Limestone column capital in the shape of a lotus blossom

myminifactory

This is the pinnacle, or crowning glory, of a towering structure. It takes the form of a majestic lotus blossom that has been closed in upon itself. The lotus was one of two highly revered plants in ancient Egypt. The other was the papyrus, and many column capitals were also intricately carved to resemble papyrus plants. Archaeologists unearthed this column capital within the enclosure of a temple built by Pharaoh Merenptah, who succeeded Ramesses II, known for his greatness. Memphis, near modern-day Cairo in northern Egypt, served as the earliest capital city of Egypt and was an esteemed location where kings would construct temples. The builders of the temple skillfully re-used part of a much earlier temple dating back to the 5th Dynasty, which had stood for over a thousand years prior. This column capital was already an ancient relic when it was incorporated into the new temple.