Ancient Egypt: Significance of Flowers
Egyptians loved to use flowers for decorating themselves, their houses, and their gardens. They loved beautiful blossoms and had different flowers for different occasions. Although deserts surrounded Egypt, it had the advantage of being near the Nile River. Because of this river, Egyptians enjoyed many beautiful flowers.
Nile River Floods
During ancient times, the Nile River used to flood every year, and this flood generally lasted for three months. For all the inconvenience this flood brought, a significant benefit made the Egyptians wait for this flood every year. Flooding brought fertile soil, allowing for the growth of many plants and trees, as well as flowers!
Gardens In Ancient Egypt
In ancient Egypt, people loved to maintain and use gardens to make their surroundings smell good and look beautiful. Flowers were the pride of their gardens. In the beginning, everyone used to have gardens, but soon, the wealthy became the principal owners of extensive gardens and had vast garden areas in their palaces. The queens and the princesses used the flowers for adorning and decorating their hair. In temples, gardens had significance from both beauty and a botanical point of view as the priests used to grow shrubs that would be used as medicines for particular purposes.
Favorite Flowers Of Ancient Egyptians
Egyptians loved the fragrance and beauty of flowers, and they had some favorite flowers that they used generally and on special occasions. Some of the favorite flowers of Egyptians during the ancient period were:
- Cornflowers
- Daisies
- Water Lily
- Jasmine
- Myrtle
- Roses
- Mandrakes
- Lynchpins
- Ivy
- Celosia
- Narcissus
- Mignonettes
- Poppies
The Lotus Flower
The lotus flower also had significant significance in ancient Egyptian history. It used to float in water. Every morning with sunrise, it used to arise with the morning sun and once again used to sink into the darkness of night. The following day, the flower used to appear again, which was hence considered a life cycle of ancient Egyptian times. This flower was considered a symbol of the sun, creation, and rebirth.
