By Hanan Khamis Al Shafei
ABSTRACT
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.
