Ptah facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ptah
Ptah, in the form of a mummified man, standing on the symbol for Ma'at, holding a scepter or staff that bears the combined ankh-djed-was symbols
Name in hieroglyphs
Major cult center	Memphis
Symbol	the djed pillar, the bull
Consort	Sekhmet and Bast
Offspring	Nefertem, Maahes
Parents	none (self-created or un-created)

In ancient Egyptian mythology, Ptah was a very important god. He was seen as the creator god of Memphis, a major city in ancient Egypt. Ptah was also the god of craftsmen and architects.

In Memphis, Ptah was part of a special group of three gods, called a triad. He was the husband of the fierce goddess Sekhmet and the father of Nefertum. People also believed he was the father of the wise man Imhotep.

Who was Ptah? The Creator God

Statue of Ptah - Egyptian Museum of Turin, Italy

Ptah was an amazing creator god in ancient Egypt. People believed he existed before anything else. He created the world just by thinking about it! First, he thought about the world in his heart. Then, he spoke it into existence with his words.

The ancient Egyptians believed that everything in nature, like animals and plants, came from Ptah's thoughts and words. He also helped keep the world safe and made sure the pharaohs (Egyptian kings) stayed in power.

The Memphite Theology

During the Twenty-Fifth Dynasty, a Nubian pharaoh named Shabaka wrote down an old story on a stone slab. This stone is known as the Shabaka Stone. It tells the story of the Memphite Theology. This story explains how Ptah created the universe using his thoughts and words.

What was Ptah the patron of?

Ptah was the special protector, or patron, of many different skilled workers. He was the god of:

• Craftsmen
• Metalworkers
• Carpenters
• Shipbuilders
• Sculptors

Ptah's special names

Ptah had many special names, called epithets. These names described his important roles in ancient Egyptian religion and society:

• Ptah the beautiful face
• Ptah lord of truth
• Ptah master of justice
• Ptah who listens to prayers
• Ptah master of ceremonies
• Ptah lord of eternity

How was Ptah shown?

Like many gods in ancient Egypt, Ptah appeared in different ways. Sometimes he was shown as a dwarf, but he became very popular in this form later on. He was often linked with the god Bes. His worship even spread outside Egypt, especially by the Phoenicians, reaching places like Carthage.

Ptah was usually shown as a man with green skin. He looked like he was wrapped tightly in a cloth, like a mummy. He wore a divine beard and held a special staff. This staff combined three powerful symbols:

• The Was sceptre, which meant power.
• The Ankh sign, which meant life.
• The Djed pillar, which meant stability.

These three symbols together showed Ptah's creative powers: power, life, and stability.

Stucco relief of Ptah holding a staff that bears the combined ankh and djed symbols, Late Period or Ptolemaic Dynasty, 4th to 3rd century BC

Ptah's different forms

From the Old Kingdom onwards, Ptah started to be seen in the forms of other gods from the Memphis area, like Sokar and Tatenen.

Ptah-Sokar-Osiris

When Ptah took on the form of Sokar, he was shown wrapped in a white cloth, wearing the Atef crown, which was also worn by the god Osiris. In this form, he was the protector of the burial grounds, especially Saqqara, where many royal pyramids were built. Over time, Ptah, Sokar, and Osiris combined to form a new god called Ptah-Sokar-Osiris. Small statues of this god were often placed in tombs to protect the dead on their journey to the afterlife.

Ptah-Tatenen

Ptah's Tatenen form was shown as a strong young man wearing a crown with two tall feathers and a sun disk. He represented the fire under the ground that makes the earth rumble. Because of this, metalworkers and blacksmiths especially honored him. But he was also feared because he caused earthquakes. In this form, Ptah was also the "master of ceremonies" for the Sed festival, a special event celebrating a pharaoh's first thirty years of rule.

Ptah and the Sun Gods

Ptah was sometimes linked to sun gods like Re or Aten. During the Amarna period, people believed Ptah was the divine power that helped the sun god come into being. In his temple in Memphis, Ptah would travel in a special boat during big festivals. Ptah was also symbolized by two human-headed birds with sun disks, which represented the souls of the god Re. These two "Ba" (souls) were identified as the twin gods Shu and Tefnut.

Ptah and the Apis Bull

Finally, Ptah was also seen in the sacred bull, Apis. This bull was often called a "herald of Re" (a messenger of the sun god). The Apis bull was worshipped in Memphis, likely at Ptah's great temple. When the bull died, it was buried with great honors in the Serapeum of Saqqara, as if it were a living god.

Pooh, Phoh, Loh (Lunus, le dieu-Lune, Sélène), N372.2, Brooklyn Museum

How Ptah's Worship Grew

Colossal statue of the god Ptah-Tatenen holding hands with Ramesses II found at Memphis - Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, Copenhagen

Since Ptah was the god of craftsmen, his worship quickly spread throughout Egypt. During the Old Kingdom, when many large royal buildings were made, the high priests of Ptah were very important. They worked closely with the vizier (a top official), acting as chief architects and master craftsmen. They were in charge of decorating the pharaohs' tombs.

In the New Kingdom, Ptah's worship grew even more. This happened especially in Memphis, his home city, but also in Thebes. The workers who built the royal tombs in Thebes honored Ptah as their patron god. Because of this, a special prayer place called Ptah who listens to prayers was built near Deir el-Medina, the village where these workers lived. In Memphis, Ptah's role as a god who listened to people's prayers was shown by carving large ears on the walls of his temple.

During the Nineteenth Dynasty, Ptah's worship became even stronger. He became one of the four most important gods in the empire of Ramesses. He was worshipped at Pi-Ramesses as the god of ceremonies and coronations (when a pharaoh was crowned).

In the Third Intermediate Period, Ptah became central to the monarchy again. Pharaohs were crowned in his temple. The Ptolemies (a later line of pharaohs) continued this tradition. The high priests of Ptah became very close to the royal family, with some even marrying princesses. This shows how important they were in the Ptolemaic court.

Main Places Where Ptah Was Worshipped

Images for kids

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  Relief fragment showing Imenet, Ptah and Amenhotep I; 1569–1081 BC; made of limestone; from the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (US)

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  Damaged statue of Ramses II with Ptah; 1292–1189 BC; made of granite; found at Memphis open-air museum (Egypt)

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  Ptah statue; 1070–712 BC; made of bronze, gold leaf and glass; height: 29.5 cm; from the Metropolitan Museum of Art

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  Ancient Egyptian cult image of Ptah; 945–600 BC; made of lapis lazuli; height of the figure: 5.2 cm; from the Metropolitan Museum of Art

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  Head of Ptah; late 8th–mid 7th century BC; made of limestone; height: 1.58 cm; from the Metropolitan Museum of Art

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  Head of Ptah; 664–525 BC; made of faience with blue-green and black glaze; height: 3.5 cm; from the Walters Art Museum (Baltimore, US)

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  Standing figure of Ptah; 664–332 BC; made of faience; height: 9.7 cm; from the Metropolitan Museum of Art

See also

In Spanish: Ptah para niños