Fact 21 History of Egyptians: | The pyramids were replaced by hidden rock tombs in the Valley of the Kings. The most famous tomb in the Valley of the Kings was the tomb of Tutankhamen which was discovered by Howard Carter.
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Fact 22 History of Egyptians: | The fabulous wealth of deceased pharaohs were buried with them in their tombs as the Egyptians believed that they would be required in the Afterlife. This led to many of the tombs being targeted by tomb robbers.
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Fact 23 History of Egyptians: | To date, a total of 63 tombs have been discovered in the Valley of the Kings.
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Fact 24 History of Egyptians: | Ancient Egyptians believed that mummification ensured a safe passage to the afterlife. The mummification process had two stages: the embalming of the body and the wrapping and burial of the body.
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Fact 25 History of Egyptians: | Organs were removed from the body and stored in canopic jars which were buried with the mummy.
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Fact 26 History of Egyptians: | The earliest pharaohs were buried with their real servants but later, model servants called shabti were used.
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Fact 27 History of Egyptians: | The Kings were also commander-in-chief of the Egyptian army and often led the armies in person and participated in the fighting.
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Fact 28 History of Egyptians: | Queen Tiye was a consort of Ramses III (a pharaoh of the 20th dynasty). Queen Tiye instigated the 'Harem Plot' in attempt to put her son on the Egyptian throne.
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Fact 29 History of Egyptians: | Akhenaten (the father of Tutankhamun) and his wife Nefertiti, initiated a short-lived religious revolution abandoning polytheism (the worship of many gods) for monotheism (the worship of one god - the Aten).
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Fact 30 History of Egyptians: | Ramses the Great was believed to be one of the pharaohs that opposed Moses in the story of the Exodus in the Bible. Ramses the Great had 8 official wives and nearly 100 concubines and was over 90 years old when he died.
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Fact 31 History of Egyptians: | The most famous old cities in the south were Thebes, Abydos, Thinis, Khmun (Hermopolis), Dendera, Hierakonpolis, Koptos, Edfu, Elephantine and Aswan.
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Fact 32 History of Egyptians: | The most famous old cities in the north were Memphis, Alexandria, Hermopolis, Giza, Esna (Letopolis), Busiris, Avaris, Crocodilopolis, Tanis, Leontopolis, Sais, Bubastis and Heliopolis.
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Fact 33 History of Egyptians: | Many religious cult centers were based in the old cities.
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Fact 34 History of Egyptians: | Pharaoh Thutmose III (r.1479–1424 BC) was the stepson of Queen Hatshepsut and one of the greatest pharaohs and created the largest Egyptian Empire known through his military campaigns and conquests in Syria and the gold rich Nubia
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Fact 35 History of Egyptians: | King Seti I (r.1290 BC – 1279 BC) was a prolific builder and a military strategist, famous for his campaigns against the Hittites including the Battle of Kadesh.
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Fact 36 History of Egyptians: | Egyptian women enjoyed legal and economical equality with men, but not the same social equality.
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Fact 37 History of Egyptians: | Both Egyptian men and women wore make-up, which was believed to hold magical healing properties.
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Fact 38 History of Egyptians: | Both Egyptian men and women cut their hair extremely short to avoid lice. Royal and wealthy Egyptians wore wigs in public.
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Fact 39 History of Egyptians: | Queen Cleopatra IV became the mistress of Julius Caesar and the wife of Mark Anthony. She was the last Egyptian ruler following defeat at the Battle of Actium by the Romans.
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Fact 40 History of Egyptians: | The civilization disappeared within 100 years of the Roman conquest. The last known hieroglyphic inscription was made in A.D. 394 in the temple of Isis in Philae. The meaning of hieroglyphics were lost for nearly 2000 years
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