Scroll through the Exalted Spirits Exhibition
Visit this special exhibition at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo
Kneeling Statue of Thutmose III Offering Nu-Jars (2021-11-09) by Mostafa Abdel AtyAmerican Research Center In Egypt (ARCE)
The dead, whether kings, revered individuals, or family members, have been venerated in some way in Egypt throughout its 5000-year history. These exalted spirits were venerated not only as semi-divinities, but also because they could intercede with the gods for the living.
Visitor viewing statues (2021-11-09) by Mostafa Abdel AtyAmerican Research Center In Egypt (ARCE)
The Exalted Spirits exhibition, which was held at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo as part of a joint conference, explores who was venerated, why, and how, and traces traditions that link ancient Egypt to the modern day.
Opening of the Exalted Spirits exhibition (2021-11-09) by Mostafa Abdel AtyAmerican Research Center In Egypt (ARCE)
The conference and exhibition were organized by the American Research Center in Egypt (ARCE) , The American University in Cairo (AUC) and the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (MoTA) and opened on November 9th, 2021 in Cairo.
Statue of Amenhotep Son of Hapu (2021-11-09) by Mostafa Abdel AtyAmerican Research Center In Egypt (ARCE)
Who were Revered?
Different kinds of individuals were revered. Highest among them were royal figures, the Holy Family, and the Prophet Muhammad. These were followed by prominent pious individuals with miraculous powers, including different saints and, lastly, certain deceased family members.
Statue of King Teti (2021-11-09) by Mostafa Abdel AtyAmerican Research Center In Egypt (ARCE)
Touched by the Divine: Kings, Queens and Prophets
Although in ancient Egypt all kings were divine, some were especially venerated, particularly after their death. A few, with their families, became patrons of entire regions, such as Waset (modern Luxor), acting as intercessors for its people.
Display of objects (2021-11-09) by Mostafa Abdel AtyAmerican Research Center In Egypt (ARCE)
This small, painted stela shows king Amenhotep I (ca. 1549-1524 BC) striding forward. He and his mother, Ahmose-Nefertari were particularly revered by the inhabitants of Deir el-Medina, the village for the workmen who decorated the royal tombs in the Valley of the Kings.
Stela Dedicated to Amenhotep I (-1189/-1069)American Research Center In Egypt (ARCE)
Amenhotep I was regarded as the patron god of the Theban necropolis, probably because he was the first New Kingdom ruler to commission craftsmen to build his tomb and mortuary temple in Thebes, and to give the workers prominence.
This stela bears the titulary of Ramesses IV on its rim, a king who lived long after Amenhotep had died, and presents him as the dedicator of the object. However, the stela was probably dedicated by an unknown person, seeking Ramesses IV as an intermediary.
Display of objects (2021-11-09) by Mostafa Abdel AtyAmerican Research Center In Egypt (ARCE)
This tradition of veneration and intercession continued into the Coptic era with the Holy Family. The Virgin Mary, Queen of Heaven, was particularly honored. In Islam Muslims hold the Prophet Muhammad, his family and the awliya (saintly men and women) in high esteem.
Hilya Sharifa by the Master Calligrapher Mustafa Ezzat Effendi (1865) by Mustafa Ezzat EffendiAmerican Research Center In Egypt (ARCE)
A hilya is the equivalent of a modern-day graduation certificate, but specifically for calligraphers. Under Ottoman rule each calligrapher produced this sheet of paper that testified to his skill in giving a physical description of the Prophet and his character.
What better way for a calligrapher to connect with the beloved Prophet of Islam than to proficiently and beautifully describe him!
Islamic objects (2021-11-09) by Mostafa Abdel AtyAmerican Research Center In Egypt (ARCE)
These papers became collectible items because they represented the Prophet without an image, as figural representations are prohibited in Islam. In houses and palaces these papers invoked the Prophet’s presence making his baraka (blessings) perpetual for the inhabitants.
Statuette of Imhotep (2021-11-09) by Mostafa Abdel AtyAmerican Research Center In Egypt (ARCE)
The Adored: Saints & Celebrities
Most common intercessors are individuals with saintly powers who feature prominently in the life of every village, town, and city. During their lives, they were celebrated for their accomplishments, religiosity, and miraculous powers, which persisted after their death.
In the pharaonic period these included Imhotep, Heqaib, and Amenhotep Son of Hapu.
Objects on display in the Exalted Spirits exhibition (2021-11-09) by Mostafa Abdel AtyAmerican Research Center In Egypt (ARCE)
The tradition continued with the advent of Christianity with its many saints being established throughout Egypt. For Muslims, Ahl al-Bayt (the Prophet’s family) are chief amongst Egypt’s patron saints followed by the awliya. Egypt is full of hundreds of shrines commemorating and celebrating them.
An ancient Egyptian stela and Coptic icon (2021-11-09) by Mostafa Abdel AtyAmerican Research Center In Egypt (ARCE)
St. Mena is a famous Coptic saint, popular in the East and the West. His biography is a source of inspiration to many devotees. To date, many healing miracles are attributed to his intercession and prayers.
St. Mena, the miraculous, is depicted on his reddish-brown horse. He holds a cross-staff and the reins of the horse. A sword completes his armor.
Ancestor worship (2021-11-09) by Mostafa Abdel AtyAmerican Research Center In Egypt (ARCE)
Deified Families: Effective Ancestors
Certain deceased family members are considered to have saintly powers enabling them to intercede on behalf of their descendants. In ancient Egypt, household shrines often featured such individuals, with their busts, stelae, and offerings playing a crucial part of the daily cult.
Bust of Khandjer (-1500/-1080) by UnknownAmerican Research Center In Egypt (ARCE)
This beautifully painted bust was found in one of the houses of Deir el-Medina. A text, inscribed on its underside, reads “Mistress of the House, Khandjer, justified in peace.” This is one of two inscribed busts from the workmen’s village.
Some scholars believe that these busts represented recently departed family members, in the form a transfigured, divine spirit (akh). Some—like this bust—were found in domestic contexts, and are believed to have been part of a domestic ancestor cult.
Visitors at the Exalted Spirits exhibition (2021-11-09) by Mostafa Abdel AtyAmerican Research Center In Egypt (ARCE)
Often, in Coptic homes images of ancestors are placed in special corners where incense and candles are burnt before them. In Muslim contexts, while ancestors are not generally regarded as intercessors, their memory continues through pictures, whose presence radiates blessings.
Statue of Djedhor, a Healer Priest (2021-11-09) by Mostafa Abdel AtyAmerican Research Center In Egypt (ARCE)
How were Ancestor Cults Celebrated?
The rituals of veneration vary, encompassing shrines in houses, public shrines, festivals (mawalid), and cemetery visits.
Ancient Egyptian objects (2021-11-09) by Mostafa Abdel AtyAmerican Research Center In Egypt (ARCE)
The most common way of veneration throughout Egyptian history has been at shrines, sometimes attached to tombs. In pharaonic Egypt shrines were found within houses at sites like Deir el-Medina and Amarna, a tradition that persists in Christian homes today.
Rituals connected with the shrines include pilgrimages, prayers, letters to the dead, making offerings, celebrating festivals, and consulting the exalted spirits as oracles.
A Moulid Festival at Night (2017-03-08) by Ehab Kamal (MENA)American Research Center In Egypt (ARCE)
Moulids
Among the celebrations common in Egypt today are the saints' festivals, or moulids. Part religious gathering, part community fair, these festivals honor local saints and are part of a long-standing tradition amongst the Muslim and Christian communities of Egypt.
Music During a Moulid Processional (2018-11-20) by Ehab Kamal (MENA)American Research Center In Egypt (ARCE)
There are many historical examples of the veneration of holy figures, royals, celebrities, and family ancestors. The moulid festivals remind us that the tradition of veneration is not only a thing of the past, but an ongoing part of modern religious and social life.
This story was created in association with a museum exhibition and academic conference titled Exalted Spirits: The Veneration of the Dead in Egypt through the Ages, jointly organized by The American Research Center in Egypt (ARCE), The American University in Cairo (AUC), and the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (MoTA) in Egypt.
