When you think of ancient Egypt, what are the first things that come to your mind? Are they pyramids? Or perhaps the pharaohs? But ancient Egypt was much bigger than that! It was one of the longest and most successful civilizations ever.
We have done some research on this subject to offer you some great ancient Egyptian facts and legends. If you want to know more. you have to check out the daily life in ancient Egypt to discover & know more about these enchanting myths and legends about them.
1- The Pharaohs wore pseudo-metal beards to imitate the body of the god Osiris, whose task was to judge the dead in the afterlife.
2- Ancient Egyptians were able to coexist with genetic and medical disorders. The dwarfism, for example, was common at the time. However, people with dwarfism were highly respected. Amenipuya, a Pharaoh of the 21st Dynasty, wrote that caring for the elderly, the sick and the disfigured was an ethical task.
3- Ancient Egyptians enjoyed spending their free time playing board games such as "Mehen" and "Mancala". The game "Senet" was the most popular, one of the oldest table games in the world, dating back to about 3100 BC.
4- Cleanliness and good looks were of great importance to the ancient Egyptians. The men shaved their bodies completely, and they loved the use of fragrant perfume. It is not surprising that the Pharaohs are the most used for luxury perfumes.
5- The Nile river was of paramount importance to the ancient Egyptians as their main source of water. It was thought that the river flowed from the original water of the heavenly gods, across the land of the dead and the heavens, finally reaching Egypt. You can enjoy a Nile cruise and live like a Pharaoh when sailing on the Nile and watch the monuments of ancient Egyptians on the banks of the Nile with your tour guide.
6- There are many indications that the ancient Egyptians were geniuses in astronomy and mathematics. It was found, for example, that the site of the Pyramids of Giza aligns perfectly with the Orion belt (stars Orion constellation).
7- Women in ancient Egypt were equal with men in almost all fields except professions. Women can marry and divorce anyone; they can keep the jobs they love (within certain limits), manage their property, buy and sell what they want, travel freely, and so on.
8- The ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs may look famous, but they were very time-consuming in their composition. Therefore, it was written only by important texts (such as decorative inscriptions of tombs). The holographic and less important texts were written in Hieratic, a simplified form of hieroglyphics.
9- One of the most famous buildings made by man in the world, the Great Pyramid in Giza, which was built with about 2.5 million blocks of limestone, weighs each stone 2.6 tons. The total mass of the pyramid is more than 6.3 million tons.
10- King Ramses II was one of Egypt's most famous and most ancient pharaohs. He ruled Egypt for 60 years and is believed to have more than 100 children. He died in his 90s, a very late age for that era.
11- The word "Pharaoh" means "The Great House". When the word was used for the first time, it actually referred to the king's palace and grandeur, not as a reference to the king.
12- One of the most common myths about ancient Egypt is that when Pharaoh's death, his family and served were buried with him alive. This kind of human sacrifice happened many times throughout ancient Egyptian history, but it certainly was not a widespread practice.
13- Both men and women used cosmetics significantly, but they were not for adornment; they used it as protection against sunburn and sand.
14- When mummifying the human body, all organs are removed from the body except the heart. Egyptians believed that the heart is the source of human wisdom, memory, personality, and emotions.
15- The ancient Egyptians were the first to make a calendar for 365 days and roughly equal to the solar year. They did this to let them know when the Nile would flood. Its earliest version dates back to about 3,000 BC.
16- The pyramids of Egypt are not only the oldest of the seven wonders of the ancient world but are the only ones that remain until today. There is an Arab saying that describes the pyramids' ability to endure. "People Fear Time, But Time Fears The Pyramids"
17- Cats were among the holiest animals of ancient Egyptians. When a cat dies, every member of the royal family was shaving his eyebrows in mourning. Dead cats are often mummified and buried in a cemetery for cats.
18- Ancient Egyptian women used crocodile feces as a form of birth control. Documents dated back to 1850 BC refer to this unusual method of contraception. Crocodile feces are actually a little alkaline, similar to those of today's sperm, so it may have been considered successful.
19- While the wives of the Egyptian pharaohs were strong and respected, few women came to power without marrying. Among the most prominent queens are Nefertiti, Hatshepsut, and Cleopatra.
20- One of the myths of ancient Egypt is that it was the soldiers of Napoleon who cut off the nose of the Sphinx. But back to the sketches, painted decades before the appearance of Napoleon, the nose was missing. Even today, it remains unknown from or what caused the legendary Sphinx to lose its nose.
21- Most people believe that the tomb of King Tutankhamun did not diminish anything when Howard Carter discovered it in 1922. In fact, although King Tut was not a major pharaoh, his tomb was full of magnificent treasures. It was later discovered that his grave was incomplete and that the cemetery was stolen several times during antiquity.
22- Cleopatra was not Egyptian origin! Although it was born in Alexandria, it is descended from the smooth Greek Macedonians of the ancient Greeks, specifically Ptolemy I, Alexander the Great.
23- The first recorded peace treaty was Egyptian. This agreement ended the conflict between Ramses II and the Hittite king Hatosili after the battle of Kadesh, producing the first peace treaty registered in history.
24- Ancient Egyptian workers were organizing strikes. Although they consider the pharaoh as a kind of deity, they were not afraid to pretend to improve their working conditions. The most famous example was in the twelfth century BC during the reign of Pharaoh Ramses III, when the workers built the city of the royal dead in the city monastery, Their usual grain payments, they organized one of the first strikes recorded in history.
25- Ancient Egyptian Art often appear the pharaohs as elegant and ideal beings, but this was not true. Tests conducted on the Egyptian mummies confirmed that the Egyptian pharaohs were obese and unhealthy, and also suffered from diabetes.
Finally. There are many legendary stories and facts about ancient Egyptians. If you discover these facts by yourself on the reality much better than you hear it or see it on television or visual means. So you can discover it with an expert Egyptologist tour guide in 8 only days by checking our Egypt itinerary 8 days that provides best tours to the myth attractions of ancient Egypt plus experience the entertainment and fun in one of the best coastal sites on the red sea. Don't miss the chance and book your adventure tour with "Trips in Egypt".
