THE CROWNS OF CLEOPATRA VII: AN ICONOGRAPHICAL ANALYTICAL STUDY

The aim of this research is to study the types of crowns worn by Cleopatra VII. The paper explores their shapes and significance, besides explaining the purpose of wearing them and identifying how common were these crowns among Cleopatra VII‟s antecedents among the Ptolemaic queens. It also explores the common depiction of Cleopatra VII‟s crowns in art, classifying the depiction of her crowns in the Egyptian style combined with Hellenistic elements. The researcher explored six types of crowns worn by Cleopatra VII, these are: Wig with Vulture Headdress and Sacred Uraeus holding Hathor Crown and the Two Feathers; the Double Crown; The Wig and the Three Holy Uraei Crown; The wig and three-uraeus crown derived from the Nekhbet crown; the Wig and Nekhbet Crown with Sacred Circle of Uraei holding a Hathoric crown and the Wig with Vulture Headdress. We trace the features of the hellenistic style in sculptures and coins, and discuss the importance of the existence of these types not only in their resemblance to the ancient dynastic royal iconography of pharaohs and their queens but also in their symbolism related to the egyptian beliefs which are evidently respected and adopted by the Greeks of egypt, including the ruling class.