Distinguished Canopic Jars Isetemkheb on display at Hurghada Museum

CAIRO – 5 July 2022: Egyptian museums contain millions of rare artifacts from  various ancient Egyptian eras. Each piece narrates a story that is thousands of years old.

Among these artifacts are the Canopic Jars Isetemkheb. They are unique pieces of art. During the mummification process in ancient Egypt, certain organs of the deceased were extracted, which are the liver, lungs, intestines, and stomach. These organs were wrapped separately and then placed in four containers known as canopic jars.

The canopic jars were known from the Old Kingdom onwards, and displayed certain changes overtime. During the New Kingdom, these jars were topped by the heads of the “Four Sons of Horus”, who were considered the guardians of the organs. These deities took the form of a baboon, a jackal, a falcon and a man.

The beautiful set, which retained much of its color, is painted with the name of its owner, Isetemkheb.

Isetemkheb held the significant title of Chief of the Musical Troupe of Amun-Re. She was the wife of the High Priest of Amun Pinudjem II and the mother of King Psusennes II. The beautiful canopic jars are on display at the Hurghada Museum.

Hurghada Museum, which was opened on February 29, 2020, is the first archaeological museum in the Red Sea Governorate to be established in partnership with the private sector. It is located near the tourist walkway and Hurghada International Airport. It was built on an area of 10 thousand square meters, of which about 3000 square meters were allocated to the museum building.

The museum exhibits some 1200 pieces, shedding light on the Egyptian arts and beauty in different eras, starting from the Pre-Dynastic eras to the Alawite Dynasty, passing through the various periods of ancient Egyptian history, the Greek and Roman eras, and the Coptic and Islamic eras.