As a response to the article "Egyptology", that I published some days ago, I want to tell you a little about my own fascination with this subject and why I started this blog. The word Egyptology for example, sounds like a new religion without any do's and don'ts. It sounds exotic and mysterious like the world of the ancient Egyptians.
It all started when I was a young boy and my teacher started talking about history. And when one starts talking about history it is matter of time when the subject of Egypt comes along. Now must I tell you that when my teacher started talking about history, he had the capability to bring this hidden world back to life before your own eyes. His way of teaching you history, was like bringing you back in time, like stepping through a time machine. Mesmerizing. At least, that is how I felt about it. I can't speak for my other classmates off course. You like history, or you don't. Maybe only 5% of the class was under the history spell, the other classmates were allready counting the minutes to the next break, I guess.
But when my teacher started talking about Egypt I felt like I was hearing something I had never heard before. I remember seeing some pictures of Egyptian gods and hieroglyphics and thought "how odd". Something so strange and unfamiliar. "Wait, you mean that they used symbols for words, how odd! And the men and women were always portraited sideways? Odd again! And Gods with animal heads? Yikes!"
Seriously, I always have had a special interest for the unknown. Like I always wanted to know what is behind the stars, the question, "what was up with these Egyptians", is somewhat easier to answer.
Just like the annually flooding of the river Nile in earlier times, ancient Egypt is like a source that never dries. Thanks to the never ending archaeological finds and the ongoing talk about one of Egypts biggest wonders the Pyramids, or the mummies, the temples, the life size statues of pharaohs. I have heard one Egyptologist say, that with all the existing mysteries of ancient Egypt, one archaeological find can enlarge the mystery. And you can guess that there are hundreds of finds throughout an archaeological year! There is so much history burried in this one land, so many kings and queens who ruled as gods, so many temples, carvings and statues. There is so much to learn about this ancient civilization, a civilization so advanced, so very different from the other civilizations that once flourished! A civilization that existed for over three thousand years, that started at the banks of the Nile. In all these thousands of years little had changed. Pharaohs had come and gone, but the culture remained. Religion didn't change much, except when the farao Akhenaten started a revolution with his monotheistic religion. But this revolution only lasted for some decades. The ancient Egyptian civilization was doomed after Cleopatra died. In this wide range of more than three thousand years there is so much history, so much information one can write a whole library of books about this matter.
I am not an Egyptologist, I wish I were, but I am not. I can only quench my thirst for knowledge by exploring the world of the ancient Egyptians. And when I found out, I want to find out more. It is my hunger for information, my interest for the unknown. That is why I love history and Egyptology, it is a wonderful waste of time. I humbly bow down for my teacher who has sown the seed, who was the first one to tell me about the Egyptians. So thank you! Thanks to him I traveled through Egypt about ten years ago and saw the splendour of this ancient culture with my own eyes. I saw the pyramids, Karnak temple, Luxor temple, The Valley Of The Kings, the Cairo museum with the royal mummies. I remember staring at the mummy of Ramesses the Great and the other mummies. Such an amazing experience! I had a wonderful time. Now I am going to tell you a little secret, when I was in the Egyptian museum at Cairo there was the statue of Chefren. Maybe you have seen it before, it is a black, lifesize statue of the pharaoh with the falcon god Horus behind his head. When nobody was watching I touched the statue and felt the coolness of the stone. Now this is off course forbidden, one is not allowed to touch anything in the museum, but I couldn't resist. I had to do it. I have a painting of the same statue now as a reminder of this great journey. And what a journey it was. I can only say that if you have the time, go and see it for yourself!
Ever since, ancient Egypt is like a virus that doesn't go away! So now you understand why I started this blog. I hope you will share my fascination for Egyptology and enjoy the articles I will bring to you. And when you want something to tell me, you can by leaving a comment. I would really appreciate it!
Dennis a.k.a. Amun-Ra
p.s.: Thanks Tommy for your help!
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