Five LEGO Ideas Projects to Support if You're a History Fan

21st October 2022

LEGO has a rich history of, well, history. Historical based themes used to form the backbone of the LEGO catalogue, and produced sets centering on medieval knights, the Wild West, pirates and buccaneers, Vikings, ancient Egypt and more. However, lately LEGO's focus has been on licensed franchises that are typically sci-fi or fantasy based. We have seen small revivals of classic themes, thanks to sets such as the Lion Knights' Castle and Pirates of Barracuda Bay, which have partially satiated the appetites of LEGO fans with a love of the past. But if you are like us, and are still hungry for more classical sets, then we've provided five of the best history-based Ideas projects that you can give your support to.

Ancient Egyptian Temple

View Ancient Egyptian Temple on LEGO Ideas

LEGO has visited ancient Egypt twice, once through the Adventurer's “Desert” subtheme and once through Pharaoh's Quest. Both revolved around a team of explorers searching for long lost treasures amongst ruins of ancient Egypt, and both blended fantasy and historical elements, by having the explorers contend with undead mummies, Anubis guardians, and giant creatures.

Adventure-style archaeological exploration was made popular through movie franchises such as the Mummy and Indiana Jones, and could still be the makings of a popular LEGO theme. Ancient Egypt and the real-world mystery around its burial sites, monuments, and treasures have long captivated people, so a rebirth of Pharaoh's Quest, or the introduction of a similar theme, is something we'd very much like to see.

If you feel similarly, The Ancient Egyptian Temple is an Ideas project you may be interested in. It depicts a generic temple with many recognisable features of ancient Egypt, such as the entrance gates and large statues of mythical gods and heroes. The interior is divided into a large hallway and three separate rooms, including a large throne room, mummification room, and storage room. All are filled with classic Egyptian artefacts and decoration. There are seven minifigures to populate the temple, as well as a horse drawn chariot. If this project got enough support it would make for an excellent display model and play set.

Great Temple of Abu Simbel - With Secret Treasure

View Great Temple of Abu Simbel on LEGO Ideas

Another of our favourite Ideas projects based on ancient Egypt is this recreation of a real-world temple built by Ramses II as a tribute to himself and his victory against Hittite in Kadesh (1274 B.C.).

The build consists of around 3,000 pieces and reaches a height of 40cm. The design makes great use of lots of small pieces to capture the rocky textures on the outside, and create the four giant statues of Ramses II, one of which is crumbling into ruin. The interior is made up of a large chamber with more Ramses II statues acting as columns. As the name of the project suggests, there is also a secret chamber on the inside full of gold and ancient artefacts that can be opened by solving a little puzzle. This project would look fantastic alongside the recent Great Pyramid of Giza (21058) set.

Greek Trireme

View Greek Trireme on LEGO Ideas

The closest LEGO have ever come to an Ancient Greece theme is Atlantis, which revolved around a team of underwater explorers searching for the legendary sunken city. Therefore, ancient Greece remains untouched by LEGO for set inspiration, which is a shame considering the Greeks built many impressive structures, such as the Pantheon, that still stands today. This Ideas project aims to correct this oversight by bringing us a brick-built version of an Ancient Greek trireme.

The Greeks were legendary sailors and triremes were fast, agile boats that played a crucial role in their maritime conflicts with the Persians. This model has room for 72 rowers and can accommodate an additional 30-40 soldiers! The ship is a brilliant replica as great attention has been paid to its historical accuracy in terms of the design and proportions. It's a beautiful looking model that fills a big hole in LEGO's historical back catalogue.

Spartan Helmet of Leonidas

View Spartan Helmet of Leonidas on LEGO Ideas

Another Ideas project that aims to boost Ancient Greece's contribution to LEGO's classical sets, is the Spartan Helmet of Leonidas. Sparta was an important city-state in ancient Greece that was recognized as the leading force of the unified Greek military during the Persian Wars. Their fighting prowess was helped made famous by the 300 film, which revolved around King Leonidas leading a small group of elite Spartan warriors into battle against a gigantic invading Persian army.

The iconic helmet worn by King Leonidas is a beautiful piece of design and has become a symbol associated with bravery and courage. It has also influenced the design of modern superhero armour. This project is a very nice creation of the popular helmet and includes the recognisable red and black colour scheme of Sparta. It would also fit in with LEGO's recent emphasis on creating sets depicting helmets and artefacts from their licensed themes.

Medieval Seaside Market

View Medieval Seaside Market on LEGO Ideas

LEGO is not short on medieval-style sets, thanks to the long-running Castle theme. Recently, we have also been treated to exceptional one-off models, such as the Lion Knights' Castle and the Medieval Blacksmith. Medieval-theme Ideas projects are always popular, with many reaching the required 10,000 supporter mark needed to enter the review stage.

The majority of medieval sets have focused on terrestrial buildings, with maritime locations and vehicles having been left at the wayside. This project aims to correct this by bringing us a fortified seaside market made from 2,907 pieces. It features a main tower with harbour master's office and loading/unloading area, smaller towers for defence, lighthouse tower, market area, docks, and a small cargo vessel. The whole build is connected, meaning any one of the 13 included minifigures can access every area. As well as being a set for Castle lovers, the maritime nature of this project means it will also appeal to Pirate fans, and would help integrate the two themes. This project also places everyday life at the forefront, rather than battling and conquering, which is more historically realistic.

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