sarcophagus: Definition
Literally it means :to eat flesh from the greek, which were dominant in Egypt in long times of history.
Generally it was used to make sure that the mummies weren't damaged b&y anything.
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 On the National Egyptian Virtual tour website, it says that the higher in society you were when you died, the more layers there were. King Tuthankamen had several, three& coffins and four outer cases. Most families could afford two coffins, an outermost and an innermost coffin for their deceased loved one.
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The Egyptians sarcophagus often contained a coffin and an inner  coffin known as a mummy board. Both the sarcophagus and the coffin  could be very plain or extremely ornate.&
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A sarcophagus is a stone container that usually houses a coffin and an Egyptian mummy. The word 'sarcophagus' is derived from Greek words "sarx" meaning "flesh", and "phagien"& meaning "to eat". derived from a Greek word for "flesh-eating"). Early forms were made of limestone which had the property of consuming the bodies placed in limestone coffins which the Greeks called sarcophagus lithos (flesh-eating stone). The name sarcophagus was eventually applied to stone coffins in general which were not sunk underground. The Egyptian interpretation of the word was the 'possessor of life' whereas we would believe the interpretation should be more akin to 'possessor of death'. The Ancient Egyptian interpretation of 'possessor of life' relates to their belief in the afterlife and that the deceased would eventually be reborn.
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 Porphyry is a type of granite that comes in various colors, that the Egyptians were known to appreciate carving things like coffins in. A stone coffin carved of &porphyry is a porphyry sarcophagus.
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A mastaba is an ancient Egyptian tomb that precedes the pyramids. It was built during the Old Kingdom of the ancient Egypt history to bury the pharaohs. Before the constructio&n of the pyramids, during the first dynasties of the Old Kingdom, but also in parallel with building pyramids, the Egyptians buried their notables in buildings called mastabas. A mastaba was a rectangular building with a flat roof and inclined walls that marked the grave. They were usually made ??of stone or sun-dried bricks covered with a layer of limestone.The name mastaba was given to the old Egyptian monuments by the first archaeologists that studied them, mainly because of their rectangular shape reminiscent of the massive benches leaning against the walls of the traditional Egyptian homes. In Arabic mastaba means seat or bench.A mastaba housed statues, paintings, and inscriptions to be preserved for centuries. A mastaba was divided into three compartments: the chapel, the aisle (or serdab) and the tomb room. Of these, only the chapel was accessible to the living. Relatives of the dead gathered there at the anniversary of the passing, organized ceremonies and made certain offerings. Therefore, the chapel had to contain two objects: the "stella" (a biography of the deceased), and the table for offerings. If initially the walls lacked any decorations, over time the Egyptians began to decorate them from top to bottom with images depicting private life scenes. Statues of the deceased, embodying his spiritual life, were placed in the aisle (the serdab) that communicated with the outside through a narrow tunnel.The most important part of a mastaba was the room of the tomb that contained the sarcophagus made of pink granite, blue limestone or black basalt. The mummy of the deceased was closed inside the sarcophagus. For individuals belonging to the highest social classes, these resting places were extremely luxurious. Among the most beautiful tombs dating from the Old Kingdom are those of Ti and Ptahhotep, true treasures of artistic masterpieces belonging to that era.The tradition of pyramid building started in Ancient Egypt as a sophistication of the idea of ??"mastaba" or "platform" covering the royal tomb. The first pyramids to be built, like the stepped pyramid of the pharaoh Djoser (Zoser), raised by the famous Egyptian architect, Imhotep, was initially a transformed mastaba.Despite the majesty of the pyramids, the mastabas remain an important symbol of Ancient Egypt. Even after the king and queens of Egypt started using pyramids for their eternal resting place, many noble families continued to use mastabas to lay their loved ones to rest. At Giza, along the famous pyramids, there are lots of mastabas. These witness the importance of this ancient monument in the Egyptian culture and tradition.The afterlife for the ancient Egyptian was more important that their life on Earth. They worked all their life to prepare for afterlife. Their resting homes were built from more solid materials than their daily homes, because they believed a tomb is for eternity, whereas a home is for a very short period of time.
In Italy, the Vatican Museums or Musei Vaticani were established in 1506 by Pope Julius II. These museums and the art gallery house all kinds of historic art pieces built up b&y the Roman Catholic Church. The museums are a major tourist attraction for visitors to I the museums brought in over five million people in 2011 alone. To learn about the different museums that make up the Musei Vaticani, read on.The purchase of the marble sculpture 'Laocoon and His Sons' marks the beginning of the Vatican Museums. This sculpture was purchased almost five hundred years ago in January of 1506. This piece was discovered in the basilica of the Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome and purchased by Pope Julius II after he sent two scouts to examine the discovery for its authenticity. The scouts then urged the Pope to purchase the piece, and thus the Musei Vaticani began.This museum originally housed the Renaissance and antique works of art. It was founded in 1771 by Pope Clement XIV. The pope's successor, Pope Pius VI enlarged the museum's art collection considerably. Today, the museum is home to Greek and Roman sculptures. All together, this museum holds 54 galleries including the Sistine Chapel, which can be seen on the way to the Vatican Museums. Art works are contained in categories such as the 'Gallery of Masks,' 'Gallery of Busts,' and 'Gallery of Statues,' among many others.This museum was founded in 1836 by Pope Gregory XVI. The Museo Gregoriano Etrusco houses eight galleries of important Etruscan pieces. The Etruscans were an ancient civilization in Italy. The museum has pieces from this civilization that include vases, bronzes, and sarcophagus. All of these were found on various excavations.The Museo Chiaramonti has a large gallery that is arched and on either side pieces such as statues, sarcophagus, and friezes are present. This museum was named for Pope Pius VII who founded the museum in the nineteenth century. Important pieces in this museum include 'The Prima Porta Augustus, Doryphorus' and 'The River Nile,' which are held in the New Wing, Braccio Nuovo. Another notable part of the museum is the Galeria Lapidari, which houses more than 3,000 stone table it is considered the world's greatest collection of its kind due to the extensive amount of artifacts.This museum was also founded by Pope Gregory XVI, but it came three years after the Museo Gregoriano Estruco in 1839. It houses an impressive collection of Ancient Egyptian works, art pieces, and other material. In this museum, visitors can see papyruses, the Grassi Collection, reproductions of the famous text 'The Book of the Dead,' and animal mummies. 'The Book of the Dead' reproductions are perhaps the most interesting works on display for they offer a fascinating glimpse into the Ancient Egyptian culture.The Vatican Museums are surely landmarks in Italy that all tourists should visit. These museums are full of ancient, historical, and fascinating artifacts that tell of a world long past. Each of these museums was founded by a Pope and together, they showcase one of the greatest collections of artifacts the world has seen. If you are traveling to Italy, be sure to pay the Musei Vaticani an extensive visit.The famous Italian Baroque painter Carravagio, who created art effects such as Carravagian lighting, has many paintings housed in the Vatican Museums. One of his greatest works, The Entombment of Christ, completed between 1602 and 1603 is held in the Pinacoteca Vaticana, the art gallery of the Vatican Museums.
Amenhotep IV, better known as Akhenaten, is one of ancient Egypt's most fascinating and complex rulers. Married to the famously beautiful Nefertiti, five years into his reign &he changed his name to Akhenaten, meaning "Servant of Aten (the Sun God)." After changing his name, Akhenaten set about trying to totally transform Egyptian religious and social structures.Born in 1380 BC, Akhenaten was a pharaoh of the 18th dynasty who ruled Egypt for 17 years. He died about 1336 BC. As a young prince, he was raised to worship the Egyptian high God, Amon. However, as he grew older he became strongly attracted to an aspect of the sun god that had been venerated in earlier times, during the Old K the Aten.
The Aten is a manifestation of the sun god Ra, and is portrayed as a solar disc emanating rays that reach out to hands holding the ankh hieroglyph, which is a symbol of life. When then-named Amenhotep IV succeeded his father to the throne, he proclaimed Aten-Ra to be the only god, and anointed himself as Aten's only priest. Suddenly, a great many members of the priesthood, an important pillar of Egyptian society, became unemployed. While his father, Amenhotep III, had made efforts to curtail the growing power of the priesthood, Akhenaten practically destroyed it.Akhenaten banned the worship of Amon and closed down the God's sacred temples, whose land and revenues reverted to the king. He even sent out officials to demolish Amon's statues and desecrate holy sites. In the sixth year of his reign, Akhenaten tried to make a complete break with the past when he and his wife, Nefertiti, picked up and moved the capital city from Thebes to a place halfway between Memphis and Thebes. He named the new capital Akhenaton, or The Horizon of Aten. Today the site is known as el-Amarna.
While there is evidence of popular opposition to the radical changes Akhenaten tried to impose, new discoveries suggest that only the upper levels of Egyptian society embraced, or at least appeared to embrace, the new religion. It seems that, even at the new capital of Amarna, ordinary people continued to follow the traditions of the old religion. There also is evidence that the long-established Egyptian bureaucracy, conservative by nature, kept on running the country pretty much as before, although corruption was on the rise as the Pharaoh, more and more preoccupied with his spiritual life, increasingly left government officials to run things as they pleased.Akhenaton's unusual physical characteristics have intrigued researchers from a variety of disciplines. He is portrayed with a strikingly elongated skull and neck, along with a rather feminine-looking protruding abdomen. Scholars have long disagreed about whether the way the Pharaoh is depicted reflects a realistic representation of his physical appearance, or simply indicates a new artistic style. A clue can be found in an inscription left by Akhenaten's chief sculptor, which declares that the ruler instructed the royal artists to portray "what they saw." This seems to have led to the development of a new realistic style in Egyptian imperial art. Today, some experts believe that the king's peculiar set of physical characteristics are signs that he suffered from some kind of pituitary gland disorder or, perhaps, from Kleinfelter's or Marfan's syndrome.Akhenaten not only cast off the old religion and its apparatus, he also bucked convention in other ways. For instance, he seems to have been closer to his wife than were other husband-kings, allowing Nefertiti to have a more active role in government than was normally the case. In addition, portrayals of Akhenaten with his family are quite touching and convey scenes of domestic intimacy that are rare indeed. One sees evidence of Nefertiti's elevated status in the royal artwork, which suggests that she had almost as much influence as her husband. One depiction even shows her in the traditional pose of a pharaoh, smiting the enemy.
Soon after the 12 years of Akhenaten's reign, tragedy struck and Nefertiti either died, or fell into disgrace, as her name was replaced by that of her daughter, Merytaten, who succeeded her as the royal wife. Based on the archeological findings, Nefertiti was probably buried in the royal tomb at Amarna. Akhenaten died several years later and, while there is evidence that he was initially entombed at Amarna, his mummy has never been found.After Akhenaten's death, the familiar practices of the old religion were gradually restored and the heretic king was discredited. His name was even removed from the list of kings. In fact, Akhenaten was almost erased from history until the royal tomb at Amarna was discovered in the 1890s, along with the smashed remains of the Pharaoh's empty sarcophagus. Because of his then radical religious beliefs, some have called Akhenaten the first monotheist.The famous bust of Nefertiti is currently on display at the Neues Museum in Berlin, Germany.
Akhenaten's reconstructed sarcophagus can be seen in the garden of Egypt's Cairo Museum.
Located in Barcelona, Spain, the Cathedral of the Holy Cross is a city treasure and historical landmark. This large building is covered in Gothic design and architecture and o&ffers some of the most beautiful and complex features of any cathedral. The church has a very interesting background and history that dates back more than 500 years. Provided here is more information on the famous cathedral and its fascinating history.The Catholic Church located in Barcelona is also known as the Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia. It is a very large Gothic-style building with a great number of details and statues. The original structure has been around since 1298 but has been redone, rebuilt, and redesigned over the years. It is one of the largest and most prominent structures in the city. The cathedral is named after the city's Saint Eulalia, who died during Roman times.The cathedral's original foundation was part of a Roman temple that was constructed. Later on, it was taken over by the Arabs during a battle when they burned down the entire city. The cathedral was one of the only buildings left standing and was taken over and constructed once again in the late 1200s as a cathedral. By the early 1400s, the cathedral took shape as what you see today with its Gothic style. Building and construction continued for years and was not completely finished until the 1900s.As one of the largest buildings in the city, the Cathedral is home to two large bell towers, shrines for Saint Eulalia and Saint Raymond, a choir, and large garden area. The outside of the building is very connected to a Gothic design, with high pinnacles, large arches, and a gargoyle-decorated rooftop. The structure itself is more than 295 feet long and more than 65 feet high. The intricate design flows from the outside to the inside, where you will find numerous statues, gold adorned treasure, marble floors, the large organ, and beautiful paintings. Toward the outside where you find the garden area there is a statue of Saint George as well as 13 white geese that represent Saint Eulalia.The Barcelona Cathedral is named after and dedicated to the city's Saint Eulalia. She was a girl who died at the age of 13, in A.D. 303. Eulalia was tortured and killed because she refused to reject the idea of Jesus being the son of God. The crypt containing her sarcophagus is located directly under the altar inside the church. In the garden the 13 geese were placed in her honor and represent the age of Eulalia when she died.Barcelona is home to this striking and moving cathedral. The cathedral today hosts services, concerts, religious ceremonies, and a festival for the saints. A stop at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia is not something to be missed when visiting Spain. The architecture and details of the towers, gardens, and high structure will make a lasting impression.A museum is located at the back of the church, as well as an elevator ride that takes you up to the top of the building. From the top of the roof you can see the bell towers and a view of the town, and you can look down on the Placa de la Seu.
 by or in the pool of water in the desert - it's buried so you need your metal detector
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Sarcophagi were most often designed to remain above ground, hence were often ornately carved, decorated or elaborately constructed. Some were built to be freestanding, as a pa&rt of an elaborate tomb or series of tombs, while others were intended for placement in crypts. In Ancient Egypt, a sarcophagus formed the external layer of protection for a royal mummy, with several layers of coffins nested within, and was often carved out of alabaster. Sarcophagi - sometimes metal or plaster as well as limestone - were also used by the ancient Romans until the early Christian burial preference for interment underground, often in a limestone sepulchre, led to their falling out of favor.
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Blue and gold are very symbolic colors in Ancient Egypt. The blue  represents heaven and water and the gold was thought to be the  substance that the skin of the gods was ma&de of.
Usually, a mummy Pharaoh is found inside a sarcophagus but for most sarcophaguses, the Pharaoh inside is stolen and sold for a fortune. For some sarcophaguses, the whole sarco&phagus is stolen also with the Pharaoh.
They didn't. The word sarcophagus is Greek, not Egyptian and it was applied later by visitors to Egypt.
In hieroglyphs a sarcophagus is called Drwt (related to the word mean&ing walls or enclosure), or DbAt (which also means a dressing-room), or nb Anx ("Lord of Life", referring to the spirit of the deceased person living in the afterlife).