As part of an ongoing monthly tradition, Egypt’s museums have once again invited the public to vote for their favorite artifacts. Through social media polls, the most compelling pieces have been selected and given a special showcase for the month of August.
This initiative underscores the role of museums as cultural, civilizational, and educational institutions dedicated to raising awareness of Egypt’s rich archaeological heritage.
This month, the public’s choice has highlighted a collection of artifacts that emphasize the ancient Egyptians’ profound connection to the Nile River, coinciding with the annual celebration of the Nile Flood on August 15th.
The Nile played a pivotal role in the lives of the ancient Egyptians. Their civilization flourished along its banks, and they deified the river as Hapi, the god of the Nile, fertility, and abundance.
August’s Featured Artifacts in Egypt’s Museums:
* Islamic Art Museum: A marble facade adorned with intricate geometric carvings.
* Coptic Museum: A collection of red and black pottery vessels decorated with animal and plant motifs.
* Royal Chariots Museum: A silver commemorative medal honoring ruler Muhammad Said Pasha for his irrigation and agricultural projects.
* Gezira Museum: A wooden model of a fishing boat with a crew, dating back to the Old Kingdom.
* Manial Palace Museum: An oil painting depicting the Nile during flood season, with palm trees, rural houses, and the pyramids in the background.
* Cairo International Airport Museum (Terminal 2): A limestone relief showcasing Nebnefer, a royal treasury overseer during the 18th Dynasty, and his family worshipping a deity adorned with a lotus flower, a symbol of the Nile.
* Cairo International Airport Museum (Terminal 3): A pottery vessel depicting a boat sailing among plants, dating back to the pre-dynastic period (Naqada II).
* National Police Museum: A model of a boat and its crew, tasked with protecting the Nile and ensuring fair distribution of its waters.
* Imhotep Museum: A wooden boat belonging to Khnu, the treasurer of the pyramid of Merikare, complete with its crew.
* Ruken Helwan Museum: An ivory and mother-of-pearl inlaid wooden table depicting a Nile fishing scene.
* Alexandria National Museum: A pottery vessel from the New Kingdom adorned with fish, bird, and plant motifs.
* Graeco-Roman Museum: A Roman marble statue of the Nile god Hapi, depicted as a robust man draped in a himation.
* Royal Jewelry Museum: The Nile Medal, made of gold and silver, featuring a five-pointed star inscribed with the word “Nile” and surrounded by the phrase “May it spread throughout Egypt to be thankful for its Nile, the source of floods and blessings.”
* Tanța Museum: A wall painting of the god Hapi, the deification of the Nile and floods, depicted as a human figure crowned with a lotus flower.
* Ismailia Museum: A black pottery flask shaped like a fish.
* Suez National Museum: A limestone block from the Late Period depicting the Nile god Hapi offering the bounties of the river.
* Kafr El-Sheikh Museum: A wooden plow used in ancient Egyptian agriculture.
* Hurghada Museum: A colored wooden boat from the Middle Kingdom with sailors and a captain.
* Sharm El-Sheikh Museum: A wall painting from the reign of King Nectanebo I depicting the Nile god Hapi offering the river’s bounties.
* Sohag National Museum: A quartz altar from the reign of Seti I, adorned with hieroglyphic inscriptions and depictions of the Nile god Hapi.
* Nuba Museum: A wooden model of a boat from the Middle Kingdom with five wooden human figures.
* New Valley Museum: A wooden measure for grains from the Greco-Roman period.
* Mummification Museum: A model of a funerary boat from the Middle Kingdom used to transport the deceased across the Nile to the Western Bank.
* Malawy Museum: A wooden boat with 14 statues of sailors, including one steering the vessel.
* Kom Oshim Museum: Wooden models of boats from the Middle Kingdom excavated at Hawara in Fayoum.
* Luxor Museum of Ancient Egyptian Art: A model of a boat with oars, as if it were sailing.
* Tell Basta Museum: An offering table depicting a Nile meter.
