Egypt In the Past

1
Egypt In the Past

• Although Egypt now has a President, the rulers of
  ancient Egypt were known as pharaohs (pharaoh
  means the one who lives in the palace).
• Egyptians believed that the pharaoh was more like
  a god than a human. They believed the pharaoh
  had power that could not be questioned.
• The pharaohs duty in life was to rule the
  kingdom and build temples for the gods.
• One of the most familiar rulers of ancient Egypt
  is King Tutankhamun (or King Tut). Significant
  changes in Egypts culture were happening during
  his reign and the building of his tomb.
• Both males and females were pharaohs of ancient
  Egypt.

2
Luxor, Egypt

• Luxor/Thebes was the capital of ancient Egypts
  new kingdom (1540-1070 B.C.). Many pharaohs
  ruled from this area, building temples nearby for
  the gods of Egypt. For this reason, many ancient
  and famous temples are located in and near Luxor.
  
• The name Luxor comes from an Arabic word
  meaning palaces. Luxor refers to palaces of
  the gods. This name is fitting because of the
  great number of temples built in the area.
• Luxor was once the capital of ancient Egypt.
  Today Luxor is home to some of Egypts greatest
  historical landmarks. Some of the most famous
  sites include King Tutankhamons tomb and the
  Luxor Temple.

3
Artifacts From the Past

• Throughout Egypt, you can find many
• ancient artifacts. Some of the most
• familiar artifacts include the temples
• and burial sites.
• Ruins of the temples- Many temples are being
  restored in Egypt today. They were originally
  built to honor the gods of Egypt and ancient
  kings. Temples played an important role in the
  economic and intellectual life of Egypt.

4
Burial Sites

• There are two types of burial sites in Egypt
• Originally, pyramids were built to house the
  Egyptian kings in the afterlife. Kings of that
  day were buried with their wealth. Eventually,
  grave robbers found their way into many of the
  pyramids and made off with the Kings treasures.
  
• To escape this looting, kings broke the tradition
  of building large pyramids and began to construct
  buried tombs to house their bodies in the
  afterlife. Some of these burial sites are still
  being unearthed today near Luxor.

5
At the Time of King Tut

• Religion Ancient Egyptians believed in many
  gods. They believed that they could communicate
  with some gods only in a special temple on
  certain holidays. Other gods answered everyday
  wishes. Throughout most of Egyptian history, the
  main god of Thebes/Luxor was Amun-Re.
• Temples Many new temples were being built.

6
Language

• Hieroglyphics was the most common form of
  written language in ancient Egypt. This
  symbolic language consists of pictures
  representing whole words, actions or ideas.

7
What Is Luxor Like Today?

• Luxor was once the capital of Egypt. Though no
  longer the capital, it is now a city of about
  150,000 people.
• It is the site of several tourist attractions,
  including temples, museums, restaurants, hotels
  and cafés.
• There are many modern buildings in Luxor, but
  most are built so that they look like the older
  monuments.