False door of Nebi

False door of Nebi

The false door is an architectural element present in funeral chapels, which has a symbolic value, representing the point of contact between the living and the dead. The relatives of the deceased laid their offerings before it as if one could  actually communicate with the inaccessable underground part of the tomb. If one looks at the central part, the recess above proposes a drum under the lintel, which depicts the mat rolled up to let the 'soul of the deceased’ pass. This false door dates back to the sixth dynasty: one of the elements of Egyptian dating is the throat, or the replica in stone of a series of palm leaves folded outwards and the T motif in the central panel where one sees the owner at the offering table. Nebi was "noble of the king, Superintendent chef of royal meals, Inspector of the dining room of the Palace" and is also represented in a mirrored position on either side of the door.