Al-Azhar Mosque is located in El Hussein Square in the capitol
of Egypt, Cairo. It was designed by Jawhar El-Sequili, built by Caliph Muezz
Li-Din Allah, and named after the daughter of the Prophet Mohamed, Fatama
al-Zahraa. Today, it remains the focal point for the oldest university in the
world and the most prestigious Muslim school. Although classes are not taught
in the mosque today, classes are held in surrounding buildings and the mosque
is used just for prayer.
The Great Pyramid:
Although the Great Pyramid was not the first pyramid built by
the Egyptians it was the first to be so large. Among being one of the 7 wonders
of the world, it was the tallest structure in the world until the 18th
century. Due to the ancient Egyptians extremely accurate measurements and there
great technological developments, for their time, they were able to build such
a great structure. A feat that even today would be a challenging project.
The Great Sphinx:
The Great Sphinx is one of the oldest, tallest, and most
popular statues in the world today. It is a 245 feet long and 60 feet tall rendering
of a couchant lion with a pharaoh’s head. It is said to have a very strong
solar connection which created a lot of popularity for the Sphinx but there is
still arguments to how old the sphinx really is. Some say it was built before
the Great Pyramid and some say after. Another unknown is what the Egyptians
refereed to the sphinx as in the old kingdom. In the new kingdom, however, it
was believed to be a representation of the god Horemakhet, or Horus of the
Horizon.
Senmut:
These are two statues of Senmut holding princess Neferure.
Senmut was a man who wore many hats. Serving as a Steward of
the Queen, holding many positions within the cult of Amun, a tutor to royal
children, and among many other things, an architect. His most famous work is
thought to be done on the Djeser-Djeseru temple located in Deir el Bahari. It is
thought that he got his start in the rule of Tuthmosis I or Tuthmosis II but he
truly reached his potential in the reign of Htshepsut. As chief steward, Senmut
was tasked with all architectural or artistic works of the king and was also in
charge of maintaining any monuments or works of art. Senmut came from an
average family, with at least three brothers and two sisters. He gained great renown
throughout his career but his father died shortly into his career and had a
simple burial only to be lavishly reburied later in his son’s life when he had
become more famous. Some of his work includes the quarrying of Hatshepsut’s two
obelisks at Aswan and after his great work was completed he was granted
permission to create three votive statues in Karnak. Two of these statues
depicted him with princess Neferure whom he tutored throughout her childhood.
These statues, along with many others he would create, had numerous firsts in them
that were groundbreaking to understanding Senmut and ancient Egypt’s history.
Sources:
