- It's all about the cats.
Ancient Egypt had a culture that loved cats, tattoos and makeup. Here are more facts about the longest, on-going civilization in the world.
- Sphinx were used in Ancient Egypt as bodyguards over sacred sites. A sphinx
being the mythological creature with both the head of a human and the body of a lion. The most well known is the Great Sphinx of Giza but there is also the avenue of sphinxes that once ran for three kilometers, protecting the road between the Luxor and Karnak temples. - King Pepi II holds the ruling over ancient Egypt record for a total of 90 years. Pepi II was 6 years old when he ascended the throne as a pharaoh of the 6th Dynasty. His mother Ankhesenmeryre II served as regent.
- The people of ancient Egypt really liked their tattoos and had a highly developed tattoo culture as a result. Tattooing was practiced for more than 4,000 years and was almost exclusive to women.
- Women’s tattooing was seen as dots and swirls located on the lower chest, abdomen and thighs.
- Cats were worshipped in Egypt and they were the first society to domesticate
the animal. They had sever penalties against anyone that would mistreat, kill or eat cats and even mummified and buried their cats in tombs, which were all dedicated to the goddess Bastet. - Egypt is a hot, hot place and they started playing games long ago as a way to beat boredom during the hottest times. They played senet, which is kind of like knucklebones and kind of like snakes and ladders. This game was the most popular throughout ancient Egypt.
- The famous Queen of the Nile, Cleopatra, was born in Egypt of Macedonian blood. After Alexander the Great, the Ptolemies ruled over Egypt and were known for “keeping their bloodlines pure” by marrying within their family. Cleopatra herself wed both of her brothers and embraced Egyptian culture, spoke its native tongue and dressed in its traditional clothing.
- Obelisks are spires of stone paying homage to the benben stone of creation. 21 of the obelisks from Ancient Egypt still exist, some in Nre York, Paris, London and Istanbyl, and four of them in Egypt.
- Bread and beer was used to pay the soldiers and estimated 100,000 workers
that built the pyramids. The currency was also used between businesses and the offering made to gods and dead ancestors. - What do you know about ancient Egypt? Did you know that this society worshiped cats?
- Boy King Tatankhamun made an elaborate senet board in his sarcophagus that was later discovered by Howard Carter in 1922.
- Some Egyptologists contest the time of his rule, putting it at more like 64 years, putting him after Ramesses the Great, who ruled for 66 years.
- Did you know Egyptians were the first ones to use make-up? Both men and women wore make-up on their eyes and faces to help protect their skin from the sun and also for vanity reasons. They also made use of scented oils, flowers and herbs to make deodorants as they didn’t want to offend the gods with any poor body order. Green came from pigment derived from malachite, mixing galena ore with soot and oil to make a thick black ointment.
Did you know all of these facts about Ancient Egypt? Let me know your favorites in the comments!