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Secondary sourcePainting1907 (publication)

Royal Serekh of Khufu

Zemanst · 1907 (publication)

A line drawing of Khufu's royal serekh, the hieroglyphic frame showing his Horus name, Medjedu.

Shows the royal serekh used to write Khufu's Horus name, a core piece of evidence for identifying him in inscriptions.

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Black-and-white line drawing of an Egyptian royal serekh: a falcon perched on top of a rectangular frame, which contains a smaller falcon above a crenellated sign. Below the frame, stacked horizontal bands and three rectangular recesses at the bottom form a tall column.
Drawing of Khufu's royal serekh, after H. Gauthier, Le livre des rois d'Égypte, Vol. I, Paris 1907.

About this source

What it is

This is a modern line drawing reproducing the serekh, a rectangular frame topped by a falcon, that contains the Horus name of King Khufu. It is based on an illustration from a 1907 scholarly book listing the kings of Egypt.

Why it matters

The serekh was one of the earliest ways Egyptian kings wrote their names, linking the ruler to the falcon god Horus. Studying Khufu's serekh helps historians identify his monuments and inscriptions, since his name could appear in this form on objects and buildings throughout Egypt.

Look closer

  • Why might ancient Egyptians have chosen a falcon to represent royal power?
  • How is this symbol different from how we write names today?
  • What might be missing if only the symbol survives, without any accompanying text?

This painting is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Pharaoh Khufu (Cheops) on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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