A book for those who only know the pyramids when they think of Egypt.
Perfectly dissected with detailed illustrations
The World's Easiest Ancient Egypt Lesson

With the largest-scale Egyptian Mummy Exhibition in Korea underway and preparations underway, and Egypt tours becoming a popular travel product for tourists, public interest in North Africa's Egypt is gradually increasing.
In the midst of this, an introductory book that explains everything about ancient Egypt, the pinnacle of the four great civilizations, in a simple and friendly way has been published in Korea.


Unlike most existing books on ancient Egypt, which were primarily children's books, this book is a full-fledged introductory text aimed at a wide range of readers, from teenagers to adults.
In particular, the detailed and realistic illustrations in this book visually convey knowledge about ancient Egypt in detail, providing the excitement and sense of presence that makes you feel as if you are touring an Egyptian exhibition.

This book breaks away from the conventional view that is only interested in the stories of 'Tutankhamun', 'Cleopatra', and 'The Great Pyramid', and contains all the knowledge about ancient Egypt, from the major pharaohs of ancient Egypt to their tombs (the pyramids), ceremonial temples and the gods worshipped in the temples, the social structure of ancient Egypt, the lives of ancient Egyptians, and even how to read murals.
Author Jiro Kondo, a world-renowned Egyptologist who has led numerous excavations in Egypt and a professor of archaeology at Waseda University, has, through this extensive work, corrected many of the misconceptions about ancient Egypt and, through this book, clearly revealed knowledge about Egyptian civilization that had been shrouded in vague mystery and enigma.


Why did the pyramids change shape? Why was the Sphinx built to resemble the Pharaoh Khafre? What was the identity of the enigmatic beauty Nefertiti? Why does Khafre's Second Pyramid, located at the center of the three pyramids of Giza, appear larger than the Great Pyramid? How did workers live back then? When did the world's first strike occur in Egypt? What foods and entertainment did ancient Egyptians enjoy?

This book presents a variety of stories, arguments, and opinions on topics that will be of interest to readers interested in ancient Egypt, as well as those encountering ancient Egypt for the first time.
Not only that, it also accurately and vividly conveyed detailed information, such as the locations of the sites where ancient Egyptian relics and ruins are currently stored.
Furthermore, the book's completeness was enhanced by introducing and supplementing the content with verified theories and claims revealed in the latest research through the thorough review of Kwak Min-su, Korea's leading Egyptian archaeologist and director of the Korea Egyptology Institute.

The Fourth Dynasty, beginning with Snefru, was a period in which huge pyramids were built one after another, but it is not necessarily correct to judge the strength or weakness of royal power based on the size of the pyramids.
The first half of the Fourth Dynasty was a time when huge pyramids were needed.
The pyramids of the era of Snefru, Khufu, and Khafre were monumental structures built by the pharaohs, the gods of this world, to symbolize the greatness of the sun god and the authority of the king.
The people who participated there also volunteered to work hard to pile up large stones to prove their belief in the sun.
The completed great pyramid shone dazzlingly, revealing the sun god and the pharaoh's image on earth.

---From "Kupu"

When you think of ancient Egypt, pyramids come to mind.
The massive pyramid-shaped structure can be said to be a symbol of ancient Egypt.
The pyramids were basically built as 'king's tombs'.
The oldest step pyramids were monumental structures that prayed to the Northern Hemisphere's circumpolar stars for the eternal life and resurrection of the deceased king.
It also had the purpose of showing off the king's powerful royal power along with his eternal life.
By the 4th Dynasty, pyramids were symbolic structures of sun worship and also served as festival devices.
When Snefru became the high priest of Heliopolis (Iunu in ancient Egyptian, located in the Al-Matariya district of downtown Cairo), the center of solar worship, the royal family and solar worship became extremely close.
The pyramid changed from a stepped shape to a regular pyramid with an isosceles triangle cross-section, and its shape symbolized the sun's rays, symbolizing eternal life and resurrection as the sun rises on the eastern horizon, signifying eternity.

---From "What is a Pyramid?"

The Great Sphinx, one of the three pyramids, is located on a level lower than its surroundings, which was created by quarrying and clearly shows how extensive the quarrying was.
However, high-quality limestone was used for important parts such as the surface of the pyramid.
In that case, they went far away to quarry.
A famous place is the Tura region across the Nile from Giza.
There are traces of stone carving there.
The hewn stones were loaded onto ships and transported across the Nile. Once the stones arrived, they were placed in a pile.
There are several theories, but the most popular one is that they were built by building a ramp into the pyramid, as shown in the picture on the left.
However, some argue that this is not a realistic method because the higher the pyramid gets, the more the height and width of the ramp needs to be adjusted, requiring enormous effort and building materials.
It is also questionable whether the strength decreases as the ramp gets higher and the width gets narrower.
Despite being such a famous building, no records of its construction remain, so the exact technology has not yet been revealed.

---From "How to Build a Pyramid"

When we think of pyramid construction sites, images of slaves being whipped and working often come to mind.
But that image is set to completely disappear, according to recent research.
The remains of a city, which appears to be a worker's residence, were discovered about 400 meters southeast of the Great Sphinx, revealing that the living environment there was sufficiently equipped.
The workers are said to have stayed in communal housing within the walled city.
It was also revealed that the diet was guaranteed to enable them to endure extreme physical labor.
Within the city there were kitchens that could produce large quantities of bread and beer every day.
The grains, vegetables, and meat that became the ingredients were also provided by the country.
Moreover, it is said that not only meals but also clothing and sandals were provided.
The lives of pyramid workers, which have been hidden for a long time, are about to be unveiled.

---From "The Pyramid-Building City"

'Egypt is the gift of the Nile.' This is a famous saying by the Greek historian Herodotus, which actually describes the story of how the Nile Delta expanded the land through the sedimentation of the Nile River.
When looking at Egypt from above, there is a black land to the east and west of the Nile River, and outside of that, a red desert spreads out.
This black land is a fertile land that brings the blessings of plants, and people recognized that 'the black land is the world of life, and the red land is the world of death.'
The Nile River floods once a year when its water level rises.
These floods carried soil containing organic matter from upstream to downstream and deposited it on the land of the basin.
When the water receded, fertile farmland was created there without the need for fertilizer.
Thanks to this environment, Egypt became a prosperous country with developed agriculture.

---From "Egypt in Three Seasons"

After the pyramids, the most popular tourist attraction in Egypt is probably the temples.
Many of the temples that still remain today played an important role since ancient Egypt.
(……) The place where rituals were performed to the gods was the temple, and the person who performed the rituals was the priest.
The social status of priests was high, and it is said that they sometimes influenced the politics and economy of the country.
The king was the so-called mediator between humans and gods, serving the gods and observing their will.
However, as the number of gods increased and the number of temples where sacrifices were performed increased, the number of priests serving daily also became enormous.

---From “The Role and Main Rituals of the Temple”

The ancient Egyptians felt a sense of divinity in all things around them and believed that they were inhabited by gods.
This thinking is common in polytheistic worlds.
The Book of Amduat, an ancient Egyptian religious document, contains the names of over 700 gods.
The ancient Egyptians regarded the universe, including the sun, moon, and stars; the sky, the earth, the atmosphere, the natural environment, including mountains, rivers, and deserts; and animals with powers far beyond human capabilities, such as birds with the ability to fly, which humans cannot do, as special beings.
This fact is understandable given that there were several bird gods in ancient Egypt.
In addition to birds, they also worshipped animals with ferocity and strength that were incomparable to human strength, such as lions, hippos, crocodiles, and buffalo.
In addition, dung beetles, which make animal feces into balls and carry them to their nests, were also worshipped as sun gods.

---From "The Beliefs of the Ancient Egyptians"

It seems that the ancient Egyptians were always concerned about their appearance.
Their living environment seems to have a great deal to do with this.
Having worked extensively in rivers and swamps, where they sweated profusely and harbored infectious pathogens, they would have known how important it was to keep their skin clean.
(……) The king started his day by cleansing himself with a bath.
It is said that common people also washed their bodies once a day and washed several times during religious ceremonies.
Regularly apply oil (animal fat or vegetable oil) to the skin to prevent it from drying out.
Fragrance oil mixed with oil was also popular.
The clothes were made of breathable flax material.
Nobles and royalty used wigs when appearing in public or performing religious ceremonies.
It is also said that eye shadows used on a daily basis have a sterilizing effect on the pigment and have the property of repelling flies, so they are effective in protecting the eyes.

---From "The Body of the Ancient Egyptians"