"The Statue of Horus and His Falcon Hea d

The statue of Horus with a falcon head is truly a masterpiece and one of the unique pieces in ancient Egyptian art. Initially, this statue was one among several found by Mariette in the temple of the Valley belonging to the king in his collection in Giza.

So, why does Horus have a falcon head? Horus, the falcon, is the foundation both artistically and ideologically for this statue. His presence around the statue's neck reinforces its weakest point and prevents it from breaking, but the main point is that Horus was a much bigger concept. 

Horus represents the deity or the legitimate ruler who would be like Osiris when he goes to the afterlife, and a statue like this symbolizes this story ideologically. It portrays the falcon head as a symbol of kingship and how it appeared to the ancient Egyptians and why they built a pyramid of this size for him!

Take the twist now: the statue is made of one of the hardest and most difficult stones to shape. Why? Why not make it from limestone or granite, which are easier to shape? This is what we learned: the color of this stone in the sunlight reflects the same color as the feathers of the falcon under the sun's rays, giving the statue a meaningful and convincing reason.

Moreover, the beliefs of Ra and Osiris coexisted and competed from the Third Dynasty onward. Kings had to have legitimacy, and without it, they couldn’t rule, so the name of Ra entered the names from the Fourth Dynasty and grew in the Fifth Dynasty, accompanied by sun temples. But the Osirian belief was still active, and all the rituals were based on it.

Indeed, the beliefs of Ra and Osiris intersected and competed throughout the ages, with Egyptian religion being intertwined and interconnected between these two fundamental elements. Ra, the sun god, enjoyed great popularity during the Old Kingdom, while Osiris, the god of resurrection and kingship, gained increasing popularity during later periods. These religious conflicts are manifested in many ancient Egyptian stories and myths, which narrate the struggles of the gods and their competition for power and control.

Hence, we find that the statue of Horus with his falcon head represents a pivotal moment in Egyptian history, embodying the perpetual struggle between the forces of good and evil, life and death, light and darkness. These symbols express the deep and intricate Egyptian philosophy, embodying the belief in eternal life and resurrection after death.

Therefore, the statue of Horus with his falcon head remains a masterpiece of art and a symbol of ancient Egyptian civilization, bearing witness to the evolution of beliefs and beliefs in ancient Egypt throughout the ages.