Football in ancient Egypt… when the Pharaohs played with the round ball

Although football is known today as “the game of the century,” its roots extend back thousands of years, as many inscriptions and papyri indicate that the ancient Egyptians were playing football-like games since Pharaonic times, in an amazing mixture of sports, religious rituals, and entertainment.

 

The Pharaonic version of football

 

Archaeologists discovered through inscriptions on the walls of temples in Luxor and Saqqara that the ancient Egyptians played a game known as “Tehnu,” which was played with a ball made of cloth or leather stuffed with bran or straw. The players would compete in it with the aim of passing the ball without it falling to the ground, or trying to get it into a specific circle, an idea very close to modern football.

 Sports in the service of the king and religion

These games were held on religious occasions or major celebrations, and were often supervised by the pharaoh himself as a sponsor of sports, to confirm his power and relationship with the gods. The drawings show that women also participated in some ball games, which reflects the spirit of equality and diversity in sports activity in ancient Egypt.

Playing tools and the beginning of organization

The balls found in the royal tombs were made of goat skin or linen wrapped with linen threads, which indicates the Egyptians’ interest in developing their sports tools. There was also evidence of the existence of organized teams, making the ancient Egyptians among the first peoples to practice sports in a collective and competitive spirit.

 Researchers confirm: The Pharaohs preceded the world

Egyptologists say that these games were not just entertainment, but rather “physical education.” It aims to develop strength, flexibility and discipline, the same principles on which modern football is based today. Some historians believe that the ancient Egyptians transferred their love of ball games to other peoples through trade and cultural contact.

 An immortal legacy

It is clear that the Egyptians’ love for football is not a product of the modern era, but rather a natural extension of an ancient cultural heritage. If the masses today fill the stands to support Al-Ahly or Zamalek, then the early ancestors used to fill the courtyards of the temples to cheer for their heroes, the Pharaohs.

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