Tag: khafre

Categories
Egyptian Artifacts

Fragment of a Statue of Pharaoh Khafre

This is a fragment of a statue 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾 that once depicted the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 Khafre π“‡³π“ˆπ“†‘. Khafre π“‡³π“ˆπ“†‘ ruled during the 4th Dynasty and was the son π“…­ of the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 Khufu 𓐍𓅱𓆑𓅱. Most people think that Khafre π“‡³π“ˆπ“†‘ directly succeeded Khufu 𓐍𓅱𓆑𓅱, but actually Khafre’s π“‡³π“ˆπ“†‘ brother, Rajedef π“‡³π“Š½π“†‘ ruled π“‹Ύπ“ˆŽπ“ for about eight years in between the two.Β 

Khafre

Khafre π“‡³π“ˆπ“†‘ is most famous for building one of the pyramids 𓍋𓅓𓂋𓉴𓏦 at Giza, and he built it just south 𓇔𓅱𓏏 of his father’s 𓇋𓏏𓀀 Great Pyramid 𓍋𓅓𓂋𓉴. Khafre π“‡³π“ˆπ“†‘ also commissioned the construction of the Great Sphinx π“Ž›π“…±π“ƒ­π“€ and a large temple π“‰Ÿπ“π“‰ complex.Β Khafre’s π“‡³π“ˆπ“†‘ pyramid 𓍋𓅓𓂋𓉴 is the second largest, his father 𓇋𓏏𓀀 Khufu’s 𓐍𓅱𓆑𓅱 being the larger pyramid 𓍋𓅓𓂋𓉴.

This statue 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾 fragment was found at Giza near Khafre’s π“‡³π“ˆπ“†‘ temple π“‰Ÿπ“π“‰ complex. Egyptologists have identified this fragment as belonging to Khafre π“‡³π“ˆπ“†‘ not just due to the location in which it was found, but also it’s similarities to other statues 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾π“ͺ of the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻.Β Other statues 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾π“ͺ of Khafre π“‡³π“ˆπ“†‘ contain his name π“‚‹π“ˆ– in a cartouche π“ π“ˆ–π“ˆ™π“·, so it is pretty easy to know that those statues 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾π“ͺ depict him!

Khafre’s π“‡³π“ˆπ“†‘ name π“‚‹π“ˆ– translates to β€œHe appears as Re.” However, sometimes in the Old Kingdom, β€œRe 𓇳” was both pronounced and written first 𓏃, so his name π“‚‹π“ˆ– might have been β€œRakhaf” which translates to β€œRa is his Appearance,” which also makes sense!Β I guess we will never know which way was correct!

Let’s break down the hieroglyphs π“ŠΉπ“Œƒπ“ͺ!

𓇳 – Re 

π“ˆ – Appears

𓆑 – He/His

Categories
Reading Hieroglyphs

Cartouche of the Pharaoh Khafre

This is another picture my Nonno took! I’ve always thought this cast of Khafre’s π“‡³π“ˆπ“†‘ cartouche was super interesting! As a kid I loved it because Khafre π“‡³π“ˆπ“†‘ was one of the pharaohs 𓉐𓉻π“₯ who built a pyramid 𓍋𓅓𓂋𓉴 at Giza in the 4th Dynasty, and my Nonno would always point this piece out to us because of that. As I started studying hieroglyphs π“ŠΉπ“Œƒπ“ͺ though, this piece became even more interesting to me!

The cartouche reads: π“…­π“‡³π“ˆπ“†‘π“‡³π“†₯, which translates to Son of Ra, Khafre, King of Upper and Lower Egypt.

What’s interesting about this cartouche though is usually β€œSon of Ra𓅭𓇳” and β€œKing of Upper and Lower Egypt π“†₯” appear as titles above the cartouche, instead of inside of it! I don’t know why it’s written like this, but I’ve always found it to be an interesting piece because of this!