Human world
Length: 38cm
The king in ancient Egypt was regarded as a god. He was thought to be the incarnation of the god Horus and was often called 'the good god'. When he died, the king was identified with the god Osiris, god of the underworld.
Kings are easily identified on Egyptian monuments. They usually wear a crown, a uraeus (a cobra on the forehead) and a false beard. The word 'pharaoh' comes from the Egyptian 'per-aa' which means 'Great House'. This was used in the Old Kingdom (2686 - 2181 BC) to refer to the palace or court. Only in the 19th Dynasty (1307 - 1196 BC) did it come to be a respectful name for the king.
The daily life of the king was governed by ceremony. Anyone approaching him had to prostrate himself (lie flat) on the ground. One man, Sinuhe, described meeting the king:
"I found his majesty on the great throne in the kiosk of gold. Stretched out on my belly, I did not know myself before him, while this god greeted me pleasantly. I was like a man seized by darkness. My soul was gone, my limbs trembled; my heart was not in my body, I did not know life from death."
This sandstone relief shows the pharaoh Tutankhamun presenting offerings to the gods. He is wearing the Blue Crown, the battle crown of Egyptian kings. His titles are carved in front of him: 'King of Upper and Lower Egypt, Nebkheprure, son of Re, Tutankhamun." The name was partly rubbed out and replaced by that of his successor, Horemheb.
Tutankhamun is one of the most famous pharaohs ever to rule ancient Egypt. His fame today is largely due to the discovery of his tomb, intact and untouched by grave-robbers, by British archaeologist Howard Carter in 1922. It contained over 5000 items, including the famous gold mask that is now regarded as one of the typical images of ancient Egypt. Tutankhamun was the 11th king of the 18th Dynasty. Although he died whilst still a teenager, his short rule was significant. He helped restore order to Egypt after the reign of his father Akhenaten, commonly known as the heretic king. Akhenaten replaced the main religion with one based around himself. His supposed reforms also badly damaged the country. Tutankhamun began repairing the damage done to the temples of Amun (who Akhenaten sought to replace), as well as other temple construction projects. His early death remains a mystery, with some claiming he was murdered.