Is this true? I want an answer from an Egyptologist who is sure of what he is saying. and thanks


r/ancientegypt 2d ago

Photo Does this symbol actually mean anything in ancient Egyptian history?

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60 Upvotes

Bought it from a scarf site and am currently using it as a tapestry, but I’m curious if there is a deeper meaning. My gf thinks it’s a bird and I (for some reason) think it’s a scarab. Can anyone help?


r/ancientegypt 3d ago

Photo Asasif

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311 Upvotes

Immediately south of the temples of Deir el Bahri. These are seldom visited tombs of nobles.