Egypt is a country so ancient that scientists have long abandoned attempts to determine its age. The history of Egypt can be traced back to about 5 thousand years ago, these data are obtained from archaeological excavations. It is known that the famous pyramids, the tombs of the Egyptian pharaohs, were built in the middle of the third millennium BC. e. The age of the pyramids is four and a half thousand years. And the whole culture of Egypt, architecture and art are fanned by antiquity.
In order to systematize the archaeological values of Egypt and make the history of this country accessible to the general public, the Egyptian Hermitage Hall was created in St. Petersburg, designed for mass visits. This event took place at the initiative of the chief architect of the Hermitage A.V. Sivkov in 1940.
The hall is located on the ground floor, at the end of the enfilade of the right wing. The basis of the exposition was the rarities of Egyptian culture brought to St. Petersburg by the Hermitage keeper V. G. Bok in 1889 and 1898. Most of the ancient objects were found by scientists in the monasteries of the city of Sohag and in the necropolis of Bagauat. In the monastery cellars, the envoys of the museum found many treasures of historical value, and in the tombs of the necropolis there were numerous objects of everyday life of ordinary Egyptians.
A special certificate on behalf of the Egyptian government allowed most of the exhibits to be exported to Russia, and thus the Egyptian Hermitage Hall received an interesting extensive exposition, which still attracts hundreds of tourists from all over the world.
The exposition was placed in the last three halls of the enfilade, according to the principle of ethnographic division. Ancient Egypt is separately exhibited, then Egypt of the Ptolemaic period and, finally, Roman Egypt. Part of the Hermitage Museum - the Egyptian Hall, whose photos are posted in this article, is dedicated to one of the most mysterious civilizations in the world. Museum visitors can follow the entire course of the development of the culture of the ancient country, the evolution of the dynasties of the pharaohs, the main historical milestones, wars and the peaceful creation of the Egyptian people.
For many centuries, the culture of Egypt was intertwined with the culture and art of other countries: Iran and Syria, Greece and Rome. The interconnection of all these countries close in mentality is carried in its expositions by the Egyptian Hall of the Hermitage, and these expositions are periodically replenished from the museum's storerooms.
The period of Egypt under the yoke of Byzantium is clearly visible. Hundreds of coins of Alexandrian coinage, with the image of Byzantine rulers, are laid out under the glass. Of particular value are papyrus scrolls on the issuance of allowances for the maintenance of Egyptian settlements, and other documents attesting to the exploitation of the Egyptians by the conquerors.
Various exhibits of the Egyptian Hall of the Hermitage allow us to trace the evolution of the great civilization from the 4th millennium BC. e. and until the III millennium AD.
The museum presents photographs taken at different periods throughout the 20th century on the construction of Egyptian pyramids.
In fact, the Egyptian Hall of the Hermitage is a grand collection reflecting the centuries-old history of an entire country. Among thematic expositions are household items, works of antiquity, women's jewelry, sculptures, as well as sarcophagi as a symbol of special ritual affiliation.
In the hall of Egypt there is one unique exhibit - this is the true mummy of the pharaoh. She is four thousand years old, she is a proof of the art of embalming. Also in the hall there is a stone sarcophagus, in which this mummy lay. A stone coffin carved from solid stone is a real work of art. Decorated with rich ornaments and intricate carvings, the lid of the sarcophagus testifies to the reverent attitude of the Egyptians to the memory of the departed.
