“Ancient Egypt” is the land of magic and mysteries. It dates back to 3150 BC. Since the Upper and Lower Egypt were united under the ruling of King Menes who was the first pharaoh, the ancient Egyptian civilization has been a source of inspiration for historians and excavators. “Egypt is the gift of the Nile” says Herodotus the Greek historian. Every year, the snow of East Africa’s mountains melts and overflows the banks of the Nile, it brings life to Egypt and the soil becomes rich in nutrients providing Ancient Egyptians with 2-3 crops yearly. But, how did ancient Egypt become inspirational? In the upcoming lines, you will find 15 fascinating facts about ancient Egypt that made it the land of magic and mysteries.
1 The Great Sphinx
It is the oldest mysteries sculpture that looks like a creature with human head and lion body. Located at Giza Plateau and it is thought to represent the face of Pharaoh Khafre. Most scientists believe it was built between ruling of Khafre (2558-2532 BC). There aren’t any inscriptions of the old kingdom that describes its structure or purpose.
2 Pyramid of Khufu
It is one of the seven wonders of the ancient world that still exists. The pyramids were built to keep the pharaoh mummy and help him in his journey to heaven. Ancient Egyptians thought that the soul of the king “pharaoh” would take care of them and keep any evil away. The pyramids of the queens were smaller, simple and surrounded with temples. There still argument about the reasons of building the pyramids, while some thought that it is burial monuments, others have gone so far and suggested that it is a resurrection machine!
3 Gods and Goddesses
The ancient Egyptians believed in gods and goddesses who were over 2000. Each one had different role in their lives; some were creators, others for keeping peace and harmony. Many cities struggled to have their local gods at high level of state religion. The gods and goddesses had the shape of human body and animal head.
4 Hieroglyphic Language
The ancient Egyptians thought that it’s important to write and share information about all life aspects. So they made written script made of twenty-four symbols and signs called hieroglyphic language. They wrote it on potteries, wall of temples and papyrus.
5 Papyrus Paper
The papyrus, which the ancient Egyptian used for writing, was made of papyrus plant and the first time it was made in Egypt and southern Sudan as far as the fourth millennium BCE. In that time, papyrus was only made in Alexandria so it was the port where all ships from around the world come to buy this precious material and thus it was the reason for economic prosperity for Alexandria.
6 Afterlife and Rebirth
Ancient Egyptians believed in afterlife and rebirth. For them, death is a state of rest and the wait for revivification. They thought that there is a land of two fields afterlife and by doing the good deeds the heart becomes lighter. As according to the ancient Egyptian myths, if goddess Maat measured your heart and was heavy you might get stuck in your tomb forever.
7 Mummification
Through time, the ancient Egyptians developed a method of maintaining the bodies to stay lifelike which we call today mummification. Mummification in ancient Egypt was related to the immortality, and that idea made Ancient Egyptians build pyramids, temples and huge constructions, also they took care of the dead bodies as they thought the soul comes back to the corpse afterlife. The mummifying process included removing organs except the heart, then wrapping the body in linen to protect it so the soul can recognize it afterlife.
8 Beauty and cosmetics
Tombs of ancient Egyptians are the main source of information today, as they had buried everything within them such as furniture, coffins, makeup, tools, jewelries, statues and they have recorded events of their lives on the walls. Beauty and cosmetics were an integral part of ancient Egypt and a sign of holiness. They used eye makeup as green paint and black kohl that was made of minerals, and also they used Henna to paint their eyes and hair. They mixed cheek and lip stain with other remedies for improving their skin. Both men and women used make up.
9 Equal Rights
Women in ancient Egypt had the same legal and economic rights except for the social equality. The Egyptian women could buy and sell property and if they work outside home they get the same payment men get.
10 Ancient Egyptian Marriage
Marriage in ancient Egypt was a desirable act for both genders as family is a very important to them. Most men got married by the age of twenty and girls as fifteen, and either party may initiate a divorce. But there is a lot of unknown information about marriage ceremonies.
11 Entertainment and Sports
Entertainment had a vital role in the ancient Egyptians life; All Egyptians had listened to music and dance. Dancing teams used to perform at dinner parties and religious temples. Dancers were dancing as soloists, pairs and groups. Also sport had important rule of ancient Egyptian lives and many present sports were played by them. They set up rules and choose a uniform for players. The kings used to attend sport competitions and award the winner by collars.
12 Ancient Egyptian clothes
The Egyptians wore clothes adorn with gems and jewels. Also their clothes were made to provide comfort at the hot desert. They used linen most of the time, wealthy people wore animal fibers. Children didn’t wear clothes until 6 year old.
13 Wearing Wigs
The ancient Egyptians both men and women wore wigs especially wealthy classes, and they were made of human and horse hair and they included ornaments. Sometimes they wore wigs to protect their head during doing dangerous works.
At last you should know that ancient Egypt is full of treasures and mysteries that still undiscovered. Where ever you search you will find fascinating facts.
