We know exactly what perfume Cleopatra wore — and how to make it — from ancient Egyptian texts
Some trivia is so bizarre it forces you to rethink your entire understanding of the world. Check out the fact below, see how others reacted, and scroll down to dive into the verified science and history behind it.
Archaeologists at Kom Ombo temple in Egypt discovered ancient texts describing 'kyphi' — the perfume used by Egyptian royalty including Cleopatra. The recipe includes 16 ingredients: honey, wine, raisins, resin, myrrh, saffron, juniper, and others. In 2020, researchers at the University of Wollongong and a German archaeologist reconstructed the perfume from the formula and described it as woody, resinous, and sweet — 'like incense but softer'. Kyphi was burned in Egyptian temples and worn by royalty. The smell of Cleopatra is now reproducible.
Cleopatra is one of the most mythologised figures in history, yet feels impossibly remote and abstract. Learning that something as sensory and immediate as her perfume has been precisely reconstructed — and that you could theoretically smell what she smelled like — collapses that distance.
The Science Behind It
Archaeologists at Kom Ombo temple in Egypt discovered ancient texts describing 'kyphi' — the perfume used by Egyptian royalty including Cleopatra. The recipe includes 16 ingredients: honey, wine, raisins, resin, myrrh, saffron, juniper, and others. In 2020, researchers at the University of Wollongong and a German archaeologist reconstructed the perfume from the formula and described it as woody, resinous, and sweet — 'like incense but softer'. Kyphi was burned in Egyptian temples and worn by royalty. The smell of Cleopatra is now reproducible.
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Sources & Verification
OddlyHuman Editors
VerifiedWritten and fact-checked by the OddlyHuman Behavioral Science Team. We verify all psychological, sociological, and historical claims against peer-reviewed journals, primary sources, and established encyclopedias to bring you accurate insights.
Read our Editorial Guidelines →“We know what Cleopatra's perfume smelled like. Ancient Egyptian texts contain the full recipe for 'kyphi' — researchers reconstructed it in 2020. Woody, resinous, sweet. You could smell it today. 🌿 #OddlyHuman”