10 Interesting facts about Egypt | Egypt fun facts

Several fascinating facts about Egypt indicate that Egypt is a country with a rich history of ancient wonders, rich cultures and notable accomplishments that defined the history of the world. Egypt still remains a mystery to both travelers and researchers, with the secrets of the pyramids to the beginnings of writing and early medicine remaining very enigmatic. It is even easier to discover these fascinating facts with the help of an easily available e-Visa Egypt system that facilitates the planning of your Egyptian adventure.

Here are 10 fun facts about Egypt

Egypt is a mythical and legendary nation with ancient civilization, and, undoubtedly, The Pyramids of Giza! It is a great destination to be in where some of the most interesting historical places on earth are located, yet there is more in Egypt than meets the eye as we unravel these interesting facts about Egypt, you will agree!

Fact 1 - The Great Pyramids were not built by slaves

Among all the fun facts about Egypt, most of the film producers nowadays borrowed the plot of the classical historian Herodotus who accomplished the pyramids to be built by 100,000 slaves, men, women and children who worked under the most terrible conditions and were often abused and tortured in case they did not manage to complete their work promptly.

This theory has however been proved wrong by archaeological findings. Approximately, five thousand workers were employed on full-time basis and paid, and 20,000 were temporary workers. The corvee system was used to select these free men as national service workers who worked in shifts of three to four months. Their remuneration was in the form of provisions, food, shelter and medical supplies.

The Great Pyramids was not built by slaves

Fact 2 - Seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites are located in Egypt

Egypt is a historical and cultural country that has an abundance of history to unearth interesting facts. Some of its numerous attractions include seven UNESCO world heritage sites that are Abu Mena, Historic Cairo, Abu Simbel, Saint Catherine, Wadi Al-Hitan (or Whale Valley in the eastern desert of Egypt), Memphis and its Necropolis, and Ancient Thebes. Do you ever go to any of these places?

Assuming you have visited Egypt, you have most likely visited Memphis and its Necropolis, which actually is the Pyramid Fields between Giza and Dahshur; other attractions include Ancient Thebes where you will find Luxor and the Valley of the Kings, Abu Simbel which lies on Lake Nasser, Historic Cairo which is a must-visit and Saint Catherine located at the foot of the mountains and where Moses received the Ten Commandments.

Fact 3 - Egyptians are mainly Muslim

Approximately 90 percent of its people are Muslims and this implies that they subscribe to Islam religion in that they are prominent followers of Egypt culture facts. On the other hand, the Coptic community which is one of the oldest branches of the Christian religion comprises about ten percent of Egyptians.

Fact 4 - 95% of Egyptians live along the Nile River

Did you ever get to know that amongst the interesting facts about modern Egypt, the Egyptian is the home of the longest river in the world; the river Nile? This is not just an iconic river but it serves as a lifeline to almost 95% of the populace of Egypt as well as being a river that crosses Egypt. Shockingly, although almost 90 percent of Egypt is a desert land, an extremely large majority, approximately 95 percent, is in the fertile banks of the river Nile.

The ancient Egyptians divided Egypt into two parts, the desert and the Nile Valley. The Nile takes its course northwards to the Mediterranean Sea, as you would imagine, upper Egypt lies southwards and lower Egypt lies northwards.

95% of Egyptians live along the Nile River

Fact 5 - Animals were seen as incarnations of the Gods

Learn about Ancient Egypt: the people of ancient Egypt loved cats very much and they accepted cats as their beloved friends. Cats were considered sacred, and even though they were worshiped, their importance was praised in the form of statues and paintings. These were the first domesticated cats in ancient Egypt and it was usually followed that the cats were kept and mummified to accompany their owners to the grave. The love they had towards cats was so great that any kind of maltreating them would be followed by harsh penalties, which included death.

Some other creatures which were highly regarded by the ancient Egyptians included the ibises, lions, baboons, dogs and hawks.

Fact 6 -  Egyptians wore makeup

The other interesting facts about Egypt are that the ancient Egyptians used cosmetics on both men and women as they believed that it contained healing powers that would protect them even in the face of the sun.

They were painted with red, henna on their lips, hands and fingernails. Both men and women wore perfumes made of a variety of smells such as Susinum, which was made up of lily, myrrh, cinnamon, or Syprinum which was composed of henna, cardamom, cinnamon, myrrh, and the southernwood.

Fact 7 - Greater Cairo is the largest city in Africa and the Middle East

Cairo is the largest urban center in Africa and Middle East with a population of approximately 22 million citizens occupying a land of about 500 sq.km. It is among the highly populated cities in the world

Greater Cairo is the largest city in Africa and the Middle East

Fact 8 - Egypt is where the twelve-month calendar originated

Most likely, you have not heard this but our contemporary calendar is a creation of ancient Egyptian inventors. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, the earliest calendar that was known to humankind was invented in Egypt.

Egyptians had a 12-month calendar that resembles the modern day calendar. However, every month was always 30 days long and that made a year only 360 days long. This anomaly made their calendar to be out of sync with natural seasons. To offset this deficit they used to have a five-day festival at the end of every year to recover the time lost.

Fact 9 - Ancient Egyptians and the afterlife

The aim of the pyramids being constructed is some of the fun facts of ancient Egypt. These were constructed to act as homes to the leaders of ancient Egypt and transport them and their families to the afterlife. In essence, the pyramids were constructed as magnificent tombs where the Pharaohs and his family members were to be buried.

The mummification process was approached with a lot of care since the ancient Egyptians were of the opinion that the body must be maintained to join them in the afterlife after being reborn. They even mummified animals. The ancient Egyptians thought that they needed to abide by stringent rules in order to live a good life after death. They also had a belief that the living had the role to assist them to reach the afterlife.

Ancient Egyptians and the afterlife

Fact 10 - Cleopatra was not an Egyptian

The other interesting fact about Egypt is that, although Egypt was born in Alexandria, one of the most renowned historical persons in the country is a Greek and not Egyptian. Her lineage was the Ptolemaic Dynasty of Greek Macedonians, who reigned Egypt between 323 and 30 BC. Cleopatra is translated as Famous in Her Father in Greek, or Her Father Fame.

Discovering fun facts about Egypt has never been easier

When you decide to visit Egypt to discover these fascinating facts about Egypt, you can also consider the idea of plunging into the wonders of modern times that are added to its abundant history. And when you are planning this adventure, you should remember to apply to obtain an Egypt eVisa through Egypt Immigration Services so as to expedite the process of traveling.

Travel back and forth in time, through the grandeur of the ancient monuments to the fullness of the current culture, and experience the charisma of the Egyptian legacy with your own eyes and ears. Get ready to experience something memorable as you pass through this history soaked land full of mythology and endless interest.

Get your Egypt eVisa in order and start planning your trip to the magic land where every single turn is a story that can be revealed. Your tour of Egypt will wait!