Nefertari, the tireless partner of Ramses II

Nefertari, the tireless partner of Ramses II, managed his harem and played a minor role in developing the peace agreement with the Hittite kingdom. In appreciation of her abilities, Ramses II built her a smaller, lavish temple at Abu Simbel. This Ninteenth-­ Dynasty statue of the two stands as testament to their partnership.

In the palace, Ramses married his first royal wife, Nefertari, who presented his firstborn son. His secondary wife, Isetnofret, gave birth to a second boy. There were more sons and daughters, and a nursery blossomed in the harem. King Sethos became grandfather to a dozen or so children. In ancient times, many babies died in infancy. Those who survived later played major and minor roles in Egyptian history. All of Ramses’ boys held the title of commander and chief of the army. Ramses’ brother and Sethos’s heir apparent had died.

Nefertari, a daughter of Egyptian nobility, was the favored wife of Ramses II. The first of eight wives to provide Ramses II with a son, Nefertari was known as the chief queen of the harem.

Grounded in her husband’s rule while Ramses was away from the capital, his chief consort, Queen Nefertari, held his exalted position. In the grand audience chamber she conducted court, heard grievances, and governed his correspondences. She supervised her large royal household and a girls’ school where young women received instructions in art, weaving, and music. Elegant and composed, Nefertari stood alongside Ramses at public and state ceremonies. Two of his sisters, Tia, and his younger sister, Hentmire, assumed their places as official wives of the king, as did two other sisters.

When he was crowned king, not only did Ramses design plans for his own burial tomb, but for that of his first royal queen, Nefertari. Said to have been the most beautiful of his seven royal wives, scribes and artists were instructed to emblaze stunning scenes throughout her tomb. Nefertari appeared in a white linen gown, with six strands of amethysts around her neck, gold bracelets on her wrists, and her golden vulture crown with its two feathers artfully extending from the back. A small gold and turquoise cobra, threaded through her earlobe, marked her as royalty. Another frieze showed her worshipping the mummified body of Osiris. Equally stunning, another depicted her offering milk to the goddess Hathor. In one scene, the goddesses Nephthys and Isis watch hawk-like over the queen’s mummy, portrayed as Osiris. To match Nefertari’s radiance, Ramses ordered a pink granite sarcophagus. Befitting his royal wife, passages from the Book of the Dead emblazoned a wall, and his love for Nefertari was expressed: “For the one whose love shines. My love is unique—no one can rival her, for she is the most beautiful woman alive. Just by passing, she has stolen away my heart.” Jimmy Dunn.

In the twenty-fourth year of Ramses’ reign, the two great temples at Abu Simbel in Nubia were completed—one for Ramses II and his gods, the other for Nefertari and her goddess. A giant statue of Ramses and a rounded figure of Queen Nefertari with smaller figures of their children flanked the sun-bleached portals. Ramses had hieroglyphics inscribed above the giant figures that read, “Rammesses II, he has made a Temple, excavated in the Mountain of eternal workmanship . . . for the Chief Queen Nefertari Beloved of Mut, in Nubia, forever and ever . . . Nefertari . . . for whose sake the very sun does shine!” according to Christian Jacq’s The Lady of Abu Simbel.

A grand flotilla of royalty sailed up the Nile to Nubia. Ramses and Nefertari were accompanied by their daughter Princess Meritamun. But, in a rock stele, outside the temple, it portrayed only Ramses and Meritamun worshipping the gods. There was no record of the queen’s participation. Had Nefertari not survived the long journey? Shortly after the inauguration, about 1255 b.c., we learned she had died.

Nefertari’s monument revealed a splendor beyond all the others Ramses had built. Historian Bernadette Menu wrote that it was, “a masterpiece of Egyptian painting, richly decorated with mythological scenes. Gods and goddesses are depicted either alone or with the queen, who worships them or presents offerings to them. . . . The goddess Maat spreads her wings in protective gesture.”

The royal custom of secession had changed with the death of Queen Nefertari. Assistant Queen Isetnofret became the great royal wife. Her first daughter, Bintanath, assumed her mother’s previous role. Meritamun, Nefertari’s eldest daughter, reigned as associate queen. Isetnofret’s eldest son became heir apparent. Four daughters of Ramses also held the title of associate queen. These were the most exalted among his daughters, of whom there were at least 40 in addition to some 45 sons. Isetnofret bore Ramses’ gifted son Merenptah, a famous magician who ultimately made the greatest mark in Egypt and attained kingship. Another son, Prince Khaemwaset, became the first Egyptologist, as he preserved the ancient monuments. He served as high priest of the god Ptah with a steady stream of high government positions.

Life in Ancient Memphis

Part of the extensive necropolis of ancient Memphis, located to the south of the most important section at Saqqara. There are five royal pyramids here, including two built by king Sneferu of the 4th Dynasty. The oldest is called the Bent Pyramid because of a change in the angle of the upper part, due to technical problems. The other is called the Red Pyramid because of the red colour of the locally quarried stone used for its construction. After the Great Pyramid, built by Sneferu's son Khufu at Giza, this is the largest pyramid in Egypt. The other pyramids at Dahshur date from the Middle Kingdom and were constructed for Amenemhat II, Senwosret III and Amenemhat III. The tomb of Amenemhat II is the only one with a stone core, whereas the other two have mudbrick cores. Amenemhat III also had a pyramid in Hawara, which is assumed to have been his actual tomb after the construction of  that at Dahshur ran into trouble. Nearby were found the tombs of various princesses from the 12th Dynasty in which many priceless pieces of gold jewellery were discovered. 

 

Memphis, the ancient capital of Lower Egypt, once stood on the fertile west bank of the Nile Delta. Menes of Tanis founded the city in about 3100 b.c. To secure the city from seasonal Nile flooding, he built a complex system of dikes and canals for protection and as a symbolic entity—“the white wall”—around the city. Memphis reached its peak of prestige as administrative and religious center during the Sixth Dynasty. It was believed to be the largest city in the world. It was here that Ramses II, son of King Sethos and Queen Tuya, first rode beside his father and engraved his lasting legacy.

Stone towers, colorful domes, obelisks as tall as oil derricks, and graceful swans and swooping pelicans enriched the Memphis landscape. There were great universities and bustling jewelry shops laden with gold, turquoise, and lapis lazuli. Politics and gossip were discussed over beer and wine in cool, shaded recesses. Date palms, sycamores, and acacia trees shadowed verdant parks adorned with gigantic pink granite statues. Sweet- smelling lotus scented reflecting ponds and tantalized the fish. The cult of Ptah, god of artists, had a glorious stone temple, as did that of the god Apis, the sacred bull. Nearby was the Saqqara, a necropolis for royalty, minor burials, and cult ceremonies—the oldest complete hewn-stone complex known in world history.

Pharaohs, such as King Sethos, and wealthy nobles lived in magnificent palaces or sumptuous villas with spacious courtyards and gardens of fruit trees and flowers. They dined on alabaster dinnerware and drank from exquisitely designed faience cups served by scores of servants. Lesser Egyptians and the poor lived in mud houses. Hippopotamuses and crocodiles tangled fishing lines in the Delta canals.

Scholarly writers have connected Ramses II with Moses. According to the Bible, Memphis was called Moph or Noph. Taking this a step further, it was the seat of the pharaoh in the time of Joseph of Nazareth, foster father of Jesus. Some historians believe that Ramses II was the pharaoh of the Exodus and place him as befriending Moses.

Nitocris Queen of Egypt (ca. 2475 B.C.)

Although no archaeological evidence has survived of the reign of Nitocris, the Turin Canon lists her as the last ruler of the Sixth Dynasty and the wife of Merenre II, whom she succeeded. She was the first known queen to exercise political power over Egypt. She is associated with the legendary courtesan Phodopis, mythical builder of the third pyramid of Giza. Herodotus (b. ca. 484 B.C.), who traveled in Egypt after 454 B.C. and received much of his information from word of mouth, tells of an Egyptian queen, Nitocris. To avenge the murder of her brother-king, whom she succeeded, she built a huge underground chamber. As an inaugural ceremony she held a banquet and invited all those responsible for her brother’s death. When the banquet was in full swing, she opened a large concealed conduit and allowed her guests to drown in river water. To escape her punishment, she threw herself into a roomful of ashes. No other source supports Herodotus’s account.

References Grimal, Nicolas. A History of Ancient Egypt.Trans. Basil Blackwell Ltd. New York: Barnes & Noble Books, 1997. p. 89. Herodotus. The Histories.Trans.Aubrey de Sélincourt. New York: Penguin Books, 1954. p. 166.

THE MUMMY RESURRECTED (2014)

A father and daughter lead an archaeological team on an expedition to uncover a cursed Egyptian tomb.

After examining a scarab beetle idol kept in his pocket, Professor Tralane coughs up stones that emit a sandstorm upon hitting the ground. The sandstorm then engulfs Tralane. 

Archaeologist Maggie Tralane greets her father when he arrives at her base of operations. She introduces him to her dig team that consists of Veronica Corbeck, Sara Winchester, Geri Grant, and Kelly Canaday. Christine Day joins the group later.

Government guide Mr. Madu interrupts a father-daughter bonding moment to announce that he will not escort them into the Valley of the Sorcerer as planned and that Tralane’s permit is being revoked due to the evil reportedly lurking in the valley. Afterwards, Tralane recites an incantation and Madu is killed while driving home.

Maggie and Tralane contract a group of Arab guides to escort them to the tomb of Anankotep. While Tralane and the girls investigate the tomb’s interior, the Arab guides are killed by a Libyan border patrol. The dig team decides to hide in the tomb for safety and becomes trapped inside.

Tralane and Sara find a small passageway and investigate the connected hidden chamber on their own. Maggie and Ronnie go after them while the other three girls stay behind. Tralane uncovers the sarcophagus of Anankotep and opens it.

After smoking some of Christine’s pot, Kelly sees a vision of an Anubis-like figure forming from black smoke before being buried alive. Maggie and Ronnie leave Tralane and Sara in the burial chamber while they race towards the sound of Kelly’s screams. The girls resolve to leave after discovering that Kelly is dead.

When they go back for Tralane and Sara, the girls discover that the passageway has been sealed and they begin breaking down the barrier with their hammers. When Ronnie finds the professor, he turns around to reveal that he has morphed into a mummy. He breathes a mist into Ronnie that knocks her unconscious.

Ronnie recovers and the other girls agree to look for a secret exit. Tralane performs a ritual and Geri dies after coughing up blood. Caught in a trance, Sara dies after being supernaturally wrapped in burial bandages.

The other girls finally find a way out of the tomb. Christine stays outside when Maggie and Ronnie decide to go back for Tralane. Ronnie falls into a trap and is buried alive in falling sand. Christine is mysteriously transported back inside the chamber and the mummy sucks her soul into its body.

Maggie reunites with her father, but she becomes possessed when the professor recites another spell. Ronnie is mysteriously transported into the chamber with Maggie as Tralane continues his ritual. Maggie then stabs Ronnie in her head and the blood drips down to Anankotep’s sarcophagus. Their eyes blackened from possession, Tralane opens a secret panel and steps outside with his daughter.

Tralane dematerializes into dust as Maggie walks away.

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Well, if you happen to be that type of indiscriminate viewer who overlooks a script only doing the bare minimum to constitute a plot, who forgives poorly conceived visual FX because the animators had limited resources, and who gives the director credit simply for producing a completed film, then maybe you will find “The Mummy Resurrected” to be tolerable.  But if you demand at least some modicum of relative quality no matter the budget, scope, or production’s backstory, then you will have a hard time mustering any respect for a movie that refuses to respect you back.


 

Meereen

 

 The Great Pyramid overlooking the city.

Meereen and the Great Pyramid.

Meereen is the northernmost and greatest of the three great city-states of Slaver's Bay, north of Yunkai and Astapor. It is located at the mouth of the Skahazadhan River, which flows from its origins in Lhazar through the mountains separating Meereen and the rest of Slaver's Bay from the Red Waste. The Dothraki Sea lies to the north, beyond the river. The wealthiest residents live in pyramids.

Like the other major cities of Slaver's Bay, Meereen was founded as a colony of the old Ghiscari Empire, which was later conquered by the Valyrian Freehold when it destroyed the Ghiscari Empire 5,000 years ago. Similar to the Free Cities to the west, after the Doom of Valyria (four hundred years before the War of the Five Kings) the local slaver-cities reasserted their independence. Meereen is by far the largest of the now-independent city states, bigger than Astapor or Yunkai. At the time that Daenerys Targaryen arrives at the city, there are about three slaves in the city for each free man.

Film: Hieroglyph

A thief is freed from prison and ordered to serve the Pharaoh all while navigating complex situations like palace intrigue, seductive concubines, criminal underbellies as well as dealing with a few divine sorcerers.

Hieroglyph will be set in ancient Egypt, mixing fantasy and reality elements. It will centre around Ambrose, a thief who is taken from prison to serve the Pharaoh (Reece Ritchie).

John Rhys-Davies will play Vocifer, the former mentor of Ambrose who was a well-known thief himself in his prime.

On October 17, 2013, Fox announced that it had dropped the pilot stage for Hieroglyph and would straight away commit to a 13-episode season.  The series was expected to begin filming in March 2014 in New Mexico at the Albuquerque Studios. Kevin Reilly for Fox Entertainment has stated that "We wanted to do a show about deceit, sex, intrigue in the court and fantastical goings on – no better place to set that than ancient Egypt."

Fox canceled the series in June 2014, saying the series was not coming together the way executives had hoped.

Cindy Elavsky said of the trailer, "it looked like a cheap Game of Thrones rip-off, so maybe Fox execs were saving us from finding that out for ourselves."

Film: Prisoners of the Sun

A young American archaeological apprentice is drawn into a perilous expedition deep beneath the timeless sands of Egypt. Escaping death traps and ancient monsters, the expedition discovers a secret older than history, and a danger beyond imagination. The "sleepers" have awoken. The gods have arisen. And, the countdown to the end of the world has begun...

Prisoners of the Sun tells the story of aliens from outer space, who came to Earth and taught us everything we know and how to build nice triangular structures out of sandstone. They gave us the idyllic life until exactly 5000 years ago, when something went wrong and they had to hide all their stuff and lock it up. They created a key that, when activated at the correct time, will reawaken the sleepers (dudes wrapped in bandages) and create havoc on Earth.

Along with searching for the key for years, Prof. Hayden Masterton and his lovely daughter, have been looking for clues to the lost tomb of a pharaoh who ruled 5000 years-ago and is hoped to be the hiding place of untold riches. Masterton has arranged to buy the key from a dealer in the local bazaar but a bullying treasure hunter, Peter Levitz, murders his buddy, using Masterton's walking stick then steals the key. He blackmails his way onto being on the team that go into the pharaoh's tomb. The team is made up of an international-ish group who bungle their way onto the expedition at the last-minute and eventually wish they hadn't.