Pool with Lotus and Papyrus Plants in front of the Egyptian Museum, Cairo.

The rectangular pool in front of the Egyptian Museum in Cairo is filled with lotus and papyrus plants, symbolic of Upper and Lower Egypt, respectively. The lotus or water lily floats in the water in the outer rectangle, while the papyrus stretches out of the inner rectangle. The wispy heads of the papyrus stalks are silhouetted against the walls of the museum. The lotus and papyrus appear frequently in ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs and art.