False Door of Sekemhathor

This is a beautiful 𓄤 example of a False Door from the reign of the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 Userkaf 𓅱𓄊𓋴𓂓𓆑 (5th Dynasty). This False Door was from the west 𓋀𓏏𓏭 wall of a mastaba tomb 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐 in Memphis 𓏠𓈖𓄤𓆑𓂋𓉴𓊖 that belonged to Nikauhor and his wife 𓂑𓏏𓁐 Sekemhathor 𓉡𓋴𓌂𓐍𓅓. Nikauhor was a judge and a priest 𓊹𓍛 in Userkaf’s 𓅱𓄊𓋴𓂓𓆑 sun temple while Sekemhathor 𓉡𓋴𓌂𓐍𓅓 was a priestess 𓊹𓍛𓏏 of Hathor 𓉡 and Neith 𓈖𓏏𓋌𓀭.

This specific false door pictured belonged to Sekemhathor 𓉡𓋴𓌂𓐍𓅓 and images 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓏦 of the couple are seen on either opening of the false door (Nikauhor had his own false door). These images 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓏦 are expertly carved in raised relief and I wish I could have gotten more detailed photos 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓏦 but the glass and reflection from the lights makes it hard to do that. We know this particular false door belonged to Sekemhathor 𓉡𓋴𓌂𓐍𓅓 specifically because her name 𓂋𓈖 is written on the arch above the opening to the door. It is common practice to have the deceased’s name 𓂋𓈖 above the door!

False Doors are an extremely important part of ancient Egyptian funerary practices. False Doors served as ways for the living relatives to make offerings 𓊵𓏏𓊪𓏏𓏔𓏦 to the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱. The False Door acted as a link between the land of the living and the land of the dead. The ancient Egyptians 𓆎𓏏𓀀𓁐𓏪 believed that the soul 𓂓 of the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱 could travel between the two lands 𓇿𓇿 through the False Door. They are also known as “ka 𓂓 doors” or “soul 𓂓 doors.”

False Doors were usually located on the western 𓋀𓏏𓏭 walls of tombs 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐𓏦 because the west 𓋀𓏏𓏏𓈊 is associated with the dead 𓅓𓏏𓏱. The west 𓋀𓏏𓏏𓈊 is associated with the dead 𓅓𓏏𓏱 because the sun 𓇳𓏺 sets in the west 𓋀𓏏𓏏𓈊 – when Ra 𓇳𓏺𓁛 makes his daily journey across the sky 𓊪𓏏𓇯, sunset 𓇋𓐍𓐍𓅱𓇶 is representative of his death.