Wrestling in Ancient Egypt

Wrestling in Ancient Egypt was a highly respected and ancient discipline, among the earliest documented sports in recorded history. It was not a brutal or theatrical display, like the choreographed sword duels shown in The Mummy Returns, but rather a structured and skilful activity that combined physical prowess with cultural and symbolic significance.

The earliest known images of wrestling appear during the Old Kingdom, around 2400 B.C., notably in the tomb of Ptahhotep at Saqqara. However, it is during the Middle Kingdom, particularly in the tomb of Baqet III at Beni Hasan (c. 2000 B.C.), that wrestling is shown in its most elaborate form. Here, over 400 detailed painted scenes portray wrestlers engaged in a wide range of holds, throws, and counters. Each sequence seems to capture a specific technique, arranged almost like an ancient instructional manual.

“Behold, I will make you take a fall helpless, in front of the Pharaoh, may he live, be prosperous and healthy.”

Wrestling in Ancient Egypt was first and foremost a sport; competitive, intense, but non-lethal. It can be compared to modern Greco-Roman wrestling or even judo, with its focus on leverage, balance, and bodily control. Wrestlers typically wore only a loincloth and competed bare-chested, allowing for ease of movement. Yet beyond sport, wrestling served several key roles. It was a common form of recreation and exercise, especially for young men, and it was also an essential component of military training. Soldiers were taught wrestling alongside stick-fighting and archery, as a practical means of preparing for hand-to-hand combat and strengthening discipline. In royal contexts, wrestling tournaments were sometimes hosted by the pharaoh during festivals and jubilees, not only as entertainment but as symbolic affirmations of royal vitality and cosmic order.

Wrestling also held ritual and funerary significance. Scenes of athletic contests, including wrestling, were painted on tomb walls as part of the promise of a blissful afterlife. Just as banquets, music, and games were shown to ensure eternal joy, so too did scenes of sport ensure eternal strength and youthful vigour. Wrestling could also be viewed metaphorically, as a controlled contest between opposing forces; an embodiment of Ma’at (order, balance and harmony). Occasionally, small wooden models or statuettes of wrestling figures were placed in tombs, much like figures of bakers, brewers, or dancers, as magical provisions for the afterlife. These were not idle amusements but symbols of vitality and unending life.

From what is known, Egyptologists believe wrestling was never an entertaining fight to the death as seen within other ancient cultures, but rather a graceful and powerful sport steeped in meaning. Whether practised in life or depicted in death, it stood as a testament to discipline, order, and enduring strength.

Tomb of Amenemhat at Beni Hasan (c. 2000 B.C.)
Another Middle Kingdom tomb features martial arts scenes, including wrestling alongside stick‑fighting. These images demonstrate key technical principles: immobilising opponents, throwing them, and even causing fractures when necessary.

Tomb of Baqet III at Beni Hasan (c. 2000 B.C.)

This Middle Kingdom tomb features the most famous and extensive depiction of wrestling in Ancient Egypt. Over 400 individual scenes show men engaged in a wide range of wrestling holds and manoeuvres, painted in dynamic sequences. It is considered one of the most complete ancient records of wrestling techniques.

Tomb of Ptahhotep at Saqqara (Old Kingdom, c. 2400 B.C.)
This tomb contains some of the earliest visual references to wrestling. Though less elaborate than Beni Hasan, the scenes still show men grappling in stylised but recognisable combat poses.

Tomb of Kheruef (TT192), Thebes, 18th Dynasty (New Kingdom)
Wrestling is part of a larger festival scene in this high official’s tomb, linked to the Sed festival of Amenhotep III. Wrestlers perform as part of a public celebration, suggesting its role in state ceremonies.

Medinet Habu, Mortuary Temple of Ramesses III (20th Dynasty)
Among various scenes of games, sports, and captives, foreign wrestlers are sometimes depicted, showing the international nature of such contests and perhaps their use in demonstrating Egyptian superiority.

This animated ostracon captures two wrestlers locked in a dynamic neck hold, poised at the opening of a ceremonial bout. Accompanied by a bold caption, “Behold, I will make you take a fall helpless, in front of the Pharaoh, may he live, be prosperous and healthy,” the scene likely depicts a royal spectacle, blending athletic competition with ritual and state ideology.

Used by artisans as sketchpads, ostraca such as this offer rare insight into the daily life and creative practices of the craftsmen who built the royal tombs. The fluid, confident line work reflects a masterful hand, while the subject reminds us that sport, strength, and performance were woven into the fabric of elite Ancient Egyptian society.