The Art of the Ancient Egyptian Swimming Pool
Can you believe that in 2500 BC, Egyptian hieroglyphics depicted swimming? Well, believe it! Swimming pools have a long history in the cultures of Greece, Rome, Assyria and Egypt dating back to 2500 B.C. Their modern era popularity took off in the 1800’s with swimming clubs, and continued to grow with the start of the modern Olympics in 1896, which included swimming competitions.
Swimming was the favorite sport of the ancient Egyptians, who made use of the River Nile to practice the art of swimming. The Nile was not the only place for swimming contests. Noblemen’s palaces had swimming pools in which princes learned the sport.
The calm waters of the Nile encouraged youths to hold swimming competitions in which they could show their skills.
Whether people needed to cross a river to safety on the other side or simply know how to tread water to prevent drowning, swimming has certainly come a long way since its ancient days.
But, if think that swimming has come a long way, it does not even come close to how far the art of building a swimming pool has come. From over the top designs to the vast size of some hotel and residential pools, we’ve come a long way! Check out this amazing residential pool by Ryan Hughes Design.
A Residential Pool Built for Egyptian Royalty
Some may call this an over-the-top design but it was the only way to go for this client. Designer and builder Ryan Hughes, created this hotel scale, Egyptian-inspired oasis for one of his entrepreneur clients. Hughes was asked to design an outdoor environment that featured a pool, spa and other luxurious elements like seating areas that stuck to an Egyptian theme.
Photos by Joe Traina, Aquatic/designer and builder Ryan Hughes
The property is 20 acres and the home is 12,000 square feet so the pool had to feel like a rich and large focal point on the property. Hughes was tasked with incorporating a sphinx and other authentic looking materials but he had never built an Egyptian pool before and was unsure how to order the materials for such a project. Luckily he was able to find an amazing Pre Cast company that worked diligently on getting all of the items finished in the short four month timeline the project was up against.
Photos by Joe Traina, Aquatic/designer and builder Ryan Hughes
The pool is 55 feet long and 25 feet wide. The pool is only 4 and a 1/2 feet deep so party-goers can comfortably walk around the length of the pool and mingle. However, 4 and a 1/2 feet made it perfectly deep enough for lap swimming.
Photos by Joe Traina, Aquatic/designer and builder Ryan Hughes
Do You Have a Theme Pool Idea?
We are huge fans of themed pools in fact, we build our own over-the-top projects. From lazy rivers to theme park themed pools, our projects have caught the eye of diy Network as well as HGTV. We are experts that can assist you in bringing your vision to life. The color and material of the finish affects the look of your pool, so we will work closely with you to ensure you choose a style that reflects your tastes. Our contractors can also add landscaping around your pool so that when we leave your property, your pool area is finished and ready for you to enjoy.
