FAMOUS PERSONALITIES ImhotepStatue of Imhotep

Imhotep was the architect who designed the Step Pyramid of Djoser. He was a high official during the reign of King Djoser. He was deified andworshiped in the Ptolemaic period and during the Roman period. Imhotepserved under the Third Dynastyking,Djoser, aschancellorto thepharaohand high priest of the sun godRaatHeliopolis. He is considered to be the first architectengineerandphysicianin early historythough two other physicians,Hesy-RaandMerit-Ptahlived around the same time. He is titled as Chancellor of the King of Egypt, Doctor, First in line after the King of Upper Egypt, Administrator of the Great Palace, Hereditary nobleman, High Priest of Heliopolis, Builder, Chief Carpenter, Chief Sculptor and Maker of Vases in Chief.

HemiunuHemiunu, sometimes called Hemon, who is best known as the architect of the Great Pyramid of Khufu at Giza. In his tomb he is described as a hereditary prince, count, sealer of the king of Lower Egypt and on a statue found in his serdab (and now located in Hildesheim), Hemiunu is given the titles: king's son of his body, chief justice and vizier, greatest of the five of the House of Thoth.As Vizier he succeeded Kanefer, his uncle, and his father Nefermaat.Statue of Hemiunu

Senenmut

Seated Senenmut holding the princess Neferure in his arms

Djeser-Djeseru temple

Senenmut was an 18th dynasty ancient Egyptian architect known for the mortuary temple complex of Queen Hatshepsut. His name translates literally as "mother's brother." He was born to a modest family from Armant. However, he became the first man in the court of Queen Hatshepsut. He was also the tutor of Princess Neferure, the daughter of Hatshepsut. Nevertheless, he was disgraced at the end of Hatshepsut's reign, builder of Temple of Hatshepsut.One of the few surviving three-dimensional representations of Amenhotep I

Amenhotep I Amenhotep I -- Son of Hapu, Prophet and Architect of King Amenhotep III started his official life as a scribe in the court of Amenhotep the Third at Thebes. Later on, he succeeded to a higher rank and became the chief of the public works. During the Ptolemaic period, he was venerated as a god of science and healing.

King Narmer: Successor to King Scorpion and succeeded by King Hor-Aha.King Narmer was an ancient Egyptian pharaoh of the Early Dynastic Period (c. 31st century BC). Probably the successor to the Protodynastic pharaohs Scorpion and/or Ka, some consider him the unifier of Egypt and founder of the First Dynasty, therefore the first pharaoh of unified Egypt. King Djoser: Successor to King Sanakhte and succeeded by King Sekhemkhet.The 2nd king of the 3rd Dynasty (approx. 2668-2649 BC), he was the first to build an Egyptian pyramid - the Step Pyramid. He was advised by his Vizier Imhotep and faced the obstacles of a 7 year long drought and famine.Limestone statue of Djoser from his Serdab

King Sneferu: Successor to King Huni and succeeded by King Khufu.Dynasty 4 (approx. 2613 BC) begins with King Snefru inheriting the throne of his father and completing his unfinished pyramid. He goes on to build two of his own, one of which is the first True Pyramid.

King Khufu: Successor to King Snefru and succeeded by King Djedefre.The 2nd king of the fourth Dynasty, King Khufu is the builder of the only wonder of the ancient world still standing out of the 7. The Great Pyramid was tallest man-made structure until the 19th century.Statue of Khufu in the Cairo Museum

King Khafre: Successor to King Djedefre and succeeded by King Menkaure.Diorite statue of Khafre

The 4th king of the 4th Dynasty, King Khafre is the builder of the second Pyramid at Giza and is thought to be the builder of the Sphinx as well as it being his portrait. His reign brought prosperity to the country. King Menkaure: Successor to King Khafra and succeeded by King Shepseskaf.The 5th king of the 4th Dynasty, he built the 3rd pyramid of Giza, and is said to have been a kinder pharaoh than his predecessors. Herodotus recorded a legend about him appeasing the Gods to lift a curse on the land. King Ahmose I: Successor to King Kamose and succeeded by King Amenhotep I.The first ancient Egyptian Pharaoh of the 18th Dynasty (approx. 15501525 BC), King Ahmose was the Pharaoh who finally expelled the Hyksos after his both father and older brother had waged war on them and died in battle. Queen Hatshepsut: Successor to King Thutmosis II and succeeded by Thutmosis III.Co-regent with her half-brother, she ruled during the 18th Dynasty for 20 years until her death. She blocked the rule of her brother and appointed herself as Pharaoh; she also built one of Egypt's most famous mortuary temples.Statue of Queen HatshepsutGreywacke statue of Menkaure

King Thutmosis III: Successor to King Thutmosis II and succeeded by Amenhotep II.The 5th ancient Egyptian Pharaoh of the 18th Dynasty (approx. 1504-1450), he was known as the Egyptian Napoleon for his ambitious empire-building. He ruled after Hatshepsut, who had usurped his position as heir, died (or was killed).

Statue of King Thutmosis III

King Akhenaten: Successor to King Amenhotep III and succeeded by King Smenkhkare & King Tutankhamun.He revolutionized Egypt with new artistic styles and religious beliefs. He built one of the earliest forms of monotheism and made the sun the only God. His wife is the mysterious Nefertiti. Queen Nefertiti: Great Royal Wife of King Akhenaten, successor to King Amenhotep III.Although she was not the ruler herself, her fame and power are notable enough to give her a spot on the list of famous ancient Egyptian Pharaohs. She was an enigma and a beauty, whose origin as well as death are a mystery.Statue of King Akhenaten in the early Amarna style.

King Tutankhamun: Successor to King Akhenaten and succeeded by King Ay.The boy king who took over the throne at the age of 9. He is the center of much speculation regarding the cause of his death at age 19. One of the most famous ancient Egyptian pharaohs due to the discovery of his tomb still intact.The bust of Queen Nefertiti from the Agyptisches Museum.

King Ramesses II: Successor to King Set I and succeeded by King Merneptah.The most enduring icon of ancient Egyptian power, King Ramesses is the 2nd pharaoh of the 19th Dynasty. He ruled Egypt for 67 years and had over 100 children. Famous for his monument-building and the peace-treaties.

Mask of King Tutankhamun's mummy, the popular icon for ancient Egypt

FAMOUS LANDMARKS Great Pyramids of GizaThe pyramids in Giza were built over the span of three generations by Khufu, his second reigning son Khafre, and Menkaure. The Great Pyramid of Khufu is the oldest and sole remnant of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Over 2 million blocks of stone were used to construct the pyramid, during a 20 year period concluding around 2560 BC. The pyramid is an awe-inspiring 139 meters (455 feet) high making it the largest pyramid in Egypt. Karnak Karnak is the largest ancient religious site in the world, and represents the combined achievement of many generations of Egyptian builders. Most of the work on Karnak was done by the pharaohs of the New Kingdom (1570-1100 BC). The Temple of Karnak actually consists of three main temples, smaller enclosed temples, and several outer temples located about 2.5 kilometers north of Luxor. One of most famous structures of Karnak is the Hypostyle Hall, a hall area of 5,000 m2 (50,000 sq ft) with 134 massive columns arranged in 16 rows. Abu Simbel TemplesAbu Simbel Temples are two massive rock temples in southern Egypt on the western bank of Lake Nasser. The twin temples were originally carved out of the mountainside during the reign of Pharaoh Ramesses The Great in the 13th century BC, as a lasting monument to himself and his queen Nefertari. The complex was relocated in its entirety in the 1960s to avoid their being submerged during the creation of Lake Nasser, the massive artificial water reservoir formed after the building of the Aswan High Dam on the Nile River. Valley of the Kings The Valley of the Kings is a valley in Egypt where, for a period of nearly 500 years from the 16th to 11th century BC, tombs were constructed for the kings and privileged nobles of the New Kingdom. The valley contains 63 tombs and chambers, ranging in size from a simple pit to a complex tomb with over 120 chambers. The royal tombs are decorated with scenes from Egyptian mythology and give clues to the beliefs and funerary rituals of the period. All of the tombs seem to have been opened and robbed in antiquity. Only the famous tomb of Tutankhamun was spared from the worst of the tomb depredations. Tomb of Rameses IX - KV6 - Valley of the Kings

Red PyramidThe Red Pyramid, also called the North Pyramid, is the largest of the three major pyramids located at the Dahshur necropolis. Named for the rusty reddish hue of its granite stones, it is also the third largest Egyptian pyramid, after those of Khufu and Khafra at Giza. At the time of its completion, it was the tallest man-made structure in the world. It is also believed to be the world's first successful attempt at constructing a "true" smooth-sided pyramid. This pyramid forms the third largest granite building in the whole world to the present. Great Sphinx of GizaThe Great Sphinx of Giza, commonly referred to as the Sphinx, is a limestone statue of a reclining or couchant sphinx (a mythical creature with a lion's body and a human head) that stands on the Giza Plateau on the west bank of the Nile in Giza, Egypt. The face of the Sphinx is generally believed to represent the face of the Pharaoh Khafra. It is the largest monolith statue in the world, standing 73.5 metres (241 ft) long, 19.3 metres (63 ft) wide, and 20.22 m (66.34 ft) high. It is the oldest known monumental sculpture, and is commonly believed to have been built by ancient Egyptians of the Old Kingdom during the reign of the Pharaoh Khafra (c. 25582532 BC) Luxor TempleThe Luxor Temple is located on the east bank of the River Nile in the ancient city of Thebes and was founded in 1400 BC during the New Kingdom. The temple was dedicated to the three Egyptian gods Amun, Mut, and Chons. The ancient temple was the center of the festival of Opet, Thebes most important festival. During the annual festival the statues of the three Gods were escorted to the temple of Luxor along the avenue of sphinxes that connect the 2 temples.Entrance of Luxor Temple

Step Pyramid of DjoserThe Step Pyramid of Djoser at the Saqqara necropolis was the very first pyramid built by the ancient Egyptians. It was constructed during the 27th century BC for the burial of Pharaoh Djoser by his Vizier Imhotep. The ancient monument began as a traditional, flat-roofed mastaba but by the end of Djosers reign it had risen to a six stepped layer Pyramid and stood 204 feet (62 meters) high. As in earlier mastaba tombs, the burial chambers of the Step Pyramid are underground, hidden in a maze of tunnels. Bent PyramidThe Bent Pyramid located at Dahshur was the second pyramid built by pharaoh Sneferu. Mysteriously, the pyramid rises from the desert at an angle of 55 degrees and then suddenly changes to a more gradual angle of 43 degrees. One theory holds that due to the steepness of the original angle the weight to be added above the inner chambers and passageways became too large, forcing the builders to adopt a shallower angle. It is the only pyramid in Egypt of which the outer casing of polished limestone is still largely intact.

Temple of HatshepsutThe Mortuary temple of Hatshepsut, who ruled Egypt from around 1479 BC until her death in 1458 BC, is situated beneath the cliffs at Deir el Bahari on the west bank of the Nile. It is a colonnaded structure, which was designed and implemented by Senemut, the royal architect of Hatshepsut, to serve for her posthumous worship and to honor the glory of Amun. The temple is built into a cliff face that rises sharply above it and consists of three layered terraces reaching 30 meters (97 ft) in height. These terraces are connected by long ramps which were once surrounded by gardens.

INVENTIONS AND TECHNOLOGIES Hieroglyphics - Egyptian hieroglyphs, a phonetic writing system, served as the basis for the Phoenician alphabet from which later alphabets were derived. With this ability, writing and record keeping, the Egyptians developed one of the if not the first decimal system. Paper - Not only did the ancient Egyptians invent a system of writing, but they also invented the paper on which to place it. The word paper comes from the Greek term for the ancient Egyptian writing material called papyrus, which was formed from beaten strips of papyrus plants. Papyrus was produced as early as 3000 BC in Egypt. Eye Makeup - Since they first invented eye makeup as far back as 4000 B.C., it's never gone out of style. Even more impressive, some cosmetically-minded cultures still create makeup using the same techniques pioneered by the Egyptians thousands of years ago. They combined soot with a mineral called galena to create a black ointment known as kohl, which is still popular today. They could also create green eye makeup by combining a mineral called malachite with galena to tint the ointment. Sun Clock - In order to tell the time, Egyptians invented two types of clocks one of them is the sun clock which was an obelisk that allowed Egyptians part the day into morning and afternoon. This was made with the shadow of the obelisk that moved around the surface of the obelisk throughout the day. With its help Egyptians managed to identify the longest and shortest days of the year - they simply registered the time when the shadow of the obelisk was the longest and shortest at the noon. Solar Calendar - A solar calendar is a type of calendar that is meant to show the position of the earth on its revolution around our sun. Egyptians are also responsible for the appearance of the solar calendar. To make it, they took the yearly sunrise recurrence of Sirius (the Dog Star) in the eastern sky as a fixed point. Interestingly enough, this period coincided with the yearly flooding of the Nile River. Ancient Egyptians developed a calendar that featured 365 days and 12 months (30 days in each month and additional 5 days at the end of the year). Due to the fact that Egyptians didn't manage to account the additional fraction of a day, their calendar steadily went into showing the wrong data. However, Ptolemy III Euergetes of Egypt, decided to add one day to the 365 days every 4 years. Sails - Egyptian inventions also include sails. Living in such close proximity to the Nile River, it would have been imperative for the Egyptians to devise efficient methods of water transportation. With an extensive knowledge on aerodynamics, the earliest Egyptian sails were simply placed to catch the wind and push a vessel.Later Egyptian sails dating to 2400 BCE were built with the recognition that ships could sail against the wind using theside wind.QueenHatshepsutoversaw the preparations and funding of an expedition of five ships, each measuring seventy feet long, andwith several sails. The Plow - While historians aren't entirely certain of where the plow originated, evidence suggests that the Egyptians and Sumerians were among the first societies to employ its use around 4000 B.C. In 2000 B.C., the Egyptians first hooked their plows to oxen. Early designs were connected to the horns of cattle but proved to interfere with the animal's ability to breathe. Later versions incorporated a system of straps and were much more effective. The plow revolutionized farming in ancient Egypt and, combined with the steady rhythm of the Nile River, made farming easier for the Egyptians than perhaps any other society of the time. Toothpaste - The Egyptians contributed an innovation to dental hygiene in the form of toothpaste. Early ingredients included the powder of ox hooves, ashes, burnt eggshells and pumice, which probably made for a less-than-refreshing morning tooth-care ritual. Archaeologists recently found what appears to be a more advanced toothpaste recipe and how-to-brush guide written on papyrus that dates back to the Roman occupation in the 4th century A.D. The unknown author explains how to mix precise amounts of rock salt, mint, dried iris flower and grains of pepper, to form a "powder for white and perfect teeth". Irrigation System First Egyptians who settled along the Nile River are farmers. Unable to predict when the Nile floods will come, farmers decided to take matters into their own hands. As early as 5000 BC, ancient Egyptians created the worlds first irrigation system. They began by digging canals that would direct the Niles waters to distant fields and highlands. Worlds first reservoir - Later, around 2400 BC, they constructed reservoirs so they could save water for use during dry periods. The world's first reservoir was built at Fayum, Egypt, a desert region. Flooding turned Fayum into a lake. More than thirty-two kilometers of dikes were built leading from Fayum to the surrounding countryside. This included a canal to the Nile. When the dikes' gates were opened, water flowed through the canals and into dry fields. Closing the gates trapped the water in the fields where it would evaporate. The moist, fertilized soil left behind would then be perfect for planting. Glassworking - The earliest knownglassbeads fromEgyptwere made during theNew Kingdomaround 1500BC and were produced in a variety of colors. They were made by winding molten glass around a metal bar and were highly prized as a trading commodity, especially blue beads, which were believed to have magical powers. TheEgyptiansmade small jars and bottles using the core-formed method. Glass threads were wound around a bag of sand tied to a rod. The glass was continually reheated to fuse the threads together. The glass-covered sand bag was kept in motion until the required shape and thickness was achieved. The rod was allowed to cool, then finally the bag was punctured and the rod removed. The Egyptians also created the first colored glass rods which they used to create colorful beads and decorations. They also worked with cast glass, which was produced by pouring molten glass into a mold, much likeironand the more moderncrucible steel. BIBLIOGRAPHY Hitchins, Derek.Secret Diaries of Hemiunu, Architect of the Great Pyramid. S.l.: Lulu Com, 2010. Solodky, M. The technology of ancient Egypt. New York: Rosen Pub. Group, 2006. 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