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Facts about Egypt

World Travel Time gives you here an important issue about Egypt, in general, many facts about the country, some of themarereally amazing .

1- Facts about Ancient Egypt

Constructions:

  1. There are more than 100 pyramids, supposed to be tombs, but no royal mummies were found.
  2. Giza pyramids are about 2.3 million blocks, some blocks weigh 15 tons.
  3. Sphinx is the largest freestanding sculpture from ancient world, it is 73 m long & 20 m high, dream stela is between its legs.

Food & Drinks:

  1. The ancient Egyptian enjoyed fish, roast goose was their favorite dish for special occasions & religious festivals.                                                                                                              
  2. More than 50 types of bread are known, some were baked in shape of animals.
  3. Yong shoots of papyrus plant were eaten like bamboo shoots.
  4. They had 17 varieties of beer & 30 varieties of wine, others Were imported from Syria & Nubia.
  5. There is a famous record about "drinking competition

Work & Play:

  1. Egyptian week was 10-days week. During work workers get break for meal & nap.
  2. Egypt had no money or coinage until Persian times. Wages were paid in goods (salt, onions, linen…etc.)
  3. Ancient Egyptians had many leisure activities as: wrestling, fishing, athletics, acrobatics, fencing, archery, board games, ball games, bull-fighting & playing with bets.
  4. The earliest recorded strike was that of workers of Ramses III's tombs, the reason was the delay of receiving wages.
  5. Scribe spent 12 years to learn to write, study started at early age of 4.
  6. Egyptians are the 1st people regarded fishing as sport (& source of food.)
  7. About 10 BC it is recorded that Egyptian priests had pet crocodile they tamed & fed with cakes & honey wine.
  8. Egyptians often named their kids after animals; frog, mouse, gazelle, monkey, wolf, hippopotamus…etc.

Health, Beauty, & Love:

  1. The Egyptian doctors were famous, Greek medicine was influenced by them, their remedies form basis of much of modern herbal medicine.
  2. Medicine came in container with prescription, like our labeled bottles nowadays.
  3. Circumcision was practiced for kings, priests & officials.
  4. Female contraceptives were known, e.g. crocodile dung + honey.
  5. Dentistry was good, as an example: teeth filled with mineral cement & golden wire like dental bridge (to bind loose teeth) were found in mummies.
  6. They knew cosmetology; tattoos, shaving, false beard, wigs, & Kohl eye liner.
  7. Physical Medicine (like massage, using oils & anointing) was known.
  8. Egyptian perfumes, essential oils, ointments, beauty aids were famous especially during New Kingdom.
  9. Love songs were recited at banquets accompanied by flute & harps.
  10. It was said that population of Ancient Egypt is about 3 million! (a lot lived in the capital).

War, Crime & Punishment:

  1. The Egyptians are not the most warlike of ancient people. Foreign mercenaries were employed to support the army.
  2. Kings of New Kingdom played the role of warrior-heroes: they were depicted normally smiting the enemy from the chariot.
  3. Chariot was only introduced halfway through the Egyptian history 1600 BC, before that the ARMY was made of infantrymen (foot soldier)
  4. Medal for COURAGE in the form of fly, awarded by the king, made of gold (symbolic of fly natural persistence)
  5. Treachery punishment was the loss of tongue & forgery punishment was that right hand was cut off.
  6. Sniffer dogs were used by the ancient Egyptian police, just like modern police.

Magic, Myth, Mystery:

  1. The Egyptian believed in power of magic, if you fill ill, you need a doctor & a magician.
  2. Book of the light (Dead?!) is not actual book, but collection of up to 200 chapters (or spells) on papyrus to help the soul on its journey to the hereafter.
  3. Red ink was used for evil & demons in the text, it had bad association on papyri. Black color was used for the rest of the text, but in images it means richness, fertility, soil, or afterlife….etc.
  4. "wshabti" are small models were placed in the tomb to provide magical power. Each tomb might have 365 little models (but king Seti had over700 in his tomb!)
  5. Black magic was used with wax figures & charms, e.g. in the failed plot to kill Ramses III.
  6. God "Re" once wept & his tears fell to earth turned into bees.
  7. Ibis, the sacred animal of god "Thot" bred on lake near Sakkara to be embalmed (4 million mummified birds were found at single cemetery)
  8. God "Bes", dwarf god, plays music to frighten away evil spirits, his image was carved on headrest, bed, mirror & jars of cosmetics, he could kill 2 snakes with bare hands.

Science & Ancient Wisdom:

  1. The Egyptian astronomers 5 planets & linked the appearance of Dog Star "seruis" at sunrise to the beginning of Nile flood & the start of New Year.
  2. The Egyptians were interested in astrology & had sacred numbers e.g. 3 (triad), 4 (sons of Horus), 9 (nine gods), 77 (forms of the Sun)….etc.
  3. The earliest record of Lubrication is depicted on the tomb relief of Middle Kingdom, a man is shown pouring liquid to oil the road while other men move a statue using sledges, levers, & ropes.
  4. The earliest mechanical device for raising water & irrigating fields was invented during New Kingdom, today known as "shaduf".
  5. Mechanical fowling technique was developed in Middle Kingdom, trigger operated net.
  6. The longest papyrus document extends for 41m. & the widest papyrus measures 51 cm (about 20 inches), both in the British Museum.
  7. Linen bandages reaches in total 3 miles of 3 inch wide (about 5km. x 7.5 cm.)
  8. Great knowledge of the Egyptian Mathematics passed to the Greeks, e.g. decimal system or fractions.
  9. The Egyptians had glass (but no lens?), during the New Kingdom, & water clock.
  10. The Egyptians had great skill in Alchemy (Chemistry): metal working; gold, copper, iron….etc.

Mummies & Tomb-Robbers:

  1. Mummies have proved a source of fascination & wealth, during Renaissance, ground up mummy became popular potion believed to have magical healing power!
  2. Mummy, today, has become movie star in along line of Hollywood movies.
  3. During mummification they removed all internal organs (except the heart!) & they had heart-shaped amulet (heart scarab).
  4. Eyes of Horus were painted on outside of coffins so that mummy could see the world.
  5. Unwrapping mummy became popular form of entertainment among Victorian high society.
  6. The earliest fingerprint from mummy's hand is in the British Museum.
  7. Once 300 000 cat mummies were shipped to Liverpool in England to be converted into fertilizers!
  8. Mummy Curse arose from the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun 1922, Lord "Carnervon" died 5 months after the tomb revealed. 

2- Facts about Modern Egypt

Geography:

  1. Location of Egypt is in Africa, but it links Africa, Asia, & Europe.
  2. Egypt's area is about one million km. square.
  3. The inhabited area is about 4% of the total land.
  4. Sinai is about 6% of the total land, but desert is about 90% (east 22% & west 68%).
  5. Population, nowadays, 2015, is supposed to be 100 millions (living in an area about 1700 km. x 10 km.)
  6. Boundaries:
  •       - North; 950 km.                                        – South; 712km.    
  •      - East; 1250 km.                                        – West; 700km.

 

       There are many Oases & Depressions, as: Wadi Natron, Wadi Rayan, Siwa, Qatara, Baharya, Fayum, Farafra, Dakhla, & Kharga.

History:

  1. Mohamed Ali ruled 1805, after his death his family ruled till Revolution of 1952.
  2. British occupation was 1882 till 1952.
  3. Suez Canal started 1859 & opened 1869 (6000 VIPs attended the festival of the opening & opera Aida was presented)
  4. Suez Canal was nationalized 1956.
  5. Suez Canal was closed for 5 times & reopened 1975.
  6. The most famous wars in Modern History of Egypt are: 1967 & 1973.
  7. The Peace Treaty was signed 1977.
  8. The High Dam was constructed during 10 years (1960 – 1970), High Dam & Suez Canal are considered the greatest projects of Modern Egypt.

NB. You will find more facts in the other issues on our web site;

www.worldtraveltime.com

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you can also read :

  1. Egypt has a longer recorded history than any other country of the western world .
  2. Accommodation in Egypt it is take many stile many places .
  3. Ancient Egyptians achieved a healthy & varied diet .
  4. Egypt has a longer recorded history than any other country of the western world .
  5. Valley of the Kings and Curse of the Pharaohs .
  6. Most of Nubians are characterized by dark skin .
  7. Egypt is the cradle of civilization, the source of religions and the gate way to Africa .