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Egypt Completes Work on Restoration of Amun-Ra Shrine in Temple of Seti I

Images adorning the walls of the shrine of Amun-Ra
Images adorning the walls of the shrine of Amun-Ra
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Egypt Completes Work on Restoration of Amun-Ra Shrine in Temple of Seti I

Images adorning the walls of the shrine of Amun-Ra
Images adorning the walls of the shrine of Amun-Ra

The Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities has completed its restoration of the ancient shrine of the ancient Egyptian deity Amun-Ra in the Temple of Seti I in the city of Abydos in southern Egypt’s Sohag Governorate as part of a comprehensive project to restore and develop cultural tourist attractions that include seven other shrines.

Supreme Council of Antiquities Secretary-General Mostafa Waziri said in a press statement on Sunday that the restoration work on the Temple of Seti I and other temples and archaeological sites across the country are being conducted “within the framework of the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities’ initiative to develop our archaeological sites so they draw more local and international tourists, and enhance cultural tourism in Egypt.”

Saadi Zaki, Director General of the Restoration of Upper Egypt Antiquities, indicated that the restoration work of the ancient cabin took about three months and included cleaning the cabin mechanically and chemically, removing the layers of soot, which covered the cabin inscriptions, and removing dust using various brushes, in addition to completing the missing parts of the walls and ceiling, and strengthening of colors, before the start of the final stage, which is insulation.

The walls of the Temple of King Seti I are decorated with inscriptions explaining how the ancient Egyptians performed religious rituals; it includes seven booths and two column halls and is reinforced by thirty-six granite columns.

Dr. Hussein Abdel Basir, Director of the Antiquities Museum of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, said: “The Temple of Seti I, which was built in the 19th Dynasty, is one of the most beautiful archaeological temples in Egypt. It is full of colorful religious imagery. The colors in ancient Egypt can be studied through the inscriptions of this temple.”

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, he addedthat “Seti I was among the greatest kings in Egyptian history, but he was overshadowed by the fame of his son King Ramses II. If there were no Ramses II, Seti I would have been the most famous king of ancient Egypt.”

For his part, Mohamed Abdel Badi, head of the Central Administration of Upper Egypt Antiquities, explained that “the shrine of the god (Amun-Ra) is one of the seven chapels in the Temple of Seti I in Abydos, and it was dedicated to the worshipers of Amun-Ra.”

“At the end of the temple, we find an imaginary door from the western side, and its walls are adorned with images representing the journey of the sacred boat to the other world and religious rituals and offerings to the deity Amun-Ra.”

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Varieties

Chinese Vent Anger at Trump's Trade War with Memes, Mockery

A meme video circulating on social media makes fun of Trump's policy to bring manufacturing back to the United States. Adek BERRY / AFP
A meme video circulating on social media makes fun of Trump's policy to bring manufacturing back to the United States. Adek BERRY / AFP
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Chinese Vent Anger at Trump's Trade War with Memes, Mockery

A meme video circulating on social media makes fun of Trump's policy to bring manufacturing back to the United States. Adek BERRY / AFP
A meme video circulating on social media makes fun of Trump's policy to bring manufacturing back to the United States. Adek BERRY / AFP

While China's leaders use their economic and political might to fight Donald Trump's trade war "to the end", its army of social media soldiers are embarking on a more humorous campaign online.
The US president's tariff blitz has seen Washington and Beijing impose eye-watering duties on imports from the other, fanning a standoff between the economic superpowers that has sparked global recession fears and sent markets into a tailspin, AFP said.

Trump says his policy is a response to years of being "ripped off" by other countries and aims to bring manufacturing back to the United States, forcing companies to employ US workers.

But China's online warriors have been taking advantage of the massive strides in artificial intelligence to create memes highlighting that many of the goods bought by Americans such as shoes and smartphones are made using cheap Chinese labor.
Defiant posts have shot to the top of most-searched lists on social media, flooding platforms with patronizing comments and jokes.

In one video, a Chinese internet user opens his hands to reveal what goods he buys from the United States -- nothing.
His dozens of videos railing against the United States have accumulated tens of millions of views on TikTok, officially blocked in China but accessible through a virtual private network (VPN).

"Donald Trump started a trade war, so... F*** MAGA," he says in one video, referring to Trump's campaign slogan of Make America Great Again.

'Two-faced behavior'
The user, based in northeastern China's Liaoning province and who asked to be identified by his online persona "Buddhawangwang", told AFP the posts were a way of "venting my anger".
The 37-year-old poster said he moved to California in 2019 but "threw away" his green card four years later -- angry over "prejudices against China".

That included "fake news" about Xinjiang, the far-western region where Beijing is accused of widespread human rights abuses against minorities. China denies the claims.

Now, he feels vindicated in his quest to "debunk Western propaganda".

For many in China -- whose status as "the world's factory" fueled its meteoric rise as an economic superpower -- the idea of Americans making their own shoes or phones is laughable.

AI-generated videos putting Trump, US Vice President JD Vance -- who sparked outrage with comments referring to "Chinese peasants" -- and tech mogul Elon Musk on footwear and iPhone assembly lines quickly went viral.

Others show rows of befuddled overweight shophands fiddling with sewing machines as Americans make clothes, shoes and electronic devices.
The alleged hypocrisy of US officials railing against China while enjoying the fruits of globalization has also been targeted.

One post traced a dress worn by White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt to Chinese online shopping platform Taobao.

"Attacking 'Made in China' is work; enjoying 'Made in China' is life," one comment read.

"Two-faced behavior. Don't wear it then, don’t use it," another said.

Another post shared by Beijing's foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning showed Trump's trademark "MAGA" hat marked "Made in China" -- with a price tag indicating an increased cost.

'Made in China'
Elsewhere, Chinese users have taken to TikTok to show Americans how they can get around the swingeing tariffs -- going to China and buying goods straight from the source.

In one, a man in a warehouse claiming to work at a factory making Birkenstocks in the eastern hub of Yiwu sold pairs of the iconic sandal for just $10.

"We have seven colors," he says, pointing to multiple pairs of shoes displayed on a cardboard box with the words "Made in China" printed on it.

"If you need, please contact me," he added, gesturing towards stacks of boxes behind him.

"There certainly is nationalism here," Gwen Bouvier, a professor at Shanghai International Studies University who researches social media and civic discourse, told AFP.

The videos make "fun of how rude JD Vance is and, by extension, the Trump administration", Bouvier said -- a timely clapback against the vice president's "peasants" comments.

But beneath the humor there is likely deep concern over the impact of the trade war on China's export-dependent economy.

Censors on the country's strictly regulated internet appear to have scrubbed out narratives that warn of the effects they may have on Chinese consumers and manufacturers.

On China's X-like Weibo platform, all comments under the hashtag "The United States will impose a 104% tariff on Chinese goods" have been removed.

By contrast, the hashtag "America is fighting a trade war while begging for eggs" -- a reference to soaring prices for the kitchen staple -- was viewed 230 million times.