Middle East

An Egyptian pharaoh who banished polytheism and started a new religion with a single god, Aten.

A winged, godlike creature once seen in Mesopotamia (contemporary Iraq, Türkiye, Syria, and Kuwait).

The Bronze-Age clay figures were offerings from a Bull-Cult site in what is now Turkmenistan.

The ancient goddess of fertility. Associated with lakes and rivers, she originates from Armenia.

An ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic symbol that represented the word for “life” in Ancient Egypt.

Usually depicted holding a scepter, he was the god of embalming and the dead in Ancient Egypt.

A gold chest containing the Ten Commandments. The provenance is unclear, possibly Eritrea or Israel.

A bejeweled and revered cat goddess from Ancient Egypt (some household cats were mummified).

The earliest images of Orthodox Christianity were icons from monasteries in the Sinai, Egypt.

An effigy of twinned animals from the Bronze Age found in the present-day United Arab Emirates.

Naturalistic portraits of the dead of later Romanized Egypt, they replaced the mummies of Egypt.

The 4,500-year-old statue has a lion’s body and a human head and comes from Egypt.

A hand with an eye placed in the middle, dating back to ancient Mesopotamia (modern Iraq, Syria, Türkiye).

A candelabra with nine candles is lit to commemorate the second temple in Jerusalem, Israel.

A solitary being who has vowed obedience, poverty, and chastity to the Church. The first known hermits were from Egypt.

A prophet whose famed quote, "Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands," is in the Old Testament's Book of Isaiah.

A goddess first depicted in the Old Kingdom, her power was greater than the other gods of Ancient Egypt.

Ensures cleanliness to those kneeling in worship. Probably started as reed mats in Saudi Arabia.

Mainly known for baptizing Jesus. Baptism became popular with Early Christians and is now the dominant Christian sacrament.

A deity with a human head, an eagle's wings, and a bull's body. It inhabited parts of Türkiye and Iraq.

An incense burner used in mosques. Found throughout the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia.

Originating in Syria, the story from One Thousand and One Nights is about Aladdin and his magic lamp.

The supreme god of Ancient Mesopotamia, present-day Iraq, Türkiye, Syria, and Kuwait.

One of the followers of Jesus. She regretted her sinful past and became a symbol of penance.

A mythical sea creature known all over the world. From Ancient Assyria, now part of Iraq and Türkiye.

Placed on the doors of Jewish homes to remind Jews of their covenant with God. Originated in Israel.

Known and famed for leading Israel out of slavery in Egypt. He also provided the world with the Ten Commandments.

The main symbol of the Bahá'í religion, originating in Iran. The Arabic means"O Glory of Glories.”

Revered by the Yazidis of Türkiye, Iraq, and Syria as a messenger to their god, Yazdan.

A Pharaoh of the Sixth Egyptian dynasty is shown kneeling, offering ritual vessels in Ancient Egypt.

Statues are forbidden in Islam, so medallions remind believers of god. These are from Iran.

A deity used for the Pharaoh's intestines in preparation for mummification in Ancient Egypt.

Her husband was Joachim, her child was the Virgin Mary and her grandchild was Jesus.

The patron saint of the Caucasus country of Georgia, whose fame reached Western Christianity during the crusades.

A carpenter. Father or stepfather of Jesus, he is barely mentioned in the Bible, but images of him are popular with American house sellers.

Is shown with a Pentecostal flame, given to him and the other Apostles celebrating in Jerusalem, Israel.

Because she served Jesus a meal, she later became the patron saint of the hospitality industry (including baristas).

One of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ and the first leader of the Early Church.

He originated as a bishop known for his generosity in Myra, Türkiye, and has been transformed into Santa Claus, also known for his generosity.

The dung beetle was associated with the morning sun that signaled rebirth in Ancient Egypt.

Covered in hieroglyphs, they escorted the dead to the afterlife and acted as aides in Ancient Egypt.

The sun goddess was worshipped in a trinity that included the god of Venus and the moon god in what is now Yemen and Oman.

The mystical branch of Islam, which emphasizes universal love and peace, originated in Türkiye.

Earth from the village of Nazareth, where Jesus spent his childhood and possibly walked on this earth.

Muhammad, born in Mecca, was the founder of Islam which started in the early 600s CE in Saudi Arabia.

Usually shown with the head of the ibis, he was the god of wisdom and writing in Ancient Egypt.

A military leader who also ruled as Pharaoh. He was buried in the Valley of the Kings, Egypt.

Guarded burial chamber entrances for sometimes thousands of years in Ancient Egypt.

The legendary horse of Central Asia is still renowned in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan.

A pharaoh who was renamed King Tut and became famous when his tomb was discovered in Egypt.

Shaped like the ancient pyramids, it works by writing a wish, opening the pearl knob, and placing it inside.

An ancient god of oceans and rivers. From Canaan, now modern Lebanon and the State of Palestine.