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The Labyrinth from Kircher's Turris Babel

Athanasius Kircher1679

Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures Museum

Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures Museum
Chicago, United States

The "Egyptian Labyrinth" as imagined in Athanasius Kircher's Turris Babel. A classical myth of the labyrinth focused on king Daedelus and the Minatour, but Kircher's labyrinth is largely derived from the description of Herodotus, who described such a structure in the Fayum in Egypt. Kircher's design incorporates many Egyptian elements including pseudo-hieroglyphic inscriptions on the surrounding statues and hieroglyphic images in the maze itself.

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Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures Museum

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