Thursday, August 5, 2010

Buried Treasure: Discovering the REAL Egypt

Breathtaking, speechless, unequivocally amazed are all understated words to describe the moment I walked into the Cairo Museum; unfortunately in retrospect, there are no words that will justifyingly express my experience. From the massive statues of Akhaten, Rameses II, Nefertiti, & Imhotep, King Amnehotep & Queen T, the head of Queen Hatshepsut & Nefertiti, Rameses’ Sphinxes, & the Norma Palate (depiction of the unison of upper and lower Kemet), to the tangible evidence such as the wigs of the pharaohs that these people-these Egyptians were our ancestors. They were Africans. This was clearer than ever when I saw the mummies of Rameses II, Sety I, and Tutmoses I, II, & III themselves.

The most influential exhibit for me was the exhibit of Tutankhamon. OMG! I find it so unfathomable that a tomb so ornate exists. Although I have yet to see his mummy, the coffin alone amazed me. His mummy was placed in a pure gold coffin, which was placed in an even bigger coffin made of pure gold with blue and red gold used to elaborate the intricate details. This was placed in a pure gold sarcophagus which was placed in a bigger pure gold sarcophagus, which was placed in an even bigger pure gold sarcophagus, which was placed in an even bigger pure gold sarcophagus, and placed in the biggest sarcophagus about the size of my room at home in height, width, and depth. In addition to this, his vital organs were placed in small coffins that depicted the same coffin his body alone lays in with the exact same specific details, which were placed in a box in which 4 symbolic females surround for safety. Furthermore, he had 2 chariots, his throne, and 3 couches buried with him including all his jewelry-ALL MADE OF PURE GOLD. The thoughts that went through my mind about all of this? 1. How big is this tomb?! 2. I cannot comprehend how anyone would ever attempt to steal anything from his tomb because if it were I, I would be too amazed at the artistry to want to disturb anything. 3. If all of these structures in this museum are the originals and they look like this, WHAT EXACTLY DID THE ORIGINAL EGYPT LOOK LIKE?! I wish I could have experienced that long ago.

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