The Egyptian ankh tattoo can be seen displayed on people all over the world and on many celebrities also. Why would someone want to tattoo their body with this image? The answer is that this is one of the most well known Egyptian symbols and it represents eternal life. This tattoo is displayed as a small tattoo usually on the wrist, ankle or sometimes on the leg... as a larger tattoo it is usually more on the torso or shoulder and back.

The ankh is also known as the "key of the Nile" or the Crux Anasta, which can also be translated to the "key of life". This makes sense because the Egyptians strongly believed that the Nile was the source of life, which is true because it was a major reason as to why the Egyptians economy grew so strongly and helped them become a super power. In fact the ankh was a symbol from the hieroglyphic alphabet that translated means eternal life.

The Egyptian ankh is depicted in many tomb paintings being held by the gods either by the loop or holding one in each hand with both arms crossed over the chest. The belief was that the god Anubis would use the ankh to transfer the breath of life to an Egyptian King when passing to the underworld.

Other theories state that the loop of the ankh symbolizes a woman and the cross a man therefore the fruit of life. Egyptian academics say that the loop represents the Nile delta, with the vertical line the path of the river and the other 2 lines the easy and west side of the country unifying together. There are so many theories behind the ankh's meaning but it does allow for creativity if you want it as a tattoo.

For more information on other Egyptian tattoo designs I would recommend visiting Egyptian tattoos.