Mystery of Pharaoh’s Tomb: Facts you may not know about Egyptian Pharaohs (Part 4)

Much of the information about the Pharaohs we know today comes from ancient monuments and structures built. Besides many mysteries that have been discovered, many truths will probably forever be buried under the dust of time. Here are a few interesting facts about the ancient Egyptian Pharaohs that you may not have known.

Rulers, regardless of male or female, are called Kings

Female rulers would not be called “queen” as we think, because the ancient Egyptians had no words to accurately describe this position. The title “King” is used to refer to the general head, regardless of male or female.

The term “Pharaoh” is also not actually the original Egyptian but the Hebrew pronunciation of the Egyptian word per-aa which means “Great House”. The word “Pharaoh” was first used to refer to the king’s palace, not the ruler himself. It was only used as a substitute for the title “King” at the beginning of the 18th dynasty, circa 1450 BC. Up to now, “Pharaoh” has become the common name for all kings of ancient Egypt.

How many Pharaohs there are is still a mystery

Scholars have yet to determine the exact number of Egyptian pharaohs. Due to its division into Upper and Lower parts, Egypt sometimes had more than one king ruling at the same time. Currently, we record about 170 pharaohs, although it is known that the number may be as high as 225. Most Egyptian historians only count kings who lived around the third millennium BC, when Upper – Lower Egypt agreed on a term. Some historians claim Menes was the first king of Egypt, ruling in 3100 BC. This is when what we call the “Pharaonic Age” officially began. The only certain information we have about the lineage of the Egyptian kings is that Cleopatra VII was the last ruler.
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Originally only men could be king until Hatshepsut

Of the hundreds of Egyptian kings, only four were female, Hatshepsut being the first of them. Hatshepsut was the daughter of King Thutmose I, she married her half-brother Thutmose II but unfortunately her husband died at a very young age. The throne then belonged to Thutmose II’s infant son, but due to her young age, Hatshepsut as the baby’s stepmother took the reins and handled the affairs of the court.

Hatshepsut declared himself king. This was controversial, but she did everything to protect her throne. She ordered to paint herself in the way the painting was male. Therefore, in some images, Hatshepsut appears as a male Pharaoh with a large beard and muscles.

Both male and female Pharaoh wore fake beards

In statues or monuments, Pharaohs are depicted as having long, bushy beards, but these beards are often fakes. The pharaohs wore fake beards to imitate the appearance of the god Osiris, whom they greatly worshiped. Hatshepsut, the first female pharaoh, decided to uphold this tradition, also wearing false beards and men’s clothing. These false beards are hooked behind the ears and are required to be worn when performing state ceremonies. When the pharaohs died, people were also buried with a fake beard and an upward curl of hair.

All Pharaohs wear makeup

Both male and female Pharaohs wear makeup. They color the eye area black with black ore (metallic mineral), the purpose is not only to beautify but also to reduce the reflection of bright sunlight. They also believe that by making their eyes look like almonds, they will have eyes similar to Horus (the guardian god of the Egyptians). As a result, they will be protected from evil spirits and from eye diseases. The Pharaohs also bolded their eyebrows and eyelashes, and they also liked to apply green and blue eyeshadow. In addition, the Pharaohs would also color their fingernails and lips with henna. This henna dye is also used to make up parts of the body.
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The statue of the first female pharaoh Hatshepsut was almost destroyed

Hatshepsut was the first female Pharaoh as we know it. Many consider her to be one of the greatest Pharaohs in Egyptian history, but most of Hatshepsut’s statues and paintings were destroyed within a few years of her death. It is thought that the cause may have been an order of Thutmose III, to remove evidence of her rule, not to allow the woman to continue to be king. It was only after 1882 that Egyptian scientists were able to decipher the hieroglyphs on the walls of Deir el-Bahri, an Egyptian temple built by the architects of Hatshepsut. Mummies Hatshepsuts was discovered in 2007 and is on display at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.

Pharaohs were allowed to have many wives

In addition to inbreeding as we know, a Pharaoh was also allowed to have many concubines. This ensures they have many children to inherit the throne. However, the official heirs will only be the sons and daughters of the main wives.

Pharaohs are often obese

Hatshepsut’s mummy was found in 2007 and through analysis, it was found that she was an extremely fat woman with baldness on her forehead. An autopsy of Hatshepsut’s mummy also revealed that she suffered from tooth decay, which could have been caused by cancer or complications from diabetes. The meal of the Egyptian kings often included honey, bread, beer and wine. Many Pharaohs were overweight, sick and suffered from many diseases due to inbreeding.

Pharaohs spend a lot of time preparing for death
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The Egyptians believed in the afterlife so one of the most important things in their life was to prepare for life after death. The Pharaohs built tombs so that their souls could have a place to live. Construction of the pyramids or tombs would usually begin shortly after they ascended the throne, in order to ensure that they would still have a good life even after death.

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