Every year, millions of visitors are drawn to Egypt and to museum collections around the world to marvel at the fabulous culture of the pharaohs. The ancient civilization of the Nile Valley offers a bewildering array of kings and dynasties, gods and goddesses, temples and tombs, and this new dictionary provides a handy reference guide to an endlessly fascinating subject. All the major archaeological sites of Egypt and the Sudan are described, from Abu Ghurab with its ancient sun temples to Zawiyet Umm el-Rakham and its newly excavated fortress. A unique feature of this unrivaled coverage is a separate entry for every king who ruled Egypt, from its birth as a state to its conquest by Alexander the Great. Famous pharaohs such as Ramesses and Tutankhamun are featured alongside lesser-known kings like Rudamun and Takelot. Other entries cover Ancient Egypt's most important queens and courtiers, deities, and major works of literature, as well as general cultural topics such as language and medicine. There are explanations of specialist terms used by Egyptologistsusuch as ankh, Badarian, and cippusuand of Egyptian civilization's distinctive features, including hieroglyphs and mummification. From Aba to Zoser, from aegis to zodiac, this book will appeal to tourists, museum visitors, armchair travelers, and serious scholars. 250 illustrations, 150 in color.