About the exhibition Egyptian Pharaohs

Divine Genesis

In ancient Egyptian mythology, the creation of the world is a fascinating founding myth that sets in motion the natural elements, embodied by the goddesses and gods. The exhibition begins by immersing visitors in Noun, a primitive subterranean ocean. From this sleeping chaos emerges Atum, the creator god, whose rays land on the first pointed stone, the ‘benben’, a symbol of which the pyramids are an illustration. Atum creates the first gods: Shu, Air, and Tefnut, Moisture. They give birth to Geb and Nut who, separated by their father, form the earth and the vault of heaven. Visitors then see the barque of Ra, god of the sun, who fights the evil serpent Apophis every day, to bring about the birth of a new day. Finally, Atum’s tears flood the earth, giving birth to the first humans.

Life on the banks of the Nile

Egypt is a gift from the Nile, a gift from the gods. This river is a vital artery uniting the different regions of Lower and Upper Egypt, a water source on which people depend. It is also Egypt’s main traffic route, carrying both people and materials. Ancient Egypt’s seasons and food are dictated by the rhythms of the Nile, which also gives birth to majestic art, as lush as the flora and fauna it represents. Reeds, lotuses and papyrus bloom, hunters put birds to flight, farmers plough, and the whole of Egyptian society comes to life before the visitor’s eyes.

Building the pyramids

Clouds of dust rise. First one then another colossal block of limestone falls to the ground in front of the visitor, gradually coming together to form the pyramids of Giza. Built over 4,000 years ago by Cheops, Khafre and Menkaure, these legendary monuments are above all the tombs of kings, who were buried like gods. These gigantic necropolises – the Pyramid of Cheops is one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World – still puzzle Egyptologists because of the complexity of the construction sites. The enigmatic Sphinx completes the panorama of the Giza plateau, a fascinating representation of a pharaoh as a recumbent lion with the head of a man. The mysteries that surround it only add to its fascination.

Pharaohs

The pharaohs, veritable muses of Ancient Egypt, form a fabulous frieze that tells the story of over 3,000 years of history. Pharaohs played a key role in Egyptian society, acting as a link between the earthly and divine worlds. Monumental statues of pharaohs and queens clearly convey the pharaohs’ divine nature to visitors.

Under the reign of Akhenaten, Egypt underwent a religious revolution, moving from polytheism to monotheism. The disruption in the aesthetic can be seen in the representations of the pharaoh and his wife Nefertiti depicted in their family life. The pharaoh was also a warrior king, and his power therefore lay also in maintaining Egypt’s borders. Victories over the enemy were the occasion for official narratives glorifying the sovereign, such as that of Ramses II and his legendary battle against the Hittite people at Quadesh.

Divine Gold

Now the Nile is transformed into a river of molten gold, flowing along the walls from the deposits in Nubia (modern-day Sudan). The ancient Egyptians considered gold to be a divine metal, the flesh of the gods. Visitors can see it in the bracelets, pectorals, amulets and daggers that sparkle and shine with a thousand lights. Carnelian, turquoise, amazonite, lapis lazuli... the shimmering, semi-precious stones bear witness to rich exchanges with Iran, Afghanistan and the cities of Mesopotamia. The small, gilded wood naos found in Tutankhamun’s treasure is the perfect end to this chapter: finely carved, it depicts the royal couple formed by Tutankhamun and Ankhesenamun.

Temples

Egypt is brimming with hundreds of temples – sacred places and homes to the gods. Everything here is a symbol of the world created in the divine genesis: from the imposing surrounding walls and gates representing the Noun, to the naos, a secret sanctuary housing the divine statue.

Greeted by avenues of sphinxes, you stroll through the courtyards and colonnades of a majestic temple. The bright colours used to decorate the temples reflected Egyptian chromatic thinking. Musicians and dancers bring the processions to life.

Masterpieces of the Ramesside dynasty and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the temples of Abu Simbel in all their grandeur are displayed before visitors. They discover the colossal statues of Ramses II and the elaborate façade of the small temple dedicated to his wife Nefertari.

Valley of kings and queens

The Valley of the Kings and Queens is the main necropolis of the New Kingdom, housing the tombs of the famous pharaohs. These tombs contain sublimely polychrome murals depicting the deceased’s nocturnal journey to the after life.

The valley, guarded by the Colossi of Memnon, is home to Hatshepsut’s temple and a wealth of treasures, the most famous of which is, of course, that of Tutankhamun, whose discovery in 1922 was a major event. The door opens to reveal a jumble of precious objects, furniture and jewellery, and a sarcophagus. The gold glints softly in the torchlight, to be followed by the king’s funerary mask.

A gallery of sarcophagi with painted decoration rises to the top of the walls. The exhibition then turns to the tombs of Horemheb and Ramses I, whose very similar frescoes feature magnificent representations of Anubis and Osiris. Then rays of light reveal the paintings on the tomb of Queen Nefertari, the first royal wife of Ramses II, whom he called “she for whom the sun shines”.

The Beyond

The golden stars on Nefertari’s ceiling resemble a celestial vault. The queen appears alongside the various gods who are accompanying her to the afterlife, as the Dendera zodiac, now removed from the temple and preserved in the Louvre, swirls around the floor and walls. It illustrates the Egyptians’ perception of the sky and goes with the astronomical ceiling in the Temple of Hathor, renowned for its dazzling colours.

Paradise is also depicted in the frescoes on the tomb of the artisan Sennedjem: a luxuriant, real Eden awaits any of the dead who have successfully passed the test of weighing their souls. To the sounds of Stairway to Heaven, the nine divinities that bring together the forces of the universe welcome visitors into eternity.