A devastating palace fire has killed the Eighteenth Dynasty’s royal family—all with the exception of Nefertari, the niece of the reviled former queen, Nefertiti. The girl’s deceased family has been branded as heretical, and no one in Egypt will speak their names. A relic of a previous reign, Nefertari is pushed aside, an unimportant princess left to run wild in the palace. But this changes when she is taken under the wing of the Pharaoh’s aunt, then brought to the Temple of Hathor, where she is educated in a manner befitting a future queen.Soon Nefertari catches the eye of the Crown Prince, and despite her family’s history, they fall in love and wish to marry. Yet all of Egypt opposes this union between the rising star of a new dynasty and the fading star of an old, heretical one. While political adversity sets the country on edge, Nefertari becomes the wife of Ramesses the Great. Destined to be the most powerful Pharaoh in Egypt, he is also the man who must confront the most famous exodus in history.Sweeping in scope and meticulous in detail, The Heretic Queen is a novel of passion and power, heartbreak and redemption.From the Hardcover edition.

    Pascal said the shape of her nose changed the history of the world. Shakespeare portrayed her as an icon of tragic love. But who was Cleopatra, really?Cleopatra was the last ruler of the Macedonian dynasty of Ptolemies. Highly intelligent, she spoke many languages and was rumored to be the only Ptolemy to read and speak Egyptian. Her famous liaisons with Julius Caesar and Mark Antony had as much to do with politics as the heart. Ruthless in dealing with her enemies, many within her own family, Cleopatra steered her kingdom through difficult times, and very nearly succeeded in creating an eastern empire to rival the growing might of Rome.Her story was well documented by her near contemporaries, and the tragic tale of contrasts and oppositions—the seductive but failing power of ancient Egypt versus the virile strength of modern Rome—is so familiar we almost feel that we know Cleopatra. But our picture is highly distorted. Cleopatra is often portrayed as a woman ruled by emotion rather than reason; a queen hurtling towards inevitable self-destruction. But these tales of seduction, intrigue, and suicide by asp have obfuscated Cleopatra’s true political genius.Stripping away our preconceptions, many of them as old as Egypt’s Roman conquerors, Egyptologist Joyce Tyldesley offers a magnificent biography of a most extraordinary queen.

    On a stiflingly hot day in August 30 b.c., the thirty-nine-year-old queen of Egypt, Cleopatra, took her own life rather than be paraded in chains through Rome by her conqueror, Octavian--the future first emperor, Augustus. A few days earlier, her lover of eleven years, Mark Antony, had himself committed suicide and died in her arms. Oceans of mythology have grown up around them, all of which Diana Preston explores in her stirring history of the lives and times of a couple whose names--more than two millennia later--still invoke passion, curiosity, and intrigue.Preston views the drama and romance of Cleopatra and Antony's personal lives as an integral part of the great military, political, and ideological struggle that culminated in the full-fledged rise of the Roman Empire, joined east and west. Perhaps not until Joanna in fourteenth-century Naples or Elizabeth I of England would another woman show such political shrewdness and staying power as did Cleopatra during her years atop the throne of Egypt. Her lengthy affair with Julius Caesar linked the might of Egypt with that of Rome; in the aftermath of the civil war that erupted following Caesar's murder, her alliance with Antony, and his subsequent split with Octavian, set the stage for the end of the Republic.With the keen eye for detail, abundant insight, and storytelling skill that have won awards for her previous books, Diana Preston sheds new light on a vitally important period in Western history. Indeed, had Cleopatra and Antony managed to win the battle of Actium, the centuries that followed, which included the life of Jesus himself, could well have played out differently.

    This was a special teaching describing the secret wisdom about the nature of the universe and of the soul as well as a path to make the journey, through varied phases of spiritual evolution, from mortal to immortal and from earth to heaven and beyond. The goal is to regain one's divine stature and transcendental place. In its earliest form, originated in Ancient Egypt, it was related to theurgical religious system developed in the priests and priestesses of the Ancient Egyptian city of Anu and the Tree was seen as the source of life. This book explains that teaching, which has been available to all, but missed by those who did not possess the keys to unlock its mystic formula. In this volume the Creation teaching of Anu, the TREE OF LIFE metaphysical teachings, disciplines and techniques, from the hieroglyphic texts, for activating the Tree, are given.

    Spanning three thousand years, this beautifully illustrated history offers a thorough and delightfully readable introduction to the artwork even as it provides insight into questions that have long engaged experts and amateurs alike. In its scope, its detail, and its eloquent reproduction of over 250 objects, Gay Robins's classic book is without parallel as a guide to the art of ancient Egypt. And her eagerly awaited new edition includes many new color photographs and a fully revised and updated bibliography.

    It is a place where the neteru--the archetypal deities and elemental spirits from the Egyptian pantheon--lead us on our journey of transformation, a journey designed to open our hearts and teach us the inner workings of the soul. The full-color deck contains a Key Card, a card for each of the 22 deities and 4 elements, and 8 composite cards that portray several deities together. These composites represent 8 major portals of initiation and complex archetypal relationships. The accompanying book provides detailed interpretations for each card and instructions for 8 divinatory spreads that include entering into the mystery, achieving higher love and wisdom, and identifying our sacred purpose. By divining with the neteru, the shaman within awakens. This allows the neteru to reveal the answers we seek in our personal lives and in our interactions with the world by connecting us with the wisdom, guidance, and shamanic mysteries of Egypt that live within us.

    Haunted by the memories of the overnight fall of the Shah of Iran to the Ayatollahs, U.S. policymakers fear a similar event in Egypt. Bush's successor is likely to face an unbelievably bad choice in the largest Arab country. Elaasar-s book is indeed an eye opener-  - Swiss News Agency -With so much at stake, the West is slowly coming to grips with a new reality; a reality which no single book or author could possibly address. The Last Pharaoh should be indispensable to anyone hoping to understand Egypt-s role, not only the Middle East, but the potential for Mubarak-s Egypt to impact the destiny of global events-. - The Media Oasis   -In this remarkably frank and revealing portrayal of Mubarak-s Egypt, no reader of this book could ever again think of Egypt as anything less than the potential tipping point of Middle Eastern society.- - Syndicated Columnist Ray Hanania "The Last Pharaoh is remarkably thorough. The simplicity of the style and content makes this book required reading for students, journalists, policymakers and general public in order to better understand the mechanisms of authoritarianism and despotism in Egypt." - Political Science Professor, Noureddine Jebnoun, University of Montana.

    Written in an authoritative yet accessible tone, this essential resource provides an information-packed overview of royal mummies. The text describes the ancient Egyptians’ belief in the afterlife and how mummification ensured their bodies were preserved for eternity. Revealing the secrets of the embalming room, the meaning of the amulets found with mummies, and the ornate splendor of the mummies themselves, this volume explores all facets of a practice that lasted for more than 3,000 years, starting around 2,500 B.C. Spotlighting such renowned examples of well-preserved mummies as Tutankhamen, Seti I and Ramses the Great, 200 color photographs depict the ornate sarcophagi, hieroglyphics, and amulets that add to the mystique of the mummy. With a foreword by Zahi Hawass, widely recognized as the world’s foremost Egyptologist, this volume is required reading for students of archaeology and anyone intrigued by the history of ancient Egypt.

    But its hallmark—a distinction between one true God and many false gods—was once a new and radical idea. Of God and Gods explores the revolutionary newness of biblical theology against a background of the polytheism that was once so commonplace.    Jan Assmann, one of the most distinguished scholars of ancient Egypt working today, traces the concept of a true religion back to its earliest beginnings in Egypt and describes how this new idea took shape in the context of the older polytheistic world that it rejected. He offers readers a deepened understanding of Egyptian polytheism and elaborates on his concept of the “Mosaic distinction,” which conceives an exclusive and emphatic Truth that sets religion apart from beliefs shunned as superstition, paganism, or heresy.    Without a theory of polytheism, Assmann contends, any adequate understanding of monotheism is impossible.Best Books for General Audiences, selected by the American Association of School Librarians, and Best Books for Special Interests, selected by the Public Library Association

    National Geographic Atlas of the Middle East, Second Edition maps and profiles three new countries: Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Sudan. The spread on religion is extended to include an analysis of Sunni and Shi'ite dynamics while the ethnic coverage is expanded to document the plight and increasing influence of the Kurds. New city maps of Istanbul and Dubai are added, as well as a new Israeli-Palestinian Conflict spread with an in-depth time line of 15 maps. A variety of themes are presented, from religion, population, and ethnic and linguistic groups to oil, fresh water, and development indicators such as trade, foreign aid, infant mortality, urbanization, and education. Pictures, flags, fact boxes, and graphs complement these powerful, newsworthy topics. A time line to 2008 and a place-name index make this new atlas a valuable, topical, and fascinating reference.

    Since 1997, a programme of conservation and research has focused on these paintings, making possible their publication in this superbly illustrated book. Richard Parkinson includes all the known background history to the paintings, from Luxor to London, along with detailed descriptions of the paintings accompanied by stunning colour photographs. Some of the scenes include funerary offerings, a banquet, Nebamun viewing the produce of the estate, agricultural scenes, fishing and fowling in the marshes and Nebamun's garden, providing insights not just into the life of an Egyptian official, but also more generally into Egyptian culture and society.

    At each letter of the alphabet, stop to explore fun alliterative phrases, colorful photographs, and interesting facts. Read through the letters in order, or flip through the pages until one catches your eye. You may choose to read only the phrases at the top of each page or find out more by reading the detailed paragraphs. You are the captain of this journey so how you travel is up to you!Also available as a PDF eBook ($4).

    This simple yet unusual man is said to be a fool, but he is clever and cunning and usually outwits every one he encounters in an intelligent and funny way.

    Emile Prisse d'Avennes (1807-79) spent a total of nineteen years in Egypt, traveling throughout the country to collect the stunning images that he later published in Paris in two collections, Atlas de l'histoire de l'art egyptien and L' Art arabe. It is the illustrations from the latter that make up this volume. Prisse's masterly renderings of Cairo's mosques and their decorations more than retain their impact today: they still have the power to amaze and delight, while at the same time carrying valuable historical and artistic information for specialists studying Islamic art and architecture. As Professor George Scanlon says in his Introduction to the volume: "For those passionate about the Islamic legacy of Egypt-may they admire and stand grateful."

    Now, this unique book, written by a long-established team of scientists based at the University of Manchester (England), brings this exciting, cross-disciplinary area of research to a wider readership. Its main aim is to show how this team's multidisciplinary, investigative methods and the unique resource of the Egyptian Mummy Tissue Bank are being used for the new major international investigations of disease evolution and ancient Egyptian pharmacy and pharmacology. It also assesses the current status of palaeopathology and ancient DNA research, and treatments available for conserving mummified remains. Descriptions of the historical development of Egyptian mummifications and medicine and detailed references to previous scientific investigations provide the context for firsthand accounts of cutting-edge research by prominent specialists in this field, demonstrating how these techniques can contribute to a new perspective on Egyptology.

    Its originality lies in combining research which uses Egyptology's traditional strengths, philological and iconographic, with reflections on material culture and on the discipline of Egyptology itself. The authors are internationally-recognized authorities in their fields.

    to the years just after the Islamic conquest of A.D. 642. Long considered lost beyond recall, the architecture of ancient Alexandria has until now remained mysterious. But here Judith McKenzie shows that it is indeed possible to reconstruct the city and many of its buildings by means of meticulous exploration of archaeological remains, written sources, and an array of other fragmentary evidence.The book approaches its subject at the macro- and the micro-level: from city-planning, building types, and designs to architectural style. It addresses the interaction between the imported Greek and native Egyptian traditions; the relations between the architecture of Alexandria and the other cities and towns of Egypt as well as the wider Mediterranean world; and Alexandria’s previously unrecognized role as a major source of architectural innovation and artistic influence. Lavishly illustrated with new plans of the city in the Ptolemaic, Roman, and Byzantine periods; reconstruction drawings; and photographs, the book brings to life the ancient city and uncovers the true extent of its architectural legacy in the Mediterranean world.

    Bob Brier, along with French architect Jean-Pierre Houdin, tells the remarkable true story of Houdin’s obsession with Egypt’s Great Pyramid, one of the Seven Wonders of the World: how, in an ancient agrarian society not long removed from the Stone Age, such a remarkable structure could have been envisioned and constructed. At once the story of Houdin’s determined search for answers to the puzzle that have eluded scientist and Egyptologists for centuries and a fascinating history of the planning and building of the magnificent edifice, The Secret of the Great Pyramid is an extraordinary work that puts the mystery to rest, once and for all.

    The book is full of historical footnotes and careful details. Amelia Edwards was responsible for founding the first chair in Egyptology (a science she helped create) at University College London, and was behind the appointment of Sir Flinders Petrie. She established herself as one of the authorities on the subject of Ancient Egypt and her book A Thousand Miles Up the Nile has remained one of the most inspiring travel books in the subject.

    The text conducts this examination through two different lenses: that of Western rational analysis, with its emphasis on methods and techniques, and that of ancient Egyptian spirituality, which these complex works have handed down to our own time. Accordingly, the first section of the book analyzes the technology, techniques, history, and cultural context of Egyptian art, while the second compares selected monumental works across different periods and places, detailing their artistic and spiritual significance.Handsomely illustrated with 350 color plates, including numerous full-page details printed on a special matte paper designed to simulate the feel of the stuccoed limestone on which the original images were painted, Egyptian Wall Painting illuminates an art, language, and culture of extraordinary richness.As the definitive treatment of its subject, Egyptian Wall Painting is sure to appeal to art historians, Egyptologists, linguists, and connoisseurs interested in one of history’s most complex and influential civilizations.

    The book is full of historical footnotes and careful details. Amelia Edwards was responsible for founding the first chair in Egyptology (a science she helped create) at University College London, and was behind the appointment of Sir Flinders Petrie. She established herself as one of the authorities on the subject of Ancient Egypt and her book A Thousand Miles Up the Nile has remained one of the most inspiring travel books in the subject.

    If the latter put the novel among the genres of writing that are now an accepted part of literary production in the Arab world today, Tawfiq al-Hakim is recognized as the undisputed creator of a literature of the theater. In this volume, Tawfiq al-Hakim's fame as a playwright is given prominence. Of the more than seventy plays he wrote, The Sultan's Dilemma, dealing with a historical subject in an appealingly light-hearted manner, is perhaps the best known; it appears in the extended edition of Norton's World Masterpieces and was broadcast on the old Home Service of the BBC. The other full-length play included here, The Tree Climber, is one that reveals al-Hakim's openness to outside influences in this case, the absurdist mode of writing. Of the two one-act plays in this collection, The Donkey Market shows his deftness at turning a traditional folk tale into a hilarious stage comedy. Tawfiq al-Hakim produced several of the earliest examples of the novel in Arabic; included in this volume is an extract from his best known work in that genre, the delightful Diary of a Country Prosecutor, in which he draws on his own experience as a public prosecutor in the Egyptian countryside. Three of the many short stories he published are also included, as well as an extract from The Prison of Life, an autobiography in which Tawfiq al-Hakim writes with commendable frankness about himself. Contents: Introduction by Denys Johnson-Davies, The Sultan's Dilemma (full-length play), The Tree Climber (full-length play), The Donkey Market (one-act play), The Song of Death (one-act play), Diary of a Country Prosecutor (extract from the novel), Miracles for Sale (short story), The Prison of Life (extract from the autobiography), Azrael the Barber (short story), Satan Triumphs (short story).

    Book Description: Includes the Ptah-Hotep and the Ke'gemini, the Wisdom of Hermes Trismegistus, and the Story of the Book of Thoth.Table of Contents: Publisher's Preface; Introduction; The Story Of Egypt; Religion Of Ancient Egypt; The Ptah-hotep And The Ke'gemni: The Oldest Books In The World; The "book Of The Dead"; Hermes Trismegistus; Egyptian Magic; The vision Of Hermes ; The Story Of The Book Of Thoth

    Welcome to the world of Pharaohs, mummies, and untapped secrets Welcome to ancient Egypt! On the northeast of Africa, divided by the river Nile, lies a majestic land that was once home to powerful kings such as King Tutankhamun and King Ramesses II and extraordinary queens such as Cleopatra In Pyramids and Mummies learn how these magnificent royals lived, read stories about the king of the dead, get a detailed the Great Pyramid, find out about the puzzling mystery behind the Great Sphinx, wonder at real live accounts of King Tutankhamun's curse, and much more! With a pyramid design and an interior that is as packed with surprises as the real thing, Pyramids and Mummies is sure to pique the interest of the explorer in all.

    The posters—most of them never before published—feature barnstormers, gliders, and flying boats, the earliest passenger flights, the first luxury-liners, mail carriers, jets, and much more. Spanning a century and a half, they combine the popular art and the commerce of their eras, with both explored in the entertaining, informative text by a longstanding National Air and Space Museum curator. From 19th-century circus impresarios offering rides in gaudy hot-air balloons to the sleek 21st-century airliners, the posters provide a fascinating illustrated history of flight as it evolved from an exotic realm inhabited only by visionaries and daredevils into our modern world of speedy jets and frequent flyers—no longer extraordinary, perhaps, but still echoing with the exhilarating thrill and glamorous excitement captured here.Countless visitors to the museum’s traveling poster exhibition and the permanent exhibition "America by Air" will delight in the gorgeous and wonderful graphics collected in this appealing, affordable book—and so will aviation buffs, armchair travelers, and poster connoisseurs everywhere.

    This interactive book not only allows but encourages young readers to touch — and learn all about — an Egyptian mummy. Each page provides another piece of the puzzle as children learn how Egyptians buried and entombed their dead — including making burial masks, giving amulets for an underworld journey, wrapping mummies from head to toe, preserving the body, and placing sacred organs in canopic jars. Along the way, the book offers fascinating background information on famous pharaohs and historical events, including the recent discovery of new tombs.

    Quality assurance was conducted on each of these books in an attempt to remove books with imperfections introduced by the digitization process. Though we have made best efforts - the books may have occasional errors that do not impede the reading experience. We believe this work is culturally important and have elected to bring the book back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide.

    Quotes from popular media show each entry in context, and easily confusable words are flagged up to prevent misuse. Pronunciation is spelled out syllable-by-syllable using the standard alphabet. Whether you are giving a presentation, writing a report or simply browsing through to improve your vocabulary, this informative guide will help you to express yourself more clearly and effectively.

    However, it is rarely presented as a comprehensive panorama because scholars tend to divide it into distinct eras—prehistoric, pharaonic, Greco-Roman, Coptic, medieval Islamic, Ottoman, and modern—that are not often studied in relation to one another. In this daringly ambitious project, drawing on the most current scholarship as well as his own research, Thompson makes the case that few if any other countries have as many threads of continuity running through their entire historical experience. With its unprecedented scope and lively and readable style, A History of Egypt offers students, travelers, and general readers alike an engaging narrative of the extraordinarily long course of human history by the Nile.

    Most people, and especially politicians and journalists, in both Muslim and non-Muslim societies, seem to have a strong opinion about it. Many books and articles have been written about the question as to why women wear a face veil and whether or not it represents a form of oppression. In contrast, there is very little information about the face veils themselves, the various types and the regional variations. This book describes and illustrates the history of face veils, from its pre-Islamic origins to the present day. It tells about the many regional variations, from Morocco in the far west to Central Asia in the northeast. It emphasises the role of face veils as a form of dress and identity, rather than a garment that conceals an individual's persona. Gillian Vogelsang-Eastwood (Ph.D. Manchester, 1989) is director of the Textile Research Centre, Leiden, the Netherlands. She is a textile and dress historian specializing in the Middle Eastern dress, notably archaeological items from ancient and medieval Egypt. She has been working in the field of veils and veiling since the early 1980s. Willem Vogelsang (Ph.D. Groningen, 1990) is the former curator for Southwest and Central Asia of the National Museum of Ethnology, Leiden, the Netherlands. He is now cultural and regional advisor to the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and mainly works in Uruzgan, Afghanistan. His interests focus on the archaeology, history, culture and political developments in Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan. One of his main publications is The Afghans (Oxford 2002; updated reprint 2008).

    Includes an alphabetized list of all known pharaohs through the Twentieth Dynasty. Each entry includes: a brief biography of the reign; tomb location and number (if known); location of known mummies; chief consorts (if known); hieroglyphs and transliterations of each form of the pharaoh's name; pertinent biographical references. In addition, the encyclopedia contains a glossary of commonly-used terms, an index of Grecianized names and variant spellings, a list of apocryphal kings of the Fourteenth Dynasty, the royal titulary, and a chronological king list by dynasty.

    1770 – 1849), often dubbed "the founder of modern Egypt", was one of the most important figures in the history of the Ottoman Empire. Born in what is now Greece, and seemingly headed for an everyday existence as a married tobacco trader, he joined the Ottoman army at the age of thirty, and went on to become the ruler of Egypt for nearly half a century. Conqueror of Sudan and Syria, despot, and eventually a threat to the Ottoman Empire itself, he established both mass industrialisation and the mass-farming of cotton, and secured hereditary rule for his descendents. In this insightful and well-constructed biography, Khaled Fahmy assesses the infamous leader’s life, and his contribution to Egyptian, and more broadly, Islamic history. Khaled Fahmy is Associate Professor of Middle Eastern Studies at New York University. He is the author of All the Pasha's Men: Mehmed Ali, His Army and the Making of Modern Egypt.

    Confidently converse in Egyptian Arabic and ensure you don't miss out on the friendliness and humor for which Egyptians are famous. Enhance your travels throug this enticing country Our phrasebooks give you a comprehensive mix of practical and social words and phrases in more than 120 languages. Chat with the locals and discover their culture - a guaranteed way to enrich your travel experience.

    Young artists can dive into the underworld with Anubis, jackal god of the dead; creep past a sentinel sphinx with the body of a lion and the head of a falcon; bow down to the beautiful Queen Nefertiti; or give praise to the murdered god Osiris, all while learning to draw the symbols of the mysterious and ancient civilization of Egypt. Step-by-step instructions help young artists create their own representations of this incredible culture, and annotations throughout the book provide a glimpse into the history and mythology of ancient Egypt. Bonus steps provide ways to customize drawings with historically accurate symbols and other details.

    Pretl, author of Little Bead Boxes and Bead Knitted Bags, has created a collection of beaded neckpieces, inspired by broadcollars, the dramatic jewelry worn by the ancient Egyptians and a well-known form among beadworkers. She has adapted the traditional form-a broad, beaded necklace-to create ten original designs for the modern beadworker, with skill levels ranging from beginner to more advanced.With step-by-step illustrations and easy-to-follow patterns, Julia leads the reader through the techniques for creating the stitched "ladderö -the basic unit that is combined and joined in various ways to create each of the unique designs. She also teaches readers how to build a custom-sized template, choose a color palette, and create decorative fringe, layers, pendants, and netting to add the finishing touch. The introductory chapters present the basic beading and assembly techniques, illustrated with clear, digitally rendered, and color-coded drawings. Four-color photographs of each of the 10 designs and 10 detail photos illustrate each project.

    A lifetime officer in the Royal Engineers, he served in several theaters of war and imperial contest, most notably China and the Sudan. His last assignment took him back to the dusty Sudanese capital, Khartoum, where he supervised the overmatched Anglo-Egyptian garrison’s evacuation in the face of imminent attack by Islamic extremists. He was killed there in January 1885, just two days before a British relief expedition arrived.In this new biography of General Gordon, C. Brad Faught looks afresh at the life of one of the most famous Victorian military men. Although a later age would come to reject Gordon’s record and the values by which he lived, he has remained an enduring figure in the British Empire’s late-nineteenth-century heyday and an important means by which to examine its contemporary issues: abolitionism, territorial conquest, and the rule of dependent peoples. Faught traces Gordon’s life from his childhood in England and Corfu to his youth and training as an engineer at the Royal Military Academy in Woolwich and his subsequent military and proconsular service in the Crimea, eastern Europe, China, India, Mauritius, South Africa, and the Sudan. Throughout his varied career Gordon was guided by his staunch, conventional Christian faith—despite his critics’ best efforts to suggest otherwise—and remained devoted to the best features of imperial rule. Whether as a key opponent of the Arab slave trade or a leader of troops in battle, Gordon was usually successful in his undertakings but always controversial. This biography gives an up-to-date rendering of an important British imperial figure whose demise at the hands of a Muslim extremist is both resonant and potentially instructive for the era in which we live today.