Most Mind Blowing Facts About Ancient Egypt

Most mind blowing facts about ancient Egypt

• Egypt’s Nile River is the world’s longest, running 4,135 miles (6,670 km).

• The Nile is said to flood from the tears of the Goddess Isis. This is celebrated with the festival, ‘The night of tear drop’.

• Luxor in Egypt are known as the world’s largest open air museum.
• The word pharaoh began as a nickname for the Egyptian king. It means “great house”.
• Ancient Egyptians believed that mummification ensured the deceased a safe passage to the afterlife.
• Ancient Egyptians mummified not only people but animals as well.
• The famous Great Pyramid at Giza was built as a burial place for King Khufu and took more than 20 years to build.
• Egypt’s first pyramid was a step pyramid built by famed Egyptian architect Imhotep.
• The pyramids of Egypt are the last remaining ancient wonder of the world.
• Hieroglyphs was created in about 3000 BCE and most likely came from an early wall drawings.
• Cats were considered sacred in Ancient Egypt.
• For ancient Egyptians, bread was the most important food and beer was their favorite drink.
• Egyptians invented the 365 days calendar.
• The Ancient Egyptians were scientists and mathematicians.
• The ancient Egyptians worshiped more than 1,000 different gods and goddesses.

• Ancient Egyptians are the undisputed world champions of math. We’re still scratching our heads over their collective mathematical genius. One such feat of genius is found at the inner sanctuary of the main temple in Abu Simbel. Here, every year, twice a year, the sun shines on the faces of Rameses II and the gods Amun, and Ra. Interestingly, it does not shine on the god Ptah, who is seated next to the other four. Ptah, as a god of the Underworld, must always remain in darkness. Another interesting note is that the sun only shined on Rameses’ birthday and date of coronation (October 22nd and February 22nd, respectively).

main temple in Abu Simbel