Ancient Egyptians Were Adept Flute and Harp Players

Various ancient Egyptian musical instruments.
Various ancient Egyptian musical instruments.
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Ancient Egyptians Were Adept Flute and Harp Players

Various ancient Egyptian musical instruments.
Various ancient Egyptian musical instruments.

The harp, tambourine and flute were staples in Ancient Egypt’s music culture and are a testament to their pioneering music ingenuity, said Egyptologist Dr. Bassam Al-Shamaa.

He told Asharq Al-Awsat: “The inscriptions inside the royal and private tombs clearly showed that the harp is an Egyptian instrument par excellence, and that the ancient Egyptian were credited for inventing it.”

The National Museum of Egyptian Civilization displays a group of musical instruments that were famous in Ancient Egypt.

On the occasion of World Music Day on June 21, the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir is currently displaying 22 artifacts that showcase the importance of music in Ancient Egypt.

They include a wooden model depicting a musical band performing, which dates back to the times of the Middle Kingdom, and a small vaulted funerary plaque that has a harp player’s inscription on it. On display also are single and double flutes made of reeds, and two pieces of colored leather, which were used as drum covers.

The idea of the musical band originated back in Pharaonic Egypt, which can be confirmed by the drawings and inscriptions on the artifacts on display at the Egyptian museum.



Double-Decker Bus Carrying Students Plunges into River in England in ‘Terrifying’ Crash

26 June 2025, United Kingdom, Eastleigh: A view of a Bluestar bus that was carrying pupils from Barton Peveril Sixth Form College after it came off the road and ended up in a river. (dpa)
26 June 2025, United Kingdom, Eastleigh: A view of a Bluestar bus that was carrying pupils from Barton Peveril Sixth Form College after it came off the road and ended up in a river. (dpa)
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Double-Decker Bus Carrying Students Plunges into River in England in ‘Terrifying’ Crash

26 June 2025, United Kingdom, Eastleigh: A view of a Bluestar bus that was carrying pupils from Barton Peveril Sixth Form College after it came off the road and ended up in a river. (dpa)
26 June 2025, United Kingdom, Eastleigh: A view of a Bluestar bus that was carrying pupils from Barton Peveril Sixth Form College after it came off the road and ended up in a river. (dpa)

A double-decker bus carrying high school students plunged into a river in southern England on Thursday, sending the driver and four teens to the hospital and leaving more than a dozen others with minor injuries, officials said.

The bus was bound for Barton Peveril Sixth Form College, a school for 16- to 18-year-olds, when it sped off a road in Eastleigh and plunged into the River Itchen. The cause of the wreck was being investigated by police and the bus company.

Police said there was no indication why the bus veered off the road. But a woman who lives nearby and heard a screeching sound and saw the bus crash through roadside barriers into the water said the driver told her he couldn’t stop.

Kelly West, who helped some of the students to safety, said the bus was going close to 60 mph (nearly 100 kph) and said it was like a scene out of "Speed," the Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock film about a bus barreling through Los Angeles.

"One of the young adults said the bus was just getting faster and faster as it came down the road and they didn’t know what he was going to do," West said. "I can well imagine they were all thinking they were going to die, quite frankly."

Inspector Andy Tester of the Hampshire Constabulary said it "must have been terrifying."

All 19 passengers on board were either able to get off the bus or were rescued, police said. The bus driver, who was trapped, and one student had serious injuries but were expected to survive.

West said the driver was alert and sharp, but panicking. She reassured him that help was on the way.

"He said the brakes failed and the accelerator was jammed and that he was trying to avoid cars," West said.

The bus was sitting upright in the river, next to a bridge, water up to its axles. Its front windows were smashed and mud was splattered on its side. A large section of bridge railing was missing.

About 14 students were treated at the scene by paramedics, the South Central Ambulance Service said. Two helicopters, five ambulances and fire crews responded to the crash.

Bluestar Bus said it did not immediately know the circumstances of the crash.