Of the City of the Sun, Heliopolis
Heliopolis, one of the grand cities of the ancient world, was a center of culture, commerce, and learning. Known by various names, it was called Heliopolis (“City of the Sun”), the City of On (“City of Being”), and Iunu (“City of the Pillar”).
Existing since prehistoric times, Heliopolis held a significant place in ancient Egyptian mythology. It was believed to be the location where all creation began, as it housed the ‘mound of creation’.
During the Old Kingdom, Heliopolis was a center of astronomy, and its highest priest was called ‘Chief of Observers’.
By the Middle Kingdom, it had become a hub for learning in both astronomy and philosophy. The House of Life in Heliopolis was created to preserve knowledge, using written and pictoral forms.
The Greek historian Herodotus noted that the priests of Heliopolis were the best-informed in matters of history. The city flourished as a seat of learning, and its schools of philosophy and astronomy attracted luminaries such as Orpheus, Homer, Pythagoras, Plato, and Solon. Strabo, another Greek historian, wrote about seeing the “residences of Plato and Eudoxus” in Heliopolis. These Greek philosophers believed Egypt, and particularly Heliopolis, was a source of ancient and profound knowledge.
As the site of the advent of “being” and the beginning of all existence, Heliopolis was designed to catch the first rays of dawn, representing the mythical “creation mound” tied to the sun. This connection also links to the city’s Egyptian name, Iunu, meaning “pillar,” giving Heliopolis the moniker “City of the Pillar.”
In Heliopolis, atop the Benben stone, a primordial mound is where creation itself began.
The story begins with the Egyptian goddess Nun, who stirred the waters of creation and from these sacred waters Bennu, the soul of Ra, emerged. With feathers ablaze, Bennu soared above Heliopolis, the City of the Sun, and landed upon the Benben stone, the mound of creation.
Bennu’s cry, the first sound of life, echoed through the universe, igniting the sun’s eternal flame. And through Ra, the sun, everything came to Be.
The fiery bird of rebirth was called Bennu by the Egyptians, and Phoenix by the Greeks.
Every five hundred years, the Phoenix returns to Heliopolis, and builds a nest of aromatic herbs and spices atop the sacred stone. In a blaze of divine fire, she is consumed, only to rise anew from the ashes, reborn even more powerful and vibrant.
Stories of Bennu
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