Swallow (menet)

Swallow
(menet)

Appearance: Various species of swallow took to the skies in Egypt. As Egyptian artists were never consistant in the coloring of the bird's plumage in their depictions, it is unclear which, if any, was the symbolic bird. By the shape of the bird's body in the hieroglyph and in painting, it is clear that the bird is definately a member of the swallow family.

Meaning: During the Old Kingdom, swallows were associated with stars and therefore the souls of the dead. Chapter 86 of the Book of the Dead specifically instructs the deceased on how to transform into a swallow. In Spell 1216 of the Pyramid Texts, the pharaoh describes how he has "gone to the great island in the midst of the Field of Offerings on which the swallow gods alight; the swallows are the imperishable stars." The imperishable stars were those near the North Star that never seemed to rise or set, and therefore were "constant".

The swallow also appears in paintings of the solar barque as it enters the underworld. The swallow is usually shown on the prow of the boat. In this context, the bird appears to be an announcer of the sun's approach.

In Egyptian love poetry, the swallow declares the dawn of new love.

Shen Ring

Shen Ring
(shen)

Appearance: The shen ring is at first glance a circle with a horizontal line in a tangent along its bottom edge. However the shen is more than meets the eye. The shen was a stylized loop of rope with each end visible.

Meaning: In many cultures, the circle was a symbol of "eternity." Such symbolism is evident in familiarities such as the wedding ring of Western cultures, the Gnostic ouroboras and the ying-yang of China.

The same is true of the shen ring. Deriving its name from the root shenu (to encircle), it was almost always a symbol of eternity. However, the shen ring also held the idea of "protection." It most often carried this connotation when seen in its elongated variation, the cartouche; which surrounded the birth and throne names of the Pharaohs.

The shen frequently appeared depicted in the claws of the avian forms of the falcon-god Horus and various vulture goddesses. An example of this can be seen to the right. The shen was also depicted at the base of the notch palm branches held by the god of eternity

Heh

Heh

Heh was the god of infinity and formlessness. He was shown as a crouching man holding out two palm ribs in his hands, each of which terminated with a tadplole and a shen ring. The shen ring was a traditional symbol of infinity. The palm ribs were symbols of the passage of time, in the temples they were notched to record cycles of time. The tadpole was a hieroglyph that represented the number 100,000.

The image of Heh himself was with his arms raised was the hieroglyph for the number one million.

Heh was a member of the Ogdoad of Hermopolis. He and his consort Hauhet together were the aspects of formlessness and endlessness that existed in the universe prior to the Creation. In Hermopolis, he was depicted as a serpent.

E -l Fayoum and its Monuments

El-Fayoum lies 100 km (62 miles) southwest of Cairo. El-Fayoum, which is considered Egypt's largest oasis, is a depression basin of land that is extremely fertile.

The chief city is Medinet El-Fayoum which is surrounded by many rustic villages.

El-Fayoum has a lake to its northwest edge, Qarun, a saline lake that lies few kilometers/miles far from Medinet El-Fayoum. Hence came the city's name "Fayoum" which was changed by Arabs from the original Coptic name "Efium" which means the sea.

El-Fayoum is a very rich agricultural land and is linked to the Nile River by a canal called Bahr Yusef. Thus the area is famous for its vegetables, fruits and wildlife.  

Monuments 

Waterwheels : 

This was first introduced to El-Fayoum by the Ptolemies who carried out agronomic projects in the area. Today, hundreds of waterwheels are functioning in El-Fayoum.

The seven waterwheels of the city center are on display as an evidence of El-Fayoum's vital role throughout Egypt's history. They are now standing as a symbol of El-Fayoum. 

Hawara pyramid :

The pyramid lies 10 km (6 miles) southeast of Medinet El-Fayoum off the road to Bani Suef. The 58-meters mud-brick pyramid is dilapidated. It lost its limestone casing by time. Originally it had the slope of about 50 degrees.The pyramid was once part of a great mortuary complex built by 12th dynasty King Amenemhat III. The complex included the great funerary temple to the south also known as "the labyrinth 

The temple was once described as the greatest monument in Egypt as narrated by ancient historians like Herodotus and Strabo. When Greek historian Herodotus visited the temple in 5th century BC, he said it had 3000 rooms. 

He went further on saying that the temple is surpassing the astonishing pyramids in its grandiosity. The structure started to diminish in Roman era and was used as quarry. When the site was excavated in the 19th century there were nothing left but rubbles. 

To the north of the pyramid is a Greco-Roman necropolis where the famous Fayoum portraits were discovered. Those shed light on the classical art history. 

The Hanging Mosque : 

The mosque was built in the 14th century atop of five archways that once housed workshops. Please wear decent clothes on visiting mosques in El-Fayoum. 

Qaitbay Mosque : 

Qaitbay is a late 15th century Mamluk Sultan of Egypt who was renown for his construction devoutness. Qaitbay left a lot of relics in Cairo and a famous fort at Alexandria. This mosque is said to be built by his wife.

He built this mosque as he was frequently visiting the area. The dome is raised over ancient columns that came from the Pharaonic center of Kiman Faris.

The mosque has a well that had its water supplied directly by Bahr Yusef canal for the purpose of ablution. It also features a beautiful minbar adorned with carved wood and inlaid ivory imported from Somalia 

Monasteries of Fayoum : 

Deir El-Azab:

This is a modern monastery that is frequently visited by Copts. It lies few kilometers on the road to Bani Suef.

The monastery has a famous shrine for Anba Abram, a bishop of Fayoum and Giza who died in the early last century and was canonized by the Coptic Church of Egypt. If you had a chance to visit the monastery you'll hear an incredible stories about his miracles.

Deir El-Malak Ghobrial (Monastery of Archangel Gabriel):

The monastery was probably built in the 7th or 8th century. The chapel, dedicated to Archangel Gabriel, was built only a century ago.

The monastery is ahead on the road to Bani Suef, albeit hard to reach. 

Ein El -Sillin :  

It is one of the best springs of El-Fayoum. The water is sweet and is flooding in a lush area.

The spring is a good place for relaxation, remarked with its waterways, greenery and bridges.

Karanis ( Kom Oshim ) : 

It is an ancient city (See Image 3) first built by the Ptolemies in the 3rd century BC. It is close to the Cairo-Fayoum road, only 70 km (44 miles) far from Cairo. The city has a stone temple in the south dedicated to crocodile-gods Pnepheros and Petesouchos and another one in the north dedicated to crocodile-god Sobek (See Image 2), in addition to two Roman baths 

The city is so interesting and a must-visit. The remains of the city shed some light over the normal life of Egyptians at the heyday of the city, with broken walls, alleys and streets give you an indication of the city's glorious past. 

Karanis museum: The museum  is small and is attached to the city. It displays artifacts collected from the city including wonderful glassware, potteries, jewelries and ornaments. The museum has antiques belong to Fayoum's different subsequent eras and it is really worth the visit.

Qasr El - Saghah and Dimai :

The two historic sites are to the north of Lake Qarun. The sites are best accessible by a 4WD vehicle and the first of them are about 30 km (19 miles) from Karanis.

The first temple Qasr El-Saghah dates to the Middle Kingdom of the Pharaonic era and is built of sandstone. The remarkable thing about it is that it contains 7 shrines. Little information is known about the circumstance of its construction. The site provides good scenery of the lake and the stretched desert.

Dimai temple lies to the south of Qasr El-Saghah. It is dedicated to God Soknopaios, a variation of God Sobek. It is established on an elevated land that was once an island in the lake but merged to the land after the water ebbed.

The ruined-city adjacent to the temple was once a port and a caravanserai. You can also approach Dimai site by a boat from the southern shore of the lake. You can do that by asking fishermen for the possibility and many would be ready to convey you across the lake to the site. 

Qasr Qarun : 

Qasr Qarun is 45 km (28 miles) to the northwest of Medinet El-Fayoum. The city site is dominated by a well-preserved temple built in the Ptolemaic era in the 3rd century.

The site was fortified during the Roman era by Emperor Diocletian to protect it against the attacks of Bedouins. Much of the site is now buried by sand. 

Madinet Madi :

 

The temple is about 30 km (19 miles) southwest of Medinet El-Fayoum. It was built by Amenemhat III and is dedicated to several gods. Reliefs show Amenemhat III with his son Amenemhat IV presenting offerings to the serpent goddess of harvest, Reneutet and God Sobek. 

Ptolemies put several additions to the temple, particularly the sphinxes and lions that line the processional way.

Lahun Pyramid :

The pyramid is almost on the halfway between Bani Suef and the Fayoum.

This one is part of a funerary complex built by Senwosret II in the Middle Kingdom.  

The pyramid is built of mud-brick and was once encased by limestone like many other pyramids. It had the sloping angle of 43 degrees and an original height of 48 meters (157 ft).

The entrance of the pyramid was discovered by Petrie in 1890 after hard search. The reason was that, unlike other pyramids where the entrance is usually at one side of the pyramid, this one had its entrance through a vertical shaft some distance from the pyramid in the south .

A small pyramid of the queen lies to the north of Senwosret's pyramid (See Image 2). Beside it there are 8 rock tombs of the royal family (See Image 3). Remains of the mortuary temple can still be seen to the east side .

The site has also an old city, Kahun, built for the pyramid builders about one kilometer (0.6 miles) away and the mastaba-tomb of the pyramid chief engineer.

Obelisk of Senwosret : 

The 13-meters high red-granite obelisk is cut by Senwosret I of 12th dynasty. Originally, it was erected in a village called Abgig few kilometers/miles far from the Fayoum City.

Later, it was restored and re-erected at Medinet El-Fayoum's northern entrance. 

Biahmu : 

The site is 7 km (4 miles) north of Medinet El-Fayoum. It has the remains of two large stone pedestals that once bore the colossi of Amenemhat III.