Od 31. August will be in the National Museum in Prague take place unique exhibition presenting the most unique finds from the Egyptian site of Abusir, which has been studied by Czech Egyptologists since the turn of the 50s and 60s. They have made many important discoveries here, such as the uncovered tomb of the priest Iufa, whose inventory will also be part of the exhibition. The will last until February 7 and due to the uniqueness of the borrowed items, it will most likely not be extended.

The long-awaited exhibition

The exhibition was prepared for many years and its realization was interrupted not only by the coronavirus epidemic, due to which its opening had to be postponed by 2 months, but also the revolution in Egypt in 2011. The number of objects borrowed for its realization from Egyptian collections is unique. Of course, this also places great demands on the security and protection of these unique artifacts.

According to the idnes.cz server, almost a hundred items were brought from Egypt, which will also be complemented by artifacts from the collections of the Náprstek Museum. The loans also come from German museums, which have also explored this important site. In an interview with the idnes.cz server, Michal Lukeše, director of the National Museum, said that the aim of the exhibition is to bring the visitor to Abusir 4,5 thousand years ago, nejen not only with artifacts but also with modern multimedia means such as animations, pyramid models and 3D projections. .

Sarcophagus from the tomb of Priest Iufa. Source National Geographic

The atmosphere will also be enhanced by the authentic location of the finds as archaeologists found them in the tombs. Mr. Lukeš also emphasized in an interview for idnes.cz that he and all Egyptologists confirm that this exhibition is comparable in design and sound to other Egyptological exhibitions that have ever taken place in major world museums, both in terms of the meaning of Abusir and the objects we bring.

The large number of borrowed objects that is unparalleled in the history of Egyptology is unique and was acquired thanks to the trust and good relations of Czech Egyptologists with the Egyptian Monuments Office.

Sun kings

The whole exhibition is focused on the so-called solar kings, ie the rulers of the 5th dynasty ruling in the 25th and 24th centuries. BC The Sun is nicknamed because of their significant rise in the cult of worship of the sun god Rea. Proof of their respect for Reo was the construction of the temples of the sun, one of which stood in Abusir. These were unroofed buildings dominated by a massive main obelisk.

According to the legend of the "Story of Jedi and Wizards" from the Middle Kingdom, the first kings of the Fifth Dynasty were triplets and direct descendants of the god Ra. There is a notorious grain of truth in this story, because the second and third kings of the fifth dynasty were brothers and, moreover, were strongly devoted to the cult of the god Ra.

Mr Lukeš emphasized:

"We really return to the roots of Egyptian civilization with the exhibition."

Mr. Lukeš also emphasized that during the kings of the Fifth Dynasty there was a significant period of prosperity of ancient Egyptian civilization. During their reign, among other things, an important literary work "The Teachings of Ptahotep" was created, which is an example of the classic form of lessons given by the father to his son. Ptahotep was the vizier of Pharaoh Jedkare Isesi, ruler of the 5th dynasty in Egypt ruling around 2350 BC In the text, Ptahotep gives advice to his son, who is to take over the office of vizier after him. Egyptian deities also changed significantly during this dynasty. In addition to the already mentioned rise of the Ra cult, the oldest copies of the funeral spells known as the Pyramid Texts appear. Later, however, at the end of the Fifth Dynasty, the main attention turned to the cult of Usir, as shown, for example, by inscriptions found in the tomb of Unas, the last king of this dynasty.

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