What Ancient Egyptian Homes Really Looked Like

An interesting quirk of Egyptian architecture was the near ubiquitous presence of flat roofs (via Ancient Egypt Online). There were a few reasons for this. It was simpler to build, and it also provided a place to lounge and sleep on in the hotter months around Egypt. Some families would have spent as much time on top of their houses as they would inside.

Unsurprisingly, things were much different for the elite. They like to build their houses along the Nile, and painted them white to stay cooler in the hotter months. The most wealthy families could afford to decorate their exteriors with twinkling limestone, and hired artists to paint the interiors with bright, pastel colors. While the more modest Egyptian houses only had one room, the largest and grandest abodes could hold 30, most of which were used to store food. Though homes didn't have running water – at least not how they do today – some did have indoor pools, showing how the concept of luxury is truly millennia old. 

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