Rare Egyptian Vulture Spotted Feeding Its Newborn In AlUla
This wouldn't be the first time an Egyptian vulture made headlines in Saudi Arabia. Could mother vulture secretly be scoping our real estate in AlUla?
In what conservationists are calling a "major milestone" and what the chick is calling "hungry," a rare Egyptian vulture has been spotted feeding its newborn in the cliffs of AlUla's Sharaan National Park. This marks the first-ever recorded vulture nest in the area - and possibly the only time a vulture has gone viral for good behavior.
The Egyptian vulture, once sacred to Pharaohs and now listed as Endangered by the IUCN (which is like the DMV of endangered species but with more feathers), is a bird of many talents. It's known to use tools, which puts it slightly ahead of most toddlers and several adults on TikTok. It uses rocks to smash eggs, sticks to collect wool, and presumably a spreadsheet to plan its nesting schedule.
Experts estimate there are about 50 breeding pairs left in Saudi Arabia. AlUla, however, seems to be leading the comeback tour, with at least three breeding territories recorded this year and up to 10 potentially scoping out real estate.
So yes, a baby vulture has hatched. And for once, it's not a bad omen but an ecological win.
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CairoScene
a day ago
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Rare Egyptian Vulture Spotted Feeding Its Newborn In AlUla
This wouldn't be the first time an Egyptian vulture made headlines in Saudi Arabia. Could mother vulture secretly be scoping our real estate in AlUla? In what conservationists are calling a "major milestone" and what the chick is calling "hungry," a rare Egyptian vulture has been spotted feeding its newborn in the cliffs of AlUla's Sharaan National Park. This marks the first-ever recorded vulture nest in the area - and possibly the only time a vulture has gone viral for good behavior. The Egyptian vulture, once sacred to Pharaohs and now listed as Endangered by the IUCN (which is like the DMV of endangered species but with more feathers), is a bird of many talents. It's known to use tools, which puts it slightly ahead of most toddlers and several adults on TikTok. It uses rocks to smash eggs, sticks to collect wool, and presumably a spreadsheet to plan its nesting schedule. Experts estimate there are about 50 breeding pairs left in Saudi Arabia. AlUla, however, seems to be leading the comeback tour, with at least three breeding territories recorded this year and up to 10 potentially scoping out real estate. So yes, a baby vulture has hatched. And for once, it's not a bad omen but an ecological win.
Egypt Independent
a day ago
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The curse of Tutankhamun's shrines
On November 4, 1922, English explorer Howard Carter successfully unearthed the treasures of King Tutankhamun's tomb. This discovery is considered the greatest in the history of archaeological finds across all eras, not just the 20th century. However, contrary to what one might assume—that fame and success brought Carter immense happiness—his life was far from easy after the discovery. Indeed, it was rife with problems and difficulties, including with the Egyptian government, which sought to protect Tutankhamun's treasures from plunder and ensure they remained outside the British Museum. Carter's own complicated personality also caused issues, particularly in his relationships with close associates and colleagues. A notable example involves Sir Alan Gardiner, still considered one of the most renowned Egyptologists and experts in ancient Egyptian language. Gardiner joined Carter's team, working under him purely as a volunteer, driven by his desire to translate any texts found within the tomb. This was despite Sir Alan Gardiner's vastly superior stature, extensive experience, and academic contributions in the field compared to Carter's. Nevertheless, the discovery of such a pristine royal tomb propelled Carter's name into international fame, making him a sought-after figure whose association was desired by others merely to have their names mentioned in the discovery's scientific publications. The second scholar was James Henry Breasted, who was less enthusiastic about working with Carter. He personally disliked Carter's character and considered him semi-educated and uncultured—a fact we've explored in previous articles. Nevertheless, Henry Breasted was also a renowned Egyptologist with numerous publications. The reason both Gardiner and Breasted were included in the team tasked with publishing the discoveries from Tutankhamun's tomb was Carter's belief that the tomb would undoubtedly contain a large number of written papyri, in addition to the texts found on the artifacts within the tomb. However, surprisingly no papyri, not even small fragments, were found in the tomb! Carter described this disappointment eloquently, stating: 'I found what was buried with Tutankhamun, but understanding Tutankhamun eluded me!' He had truly hoped to find written papyrus scrolls detailing King Tutankhamun's life. In other words, Carter had desired the king's diary in order to truly understand who Tutankhamun was. And then, there is the legend of Tutankhamun's cursed shrines: these were three nested shrines that covered and protected the king's sarcophagus. The largest was the outer shrine, which completely filled the burial chamber, leaving barely any space between its gilded wooden walls and the chamber's walls. Its surfaces were covered in exquisite hieroglyphic texts. What happened with these shrines was quite astonishing: before their discovery, removal from the tomb, and reconstruction in the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir, Howard Carter had already dismissed both Alan Gardiner and Henry Breasted! There was no longer any linguist on his team to decipher the writings on the shrines. James Henry Breasted's reason for leaving Carter's team was Carter's refusal to grant him permission to use some of photographer Harry Burton's images in an upcoming book. Burton worked with Carter, photographing artifacts extracted from the tomb. Strangely, Carter refused to allow Breasted to use the photos for free, forcing him to pay for them instead. Infuriated by Carter's behavior, Breasted withdrew. Gardiner's departure, however, was even stranger. Sir Alan Gardiner was known as one of the wealthiest Egyptologists, hailing from a rich aristocratic family. Gardiner frequently supported less fortunate Egyptologist friends, like Jaroslav Černý. Carter consistently tried to curry favor with Gardiner, even giving him a pharaonic amulet without revealing anything about its origin. When Gardiner showed it to a friend, he was astonished to learn that the amulet was from Tutankhamun's tomb! Gardiner was extremely upset by this revelation and sent a scathing letter to Carter, questioning how Carter could allow himself to gift him a stolen amulet from the tomb. Following this incident, Gardiner withdrew from working with Carter. This left no linguists on the team to translate the texts on the shrines that had been moved to the Egyptian Museum. Visitors from all over the world would visit the shrines, walking around them in the museum, unaware of the meaning of the inscriptions, until Russian-born linguist Alexander Piankoff finally succeeded in translating the texts of the golden shrines, finally revealing their secrets to us.
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Discover the Artifacts Selected for June in Egypt's Archaeological Museums
Ali abo deshish As part of the monthly tradition across the museums nationwide, the artifacts selected for June have been announced. This selection was made through a public poll via the museums' social media pages to raise cultural awareness and promote the significance of Egypt's heritage. This month, the audience chose artifacts that highlight several events celebrated during June. One of the key occasions is the anniversary of the Holy Family's entry into Egypt. Additionally, many museums are showcasing archival photographs from their collections in line with the celebration of International Archives Day, emphasizing the role of museums in preserving the nation's memory and cultural heritage. Some museums are also presenting unique pieces that showcase the significance of musical instruments throughout Egyptian history, in conjunction with World Music Day, which is celebrated on June 21st each year. 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