Egypt

 “All things are possible. Who you are is limited by who you think you are.”

Egyptian Book of the Dead

If you haven’t seen it yet, check out our last blog in the History Around the Globe Series – China!

By: Kristina Dong

Up next – Egypt!

Home to the famous pyramids, extensive deserts and fantastical tales, Egypt is the site of one of the world’s earliest societies.

Starting from its unification near 3100 B.C. to eventually its conquest by Alexander the Great in 332 B.C., spanning almost 30 centuries, ancient Egypt was a preeminent civilization in the Mediterranean world.

Historical Figures

Pharaohs of old with their otherworldly tombs and elaborate paintings still spur fascination even now. Amongst which, Tutankhamun is one of the most well-known pharaohs to us today.

Tutankhamun (1341 BC – 1323 BC), commonly referred to as King Tut, was an ancient Egyptian pharaoh who ruled during the New Kingdom of Egyptian history. He was believed to have ascended the throne at the age of nine, ruling for only ten years before dying at age nineteen.

Today, from his gold mask to the massive array of other burial goods found in his tomb, King Tut has become a famed name.

His popularity runs worldwide and Tutankhamun may be the first and possibly the last Pharaoh to go on a world tour. The Touring Tutankhamun Exhibition (2019 to 2023) runs from California to Japan, London to Sydney, where an impressive collection of artefacts from the Pharaoh’s tomb will be touring around the world!

*Mummification: Pharaohs, most nobles and occasionally common people, received the sacred treatment of mummification upon death.

Religion

Egyptian religion was a combination of beliefs and practices which were changed and modified over time. Fertility, rebirth, death, and resurrection are common themes that are referenced frequently in ancient Egyptian times.

We can see today that hundreds of gods and goddesses were worshipped by the ancient Egyptians from the surviving artworks and artefacts.

Gods and Goddesses

Anubis was the guardian of the dead and the god of embalming and mummification.

Osiris was the chief god of the dead and the afterlife. He was also worshipped for his association to aspects of vegetation and fertile earth.

Neith was the mother of the sun god Re and a goddess of hunting and warfare.

Popular Culture

Do you want to know more about life in ancient Egypt?

Look no further! From theories of the origin of the mysterious pyramids to the wonderous retellings of the lives of pharaohs and kings, there have been numerous remakes of the stories and historical tales centred around ancient Egypt.

Our recommendation is the 1963 film Cleopatra, based on the life of the once upon queen of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt – Cleopatra.

Keen to learn more about Egypt?

Want to know more about ancient Egyptian culture?

Check out our MBTI Travel series – Egypt for more interesting experiences around the region.