Egypt is unique in the world with its extraordinary practices, beliefs, and monuments. Let’s know a little about them in this article:
Why did the Egyptians build pyramids?
The ancient Egyptians believed in life after death. They preserved the bodies of the dead by mummification. Members of the royal family were kept in the pyramids which were actually grand graves made for the pharaohs. Scientists have found mummies in many pyramids. The Egyptian empire arose 5000 years ago when the first Pharaoh united the people in the south and north. The pyramids and the temple of Abu Simbel, which have already been converted once, witness the highly advanced civilization of the Egyptians.
Why was the Nile so important?
The river Nile flows through Egypt. It is very important for the country and makes it rich. A large part of Egypt is covered by desert. It hardly rains here but the country receives enough rain during the monsoons. During that period, a large amount of water is collected in the river Nile. Earlier, increased water levels often led to floods. But in place of being harmful, these floods brought fertile soil back to Egypt and guaranteed a good crop. In addition to the above benefits, the Nile was an important transportation route and a major source of fish. This was the case till 40 years ago. In 1970, a huge dam was built on the river in the south of Egypt and everything changed.
Who were the Pharaohs?
The word ‘Pharaoh’ comes from per aa meaning ‘large house’. The Egyptian rulers were called Pharaohs from about 1500 BC. The Pharaoh was worshiped like a God. He was the top judge and supreme commander of the people. One of the most famous Pharaohs was Ramses II. He built the temple of Abu Simbel in order to glorify his power in the southern part of the country. The Pharaoh Cheops built the Great Pyramids of Giza. Almost all graves have been robbed by treasure seekers. The grave of the young ruler Tutankhamen, discovered in 1922, was the only grave in which archeologists found golden grave furnishings.
How were the pyramids built?
The pyramids are the massive graves built by the Pharaohs. They wanted to make sure they were invincible. So, they planned everything keeping in mind. They got rocks weighing more than 2500 kg from quarries. More than 2 million rocks were needed for building the pyramid of Cheops. About 4000-8000 laborers worked constantly at the construction site. Around the pyramid was a ramp, on which the stones were carried upwards on a kind of sledge. If the king died, food, clothes, furniture, and small servant figures were laid beside him for his life after death. Since robbers looted the graves, the Pharaohs were buried deep in the rock after about 1550 BC in the Valley of the Kings.
What is a mummy?
The Egyptians believed that after death, the souls would wander in the world. For this reason, the dead body must be maintained. This was done by the process of mummification. Embalmers took out the internal organs and dried the body. They then made the skin flexible by applying oil and gave back the body its shape by filling it with sawdust and winding it with linen straps. Only the pharaohs and the rich could afford this. All the others were buried in the desert.
Why was the temple of Abu Simbel relocated?
When the Aswan High Dam was built on the River Nile in 1970, large parts of south Egypt got flooded. As a result, the inhabitants of these regions had shifted elsewhere. Both the rocky temples of Abu Simbel also faced the threat of sinking in floods. UNESCO, which has been entrusted by the United Nations to preserve the cultural heritage of the world, got the temples relocated. To do this, they were cut into blocks each weighing a ton and were reassembled at a new location.
| Did you know that…
● The Egyptians shaved their hair, in order to protect themselves from lice? They hid their bald heads under black wigs. ● Egypt had gold mines and was the richest country in the ancient world. ● The 147 m high pyramid of Cheops was the highest structure in the world till the Eiffel Tower was built in Paris in 1887.
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