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Ancient Origins Tour IRAQ

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The Nile turned ancient Egypt into a superpower. Source: ahmudz / Adobe Stock.

What Transformed Egypt into an Ancient Power? (Video)

Egypt's ascent to ancient prominence wasn't a stroke of luck; it was an agricultural transformation that set the stage for unparalleled civilization. The lush Nile Valley , fed by nutrient-rich soil...
Recreation of an Egyptian war chariot from the Early New Kingdom by Angus McBride

An Ancient Egyptian Arms Race (Video)

Seqenenre Tao , a determined pharaoh of the Seventeenth Dynasty in ancient Egypt, played a pivotal role in the arms race against the Hyksos during the Second Intermediate Period. Faced with the...
Cleopatra giving a speech in Egypt. Source: unai / Adobe Stock.

44 BC was a Terrible Year for Cleopatra and Egypt (Video)

In 44 BC, Cleopatra and Egypt faced a catastrophic event that would shape their destiny. A volcanic eruption , with far-reaching global consequences, struck the world, impacting Egypt severely. The...
Interior of Nilometer in Cairo. Source: rninov / Adobe Stock.

Muslims Used the Nilometer to Tax the Ancient Egyptians (Video)

In 639, Arab Muslim forces arrived in Egypt, swiftly gaining control of the Nile and, within two years, the capital, Alexandria. Egypt fell entirely under their dominion. Notably, the first structure...
A Hippopotamus. Source: Aintschie / Adobe Stock.

Hunting Hippos Was a Royal Sport in Ancient Egypt

To the modern observer, the hippopotamus might seem a curious creature - large and often languid in its watery habitat. However, in ancient Egypt, the hippo was regarded as one of the most ferocious...
Fesikh fermented fish. Source: Tamer / Adobe Stock.

Egyptian Fesikh: This Food of the Pharaohs Could Kill You (Video)

In Egypt, a culinary tradition both captivating and treacherous holds sway: fesikh (fermented mullet fish), a dish that dances on the edge of danger. Despite annual warnings from the Ministry of...
The god Khnum, accompanied by Heqet, in a relief from the mammisi (birth temple) at Dendera Temple complex. Source: Roland Unger/CC BY-SA 3.0

Beyond Fertility: Goddess Heqet’s Extensive Influence on Ancient Egypt

In ancient Egypt, the goddess Heqet reigned supreme as a symbol of fertility and childbirth. Heqet’s following spanned the ages, from the Old Kingdom to the Ptolemaic period, due to her impact on...
Khufu ship, Egypt. Source: Olaf Tausch / CC by SA 3.0.

Ancient Egypt's Colossal Super Ships (Video)

The ancient Egyptians were renowned for their impressive super ships, known as " sekhets ," or “solar barges”. These colossal vessels were remarkable feats of maritime engineering and played a...
The Draa Abul Nagaa tomb being investigated. Source: Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities

Ancient Marvels Revealed: Exploring Draa Abul Nagaa's Hidden Tomb (360° Video)

In a remarkable archaeological find, the ancient tomb of Draa Abul Nagaa, dating back 3,500 years, has been unearthed in Egypt. This significant discovery provides valuable insights into the lives...
The funeral rites of a mummy on the Nile, by Frederic Arthur Bridgman (1876–77). Speed Art Museum, Louisville (Public Domain)

The Dead Below Deck: Funerary Boat Customs

Archaeologists discovered a 5,000-year-old Egyptian funerary boat, measuring 60 feet (18 meters), that was so well preserved that it still had intact plant fibers attached to it, in 2016. Found near...
The Faiyum Oasis extends for hundreds of miles, and has enabled life and civilization in the Nile River Valley.	Source: Nader / Adobe Stock

Faiyum Oasis: The Heart-Shaped Hidden Garden of Egypt

In TV shows and movies, if an oasis is shown, it is usually either a mirage or some tiny pool of water next to a palm tree in the middle of the desert. We could be forgiven for thinking that all...
From Pagan To Christian To Islam, Religious Wars In Ancient Sudan

From Pagan To Christian To Islam, Religious Wars In Ancient Sudan

A change in religion more often than not, leads to bloodshed and war as gods hold on to their powers, and their priests and kings and queens take up arms to defend them. The history of Sudan has seen...
Locals on camels near Meroe pyramids, Sudan (Matyas Rehak/ Adobe Stock)

Secrets in The Sands Of Sudan: The Kushite Kings’ Pyramids

After the decline of Egypt’s New Kingdom, the Kings of Kush established the 25th Dynasty by expanding their territory to include Egypt, and ruled as the Black Pharaohs for at least a hundred years...
The Three Niles And Cataract Settlements Of Ancient Sudan

The Three Niles And Cataract Settlements Of Ancient Sudan

On January 1, 1956, after centuries of foreign rule, Sudan finally gained its independence from Great Britain, three years after independence was granted to Egypt on June 18, 1953, and today the...
The Colossi of Memnon on the Theban West Bank. Antonio Beato. Brooklyn Museum. (Public Domain); An 18th century apothecary vessel with the inscription MUMIA. Deutsches Apothekenmuseum Heidelberg (Public Domain); Amy, Flinders Petrie's sister-in-law, buying antiquities at Abydos, circa 1899. © The Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, UCL, London. (Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin / CC BY-SA 4.0); One of the dahabeahs of Thomas Cook & Son, (Egypt) Ltd. Brooklyn Museum Libraries. Wilbour Library of Egyptology. (Ju

A History Of Egyptian Antiquities: Assessing Pivotal Highs And Lows Down The Centuries

Following the culmination of the Anglo-Egyptian War in 1882, the British used their experiences in colonizing the Indian subcontinent to tackle the geo-political scenario in Egypt, opening the...
A painting by Charles Le Brun, French painter and art theorist, depicting Alexander and Porus during the Battle of the Hydaspes (1673) design by Anand N. Balaji (Public Domain); Deriv.

Alexander’s Indus Folly: Bizarre Search for the Source of the Nile in India

When the Macedonian monarch Alexander III, popularly known as Alexander the Great , arrived in the northwest of the larger Indian subcontinent in 327 BC following his conquest of the massive...
The reconstructed solar barge of Khufu.

Egypt’s Second Khufu Ship - Fully Excavated, Ready for Reassembly

After years of work, researchers have now completed their exhumation of all the artifacts of the Second Khufu Ship found next to the Pyramid of Khufu (Cheops) in Giza. The next steps are restoration...
The Pharaoh’s parade is a stunningly inventive way to lift spirits during the Covid-19 pandemic, while transporting the remains of these ancient kings and queens to their new home.

Pharaoh’s Parade: Mummified Display of Egypt’s Glorious Past

When you utter the name “Egypt,” the first thing that comes to the mind is the storied past hidden in the deep recesses of fantastical pyramids. Not to forget, unending expanses of beautiful, golden...
Berenike Fortress Well Speaks of Volcanic Apocalypse

Berenike Fortress Well Speaks of Volcanic Apocalypse

Like in all ancient cultures maintaining access to fresh, unpolluted water, was infinitely more valuable than owning vast tonnages gold, silver and jewels. Archaeologists exploring a water well in...
Thonis-Heracleion Sunken City

Finding the Lost City of Heracleion: Encountering Myth Under the Waves

The city of Heracleion was swallowed by the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Egypt nearly 1,200 years ago. It was one of the most important trade centers in the Mediterranean before it sank more...
What secrets could the alignment of the Giza Sphinx and the Great Pyramid of Giza be hiding? Could there be further hidden pyramid chambers inside the Great Pyramid? Source: Aliaksei / Adobe Stock

Could the Directions of Pyramids and Sphinx Hint at Hidden Chambers?

The Giza Sphinx faces east, while the pyramids’ sides are aligned precisely in the cardinal directions. There is little doubt that the Sun or stars must have been used to align the Giza pyramids, but...
Though Egyptian hippos are now extinct in Egypt they still thrive in Africa. And these hippos are shown with lotus flowers, which often featured as decoration in Egyptian hippo figurines and paintings.                  Source: Faas / Adobe Stock

Egyptian Hippos: Ancient Symbol of Protection, Rebirth And Hunting

The ancient Egyptians had an undeniable and powerful connection to nature and the world around them. Almost every animal and plant had a specific meaning to their way of life, inspiring grand murals...
Digital reconstruction of the Nile River from Assassin’s Creed Origins.

The Nile: How One River Helped Build a Civilization – 10 Amazing Facts

The Nile River spans almost 4,175 miles (6,719 km), crosses nine countries throughout Africa, and is widely regarded as the longest river in the world. While all this might be considered common...
Tilapia Stew: Egyptian Recipe Found in 6000-year-old Stomach

Tilapia Stew: Egyptian Recipe Found in 6000-year-old Stomach

This recipe is based on an archaeological discovery made in an upper Egypt tomb dating to around 3500 to 4000 BC. Differing from a typical mummy, which would have had its organs in canopic jars, the...

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