Ancient Egyptian Vocabulary

Ra

The ancient Egyptian sun god, often regarded as the king of the gods and the creator of all life.

Amun

Often associated with the air and the sun, and recognized as one of the most important deities of ancient Egypt.

Hapy

The ancient Egyptian god of the flooding of the Nile, often associated with fertility and abundance. He was depicted as a man with a potbelly, representing nourishment and sustenance.

Horus

An ancient Egyptian god, often depicted as a falcon or as a man with a falcon head. He is associated with the sky, kingship, and protection. Horus was considered the protector of the Pharaoh and the embodiment of divine kingship.

Osiris

The ancient Egyptian god of the afterlife, resurrection, and fertility. He is often depicted as a mummified king and is associated with the cycle of life and death, as well as the agricultural cycle.

Hathor

An ancient Egyptian goddess associated with music, dance, love, beauty, and motherhood. She was often depicted as a cow or a woman with cow horns and a solar disk.

Ka

In ancient Egyptian religion, the Ka is the spiritual duplicate of a person, representing their life force, which remained in the tomb after death and required sustenance.

Mastaba

A rectangular, flat-roofed structure with sloping sides, used in ancient Egypt as a tomb for the dead, typically for the elite or wealthy individuals.

Step Pyramid of Djoser

The first monumental stone building in ancient Egypt, built as a tomb for Pharaoh Djoser, characterized by its step-like design.

Imhotep

An ancient Egyptian polymath, serving as a chancellor to Pharaoh Djoser and renowned as an architect, physician, and sage.

Amarna Style

A unique artistic style from the 18th dynasty of ancient Egypt during Akhenaten's reign, marked by naturalistic forms and an emphasis on daily life.

Axial Plan

An architectural layout that emphasizes a central axis, organizing spaces and structures in a linear arrangement.

Clerestory

The upper part of a wall that is often higher than adjacent roofs and contains windows, allowing light to enter the interior of a building.

Hierarchy of Scale

An artistic convention where the size of figures is determined by their social or spiritual importance, with larger figures representing greater importance.

Necropolis

A large cemetery or burial site, often associated with ancient cities, containing numerous tombs and monuments.

Peristyle

A columned courtyard or garden area surrounded by a colonnade, commonly found in ancient Greek and Roman architecture.

Pylon

A monumental gateway structure typically found at the entrance of temples in ancient Egypt, characterized by its sloping walls and towering height.

Sunken Relief

A sculptural technique where the design is carved below the surface of the surrounding stone, creating a shadow effect. This method was commonly used in ancient Egyptian art to depict figures and scenes.

Relief Sculpture

A three-dimensional artwork where figures project from a flat background, often used to decorate temples and monuments in ancient Egypt.