The Treasures of the Pyramids (French edition): The World of the Pharaohs
Besides being among the most marvelous architectural achievements of ancient history, the pyramids are the most visible aspect of the unique religious and metaphysical beliefs of ancient Egypt. As the point of contact between earth and heaven, the human and the divine, the pyramids were the means by which the soul of the pharaoh ascended to heaven to join his celestial father, Ra.
The pyramids are still shrouded in mysteryÑdespite all the research and studies carried out, for example, we still do not know for certain how they were builtÑbut recent excavations and research have thrown new light on these monuments, on the lives of the workers who built them, and on the court dignitaries who were granted the privilege of a burial place near that of their king. Although the pyramids at Giza are the best known, there are others that are more ancient and less grandiose, and here for the first time, all the most important Old Kingdom pyramids and the great necropolises of Memphis are brought together, examined, and reinterpreted in light of the most recent discoveries. Their descriptions are accompanied by maps, plans, and reconstructions that take the reader on a journey of discovery into the exalted world and unique civilization that developed on the banks of the Nile during the fourth and third millennia BC.
Edited by Zahi Hawass, secretary general of EgyptÕs Supreme Council of Antiquities and the excavator of many recent discoveries, and with texts written by some of the worldÕs leading Egyptologists, Treasures of the Pyramids reveals the secrets of the pyramids, describes the vicissitudes of the most famous dynasties, and illustratesÑwith specially commissioned photographsÑthe most famous tombs in the world and the treasures they contained.
Contributors: Matthew Adams, James Allen, Dieter Arnold, Peter Der Manuelian, Vassil Dobrev, GŸnter Dreyer, Renee Friedman, Zahi Hawass, Audran Labrousse, Mark Lehner, Karol Mysliwiec, David OÕConnor, Ali Radwan, David P. Silverman, Hourig Sourouzian, Rainer Stadelmann, Michel Valloggia, and Miroslav Verner