On the shores of the Red Sea. Photo: Leah Ibraheem

The first people known to explore the Red Sea were the Ancient Egyptians, who explored the area c. 2500 BC while looking for commercial routes southward.  So how did the Red Sea get its name? Theories abound, but no one knows for sure.

It could be from the red-hued “sea sawdust,” a type of bactieria that grows near the water’s surface. Some historians believe the Red Sea is named for the Himyarites, a group who once lived along it’s shores.  Others believe that the “Red” in Red Sea is actually a designator of the Sea’s location relative to the ancient Mediterranean world – to the South. In ancient languages, the colors black, red, green, and white referred to North, South, East, and West, respectively.

Wherever the name comes from, visitors to the Red Sea today can take advantage of fantastic snorkeling – more than 1200 species of fish have  been found in the coral reef ecosystem of the Red Sea; more than 100 of these have not been located in any other body of water.

If this sounds good to you, join Smithsonian on our Ancient Civilizations of the Red Sea  program for a chance to go snorkeling in Ras Mohammed National Park.

What’s your favorite place to go snorkeling? Share your story.

The Treasury at Petra is not a treasury at all.

Petra, in Jordan, is on almost everyone’s lifelist. The ancient city carved by the Nabateans has entranced travelers for years. Here’s five things you might not know about the so-called “rose-red city.”

1)  The Treasury is not a treasury. Al Khazneh, as the locals call the Treasury, is a tomb. Its masons carved into the mountain directly, starting at the top, making footholds for themselves as they worked their way down.

2)  Swiss explorer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt, “discovered” Petra in 1812. Since the local people were loathe to give away its location to foreigners, Burckhardt assumed the look, persona, and language of a Bedouin and traveled the area under the name Sheikh Ibrahim Ibn Abdallah.

3) Through a complicated system of cisterns, dams, and aqueducts, the Nabateans were able to save water for times of drought and minimize the impacts of surprise floods. The city prospered due in part to the sale of water, which the Nabateans were able to store effectively. Much of their work can still be seen today on a visit to Petra.

4) Petra’s amphitheatre  originally sat more than 6,000 spectators for rituals, plays, speeches, music, dance, and all manner of public gatherings and spectacles.

5) It’s not over yet. Digging still goes on at Petra today, where archaeologists continue to unearth more of the city.

Ready to see it for yourself? Click here to find Smithsonian Journeys tours that visit Petra.

The Great Pyramid of Giza is the oldest of all the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and is the only one still intact. As the burial chamber for the fourth dynasty Egyptian Pharaoh Khufu, it took an estimated 20,000-30,000 workers to build over a 20 year period.

Here are a few more facts about the iconic architectural marvel:

1. The Great Pyramid was the tallest man-made structure for over 3,800 years, until Lincoln Cathedral’s spire surpassed it around 1300AD in England.  

2. It is estimated the Great Pyramid consists of more than 2.3 million limestone rocks, unless it was built on top of a substantial core of rock. While this is possible, scientists still aren’t certain.

3. Contrary to popular belief, the pyramids were not built by slaves. They were actually workers who lived in the surrounding villages. While no ancient artwork already discovered depicts female workers, archaeologists have found the skeletal remains of women which show evidence of heavy lifting of stone. Therefore, it has been concluded that women may have had a part in the building of these massive structures.

4. You can enter the tomb of the Great Pyramid, but you’ll have to the use Robbers’ Tunnel dug by workmen employed by Caliph al-Ma’mun around AD 820. Recently, the entrance to the Pyramid has been restricted to groups of 100 morning and afternoon. The reason for this involves the moisture in our breath. When we exhale, the moisture creates salt within pyramids and tombs resulting in damaging cracks.

5. Under the leadership of Zahi Hawass, Secretary General of the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquties, photography inside the pyramid is now strictly forbidden.  

Do you think the amount of visitors to the Pyramids in should be limited in order to preserve them?

Witness the sheer magnitude of the Great Pyramid with your own eyes on our Egyptian Odyssey tour.

The Bosphorus is a strait connecting the Black Sea  to the Sea of Marmara, on which sits the city of Istanbul. As one of the key routes from the Black Sea to the Mediterranean, the Bosphorus and its surrounds have been enormously important in world history since ancient times. In fact, one of the reasons that Emperor Constantine located his capital on the shores of the Bosphorus was its strategic importance.

The area is also uniquely beautiful. Stop a moment and take in a sunrise on the Bosphorus.

Where’s your favorite place to see the sunrise? Please share!

See the Bosphorus and its surrounds on our Black Sea tour.

Image of Nefertari from her tomb in the Valley of the Queens

No history of ancient Egypt  is complete without considering the integral role of women. Unlike many women before and after them, ancient Egyptian women had the right to own property, sign contracts, and initiate divorce, among other things. In some cases, women became Pharaoh.

Here’s a few ancient Egyptian women you should know more about:

1) Cleopatra, perhaps the most famous of all Egyptian women (though she was ethnically Greek), convinced Caesar and later Marc Antony to help assure her position as Pharaoh and dispatched all of her siblings in the process. Very popular among ethnic Egyptians at the time, she learned the Egyptian language and used her power to expand Egypt’s trade and keep it from becoming part of the Roman Empire. Click here for more on Cleopatra.

2) The lesser-known Hypatia, one of ancient Alexandria’s last great scholars, was also one of the first women we know of to become an astronomer and mathematician. Her public lectures were very well-attended, but ultimately she was killed by Christian zealots for her pagan beliefs. Learn more about Hypatia’s life, death, and legacy here.

3) Hatshepsut’s 21-year reign as Pharaoh was marked by prosperity gained through extensive foreign trade, advances in art and architecture, and a period of relative peace. Her successor (stepson, and nephew), Thutmose III nearly obliterated all traces of Hatshepsut from the historical record, removing her name from many monuments. Why? Read more here.

4) Tiy, wife of Amenhotep III and mother of Akhenaten, was a powerful woman in her own right. Her strength in foreign relations meant than many foreign leaders dealt directly with her on matters of state. Her image appears beside Amenhotep III’s in tomb artwork, stelae, and smaller objects, reiterating her importance.

5) Nefertiti, wife of Akhenaten, began with her husband a religious revolution, where followers worshipped only one god – Aten. Scholars believe that she may have served as co-regent with Akhenaten. She was also stepmother to King Tut.

6) Nefertari was one of the principal wives of Rameses the Great, who built a temple in her honor at Abu Simbel. One of the most famous Egyptian queens, her tomb at the Valley of the Queens is notable for its beauty and her image abounds at the temples of Luxor and Karnak.

Are your bags packed for Egypt yet? We’d love to see you there! Click here  for options.

What would history be without women? Share your thoughts.