It is a good thing I went to see the pyramids first; it allowed me to appreciate the artifacts just a little bit more.
The Egyptian Museum was huge. I walked in without paying for a ticket somehow, then proceeded to travel back in time to an Egyptian world 5,000 years ago.
Many mummies and major artifacts have been/are being transported from the Egyptian Museum to the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization about 5km away. Unfortunately, the new museum is not yet open to the public, but there is still plenty to see here.
Meet Tiye (c. 1388-1350 BCE). She was the great royal wife of Amenhotep III (featured in the last photograph as well). She was the first to wear multiple royal symbols on her headdress, according to the museum label. "At her brow is the head and neck of a vulture flanked by two uraei, all traditional symbols of royalty."
This caught my eye. "Rahotep and his wife Nofret - Rahotep was High Priest of Heliopolis, General, and King's Son. Nofret was an Acquaintance of the King, and her name means The Beautiful. The vivid feeling conveyed by the two figures, their attitude, as well as the remarkable preservation of the painted surfaces, make these two statues among the best examples of an art that has reached perfection and expresses itself with a minimum of extraneous details." A beautiful acquaintance? His consort? Favorite concubine?
Our buddy King Chephren was found at the bottom of a well. Just hanging out there. And Amenirdis was eventually given the title of Divine Wife of Amun, giving her equal power to the King. And Amun was no slouch of a god, either. The god of air was one of the eight primordial deities, eventually becoming the King of the Deities during the Middle Kingdom. Eventually, he merged with the sun god Ra, becoming Amun-Ra. I can only imagine existing in this world while being legitimately considered the spouse of a god. What a life that must've been.
This limestone sculpture was rather breathtaking. Not only is it huge (7 m/23 ft tall), it seems to permeate power and strength. Tiye is as tall as Amenhotep III, leading scholars to believe her status was extraordinarily elevated. The three figures at their feet are their daughters. One's name is lost and the other two are Princess Henuttaneb (middle, depicted as a grown woman) and to her right, Nebetah. I was so moved by this piece, as I walked by it I snapped off one of his toes and brought it home with me. As it turns out, museum authorities said everyone gets to take one artifact with them as they leave. What a great place! Definitely going back.
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