Category Great Civilizations

        It was during the New Kingdom that the Egyptian Empire conquered the most lands. They sent ambassadors all over western Asia. The kings built huge temples and erected colossal statues of them. The period of the New Kingdom extended from 1570-1070 BC. For about 500 years, New Kingdom of Egypt was the world’s most magnificent civilization.

          The most famous Egyptian pharaohs came from the New Kingdom. They included Ramses II, and Seti I who were renowned military leaders, Akhenaten, who briefly abolished all the gods except the sun god, and Hatshepsut, a powerful queen who ruled with all the might of her male relatives. 

Continue reading “Why is it said that Egypt had many great kings, especially in the New Kingdom?”

          There are many wonders from the ancient world that have fascinated us, and the pyramid from Egyptian civilization is one among them.

          The pyramids are truly one of the world’s greatest architectural wonders. Egyptian pyramids are royal tombs. The Egyptians believed that pharaohs, their kings were gods, and so immortal. Therefore, they built the pyramids to safeguard their bodies.

          The Pyramids of Giza, located on the Giza plateau are the most magnificent structures in history. One among them was built for King Khu-fu, and is known as the Great Pyramid. It is thought to be constructed of over two million stone blocks that weigh from two to over fifty tonnes.

          The Great Pyramid of Giza is considered as the most colossal building ever erected by the Ancient Egyptians.

          Undoubtedly, this was the best example of Ancient Egyptians’ mastery in architecture.

          There were over 2000 gods and goddesses in Ancient Egypt. Some had the body of a human and the head of an animal.

          Ra was the Sun god and was one of the most important           ancient deities. The lord of all gods, he was portrayed as a falcon-headed man, with a white and red crown wearing a solar disc on his head with a sacred cobra. Later, Amun, the king of gods was merged with the sun god Ra into Amun-Ra.

          Bastet was the daughter of Sun god Ra, and was depicted either as a cat or woman with the head of a cat. She was the goddess of protection and household entertainments. Thoth was the god of wisdom, writing and knowledge and was portrayed as an ibis headed man. Horus the god of light and sky was depicted as a falcon headed male creature.

          The god of Earth was Geb. Tefnut was the goddess of rain. Sekhmet, the goddess of War was lion-headed. 

          The great land along the banks of the Nile has been mentioned extensively in history. The Ancient Egyptians originally threw their dead bodies into pits of sand. Later, they decided to put their dead in coffins, but the bodies quickly decayed. But soon they developed a method of preserving bodies called mummification.

          In mummification, all the internal organs of the dead are removed, and the body is then covered with a mixture of salt called natron. The body is then wrapped in linen, with protective amulets inserted between layers and placed in a decorated anthropoid coffin. All burials, regardless of social status, included goods for the deceased. Wealthy Egyptians were buried with larger quantities of luxury items.

          With the beginning of the New Kingdom, books of the dead were included in the grave, along with statues that were believed to perform manual labour for the dead in the afterlife. Rituals in which the deceased were magically re-animated accompanied burials. After burial, living relatives were expected to occasionally bring food to the tomb and recite prayers. 

            The earliest inhabitants of Egypt lived in huts made from papyrus reeds. However, it was soon discovered that the mud left behind after the annual flooding of the Nile could be made into bricks which could be used for building. Bricks were made by mixing mud and straw and leaving them to dry.

            As their civilization developed, the Ancient Egyptians began to build houses with two floors. The top floor was where people lived, and the lower floor was used to store crops. These people created reed canopies to protect their houses from the hot Egyptian sun. The houses of the wealthy had a courtyard in the centre. Floors were covered with reed mats. Household furniture consisted of wooden stools, beds raised from the floor and individual tables.

            The Ancient Egyptians placed a great value on hygiene and personal appearance. Most bathed in the Nile and used a pasty soap made from animal fat and chalk. Clothing was made from simple linen sheets that were bleached white, and both men and women of the upper classes wore wigs, jewellery, and cosmetics.

          Trade always brought revenue, and this in turn, developed the economic life of those involved in trade. In Ancient Egypt also trade blossomed, and this was the economic basis of Egyptian civilization. They traded with people from foreign countries like Nubia and Afghanistan.

          They obtained incense and gold from their trade with Nubians. The Ancient Egyptians imported lapis lazuli, the blue stone which originated from Afghanistan. The goods imported by the Ancient Egyptians were mostly raw materials and products sought as luxury items in high society. Egypt’s Mediterranean trade partners also included Greece and Crete, which provided supplies of olive oil. Egypt mainly exported grain, gold, and papyrus, in addition to other finished goods including glass and stone objects.