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  • The National Museum of Egypt

    National Museum of Egyptian Civilization (NMEC)

    The National Museum of Egyptian Civilization (NMEC) in Cairo is Egypt's first museum dedicated to its cultural heritage, showcasing artifacts from ancient times to the modern era. Opened in 2021, it houses a vast collection of mummies, statues, and everyday objects, providing insights into Egyptian civilization's contributions to art, science, and culture.

  • Funeral Traditions in Ancient Egypt

    Ancient Egyptian Funeral Practices

    Ancient Egyptian funeral traditions were deeply connected to their beliefs in the afterlife and soul immortality. Key practices included mummification, elaborate tomb construction, and the inclusion of grave goods. The deceased was often placed in ornate sarcophagi, and priests conducted rituals with prayers and offerings to aid the soul's journey to the afterlife, showcasing their deep respect for life after death.

  • The Temples of Ancient Egypt

    The Most Impressive Ancient Egyptian Temples

    Ancient Egypt's temples, such as the Temple of Karnak and the Temple of Luxor, were grand structures dedicated to gods and goddesses, serving as religious centers and community hubs for festivals and gatherings. Their impressive architecture, massive columns, and detailed hieroglyphics reflect the cultural and spiritual values of the time, emphasizing the close relationship between deities and pharaohs, who acted as intermediaries between the divine and the people.

  • Dendera Temple _ Egypt

    The Pharaonic Era-History of Ancient Egypt

    The Pharaonic Era, spanning 3100 BCE to 332 BCE, was a period in Ancient Egypt ruled by pharaohs. It was renowned for its monumental architecture, such as the Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx, and significant advancements in art, writing, and science. The era also had a complex religious system, worshipping multiple gods and emphasizing the afterlife.

  • Monastery of Saint Paul

    Saint Paul the Anchorite Monastery

    The Monastery of Saint Paul, also known as Saint Paul the Anchorite Monastery, is an ancient Christian monastery in Egypt, dedicated to Saint Paul of Thebes, one of the earliest Christian hermits. Established in the 4th century, it boasts stunning frescoes, a rich collection of religious artifacts, and a serene atmosphere, making it a significant pilgrimage site and an important example of early Christian architecture.

  • Monastery of Saint Anthony

    The Monastery of St. Anthony the Great in the Red Sea

    The Monastery of Saint Anthony, established in the 4th century, is one of the oldest Christian monasteries in the world. Located in the Egyptian desert, it was founded by Saint Anthony the Great, who is considered the father of monasticism. The monastery features beautiful Byzantine architecture, ancient frescoes, and is a significant pilgrimage site, embodying a rich spiritual heritage and tranquil environment.

The Rosetta Stone

Details about The Rosetta Stone | Discovery of Ancient Egypt Language

  • 05 16, 2023

The Rosetta Stone and the ancient Egyptian language

Discovered in Egypt beneath the rubble of the Citadel of Qaïtbay, and brought back to Great Britain, the Rosetta Stone is world-renowned as the key to Jean-François Champollion's deciphering of hieroglyphics. This stone will forever remain an important icon marking the great Egyptian civilization, as well as a witness to the genius of the Ancient Egyptians through the ages.

July 15, 1799, the Egyptian expedition is in full swing. In search of glory, Bonaparte led his troops to the land of the Pyramids. His aim was above all to control the Mediterranean and the route to India, in order to oppose Great Britain, then at war with France. But this military project was coupled with a veritable scientific adventure: behind the soldiers were more than 167 artists and scientists, who made a complete study of the country. Fauna, flora, arts, customs: everything was observed, measured and studied.

In the village of Rachid, or “Rosette”, in the Nile delta, officer Pierre-François-Xavier Bouchard was commissioned to repair fortifications. In the foundations, he uncovered a black stone covered with inscriptions. The object had probably been moved to this location during the Middle Ages. The officer had just made a decisive discovery for history and linguistics.

Of course, this stone was no ordinary stone. It held the secret to deciphering a language that had remained enigmatic for countless ages. Because of this stone, mankind has discovered and deciphered the mysteries of the ancient Egyptian language, and from here the science of Egyptology has been reborn.

The Rosetta Stone - 1 metre high, 75 cm wide, 28 cm thick and weighing almost 760 kg - is a fragment of a black granodiorite stele. But what immediately struck the discoverers as exceptional were its inscriptions.
It's the engravings on this fragment that really catch the eye. It features three distinct inscriptions separated into three parallel bands: the first is composed of hieroglyphs, the second of a text in demotic - a simplified script of ancient Egyptian - and the third of ancient Greek.

This is the first time such a stone has been found. And although none of the three texts is complete, it is in a remarkable state of preservation. The stele was sent to Cairo to have its “fifty-four lines of very fine, very well carved characters” translated, as the letter recounts.

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The Rosetta Stone is of immense significance in the discovery of the Ancient Egyptian language because it contains inscriptions in three scripts: Ancient Greek, Demotic, and hieroglyphics. This trilingual inscription provided a key to deciphering hieroglyphs and understanding the language and culture of ancient Egypt. It enabled scholars, notably Jean-François Champollion, to unlock the mysteries of hieroglyphic writing.

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