THE OSIRISNET PROJECT

Ancient Egypt is well known for its pyramids, temples, obelisks, and gods. There were also magnificent tombs, yet these remain largely little known to the general public. A passionate interest in this ancient civilisation seems to be ever increasing, and so the lack of awareness of the tombs and their significance is paradoxical. The tombs are one of the essential means by which we are enabled to understand the universe of the ancient Egyptians — not only their beliefs but also something about their daily lives.

Why are the Egyptian tombs so poorly known?

One reason is that few of the tombs are accessible to the public. While tourism to Egypt has been very popular over the decades, many who would like to visit the country are never able to do so. Of those who do manage to see ancient Egypt, most even after several trips have often visited but a few of these tombs, and then only briefly.

Others visit Egypt virtually, through books and other publications. While such enquiries may give access to the most famous tombs, it is rare to find illustrations and information about those tombs that are less well known — and any such specialised publications tend to be expensive and difficult to obtain.

Another further major reason why the tombs are not familiar to most of us is that book publishers are not inclined to cover those tombs that have suffered considerable damage over the millennia and so may lack scenes in good condition that are sufficiently spectacular for publication.

Osirisnet concentrates on the tombs of Ancient Egypt. It seeks to fill the gap for the many people who may be keen to know more about this aspect of ancient Egypt. It aims at providing a link between the work of Egyptologists and an inquiring public wishing to delve into the past, beyond the simple and superficial appearance of a monument into a deeper study of it.

Personnal photographs: Should you have photographs from tombs and might wish to support this project, please contact us at .

Newsletter: Osirisnet publishes a monthly online newsletter summarising the main events in the world of Egyptology.

"Men will only find honour and a justification for living if they devote their actions and their thoughts to a great enterprise with which they can confront themselves"
Druon, M. (2015). The king without a kingdom (translated from French). London, HarperCollinsPublishers.