The Pharaoh's Curse

Author: Philip Van der Byl
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-11-01
Features:
An enthralling work of historical archaeology!
An enthralling work of historical archaeology!
"The dead will strike down with their powerful arms anyone who dares to disturb the pharaoh's peace!" Among the 20 scientists studying the pharaoh's tomb, 13 died suddenly and unexpectedly. The amulet inscribed with the pharaoh's curse vanished without a trace. But the ancient curse that could cause inexplicable deaths continued to haunt people, leaving them restless and unable to sleep or eat well. The Curse of the Pharaoh traces the fieldwork of British, French, and German archaeological expeditions at the tomb of the Egyptian pharaohs in the early 20th century, as well as the tragic fates of the participants in the decades that followed. How do modern historians use cutting-edge technology to unravel the pharaoh's curse and correct misconceptions that have persisted for thousands of years? This book answers that question. Philip Van der Byl is the only writer ever permitted to spend the night in a pharaoh's tomb. He objectively narrates historical events, vividly describes details, and provides meticulous, gripping analyses.
Chapter: The Curse
"The Curse"
"You know what," Gamal Mahrez said, "life is often full of unexpected coincidences." Gamal Mahrez was a short, sturdy man with thick eyebrows and full lips. We agreed to meet him at the "Gamal Mahrez" Hotel, located next to the Nile River Bridge in Cairo, on July 26th. We sat by the hotel pool, drinking a beverage called Campari, while discussing the legendary pharaoh's curse.
"So you don't really believe in the immense and still-effective power of this curse?" I asked Dr. Mahrez. Dr. Gamal Mahrez, the director of the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, hesitated for a moment after hearing my question. It was clear that my question was difficult for him to answer. After a while, he replied in his somewhat stiff English. He said that most Egyptian archaeologists believed that archaeologists from Cambridge or Oxford had some misgivings about this issue. He said at the time, "Certainly, if you look at all these mysterious deaths together, it would certainly make you think something. Especially since there have always been many claims in ancient Egyptian history about how powerful the pharaoh's curse was, which makes people feel even more that the curse not only really existed but also still has immense power today. But," Mahrez managed a weak smile and added, "I personally don't believe in the so-called real power of the curse. Look at me—I've spent my entire life digging up pharaoh's tombs and dealing directly or indirectly with mummies. But I'm still very much alive. I myself am proof that all the things people talk about are just coincidences."
As the head of the Egyptian Museum, Mahrez naturally owned this particularly ugly building from the late 19th century. Inside this unattractive exterior building, there are approximately 100,000 precious artifacts created by Egypt over its 4,000-year history. Among these rare treasures are small, lifelike gemstones carved by ancient Egyptians as amulets, grand and majestic stone sculptures of all-powerful pharaohs, and in Room 52 on the top floor, 22 mummies arranged in order by gender and age. Male mummies are placed in front, followed by female mummies. They are displayed in glass coffins for visitors from all over the world to see. However, some visitors are frightened by the grinning, half-smiling mummies, often sweating profusely or rushing out of the mummy exhibition room after just a glance.
Just four weeks after our conversation, Dr. Gamal Mahrez died suddenly. He was only 52 years old. Doctors diagnosed his death as a heart attack, saying he had circulatory system problems.