What did the Ancient Egyptians look like?

[Insaanistan]

I heard about this, and no, an Israeli should not play an Egyptian queen.

As for what the ancient Egyptians looked like, well, that would be a lot like asking what an Arab looks like.
However, to say “Ancient Egyptian were white” would be false.
While yes, there were periods when ethnic Greeks ruled Egypt, occasional intermixing with black and brown Egyptians and life under the hot Egyptian sun had made them much darker than their Aegean counterparts. Egyptians were varying mixes of Abyssinian, Nubian/Kushite, Greek and Italian, and Coptic ancestry. Now, it’s that plus Arab ancestry, occasionally some Turkish ancestry, and in some relatively rare cases, Hausa ancestry.

Basically, if you want to portray an Egyptian correctly, use an actual Egyptian, or your average Arab, or even an Ethiopian or Sudanese.

But not an Israeli. Definitely not an Israeli.

The average Israeli looks like your average Arab. I've been there before and I couldn't tell them apart based on phenotype alone.

Maybe your average Syrian.

[Insaanistan]

I heard about this, and no, an Israeli should not play an Egyptian queen.

As for what the ancient Egyptians looked like, well, that would be a lot like asking what an Arab looks like.
However, to say “Ancient Egyptian were white” would be false.
While yes, there were periods when ethnic Greeks ruled Egypt, occasional intermixing with black and brown Egyptians and life under the hot Egyptian sun had made them much darker than their Aegean counterparts. Egyptians were varying mixes of Abyssinian, Nubian/Kushite, Greek and Italian, and Coptic ancestry. Now, it’s that plus Arab ancestry, occasionally some Turkish ancestry, and in some relatively rare cases, Hausa ancestry.

Basically, if you want to portray an Egyptian correctly, use an actual Egyptian, or your average Arab, or even an Ethiopian or Sudanese.

But not an Israeli. Definitely not an Israeli.

Egypt wasn't Islamicised until several centuries after the death of Cleopatra. It has existed for longer as a non-Muslim country than it has as a Muslim.

Hence why I said “Now”.

[Nanatsu no Tsuki]

Egypt wasn't Islamicised until several centuries after the death of Cleopatra. It has existed for longer as a non-Muslim country than it has as a Muslim.

Hence why I said “Now”.

Insaan, if we’re going to go for historical accuracy here, it’s either an actress that looks Greek/Macedonian or Levantine.

[Aeolympos]

Egyptian Pharoahs must have been pretty messed up if their parents were siblings. How did the royal legacy even last with all that inbreeding?

12 Ptolemies doesn't imply 12 generations. When brother succeeded / deposed brother, the new pharaoh would be called Ptolemy just like the last one.

The last three Ptolemies (XII - XIV) were descended from the Greek mistress of number X - so at last there had been some admixture of fresh blood.

[Insaanistan]

Hence why I said “Now”.

Insaan, if we’re going to go for historical accuracy here, it’s either an actress that looks Greek/Macedonian or Levantine.

I’d say your average Berber would be best. Or, ya know, an Egyptian.

[Nanatsu no Tsuki]

Insaan, if we’re going to go for historical accuracy here, it’s either an actress that looks Greek/Macedonian or Levantine.

I’d say your average Berber would be best. Or, ya know, an Egyptian.

Have you looked at Cleopatra’s coinage?

[Costa Fierro]

Egypt wasn't Islamicised until several centuries after the death of Cleopatra. It has existed for longer as a non-Muslim country than it has as a Muslim.

Hence why I said “Now”.

No. An Israeli is suitable for the role. Don't politicise it more than it already has been.

[Costa Fierro]

Insaan, if we’re going to go for historical accuracy here, it’s either an actress that looks Greek/Macedonian or Levantine.

I’d say your average Berber would be best. Or, ya know, an Egyptian.

The Siwi Berbers never attained any power in Egypt and most of them lived in the far west. The remainder of the Berbers lived in Algeria, Libya, and Morocco, and the Berber kingdoms and states were concentrated in Algeria and Morocco.

[Aeolympos]

It didn’t last. With subsequent marriages between siblings, it weakened entirely. Why do you think the Ptolemies were able to take hold of it?

Because Ptolemy was a friend of Alexander the Great when he took Egypt from the Persians?

Ptolemy was Alexander's half-brother (bastard son of Phillip II, to be exact). Alexander took Egypt from the Persians, who had defeated the last indigenous "dynasty"(just one father and one son and gone).

Before them, there had been Assyrian pharaohs and Nubian pharaohs and Libyan pharaohs.

The last long-lasting indigenous dynasty were the Ramessides, who's zenith was around 1200 BCE.

----------------

Almost every dynasty follows this pattern:
- Ambitious and energetic young man takes throne.
- Promising son takes over after young man has grown old and died.
- Maybe one more generation of greatness
- Incest and slow decline
- Outsider is ambitious end energetic and becomes new pharaoh with new dynasty.

[Insaanistan]

I’d say your average Berber would be best. Or, ya know, an Egyptian.

The Siwi Berbers never attained any power in Egypt and most of them lived in the far west. The remainder of the Berbers lived in Algeria, Libya, and Morocco, and the Berber kingdoms and states were concentrated in Algeria and Morocco.

I am aware. I’m part Amazigh.

[Borderlands of Rojava]

The average Israeli looks like your average Arab. I've been there before and I couldn't tell them apart based on phenotype alone.

Maybe your average Syrian.

The ancient Egyptians were genetically closest to levantines. If they looked anything like modern Egyptians who share most of their DNA, they probably looked like Gal Gadot.

[Nanatsu no Tsuki]

Hence why I said “Now”.

No. An Israeli is suitable for the role. Don't politicise it more than it already has been.

I mean she is Levantine.

I still don’t get how with all that’s happening, some have managed to get the energy and time to get outraged over this casting choice.

[Insaanistan]

I’d say your average Berber would be best. Or, ya know, an Egyptian.

Have you looked at Cleopatra’s coinage?

Yes.

[Nanatsu no Tsuki]

Have you looked at Cleopatra’s coinage?

Yes.

She looks pretty Greek/Macedonian in them to me. Not Bereber.

[UniversalCommons]

There is a facial reconstruction of Cleopatra based on her statuary. The main issue is skin tone. There is a pretty good idea of the facial structure, height and weight of Cleopatra. By our standards she is not particularly beautiful.
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_cpToIwY89Rc/T ... ructed.jpg

[Borderlands of Rojava]

Insaan, if we’re going to go for historical accuracy here, it’s either an actress that looks Greek/Macedonian or Levantine.

I’d say your average Berber would be best. Or, ya know, an Egyptian.

Tunisians are mainly of berber heritage (according to recent studies 88% of their genes are native to North africa).

Just some examples of what tunisians look like:

https://theconversation.com/amp/why-tun ... tion-90163

https://thearabweekly.com/tunisia-eases ... irus-cases

https://images.app.goo.gl/eZ1geigUF48k7SRQ8

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/04/opin ... t.amp.html

Idk man. I can't tell them apart from Greeks or Italians

[Salus Maior]

Cleopatra was a Greek-Egyptian from a very...Erm..."Well insulated" family.

She wasn't black if that's what people are angry about. Although certainly plenty of Egyptians were black and all sorts of colors if Egyptian art is anything to go by.

[Borderlands of Rojava]

There is a facial reconstruction of Cleopatra based on her statuary. The main issue is skin tone. There is a pretty good idea of the facial structure, height and weight of Cleopatra. By our standards she is not particularly beautiful.
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_cpToIwY89Rc/T ... ructed.jpg

Idk she's kinda cute. Not as fuck ugly as some said.

[Borderlands of Rojava]

Cleopatra was a Greek-Egyptian from a very...Erm..."Well insulated" family.

She wasn't black if that's what people are angry about. Although certainly plenty of Egyptians were black and all sorts of colors if Egyptian art is anything to go by.

When you compare Egyptians in their artwork to nubians, it becomes clear the Egyptians were not identical in appearance to your average sub Saharan African

[Nanatsu no Tsuki]

Cleopatra was a Greek-Egyptian from a very...Erm..."Well insulated" family.

She wasn't black if that's what people are angry about. Although certainly plenty of Egyptians were black and all sorts of colors if Egyptian art is anything to go by.

When you compare Egyptians in their artwork to nubians, it becomes clear the Egyptians were not identical in appearance to your average sub Saharan African

Do you think the casting is fine?

[Infected Mushroom]

They should find an Egyptian actress to do it.

Anything else is... not the correct way to go. Cleopatra is Egyptian, not Jewish. This is bad. I object to the casting.

[UniversalCommons]

Traditionally Romans liked shorter darker people. They considered tall people not very attractive.

[Aeolympos]

There is a facial reconstruction of Cleopatra based on her statuary. The main issue is skin tone. There is a pretty good idea of the facial structure, height and weight of Cleopatra. By our standards she is not particularly beautiful.
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_cpToIwY89Rc/T ... ructed.jpg

Idk she's kinda cute. Not as fuck ugly as some said.

Attractiveness is way more than just physical beauty. She was probably very attractive: expressive eyes, luscious smile, sparkling wit, and the like...

[Borderlands of Rojava]

When you compare Egyptians in their artwork to nubians, it becomes clear the Egyptians were not identical in appearance to your average sub Saharan African

Do you think the casting is fine?

Completely fine. There were probably a million Egyptian women who looked like Gal Gadot.

For christ's sake I live in an area with a coptic church right down the street. Those folks are the descendants of the ancient Egyptians and they don't look any different from other Middle Eastern people. They aren't black if thats one some think.

[Insaanistan]

Cleopatra was a Greek-Egyptian from a very...Erm..."Well insulated" family.

She wasn't black if that's what people are angry about. Although certainly plenty of Egyptians were black and all sorts of colors if Egyptian art is anything to go by.

While I agree with you, there’s a significant change she was part Nubian. Though all Afro-centrists beware, because this almost certainly would barely affect her phenotype at all.