Heiroglyphics depicting the Ankh and Djed pillar, Queen Hatshepsut's temple, Deir el-Bahri, West bank of the Nile, Luxor, Egypt


The Ankh is the key of life, the key of the Nile or crux ansata (meaning "cross with a handle" in Latin). It is the ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic character that means "eternal life". The djed (/dʒɛd/ in English) symbol is one of the more ancient and commonly found symbols in Egyptian mythology. It is a pillar-like symbol in hieroglyphics representing stability. It is associated with the Creator god Ptah and Osiris, the Egyptian god of the afterlife, the underworld, and the dead. It is commonly understood to represent his spine.


Size: 4896px × 3264px
Location: Deir el-Bahri, Luxor, West bank of the Nile, Upper Egypt
Photo credit: © Jonathan Little / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

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