People that have ever visited Egypt know how awesome the country is. They’ve got it all: pyramids, great weather, friendly locals, and much more. But Egypt also has a fascinating history! The series, Planet Egypt on Get.factual gives an insight into this old and historic country. Here are four facts about ancient Egypt that you may not already know:

Both Men and Women Wore Make-Up

How cool is that? Back in ancient times, it was absolutely normal for both sexes to wear make-up. With that being said, it’s not about a little rouge or mascara here and there. They actually wore plenty of it in hope it would protect them from evil gods. They even had applicators in order to put on the make-up, which was often made out of ground ores. Wearing make-up that contained lead around the eyes even helped preventing eye infections.

Board Games Were a Thing

In fact, people in ancient Egypt loved playing board games. Obviously, it wasn’t like Monopoly that is known nowadays, but they did have board games that were equally complex. Even in 3500 BC, people in Egypt loved spending their evenings playing board games after a long work day by the Nile. The most famous game was called Senet, which involved throwing sticks and then moving a little figure based on how far the stick was thrown.

Equal Rights

Even in ancient times, men and women had almost equal rights! Although men were seen as the dominant part of a married couple, women were allowed to earn money, buy and sell properties without their husbands permission and also get divorced and then re-marry. It was possible to raise the kids by themselves and, in general, to live their lives without a man protecting them. That does sound very forward-thinking compared to other ancient civilizations.

The Great Pyramid Was Not Build by Slaves

All the Hollywood movies that show slaves who gave their all to build the enormous pyramid are wrong. There is actually evidence that pyramids were built by free men, who worked at the site permanently and even received a salary for their hard work. Plus they could live in a campsite next to the pyramid and received food, drinks and even medical care. Sounds actually better than some working conditions nowadays!

 

Check out Planet Egypt on Get.factual for more! This is only one show out of a great selection other award-winning documentaries you can watch on Get.factual, check them out for yourself – it’s free for 7 days with all new accounts!