Ankh is a mythological symbol depicting a hand-held cross. It is a hybrid of the following symbol(s): Hollow Circle, Latin Cross. Objectively, it is described as follows: A Hollow Circle superimposed atop a Latin Cross, wherein the widths of both are similarly thin.
Components of the Ankh symbol
Other symbols
 | Hollow Circle Variant of Circle |
 | Latin Cross Variant of Cross |
Derivations of the Ankh symbol
Uses of the Ankh symbol
 | Sumerian (Religion) Important symbol |
 | Egyptian (Religion) Standard symbol |
 | Mesopotamian (Culture) Recurring theme |
 | Egyptian Hieroglyphs (Writing system) Orthographic mark |
Cite this page
MLA Modern Language Association (8th ed.)
OMNIKA Foundation Contributors. "Ankh." OMNIKA – World Mythology Index, OMNIKA Foundation, 06 Jun. 2020, omnika.org/stable/601. Accessed 18 Jan. 2026.
APA American Psychological Association (6th ed.)
OMNIKA (2020, June 06). Ankh. Retrieved from https://omnika.org/stable/601
CMS Chicago Manual of Style (16th ed.)
OMNIKA Foundation Contributors. "Ankh." Las Vegas, NV: OMNIKA Foundation. Created June 06, 2020. Accessed January 18, 2026. https://omnika.org/stable/601.
Bibliography
Black, Jeremy, and Anthony Green. Gods, Demons, and Symbols of Ancient Mesopotamia: An Illustrated Dictionary. Illustrations by Tessa Rickards. London, United Kingdom: The British Museum Press, 1992.
Cirlot Laporta, Juan Eduardo. A Dictionary of Symbols. Second Editions. Translated by Jack Sage. London, England: Routledge, 2001. [E-book edition by Taylor & Francis]
Clark, R. T. R. Myth and Symbol in Ancient Egypt. London, UK: Thames and Hudson, 1959.
