P is for Pharaoh
Pharaohs were a huge part of ancient Egyptian culture; they were the Kings (or Queens) of Egypt. Most pharaohs were men, but some of the most well known pharaohs have been women, for example Nefertiti and Cleopatra.
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| The bust of Nefertiti Taken from here |
- The ancient Egyptians didn’t actually call their kings pharaohs - the word came from the Greek language, and was used by Greeks and Hebrews when referring to the Kings of Egypt.
- The first pharaoh was Narmer, who united Lower and Upper Egypt. He was the first king of the Old Kingdom, and founded the first capital of Egypt; Memphis.
- Pharaohs were originally buried in pyramids, but later began to be buried in hidden tombs in the Valley of the Kings, to prevent grave robbery.
- Pharaohs often had several wives, but only one was named Queen.
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| The mask of Tutankhamun Taken from here |
- The most famous pharaoh from Egyptian times is Tutankhamun. (He’s the only one I remember learning about in school).
I remember learning about ol' King Tut at school as well - funny, we remember him because of the wonderful grave goods that were found with him, and yet there were much greater pharaohs in terms of what they did for Egypt such as Rameses The Great.
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The first city was Memphis? That explains why they build the Pyramid arena in Memphis, TN. (And then recently tore it down because the venue was too small.)
ReplyDeleteThat's an interesting point about the term "Pharaoh." As I recall, in the Bible (particularly Genesis and Exodus), the rulers of Egypt are referred to as the "kings" of Egypt, not the Pharaohs. And that's probably why--the term "Pharaoh" hadn't been coined by that time, or was unknown to Egyptian and Hebrew.
ReplyDeleteYou're doing a great job keeping these posts short but packed full of interesting info, Laura! :)
I have always been fascinated by Egyptian History ...Interesting post..
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I never knew that Egyptians never used the word Pharaoh....
ReplyDeleteSeveral wives but only one queen, eh? I can only imagine some of the jealousy that ensued there.
ReplyDeleteNarmer sounds so historic and powerful. Why have I never heard of him? Great post.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know Pharoah wasn't even an Egyptian word. Interesting! A friend of mine used to have a necklace with this bust of Nefertiti.
ReplyDeleteI loved your information and learning that Pharoah is a Greek not Egyptian word. Hope to read more. Good luck with the A-Z!
ReplyDeleteI had no idea the Greeks were responsible for the word Pharaoh - I always assumed it was an Egyptian native word. I remember being fascinated by a book on Tutankhamen in primary school; it was amazing to me, still is actually.
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I didn't know Nefertiti had been a pharaoh. I am aware of Hatshepsut who ruled for quite some time and even dressed as a man.
ReplyDeleteInteresting. I did not know that Pharoh was a term egyptians didn't use originally. Tucking that tid bit away. Thanks!
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King Tut is also the only one I remember learning about in school. Not even Cleopatra, which I would've enjoyed. Just like Crystal, I didn't know Egyptians didn't call their kings Pharaoh. That is interesting.
ReplyDeleteI've always thought Nefertiti was the most woman ever born. Learned something new today about the origin of the word pharaoh!
ReplyDeleteNefertiti does not look happy. . . .
ReplyDeleteInteresting....I never knew there were female pharaohs....
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