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Ask Dr. Hawass |
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Here are RECENT ANSWERS
TO YOUR QUESTIONS E-MAILED TO DR. HAWASS:
Subject: Just a Fan I am not an archaeological student or for that matter a student at all. Perhaps just a student of life. However, my interest lies in the past and what the past holds for the future. I have always wanted to see the pyramids of Egypt. It holds a fascination that sometimes haunts me. I have been a fan of yours for quite some time. I always watch your specials as you don't just narrate, you live the event. I just wanted to email you and let you know how much I appreciate your enthusiasm and dedication to your heritage. Most of all I believe what I find so interesting about you is your deep respect for the past. I have notice this during many of your finds. I do respect YOU for what you are trying to accomplish and preserve. Sincerely, Jackie
Dear Jackie, Thank you very much for your kind email. It is always nice to hear from someone who shares my passion for Egyptology. I hope that you will visit Egypt soon and experience all the magic and mystery for yourself. Best wishes, Zahi Hawass
Subject: fanmail website question Since I was four years old ( I am now fifteen and half) you have been my hero. I live just outside of Chicago Illinois, and have always been a member of the Field Museum of Natural History all my life and reciently saw that you are going to lecture here in May. I am the daughter of single mother and were always tight on money and my father never helps. Who have been a father like figure to me since I was a little girl. All I have wanted to do for twelve years is meet you, so my question for you sir, is what do i need to accomplish to shake your hand at the Field in May? Give us a hint my Mom will beg borrow and steal so I can meet you, and I do my best in school so I can go to college so I can go to Egypt and work with you. One of my first memories is going to the Field Museum and seeing the mummies, the unnamed mummies sparked a light in me that has never diminshed, but grown. I have learned everything that I have been able to learn about Egypt and continue to learn. I have scared my teachers because when they ask what I want to be, unlike all the other little girls who wanted to actesses or ballet dancers, all I've ever wanted is to walk with Zahi Hawass when he finally brings Nefertiti's bust home to Egypt. I have notebooks full of letters I have written to you but none of them ever really say what I feel. So my question to you, Dr. Hawass, my hero, is what do I need to do to thank you and shake your hand when your in Chicago? Sincerly, Sydney Martin Dear Sydney, It is always wonderful to hear from an aspiring young Egyptologist. I am sorry that I was not able to shake your hand in Chicago. I have been so busy that I just read all of my fan letters and I was very disappointed that I missed the opportunity to meet you. My advice to you is read everything you can and study hard so you can go to university and become an Egyptologist. I am sure you will be a great Egyptologist because you have the passion that it takes to succeed. I would love to shake your hand so if you come to Egypt, come to my office and I will shake your hand and we will discuss ancient Egypt. Best wishes, Zahi Hawass Dear Mr. Hawass, thank you so much for the great work you are doing on preservation your Egyptian culture. Also I want to know how we can help to get back to Egypt those items (f.i. the obelisk in Paris) which have been ''stolen'' from the Egyptian people.
sinc.
Dear Amo-Jan, Thank you for your kind letter. When I became the secretary general of the Supreme council of Antiquities in Egypt I established a department for the return of stolen artifacts and we are diligently working to bring back all over Egypt’s stolen treasures. Your support is a great help. To know that there are many people who agree with Egypt’s desire to have our antiquities returned home helps me stay strong in this struggle. Best wishes, Zahi Hawass Dear dr. Hawass, Already for years I follow the news concerning discoveries in Egypt. I have two questions. Already for years a search is going on for the grave of Imhotep. Is there any indication of where this grave grave might be? And there are rumours about a room with corridors under the sphinx. What is true about this and when will it be explored?
Kind regards,
Dear Ilona, Thank you for your letter. It has been the dream of every archeologist who has ever worked in Saqqara to find the tomb of the genius architect Imhotep. Although many have tried no one has succeeded. It is thought to be somewhere in the Saqqara necropolis. Followers of Edgar Casey believed that a room was under the paw of the Sphinx and that this room contained information. However, even after an American team excavated the area nothing was found. There is no evidence that there is a room with corridors under the sphinx. Best wishes, Zahi Hawass
I am from Slovenia! (that is in Europe). I really like your book. It is great!!!! Since i was a little girl i always want to knew everything about Egypt!!!! When i grow up i wan to be Egyptologist just like you!!! I am really interest about Ramzes II. and Tutankamon so i am asking you if you can tell me anything about it. I also doing my web site about Egypt. P.S. I am sorry if some word isn't write correctly Slevenia, Maja Kolar, 14 years old
Dear Maja, Thank you for your wonderful letter. It is always nice to hear from people who share my passion for Egyptology. Recently we found a temple of Ramses II in Ain Shams (the ancient city of the sun – On). It might be the largest temple for Ramses II ever built. We have found the remains of the floor, and statues. You can read about this discovery on my website. Also, you can read about the CT scan we recently did on the mummy of Tut on my website. Best wishes, Zahi Hawass From: esh3022@peoplepc.com: Dr. Hawass, My name is Sarah Hellem. I'm a 36 year old American who has grown up respecting history. I don' have a question, but wanted to Thank You for bringing some pieces to the Dayotn Art Institute in Ohio. It has been a dream of mine to go to Egypt. When I was young, the only way I would go to sleep was with books of Egypt and boats. When I walked into the exhibit in Dayton it brought me to tears. Not because I was sad, but because it was the closest I'v ever been to the real things. Me and my husband are working hard in hope that when we retire we will be able to visit. I have a daughter who is 9 years old and I am in hope that she will think about archology as a career so she can help preseve the things need to be preserved. Thank You once again Sarah Hellem Dear Sarah, Thank you for your kind letter. It is always nice to hear from someone who shares my passion for Egyptology. I am glad that you have enjoyed the exhibit at the Art Institute in Ohio. I hope that you and your family will be able to come to Egypt and experience the magic and beauty. Best wishes, Zahi Hawass Dear Sir, I am a graduate with majors in Egyptology from Macquarie University Australia. I am Singaporean by birth. There was no opportunity at all in Singapore to pursue my interest of Ancient Egypt. Hence, the decision to study for my undergraduate degree in Australia. I studied in Australia and obtained my degree (BA). I would like to obtain advice from a great scholar in Egyptology like you. I would like to have a career in Egyptology and was wondering what would my next step be? I was thinking of working for a few years first before continuing with postgraduate studies. And I have not come across any institution yet which would allow one to work with a degree only. Thus, will you be able to advice or comment? Thank you. Sincerely,
Dear Shangeeta, Congratulations on earning your BA with a major in Egyptology. I always say that it is your generation that will continue my efforts and protect the monuments. I would advice that you apply to graduate programs at Brown University, University of Pennsylvania, University of Chicago, UCLA or one of the many other great universities that have PhD in Egyptology. Also, you can try to work on a dig to gain experience or volunteer at a museum… I wish you the best of luck and if you come to Egypt come and meet me. Best wishes, Zahi Hawass Subject: Thanks Dear Dr. Hawass,
Thank you for being a great inspiration in my life. I love learning about ancient Egypt and hope to visit someday. I am thinking about possibly being an Egyptologist. I think the work that you do is amazing. Thanks for being a great role model!
Dear Brooke, Thank you for your kind letter. It is always nice to hear from someone who shares my passion for Egyptology. I hope that you will read and study hard so you can go to university and become an Egyptologist. I always say that it is your generation that will continue the work I have started and protect the monuments. Best wishes, Zahi Hawass You may or may not remember me writing to you and you kindly answered my letter about the group I teach Egyptology to here in Withernsea. Firstly can I complement you on a super book "Secrets from the Sands", I and some of my group, have read it and found it absolutely 'great'--well done. There is so much useful info in it that we all now have discussions on the 'Giza Plateau' The group want me to organise a trip to Egypt, not to expensive though like Ancient World Tours--have you any tips you could give me to help this trip to run smoothly? All the best for the coming year--Moira Nolan, Withernsea
Dear Moira, Thank you for your kind letter. I hope you and your group come to Egypt. Egypt is filled with beauty and mystery and I am sure you will have a great time. Let me know when you are coming and you can come and meet me in my office. Best wishes, Zahi Hawass From: "June Doye" masri@tesco.net : Hello Dr Hawass Could you please tell me, if possible, which Queen wrote to the Hittite King to ask for one of his sons to marry her. I have watched many programmes on television and have read various articles and there seems to be a division of thought. Some articles say it was Queen Ankhesenamun but more recently a television programme said it was Queen Nefertiti. Your thoughts would be very much appreciated. Thank you. June
Dear June, Thank you for your letter. The queen you are thinking of was the wife of king Tutankhamun, queen Ankhesenamun. After his death she wrote the letter and asked for a husband to be sent. Best wishes, Zahi Hawass Hello Dr Zahi Hawass Firstly may i congratulate you on your fine work, we went to Egypt for the first time in 2005 for two weeks, was not long enough, so we intend to return in 2007.May i ask you that do u you think that in kv35 the three mummies together , the one with the damaged face is Nefertiti and will you be looking into this further thank you Dear Stephan, Thank you for your letter. It is always nice to hear from someone who shares my passion for Egyptology. The mummy of queen Nefertiti has NEVER been found! There is no evidence to support that the mummy in KV 35 is queen Nefertiti. You can read more about this on my website. Best wishes, Zahi Hawass
Hi my name is Aimee and I love archeology, and i am 12 years old. My passion is Egypt, and well I hope you can write back here is my e-mail is kemetremetch@hotmail.com it is Egyptian. I truly have 2 questions. What's behind the sealed door in the "Great Pyramid"? My other question is how many years does it take to become an archeologist? Because i really can't wait it is my passion and my love. Well I hope you can write back or at least answer my questions in your official website. Thank you. Dear Aimee, Thank you for your letter. It is always nice to hear from an aspiring young Egyptologist. To answer your first question – the secret doors found inside the so-called airshafts of the Queen’s chamber in the Great Pyramid are still a mystery. You can read all about the robot and the doors that were found on my website. Also, we plan to send another robot into the shafts this fall. So keep checking the website for updates. Best wishes, Zahi Hawass Hello Dr. Hawass My name is Jonathan D. Gordon. My wife and I have been watching all of your National Geographic Specials for years. A few years back I mailed you a letter of appreciation and asked for an autograph. I was so happy to receive in the mail a letter from you in May of 2003. The letter, envelope, and autograph are framed and hanging in our living room. I want to thank you for the autograph, as well as your tireless effort to protect the treasures of Egypt. Many people think that what was created by the ancient Egyptians are of little concern to the modern world. I like to see their accomplishments as timeless displays of what all of us as humans are capable of if we strive to create artistic work that reflect our Ideas. You see that, and seem to work hard to show the world that the Ancient Egyptians who built these wonders were more than mere slaves. They were skilled workers not slaves. Well, I wanted to email you and let you know that my wife Lindsay and I are expecting our first son in May and on Lindsay's advise have decided to name him Galbraith Zahi Gordon. Of course in honor of the yourself. My question is if you will be in the united states this year doing lectures? I know that you are from time to time. We will keep up on the latest on your websites. Your Friend Jonathan
Dear Jonathan, Congratulations!!!! I am honored that you are giving your son my name as his middle name. My name “Zahi” means bright. Thank you so much for your kind letter. I will be in the USA giving lectures this year – you can check my schedule on my website. If you and your family is ever in Egypt please come to my office to meet me. I hope to see you either at one of my lectures in the States or in Egypt. Best wishes, Zahi Hawass Dear Dr Zahi Hawass, I'm 18 years old and I have wanted to be an Egyptologist for nearly 7 years. I went out to Egypt on my 16th birthday, I just want to know if your coming to the UK with Tut, and if is is possible to meet you. I wanted to become a Egyptologist when I read your books.
Natalie Price, student P.S. I would do any thing to be an Egyptologist. Your biggest fan!
Dear Natalie, Thank you for your email. I am always happy to hear from aspiring young Egyptologists. I do plan to come to London for the opening of the Tut exhibit. For my lecture schedule check my website. My advise for you is to read everything you can and study hard and then go to university and earn a degree in Egyptology. Then, come to Egypt and experience the magic and mystery. Best wishes, Zahi Hawass Dear Dr. Hawass: For years now I have been very interested in the history of Egypt and I have enjoyed seeing you on television whenever I have run across a show about Egypt. For me you have become the face that I most notice when I think of Egypt and it't treasures. While I do not have the funds to come to Egypt you have brought Egypt to me with your books and history shows. I would like to ask for a signed photo of you so that I might place it on my desk as a way to get people to talk about Egypt and its history. I live in Bowling Green, KY in the United States and I am 48 years old.
Sincerely, Dear John, Thank you for your email. It is always nice to hear from someone who shares my passion for Egyptology. I will send you an autographed photo. Best wishes, Zahi Hawass Dear Dr Zahi Hawass My name is rebecca Hazzard and I am 18 years of age. For years now I have been following your work. And find you to be one of the most remarkable men I have ever read about. I love your books on eygpt. And I am and have always been fasinated by the culture of eygpt. When I Finished High school my plan was to persure a career in history Studying mostly on the subject of eygpt. But Because of my marks in other subjects I was unable to persure my dream. Right now I am working in Hospitality and hopefully from that one day be able to find a back door in to history. But I just want to thank you for how much you have inspired me to still try and study history for a living when the odds have been against me. My Question to you is did you ever have any trouble getting in to what you do best for a living? Yours truly, Rebecca hazard
Dear Rebecca, Thank you for your email. It is always nice to hear form someone who shares my passion for Egyptology. I recommend that you NEVER give up your dream. It takes passion and hard work to make your dreams come true. Read everything you can and try to take some classes (maybe night classes after work) so you can one day go to university and earn a degree in whatever you want – I hope it will be Egyptology. Keep me informed on your progress and never give up. Best wishes, Zahi Hawass MORE ANSWERS WILL BE ADDED SHORTLY CHECK BACK OFTEN!!
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