Visual Stories & Fun Stuff

This section deals with introductory materials. The emphasis is on readily to grasp, wonderful to see, and fun. (These items come, with some minor modifications, from an earlier version of this website.)

Lotus, papyrus, and the heraldic plants of Upper and Lower Egypt
As most textbooks about ancient Egypt will tell you, lotus and papyrus were the heraldic, or emblem plants of Upper and Lower Egypt, respectively. But although Upper Egypt is very often represented by a lotus, this is not always the case. That is why this Visual Story is about lotus, papyrus and the heraldic plants of Upper and Lower Egypt. With a host of beautiful pictures, and lots of background.

An Ancient Egyptian King List of the 1st till 6th Dynasty
This period covers some 800 years. It comprises the Early Dynastic Period (dynasties 1-2) and the Old Kingdom (dynasties 3-6). The paper (in PDF-format) shows the names of all 44 kings from this period in hieroglyphs. With the length of their reigns, the location of their tombs, and bits about the history of the period - a period that saw the building of the giant pyramids of Gizeh. Includes a short introduction to the ancient Egyptian royal titulature.

Columns & pillars: a Visual Story
In their stone and rock-cut architecture, the ancient Egyptians used an enormous variety of pillars and columns. In this Visual Story, we will take a look at these beautiful forms. We will also give some attention to theories about their origins, dealing with myth and symbolism.

A visit to the Amun Temple of Karnak
The intricate details of highly refined reliefs, combined with the romance of palm trees under a blue sky, make a visit to this temple un unforgettable experience - even for those who lack any knowledge of the history of ancient Egypt. Although the text of this work is basically of an introductory nature, it does give some interesting details on every page. The translation of several of the texts on the ancient walls provides touching details. With 90 high-quality pictures, one overall plan, and 9 detailed plans. (In PDF format).

The Amun temple of Karnak: Plan of the main axis
Today, the great Amun temple of Karnak (former Thebes) is by far the most important and instructive surviving temple of ancient Egypt. Most books about ancient Egyptian religion will have a plan of it, but these are mostly copies-from-copies, and way too small. This plan has been freshly drawn using vector techniques, which allow limitless scaling. The various parts of the temple are each given in a separate color. These colors can be looked up in a key-file, which provides details about the part's significance, and which king was responsible for its construction. In PDF-format.

The Temple of Luxor: Plan 
If Karnak was Amun's castle, the temple of Luxor was his "house in the country". Remarkably well preserved, it presents us with an array of styles: the slender lines of Hatshepsut's bark station, the elegant grace of Amenhotep III's large court, and the massive glory of Ramesses II's colossal statues. Again in PDF-format, and with an explanatory key.

Back