Letteratura scientifica selezionata sul tema "Set (Egyptian god)"

The article deals with a number of monuments in the Egyptian collection of the A.S. Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts showing Egyptian deities in the guise of Roman warriors: I, 1a 2985 (the best known and widely reproduced object) – a statuette of the falcon-headed god Horus in the double crown and in the Roman armour and dress (bronze); I, 1a 2794 – a similar statuette of smaller size and worse preservation (bronze with traces of gilding); I, 1a 6667 – a statuette of the dog-or jackal-headed god Anubis in the Roman armour and dress (bronze); I, 1a 3389 – a bust showing the falcon-headed god Horus wearing nemes, with the sun-disc and snake over his head (glass paste); I, 1a 5382 – a stela showing the sphinx-god Tutu with a lion head being a part of the armour-plate on his chest. Aside from republishing these objects, the aim of the article is to propose an interpretation of the iconographic type, to which they belong (this type also includes a number of Apius’ images and a singular image of Khnum in the Roman guise). The most multiple group in this type are the images of Horus, which, in author’s view, reflect the concept of the Roman principes’ rule in Egypt shaped by Egyptians: they were ruled not so much by a specific Roman strong-man as by the god Hous embodied in him and largely absorbing his personality. This concept of Egyptian rulers’ “derivative sacrality” dated back to the First Persian Domination and played largely a compensatory role, as it made a foreign and unfriendly rule more tolerable for Egyptians. In the Roman time it was reflected in emperors’ titularies, in which the Horus’ name was shaped of a set of epithets conveying upon a ruler the qualities of the god Horus. Probably the concept manifested itself in the images of Horus and Anubis, perhaps Khnum in the Roman guise; the images of Tutu and, perhaps, Apis rather show a transfer on them of the iconographic standard developed in the imagery of Horus.

Talvez nenhuma outra cultura tenha criado um conjunto de crenças e práticas funerárias tão complexo e diversificado quanto os egípcios antigos. Em um panteão repleto de divindades funerárias, Osíris se destaca como a própria essência e princípio explicativo da morte e do pós-vida. Entre as práticas funerárias destaca-se a peregrinação até a cidade de Abidos, local de devoção a Osíris, onde eram depositadas estelas em honra ao deus e aos mortos. O Museu Nacional do Rio de Janeiro possui uma grande coleção destas estelas, testemunhos da piedade pessoal e da esperança em uma vida postmortem sob as graças de Osíris. WORSHIPPING OSIRIS: Afterlife Conceptions in the Egyptian stelae of the National Museum of Rio de Janeiro ABSTRACTLike no other culture, the ancient Egyptians are known for having created a whole set of complex funerary beliefs and practices. Amongst several deities, the Egyptians attributed a prominent role to Osiris, as the very essence and explanatory principle of their afterlife conceptions. The journey to Abydos, sacred city associated with Osiris, was an important part of the devotion to this god. There, the Egyptians left votive stelae dedicated to Osiris and the deceased. The National Museum of Rio de Janeiro houses a large collection of Egyptian stelae, which are sources for the study of the Egyptians’ personal piety and belief in an afterlife associated with Osiris.Keywords: Osiris, funerary practices, funerary stelae, the National Museum of Rio de Janeiro.

Abstract In the past, different points in time have been set as demarcating the beginning of the end of Ancient Egyptian religion. One of these is the start of the so-called “proscription” of the god Seth, whose names and images are found damaged in many of their occurrences. In previous studies, this observation was explained as the result of intentional destruction performed during the first millennium BCE, and as such as indicative of the decay of Ancient Egyptian religion at this time. However, Seth was from his earliest attestations conceived as a deity ready to perform acts of violence and disruption; under specific circumstances he needed to be banished, but his character was also valued in circumstances requiring violence. This article discusses the problems, fallacies, and arguments of interpreting the intentions behind the destruction of monuments in general and the treatment of Seth in particular. It will be argued that “negating” the image of the “negative” god was not done with malicious intent, but to highlight this god’s role, which was important for the context of the image. It will be proposed that this phenomenon proves that Egyptian religion was still vibrantly alive at that time, not fading away and dying.

Yahya Haqqi is one of the most popular novelists in Egypt in the mid–twentieth century. He is known not only as an author of works of art. His books on the history of Egyptian literature, critical works, books of commemorations provide invaluable material about the life and activities of the literary circles of Egypt in the last century. He is the founder of the genre of “lauhat” (literary sketches) in Egyptian literature. The writer's artistic creativity reflects the development of Arabic short stories for more than forty years. His most famous works are “The Lamp of Umm Hashim”, “Awakening”, “The Postman”, “God bless you”. He is considered, first of all, the master of the novella, at the origins of which he stood in Egyptian literature. Yahya Haqqi plays a huge role in the creation of modern literary Arabic. He consciously set himself this task, scrupulously working on each phrase. He is the author of one of the most significant works of Arabic literature of the last century, his “Lamp of Umm Hashim” has become the most popular not only in Egypt, but throughout the Arab world.

Gods, Goddesses, Heroes and other mythical figures from religious mythologies have made continued appearances in Hollywood films since the 20th century, with many of them reflecting the times and era of their production in the guise of depicting the “ancient” world and dealing with “sacred” themes in a secular manner. While a cinematic text invites us to identify with the hero, the antagonist is imbued with qualities that require judgement from the hero. This paper seeks to undertake a character study of the Greek God Hades from Clash of the Titans (2010) and the Egyptian God Set from Gods of Egypt (2016) to understand the ways in which the cinematic imagination constructs them as antagonists and condemns their ways. While the hero and his masculinity is generally propagated as a form of “ideal” masculinity, the villain forms a more complex characterization as he may embody qualities possessed by the hero himself and yet be termed “unheroic”. Reading the texts as embodiments of popular culture, and thus, as sites for interrogating contemporary socio-political and cultural concerns, the paper would like to explore the construction of villainous and “non-ideal” masculinities in the figures of Hades and Set. Utilizing a textual reading of the films, the analysis would be supported by theories derived from Masculinity Studies and Film Studies. Keywords: Hollywood, mythology, masculinities, heroism and villainy

Abstract This essay examines the narrated recollections of the spy in Gerard Manley Hopkins’s unfinished poem “A soliloquy of one of the spies left in the wilderness” (1863). Particular attention is paid to the spy’s account of the Israelites’ wilderness wanderings and slavery in Egypt in order to examine Hopkins’s depiction of a will in rebellion against God. After considering the poem’s relationship to Hopkins’s undergraduate years in light of his imminent conversion to Catholicism, the essay investigates the ways in which the soliloquy’s confused chronologies and emendations call attention to the spy’s spiritual disorders. By reading the spy’s internal disorder as a corollary to the social disintegration in Eden that Hopkins identified in Adam and Eve’s rebellion, the essay argues that the soliloquy attributes the speaker’s inner disorientation to his rebellious will set against God. Although the soliloquy appropriates descriptions of the lush Canaanite landscape to describe Egyptian slavery as comfortable, even luxurious, the vestiges of violence repeatedly interrupt the soliloquy’s relentless insistence on Egypt’s “pleasance.” As the soliloquy’s rhetorical maneuvers repeatedly fail to justify the spy’s rebellion, Hopkins explores and displays the impact of spiritual rebellion on the human psyche.

The rise of a vigorous and sometimes violent Islamistmovement in Egypt has attracted considerable attentionfrom scholars. Less attention has been given to those whohave responded to this challenge at the level of ideologicaldebate. One of these is a prominent judge, Muhammad Sa’idal-‘Ashmawi. He argues that the call for the "application ofthe syarî’ah" (tathbîq al-sharî’ah), watchwords of the Islamistmovement, are in reality little more than empty slogans,designed to get popular support for a political venture butextremely vague and probably insignificant in substance. Intime, however, its meaning expanded, first to include all ofthe rules for worship and society found in the Qur’ân, thenthose in the sunna of the Prophet, and finally all the opinionsand judgments of the scholars (ijtihâd). But these opinionsand judgments are properly called fiqh, and the final result ofthe development is that in common usage the term syarî’ahhas come to mean fiqh.Those who use the slogan, however,are in fact calling for the application oí fiqh, that is, a set ofrules and laws devised by humans, not God, to meethistorical conditions of the past which no longer obtain. Indiscussing ribä, al-cAshmawi holds that current Egyptianlaw essentially conforms to the syarî’ah. The same is true ofthe rest of Egyptian law.

This paper shows how governments are reluctant to take decisions to allow GMO products for human use and to change them. It also draws a comparison about the allowance and usage of GMO products between Russia and Egypt (with the United States of America representing the largest country around the world in using GMO products). The results of the study are supported by the data of a survey among certain age groups from the Russian and Egyptian populations, conducted by the authors of the paper. As a solution, the Egyptian and Russian governments should allow imports and cultivation of GMO crops under supervision by departments to guarantee their safety. The authors see that GMO products are the best solution to face the potential food shortage for most of the countries dependent on foods imported from Ukraine and Russia because of the Russia-Ukraine war.

The article deals with the feasts of the crocodile god Sebek, celebrated in Fayum, Thebes and Kom Ombo, which originated during the Old Kingdom. The surviving images of Sebek are studied, that provide an opportunity to reconstruct the ritual and symbolic programs of festivals of the named deity. The analysis of the reliefs from the temple of Nyuserra (V Dyn.) depicting the harvest scenes, crocodile, fish, frog and bA-boat, suggested that they represent festive rituals held during the harvest season and related to the cults of Sebek, Osiris and Re. These rites probably celebrated the renewal of nature, the full flow of the river and the fertility of the earth. A study of the relief of Amenemhat III from the British Museum (EA 1072) made it possible to reconstruct the programs of Sebek feasts in Fayum, which involved the Osirian, solar and Heb-sed rituals. These festivals reproduced the visible movement of the sun and moon across the sky and aimed at the revival of strength and power of the gods and the king. Sebek was associated with the sun, moon and various constellations, represented as crocodiles in the paintings of the coffin of Heny (Asyut; XII Dyn.), the ceilings of the tombs of Senmut (TT 353; XVIII Dyn.) and Seti I (KV 17; XIX Dyn.). Two of these constellations are designated sAq («crocodile») and Htp-rdwy («restful of feet»). It seems that some of the feasts of Sebek were concerned with «the festivals of the sky» and celebrated certain astronomical phenomena.

Coral reefs are the most biological systems productive and versatile on the surface of the planet earth, which is a source with economic and social, returns great for the country that God-given this natural wealth. Egypt is home to some of the most spectacular coral reefs and associated marine life in the world. Egypt has enacted laws and takes effective measures for the protection and management of coral reefs and associated ecosystems in the Red Sea and its Gulf to characterize these areas of the richness and diversity of coral reef environment is scarce to be repeated elsewhere in the world. The largest sub-sector for the Egyptian tourism market is the coastal tourism. Coastal tourism depends largely on intact reefs, and this is also one of the most important causes of reef degradation in Egypt. Over the last two decades live coral cover has declined in Egypt. Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency (EEAA) implements its own methodology to estimate the coral reefs impacts as a result of the destruction of coral reefs due to ship aground or anchorage. This paper focuses on and presents the modelling of the destruction of coral reefs as a result of the collision and the ship ground damage assessment in case of oil spills in Egyptian coastal water referring to the EEAA methodology applied in Egypt.

The conventional position of Seth in Ancient Egypt is as the villain amongst the gods. That is to say he is documented as the murderer of his brother, Osiris, and the enemy of Horus. However he does have a number of aspects and was venerated in certain guises and places, particularly the Delta. It is likely that the Osirian mythology represented the struggle between Upper and Lower Egypt at the time of the unification of Egypt in Predynastic and early Dynastic times. This is illustrated by the finding of a carved artefact from the Predynastic Amratian (Naqada I) period (4000-3500 B.C.E.) and the fact that Peribsen and Khasekhemwy had serekhs surmounted by a Seth animal. This confusion continues during the Old Kingdom where although Seth is mainly portrayed as the villain in the majority of the Pyramid Texts, at times he appears to be a friend of Osiris e.g.: in texts from Teti there is a statement that Seth is the arch-enemy of Osiris, as he was of Horus, and the defeat of Seth and his followers by Horus is described with great satisfaction; but, conversely in texts from Pepi: Seth and Thoth are called the brothers of Osiris who weep for him and in another place Seth is called upon to give life to Osiris. This surely illustrates the struggles that were continuing between Upper and Lower Egypt and when Upper Egypt was supplying the pharaohs, then Horus was triumphant and Seth portrayed in his villainous role, but when Lower Egypt held sway then Seth has a more prominent role. This thesis will examine Seth’s fluctuating role in these various periods of Ancient Egypt and seek to show that his rises and falls actually reflected the turbulent times that were a constant factor of life during these times and that, certainly in the Delta, and possibly in other parts of the country, his worship was always on-going. This will be achieved by:• Examining the ‘traditional’ positioning of Seth within the Osirian story.• Examining the worship of Seth in the Predynastic and early Dynastic time periods.• Examining the rise of Seth to prominence during the Hyksos Period.• Examining the position of Seth within the Ramesside era.• Examining the vilification he experienced during the Saite Period.• Examining the position of Seth during the Graeco-Roman Period.

Abstract This chapter evaluates Temple of Set founder Michael Aquino’s The Book of Coming Forth by Night (1975). The text describes a manifestation of an “ageless Intelligence of the Universe” that rejected the “Moorish” moniker of Satan. It is a “sequence of realizations” from the ancient Egyptian god Set. Aquino does not consider himself the author as much as the instrument for Set’s revelations. Indeed, it is written in the first person as the voice of Set, who claims responsibility for Aleister Crowley and Anton Szandor LaVey’s occult ideas, in order to “prepare men for that which would follow.” The Book of Coming Forth by Night, despite being an important internal text, is perhaps not the most influential externally: its reach does not extend much beyond the Temple of Set.

Abstract This chapter highlights Kenneth Grant’s “Vinum Sabbati” (1961). Grant became an influential figure in the British Thelemic movement, and to some extent British occultism in general, after Aleister Crowley’s death in 1947. “Vinum Sabbati” is a short essay on the Witches’ Sabbath, and two principal lines of reasoning are intertwined in the text. To some extent, Grant argues that the witches’ Sabbath had roots in pre-Christian magical ceremony; the main part of the text, however, is an attempt to explain the logic and magical motive behind the rite of the Sabbath. What Grant here calls “the medieval Sabbath” is perceived by him to be a corrupted remnant of an ancient Egyptian religious ceremony dedicated to the god Set. Moreover, the Devil, presiding over the Sabbath, is described by Grant as a reinterpretation of older pagan deities such as Pan or Set, he is the sun and the life force—but he is also that source of creation in which the performers of the Sabbath are trying to reabsorb themselves. Even though “Vinum Sabbati” is one of Grant’s earliest texts, it expounds basic elements of an understanding of the Devil that is never really revised.

Abstract The earliest written records pertaining to dreaming are those of the Ancient Egyptians. One “dream book” has been ascribed to Pharaoh Merikare, who lived around 2070 B.C. The Chester Beatty Papyrus, dated approximately 1250 B.C., contains the records of some 200 dreams (omina) and their interpretation according to the priests of the god Horus. This papyrus, which is in the British Museum, is known to be based on centuries of tradition. Unfortunately, the records compiled by the priests of another important god, Set, have been lost. Thus, the extent to which the interpretations of the different gods overlap is not known.

In order to see how the Greek, Roman, and Arab conquests of the Near East shaped the conqueror's and conquered's understanding of the origins of civilization, this chapter surveys the region's ancient mythologies before the conquests: Mesopotamian, Iranian, Egyptian, Greek, and Hebrew (the surviving Hurrian, Hittite, and Canaanite texts do not treat the subject). In Mesopotamian, Iranian, and Egyptian myths, gods create civilization ex nihilo and gave it to humans, sometimes through special human or semihuman interlocutors. The arts and sciences they create are almost always beneficial, and their point of origin is usually associated with cities, not with peoples. The genres of texts surveyed are also heterogeneous because of the ways that culture myths from the different ancient societies survived.

Abstract The lamentations of the two sad sisters were not in vain. In pity for her sorrow the sun-god Ra sent down from heaven the jackal-headed god Anubis, who, with the aid of Isis and Nephthys, of Thoth and Horus, pieced together the broken body of the murdered god, swathed it in linen bandages, and observed all the other rites which the Egyptians were wont to perform over the bodies of the departed. Then Isis fanned the cold clay with her wings: Osiris revived, and thenceforth reigned as king over the dead in the other world.

Abstract In what respect did the Egyptians sin in not believing Moses, since the magicians wrought like signs, even although they were done rather in ap pearance than in truth? For if I had been there then, should I not have thought, from the fact that the magicians did like things to those which Moses did, either that Moses was a magician, or that the magicians wrought their signs by divine commission? For I should not have thought it likely that the same things could be effected by magicians, even in appear ance, which he who was sent by God performed.

Abstract To observers on the earth, it appears that the earth stands still and everything else moves around it. Thus, in trying to imagine how the universe works, it made good sense to people in ancient times to start with those apparent truths. The ancient Greek thinkers, particularly Aristotle, set a pattern that was to last for about 2,000 years: a large, stationary earth at the center of the universe, and-positioned around the earth-the sun, the moon, and tiny stars arrayed in a perfect sphere, with all these bodies orbiting along perfect circles at constant speeds. Shortly after the beginning of the Christian era, that basic concept was transformed into a powerful mathematical model by an Egyptian astronomer, Ptolemy.

Abstract Thirty years ago Joseph Kerman, following Edward Lowinsky’s lead in dis cussing Clemens, first suggested that sixteen or so of Byrd’s motets, employing metaphors such as the plight of Jerusalem, the Babylonian captivity, the Egyptian captivity, liberation, and the coming of God, or martyrdom, had been “politically” conceived, specifically to reflect the plight of persecuted English Catholics (see Table 16. 1). Kerman took up this idea again in 1979, and in 1981 offered further refinements in a summation that has remained his last word on this intriguing issue. More recently, in the course of editing Byrd’s last great collection of Latin music, Gradualia, Philip Brett perceptively clarified the “political” character of that most overtly Catholic publication. Drawing upon revealing textual glosses in the Douai Bible to scriptural texts favored by Byrd, Brett reinforced the links to the Old Religion, and suggested alliances between the composer and the Jesuit mission to England.

Rites of passage mark important changes during human life, and for the neonate, its transition from intrauterine life into society. Their original intent was to purify the body from blood and meconium, but the cleansing rites had a spiritual dimension from the very start. When the rites of Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Jewish, Greek, Roman, Hindu, Nordic, Muslim, Mayan, and Christian cultures are briefly compared, they reveal a remarkable similarity. What most rites had in common was the cleansing of the body, or sprinkling it with water; special clothing; the exorcism of evil spirits; blessings and prayers for good spirits; and a name-giving ceremony and a feast for family, relatives, and friends. Before this rite, the infant’s social existence was incomplete and it could easily be abandoned or killed, as was usual in case of severe malformations. Infant baptism originated in the 4th century c.e. with the concept of original sin. Rites of passage defined, but also set an end to, the liminal status between life and death, and granted the right to live for the infant.

The Mediterranean coasts might be expected to serve as the natural limit to imperial expansion by the great powers of the Middle East – the Hittites, Assyria, even Pharaonic Egypt. The Assyrians did occasionally try to browbeat Cyprus into submission, as did the Egyptians, for its resources in timber and metal were too precious to ignore. But no attempt to gain mastery over the eastern Mediterranean matched the Persian conquests in Anatolia and the Levant during the sixth century BC, and the Persian attempt to invade Greece; the defeat of Persia would be celebrated as the greatest Greek victory since the fall of Troy. The achievement was not just military but political, since a great many cities in Greece proper and the Aegean islands collaborated in the struggle against the Persians, and even Syracuse was asked to help (though it fought off a threat from Carthage, possibly instigated by Persia). The Greeks commemorated their triumph by erecting victory monuments such as the bronze serpent from Delphi, now in the Hippodrome at Istanbul; there, they inscribed the names of thirty-one cities that had helped resist the Persians at the great battle of Plataia in 479 BC, and even that list was not complete. A ‘Congress of the Hellenes’ came into existence, and the name of Hellene, originally assigned by Homer to the followers of Achilles, was increasingly understood to refer to a common identity expressed through language, the cult of the gods and style of life. The story that emerged, most resoundingly in the spirited account of these events by Herodotos, was that of the defence of Greek liberty against Persian tyranny. In his play The Persians, performed in Athens in 472, Aeschylus assumed that the future of Hellas directly depended on the fate of his home city: . . . QUEEN ATOSSA : Say where, in all this peopled world, a city of men called Athens lies? LEADER : Far distant, where our Lord the sun sinks and his last effulgence dies. ATOSSA : And this far western land it is my son so craved to make his prey? LEADER : Aye, for if Athens once were his, all Hellas must his word obey. . . .

Abstract Zohr field was discovered in 2015 by the Italian energy company Eni and is the largest ever natural gas found in the Mediterranean Sea, with around (30 trillion cubic feet) total gas in place. Belaim Petroleum Company (Petrobel) (JV with ENI) is the Egyptian Petroleum Corporation arm and the owner of the project. Production started in December 2017 and since then 18 wells have been drilled for production. This paper describes the criteria for material selection of the production strings for Zohr’s deep-water gas producers and how pre-tested and approved cost-effective alternatives are available for such a top-class project. The paper details the qualification and deployment of glass reinforced polymer (GRP) Lined Tubing as an alternative to 28%Chrome tubing, including the testing work that has been performed, and the operational aspects of running the referred-to alternative in several deep-water projects. The choice of Duoline lined tubing results from the need for a cost-effective solution delivering the same operational requirements of 28% Chrome production strings. And since the Duoline GRE system will be integrated with the steel tubing therefore this system has to be previously fully approved and certified by the manufacturing mill of the lined tubing so there would be not even minor modifications to the specifications and the sealing performance of the premium connections and tubing body. The paper indulges into describing the laboratory tests and the field experiences of the Duoline Lined tubing system in various fields globally, where this system has been tested in severe operating conditions with elevated levels of H2S, CO2, Salinity, dissolved Oxygen conditions to investigate the capability and service limits of the fiberglass liner at different temperatures. In addition to mentioning the erosion tests that were performed, mechanical tests such as pressure loop and make & break tests, how these various tests ended with good results and its comparison to the exotic high chrome joints performance. This fiberglass lined tubing system has been applied in gas production wells since the 1980s, and ENI has been utilizing this technology in their production and water wells since 2005 in the north Africa, middle east, Kashagan regions and Norway offshore wells. On the other side, the technology has been successfully used world-wide in more than 55,000 wells since 1960s in various applications besides gas production strings. The paper will present the past experience of ENI with fiberglass lined tubing, the laboratory tests, the field experiences, the economic evaluation of implementing this system in such a high-profile project, In addition to the pre-qualifications performed on this system by the OCTG mills and approvals granted to integrate this technology with the patent premium connection joints.

The rapid urban development in the Hurghada area since the 1980s has dramatically enhanced the potential impact of human activities. To inventory and monitor this urban development effectively, remote sensing provides a viable source of data from which updated land cover information can be extracted efficiently and cheaply. In this study, data from three satellite datasets, Landsat Thematic Mapper (Landsat 5 TM), Landsat Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (Landsat 7 ETM+) and Terra/Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER), acquired during 1987, 2000 and 2005, respectively, were used to detect and evaluate Hurghada's urban expansion. Five change detection techniques were tested to detect areas of change. The techniques considered were image differencing, image ratioing, image overlay, multidate principal component analysis (PCA) and post-classification comparison. The post-classification comparison was found to be the most accurate procedure and produced three land use/land cover (LULC) maps of the years 1987, 2000 and 2005 with overall accuracies of 87.8%, 88.9% and 92.0%, respectively. The urban expansion analysis revealed that the built-up area has expanded by 40 km2 in 18 years (1987–2005). In addition, 4.5 km2 of landfill/sedimentation was added to the sea as a result of the coastal urban development and tourist activities. The booming coastal tourism and population pressure were considered to be the main factors driving this expansion, and some natural and artificial constraints constrained the physical shape of the city. The expansion is represented by urban fringe development, linear, infill and isolated models. Topography, lithology and structures were also analysed as possible factors that influenced the expansion. The understanding of the spatial and temporal dynamics of Hurghada's urban expansion is the cornerstone for formulating a view about the future urban uses and for making the best use of the limited resources that are available [1]. A Landsat 5 Thematic Mapper (TM) image of 1987 and a Landsat 7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) image of 2000 were used to examine changes in land use/land cover (LULC) around Hurghada, Egypt, and changes in the composition of coral reefs offshore. Prior to coral reef bottom type classification, the radiance values were transformed to depth invariant bottom indices to reduce the effect of the water column. Subsequently, a multi component change detection procedure was applied to these indices to define changes. Preliminary results showed significant changes in LULC during the period 1987–2000 as well as changes in coral reef composition. Direct impacts along the coastline were clearly shown, but it was more difficult to link offshore changes in coral reef composition to indirect impacts of the changing LULC. Further research is needed to explore the effects of the different image processing steps, and to discover possible links between indirect impacts of LULC changes and changes in the coral reef composition [2]. Knowledge and detecting impacts of human activities on the coastal ecosystem is an essential management requirement and also very important for future and proper planning of coastal areas. Moreover, documentation of these impacts can help in increasing public awareness about side effects of unsustainable practices. Analysis of multidate remote sensing data can be used as an effective tool in environmental impact assessment (EIA). Being synoptic and frequent in coverage, multidate data from Landsat and other satellites provide a reference record and bird’s eye viewing to the environmental situation of the coastal ecosystem and the associated habitats. Furthermore, integration of satellite data with field observations and background information can help in decision if a certain activity has caused deterioration to a specific habitat or not. The present paper is an attempt to utilize remote sensing data for assessment impacts of some human activities on the major sensitive habitats of the north western Egyptian Red Sea coastal zone, definitely between Ras Gemsha and Safaga. Through multidate change analysis of Landsat data (TM & ETM+ sensors), it was possible to depict some of the human infringements in the area and to provide, in some cases, exclusive evidences for the damaging effect of some developmental activities [3]. The coastline of Hurghada has experienced considerable environmental stress from tourist and residential recreational activities. Uncontrolled tourist development has already caused substantial damage to inshore reefs and imbalance in the hydrodynamic pattern of the coastal sediments. The objective of this paper is to investigate environmental changes using multitemporal, multispectral satellite data to identify changes at Hurghada caused by anthropogenic influences. Major detected changes include resort beaches, protection structures and landfill areas; these changes are mainly due to human intervention. Two Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) images acquired in 1984 and 1997 are used for this analysis. The landfill areas formed during this period are calculated at about 2.15 Km2 . Whilst landfill creates new inexpensive land and improves access to the sea for tourists, it is the cause of environmental problems. In addition, land-use/land-cover and beach changes are determined over the 13-year period [4]. The Red Sea coastal zone is characterized by its sensitive, fragile, unique natural resources and habitats. In the Hurghada coastal region, major changes in the tourism industry have taken place in the last few decades. The detection of environmental changes, in a selected site of the Red Sea coastal zone, will be helpful to protect and develop this coastal environment. A methodology for separating natural and man-made changes in satellite images was developed. It was based on the following assumptions: (1) slow changes, which occur within the range of the class reflectance, represent a natural change rather than an anthropogenic one; (2) natural changes tend to be in the same land-use/land-cover class in each date, i.e. slow changes in the reflectance, not leading to changes in the type of land-use/land-cover class from the master image to the destination one; and (3) rapid changes in the reflectance of the Earth's objects are usually related to anthropogenic activities. This technique is used to identify and assess changes along the coast of Hurghada and Ras Abu Soma, the Red Sea. Results indicate serious human impacts and the necessity for control measures and monitoring. Recommendations are presented [5]. The rapid urban development of the Hurghada area began in early 1980 to build villages and huge tourist resorts and this has continued urban development and subsequent land filling and dredging of the shoreline and the destruction of coral so far. These coastal developments have led to an increase in shoreline land filling and dredging. Despite all the environmental laws of the organization to reduce infringement on the shoreline, the abuses are still ongoing. Change detection analysis using remote sensing is a very good tool to monitor the changes condition in urban development and shoreline. Four sensors was used in this study, three of them are, Landsat Multispectral Scanner (Landsat 1 MSS), Landsat Thematic Mapper (Landsat 5 TM), Landsat Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (Landsat 7 ETM+) and the another one is SPOT XS 4 (Originally Système Probatoire de l’Observation de la Terre), acquired during 1972, 1984, 1992, 2004 and 2011, respectively, were used to detect and evaluate Hurghada’s urban expansion and shoreline changes. After the images have been geometrically, radio-metrically and atmospherically corrected using ENVI 5.0 software, the digital number was transformed to the reflectance values and the images were ready to change detection process with the integration of geographic information system using Arc GIS 10 software. The results show that changes during the 39 years of the shoreline is 6.29 km2, (5.65 km2 accretion and 0.64 km2 erosion) and urban development is 16.47 km2 the road network is the 8.738 km2.

The rapid urban development in the Hurghada area since the 1980s has dramatically enhanced the potential impact of human activities. To inventory and monitor this urban development effectively, remote sensing provides a viable source of data from which updated land cover information can be extracted efficiently and cheaply. In this study, data from three satellite datasets, Landsat Thematic Mapper (Landsat 5 TM), Landsat Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (Landsat 7 ETM+) and Terra/Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER), acquired during 1987, 2000 and 2005, respectively, were used to detect and evaluate Hurghada's urban expansion. Five change detection techniques were tested to detect areas of change. The techniques considered were image differencing, image ratioing, image overlay, multidate principal component analysis (PCA) and post-classification comparison. The post-classification comparison was found to be the most accurate procedure and produced three land use/land cover (LULC) maps of the years 1987, 2000 and 2005 with overall accuracies of 87.8%, 88.9% and 92.0%, respectively. The urban expansion analysis revealed that the built-up area has expanded by 40 km2 in 18 years (1987–2005). In addition, 4.5 km2 of landfill/sedimentation was added to the sea as a result of the coastal urban development and tourist activities. The booming coastal tourism and population pressure were considered to be the main factors driving this expansion, and some natural and artificial constraints constrained the physical shape of the city. The expansion is represented by urban fringe development, linear, infill and isolated models. Topography, lithology and structures were also analysed as possible factors that influenced the expansion. The understanding of the spatial and temporal dynamics of Hurghada's urban expansion is the cornerstone for formulating a view about the future urban uses and for making the best use of the limited resources that are available [1]. A Landsat 5 Thematic Mapper (TM) image of 1987 and a Landsat 7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) image of 2000 were used to examine changes in land use/land cover (LULC) around Hurghada, Egypt, and changes in the composition of coral reefs offshore. Prior to coral reef bottom type classification, the radiance values were transformed to depth invariant bottom indices to reduce the effect of the water column. Subsequently, a multi component change detection procedure was applied to these indices to define changes. Preliminary results showed significant changes in LULC during the period 1987–2000 as well as changes in coral reef composition. Direct impacts along the coastline were clearly shown, but it was more difficult to link offshore changes in coral reef composition to indirect impacts of the changing LULC. Further research is needed to explore the effects of the different image processing steps, and to discover possible links between indirect impacts of LULC changes and changes in the coral reef composition [2]. Knowledge and detecting impacts of human activities on the coastal ecosystem is an essential management requirement and also very important for future and proper planning of coastal areas. Moreover, documentation of these impacts can help in increasing public awareness about side effects of unsustainable practices. Analysis of multidate remote sensing data can be used as an effective tool in environmental impact assessment (EIA). Being synoptic and frequent in coverage, multidate data from Landsat and other satellites provide a reference record and bird’s eye viewing to the environmental situation of the coastal ecosystem and the associated habitats. Furthermore, integration of satellite data with field observations and background information can help in decision if a certain activity has caused deterioration to a specific habitat or not. The present paper is an attempt to utilize remote sensing data for assessment impacts of some human activities on the major sensitive habitats of the north western Egyptian Red Sea coastal zone, definitely between Ras Gemsha and Safaga. Through multidate change analysis of Landsat data (TM & ETM+ sensors), it was possible to depict some of the human infringements in the area and to provide, in some cases, exclusive evidences for the damaging effect of some developmental activities [3]. The coastline of Hurghada has experienced considerable environmental stress from tourist and residential recreational activities. Uncontrolled tourist development has already caused substantial damage to inshore reefs and imbalance in the hydrodynamic pattern of the coastal sediments. The objective of this paper is to investigate environmental changes using multitemporal, multispectral satellite data to identify changes at Hurghada caused by anthropogenic influences. Major detected changes include resort beaches, protection structures and landfill areas; these changes are mainly due to human intervention. Two Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) images acquired in 1984 and 1997 are used for this analysis. The landfill areas formed during this period are calculated at about 2.15 Km2 . Whilst landfill creates new inexpensive land and improves access to the sea for tourists, it is the cause of environmental problems. In addition, land-use/land-cover and beach changes are determined over the 13-year period [4]. The Red Sea coastal zone is characterized by its sensitive, fragile, unique natural resources and habitats. In the Hurghada coastal region, major changes in the tourism industry have taken place in the last few decades. The detection of environmental changes, in a selected site of the Red Sea coastal zone, will be helpful to protect and develop this coastal environment. A methodology for separating natural and man-made changes in satellite images was developed. It was based on the following assumptions: (1) slow changes, which occur within the range of the class reflectance, represent a natural change rather than an anthropogenic one; (2) natural changes tend to be in the same land-use/land-cover class in each date, i.e. slow changes in the reflectance, not leading to changes in the type of land-use/land-cover class from the master image to the destination one; and (3) rapid changes in the reflectance of the Earth's objects are usually related to anthropogenic activities. This technique is used to identify and assess changes along the coast of Hurghada and Ras Abu Soma, the Red Sea. Results indicate serious human impacts and the necessity for control measures and monitoring. Recommendations are presented [5]. The rapid urban development of the Hurghada area began in early 1980 to build villages and huge tourist resorts and this has continued urban development and subsequent land filling and dredging of the shoreline and the destruction of coral so far. These coastal developments have led to an increase in shoreline land filling and dredging. Despite all the environmental laws of the organization to reduce infringement on the shoreline, the abuses are still ongoing. Change detection analysis using remote sensing is a very good tool to monitor the changes condition in urban development and shoreline. Four sensors was used in this study, three of them are, Landsat Multispectral Scanner (Landsat 1 MSS), Landsat Thematic Mapper (Landsat 5 TM), Landsat Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (Landsat 7 ETM+) and the another one is SPOT XS 4 (Originally Système Probatoire de l’Observation de la Terre), acquired during 1972, 1984, 1992, 2004 and 2011, respectively, were used to detect and evaluate Hurghada’s urban expansion and shoreline changes. After the images have been geometrically, radio-metrically and atmospherically corrected using ENVI 5.0 software, the digital number was transformed to the reflectance values and the images were ready to change detection process with the integration of geographic information system using Arc GIS 10 software. The results show that changes during the 39 years of the shoreline is 6.29 km2, (5.65 km2 accretion and 0.64 km2 erosion) and urban development is 16.47 km2 the road network is the 8.738 km2.