Long before TripAdvisor or Google Reviews, early tourists had their own way of sharing opinions by carving them into stone. In the 1st century BCE, Roman travelers visiting Egypt were among the first known tourists to leave behind “reviews” of their journeys. Their messages, etched into the walls of ancient temples and tombs, give us a surprisingly relatable and human look at travel nearly 2,000 years ago.

These aren’t just scribbles on a wall. They’re personal, emotional, and sometimes even humorous reflections from people exploring a civilization that was already ancient in their time.

The Appeal of Egypt for Roman Visitors

After Egypt became a Roman province in 30 BCE, it quickly became one of the most fascinating and exotic destinations for Roman elites and adventurers. The allure of the pyramids, temples, hieroglyphs, and colossal statues captured the imagination of wealthy Roman citizens looking to connect with a mystical past.

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The Ancient Romans: History’s First Obnoxious Tourists!

While we may think of ancient sites as sacred and untouchable, Roman tourists often treated them like any must-see attraction. They marveled at the architectural wonders, puzzled over hieroglyphic symbols, and much like modern tourists occasionally voiced their opinions in public spaces.

Graffiti as Ancient Commentary

“I visited and didn’t enjoy anything except the sarcophagus.”

This sarcastic message, carved into the wall of a tomb, is one of many examples of Roman graffiti found across Egypt. It reads like something you’d find in a one-star review today. It’s a blunt expression of disappointment, carved with a sense of humor that transcends time.

In another example, a Roman visitor joked about being unable to read Egyptian hieroglyphs. The comment poked fun at the unfamiliar symbols, suggesting that despite their beauty and complexity, they remained an unsolvable puzzle for the average Roman tourist.

These inscriptions weren’t random acts of vandalism they were intentional, often neatly carved in Latin or Greek, with attention to spacing and clarity. Some travelers even included their names, dates of travel, or places of origin, making it possible for historians to trace the movements and motivations of ancient people.

Why the Graffiti Matters Today

From a modern archaeological perspective, these messages offer more than novelty. They serve as a rare insight into the human experience of travel in antiquity. They show that ancient people were curious, expressive, and eager to engage with foreign cultures even when those cultures were vastly different from their own.

More importantly, they highlight that travel has always sparked strong emotional reactions. Whether it’s awe, confusion, amusement, or disappointment, Roman tourists reacted much like we do today when faced with the unfamiliar.

The Layered History of Sacred Spaces

Many Roman graffiti inscriptions can be found at famous sites like the Temple of Ramses II at Abu Simbel, the Temple of Philae, and the Valley of the Kings. These are places of immense historical importance not only for their original Egyptian significance but also because of the centuries of visitors who passed through and left a trace of their experience.

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Ancient Graffiti

This layering of history adds richness to these ancient monuments. They’re not just relics of one civilization but living archives of how different cultures interacted with them over time. Roman inscriptions now exist alongside hieroglyphs, Coptic symbols, and even modern restoration marks.

From Stone to Story

Graffiti might be considered informal or even destructive, but in this case, it has become an unexpected historical treasure. These messages allow us to see ancient Roman travelers not as distant, mythic figures but as people. Travelers. Tourists. Commentators of their time.

The next time you visit a historical site, think about the long line of people who stood where you’re standing. Maybe they were as overwhelmed or amused as you are. Maybe they also wished there was a tour guide or a translation. And maybe, like you, they wanted to remember the moment in their own way even if it meant carving their story into stone.