A team of scientists managed to create a fragrance that may have been worn by Queen Cleopatra, who lived more than two thousand years ago.
Archaeologists from the University of Hawaii have engaged a team of perfumers in the study, aiming to recreate the fragrance that Queen Cleopatra probably wore.
According to legend, the first meeting with Mark Anthony, Cleopatra sailed on a ship under red sails, which exuded such a strong fragrance that the great commander was speechless. From here the legend began that even the wind adored the smell of Queen Cleopatra.
The idea to recreate the perfume arose during the excavations of the Egyptian city of Tmuis, located in the Nile Delta and founded in 4500 BC. The region produced two of the most famous perfumes in the ancient world: the Mendezian and Metopian.
Both the Mendezian and Metopian fragrances contain myrrh, a natural resin that is extracted from thorns growing on the Arabian Peninsula. According to the recipe, scientists added cardamom, olive oil and cinnamon. The aroma was very strong, spicy and slightly musky.
