Arpag Mekhitarian (1911–2004)

Geen boek over de Egyptische schilderkunst, zoals je zou kunnen verwachten, maar een over de muurschilderingen in Thebaanse privégraven uit het Nieuwe Rijk, met klemtoon dan nog op de achttiende dynastie. Mekhitarian zoemt bovendien in op bijna onbeschadigde taferelen. De totale compositie blijft daardoor meestal buiten beeld. Het is een verdedigbare keuze: de fragmenten zijn goed gekozen, vaak van hoge artistieke kwaliteit en Mekhitarian brengt de evolutie die schilderkunst in die periode doormaakte letterlijk en figuurlijk goed in beeld.… (plus d'informations)

ABYDOS :SACRED PRECINT OF OSIRIS

I. THE STRUCTURES
The site of Abydos extends for some 1500 metres feomremsains the large temple of Sethos I ansd his censtaph,
the Osireion, round these, a sumber of New Kingdo tombs, the temple of necropolis, and beyond this a number of Mkdle Kinglkem tombs, lying between the fortress known as Stounat es Zabib to the west and the ancient city of Abydos to the east. Within the city are the barely a temple of Osiris, known to the Arabs as Kpen es-Suban
Finally. 1500 metres south-west of the temples of Sethos 1 and Ramesses II, are the mounds of Umm es-Garsb in which the tombs or cenotaphs of Thinite kings (Ist and 2nd dynasties) were discovered
Il and an Ol Kingk

Abydos - the name is a Greek version of the Egypan Abju occupies an important place in the neligious his-
tory of Pharaonic Egypt Khentamentiu, "Leader of Those in the West" Ge patron of the dead). By the end of the Old Kingelom, howeves a new god from the Delta - from Busiris - was assimlated to was Osiris, the most famous and most popular of all Egyptian gods, and the only one who was treated by the mythology almost like a human being According aPlutarch, who recorded his legend in the form of a cobe-rent account, he was a good king who taught his people about agriculture, the arts and the sciences. His brother
Seth, jealous of his popularity, had him put to cdeath and scattered his body to the four comers of Egypt His sisters its local god was him.

This Isis and Nephthys, lamenting for their dead bether, sought and found the scattered fragments of his come then with the help of their mother Nut and Nephthys soe Anubis, they embalmed the bodly. The mumany thereuon was able to impregnate Isis, who gave bith to Horus brought up secretly in the marshes of the Deba later avenged his father by defeating his uncde Seth in single combat. The gods then restored the throne of Egops to Horus and condemned Seth to camy his ncphew through all eternity; while Osiris ascended into the sky ho become the judge of the dead.

All the Pharaohs chimed to be the heirs of Horus and identified themiseves with him, prefixing Horus" to their name as equivakees so the title of king When they died they becanse Osiris, so thar the gods name became the equivalent of our "bie. By a we kind of "democratisation" this privilege was essended to of call mankind, and every Egyptian now acquired a claim to resurrection and eternal bi Abydos became the chief centre of the cult of Osiris ...… (plus d'informations)