Egypt!

Egypt!

1. Hilarious!

   • Both men and women wore makeup. The eye-paint was usually green (made from copper) or black (made from lead). As well as offering protection from the sun, the Egyptians believed make-up had magical healing powers, too!
   • Peasants in ancient Egypt used a bag of mouse bones, fastened around the neck to cure bed-wetting!

2. Cats were considered to be a sacred animal by the Ancient Egyptians. It’s thought that most families kept a cat as a pet, which they believed would bring the household good luck!

3. The Ancient Egyptians invented lots of things we still use today, such as paper, pens, locks and keys and – believe it or not – toothpaste!

4. Egypt is often divided into two sections – Upper Egypt in the south and Lower Egypt in the north. The sections are named this way because the Nile flows from south to north. The river empties into the Mediterranean Sea, on the country’s north coast.

5. Famous Kings

   • Tutankhamun was born in c1334 BC, possibly at Amarna, the city of his father, Akhenaten (though Tutankhamun’s parentage is hotly disputed). Tutankhamun’s mummy shows that he died when he was approximately 18 years old, but it is not known exactly how he died.It is belived that if you go in his tomb, u will be cursed!
   • Djoser is perhaps the most famous Third Dynasty pharaoh, but little is known about his life. What is known, however, is that he oversaw the construction of the famous step pyramid at Saqqara, a hugely significant milestone in ancient Egyptian architecture. This pyramid, in which Djoser was buried, was the first structure to realise the iconic step design.
   • A Fourth Dynasty pharaoh, Khufu’s greatest legacy is undoubtedly the Great Pyramid of Giza, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. The monumental structure is a testament to the bewildering sophistication of Egyptian architecture and, remarkably, remained the tallest man-made structure in the world for the best part of 4,000 years. It was conceived by Khufu as his stairway to heaven and the means of its construction remains something of a mystery to this day!

6. The Pyramids of Giza may be the tallest and most well known, but the biggest pyramid in the world is actually found in Mexico, measuring 450m by 450m at its base. The Great Pyramid of Cholula, also known as Tlachihualtepetl (‘man-made mountain) is about twice as big as the one in Egypt.

7. Hippos were considered bad omens and were associated with the evil god Seth. They were more dangerous than crocodiles and they often capsized boats traveling the Nile King Tut may have been killed by a hippopotamus. Some Egyptologists believe that King Tut might have been killed by a hippopotamus. Ancient Egyptians hunted the animal for sport, and statues found in King Tut’s tomb even depict him in the act of throwing a harpoon.

8. When you think of mummies, the image of Tutankhamun’s casket comes to mind as well as all the countless mummy movies you may have seen. However, the process of mummification was actually first practiced religiously by a tribe in South America known as the Chinchorro about 2000 years before the Egyptians were doing it.