Fungal conservation and ancient Egyptians- Part 1: A spiritual heritage of a look

Abstract

Egypt is the cradle of civilization and mycology. Drawing fungi is one of the joys of mycology, and something that anybody can try. Art has been a part of mycology since earliest times and published in many international journals and books. Line drawings are essential for showing details of fungal structure, whether in a field guide or fungal monographs. Ancient Egyptians produced a number of hieroglyphic depictions of psychedelic mushrooms on temples and through hieroglyphic texts throughout the country. A new attractive tool to raise national and international awareness on fungal conservation is drawing of fungi in many attractive portraits as ancient Egyptians documented them everywhere. In this series of paintings I participated with these portraits to attract young mycologists in MENA and to apply a new tool for conserving fungi.