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Egypt

Page history last edited by Caterina Moroso 14 years, 5 months ago

Index

• Introduction

• History

• Culture

• Religion

• Politics

• Economy

• Myths and Legends

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Fact Table

Full Name	Arab Republic of Egypt
Population	83 million people
Capital	Cairo
Area	1 million sq km
Major Languages	Arabic
Major Religions	Islam, Christianity
Life Expectancy	68 years (men), 72 years (women)
Monetary Unit	1 Egyptian pound = 100 piastres
Main Exports	Petroleum, petroleum products, cotton

Introduction

The Arab Republic of Egypt is a country located in the northeastern corner of Africa, but it is also considered to be part of the Middle East. It borders with Israel, Libya and Sudan. It hosts a population of 83 million people and more than 7 million only in the capital, Cairo. Cairo greatest city in the Arab world and in situated on the banks of the Nile River. This important river is Egypt’s greatest source of food and water, surrounded by deserts and very rare oasis. It has been home to many civilizations who settled on the banks of the Nile starting in 3,000 BC. Before this, Egypt was a chain of independent city-states, which were united under one king, called a pharaoh. This monarchy lasted for more than 30 centuries and was ended by Alexander the Great and his empire. The Egyptians are very famous for the enormous buildings they created to honor their gods. The most known are the Great Pyramids built in honor of three important pharaohs (Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure) and the Sphinx, which still now can be admired in the hot desert near the banks of the river Nile. Even though archeologists have unearthed most of Ancient Egypt’s treasures, many secrets have not been brought to light yet.

Religion

Many people and cultures through the various centuries have invaded Egypt, so its religion has suffered many changes. Nowadays Egypt is an Arab Republic and its major religions are Islam (from the Sunni branch) and Christianity, though it has not always been like this. The Muslims and the Christians, majorly while fighting in the Crusades but even earlier, brought these two religions to Egypt. Before this, the famous polytheistic religion of the ancient Egyptians ruled the country. The pharaoh was said to be chosen by the gods, so his word was the gods’ will. The ancient Egyptian religion was much more part of the daily life than nowadays. In fact, the priests and men that worked in the temple were venerated as messengers of the gods and the population really depended on for explanation to natural phenomena and other life problems.

The Ancient Polytheistic Religion

The Ancient Egyptians were polytheistic, which means they believed in many gods and goddesses. Each of them was responsible of keeping the peace and harmony in their empire. Some gods helped the Nile flood every year, others assisted the spirits of the dead in the underworld. The minor gods represented animals, plants or were protectors of small towns. Even though the entire population wasn’t familiar with all of them, they were all considered sacred and worthy of respect. Pharaohs and priests dedicated giant temple to their major gods for protection and help. Amun, the “king of the gods” was considered the most important divinity with Ra, the god of the sun. The Ancient Egyptians also venerated Anubis, god of the underworld. He was responsible of escorting the dead in the underworld and he was considered the one that watched over the process of mummification. They also worshipped Atum, the first god on earth; Horus, the protector of the ruler; Hathor, goddess of love and joy; Nun, the goddess of the Nile and many others. The Egyptians, though, were also afraid of Seth, the god of chaos. The gods and religion were a fundamental piece of Ancient Egypt’s culture and even though 3000 years have passed, it has not been forgotten.

Religion in Egypt Nowadays

In the 21st century the two main religions in Egypt are Islam and Christianity. 90% of the population is Muslim and most of them follow the Sunni branch of the religion. The rest 10% is mostly Coptic (with 1% of other form of Christianity). When Egypt was under the Muslims it became centre of the Islamic country, it became prosperous and very strong. This regime was weakened though with the arrival of the Crusades and the Christian soldiers. They seized the land Christianity became the country’s religion. Afterwards the Muslims took the land back, and until now Islam has been the major religion the population practiced.

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Economy

Egypt's economy depends mainly on agriculture, media, petroleum exports, and tourism; there are also more than 3 million Egyptians working abroad, mainly in Saudi Arabia, the Persian Gulf and Europe. Although the constitution of 1971 describes the economy based on socialism, with the people controlling all means of production, the public sector thoroughly dominated the economy for only about two decades following the revolution of 1952—year in which the country had a free market. Most major nationalization took place between 1961 and the early 1970s, when most important sectors of the economy either were public or were strictly controlled by the government. This included large-scale industry, communications, banking and finance, the cotton trade, foreign trade, and other sectors. Some room to maneuver was still left in real estate and in agriculture and, later, in the export trade. Personal income, as well as land ownership, were strictly limited by the government.

Egypt agriculture and Egyptians have associated themselves with the River Nile; it has been their only source of products for many centuries. They were the first ever to create an irrigation system, invent Nilometers to measure the height of water in the river and build dams and barrages to store and control water. Agriculture remains an important sector of the Egyptian economy. About 96 percent of Egypt's total area is desert, so it is very arid and not able to farm. Lack of forests, permanent meadows, or pastures places a heavy burden on the available arable land, which constitutes only about 3 percent of the total area.

However, the economy has continued to face many obstacles. The general standard of living in Egypt remains rather low. In relation to the size of its population, its economic resources really are limited because of the huge amount of desert land in the country. Land remains its main source of natural wealth, but the fertile land along the River Nile is insufficient. Increases in population have put pressure on resources. Many egyptians have found employment abroad as in Syria or Israel.

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Politics

Egypt has operated under many different forms of government, both as a monarchy and, after 1952, as a republic. The first republic was declared in 1923, after World War I, just after Britain announced Egypt's independence. This document affirmed the political and cultural groundwork for modern Egypt. It declared it an independent Islamic state with Arabic as its principal language. The vote was allowed to all adult males.

Until 1960 all government administration was highly centralized, so the greatest decisions were made by the central government and not in the smaller local governments. After some years of this government, local centers were given more power so that the state's government had only to deal with greater problems. The 1960 Local Administration Law provides for three levels of smaller administration—muḥāfaẓāt (governorates; sing. muḥāfaẓah), markaz (districts or counties), and qariyyah (villages). The structure combines features of both local administration and local self-government. There are two councils at each administrative level: a people's council that is mostly elected and an executive council that is appointed. Although these councils exercise broad legislative powers, they are controlled by the central government.

"The country is divided into 27 governorates. Five cities—Cairo, Alexandria, Port Said, Suez, and Luxor—have governorate status. The governor is appointed and can be dismissed by the president of the republic. The governor is the highest executive authority in the governorate, has administrative authority over all government personnel except judges in the governorate, and is responsible for implementing policy.

The governorate council is composed of a majority of elected members. According to law, at least half of the members of the governorate council are to be farmers and workers; this is to make the law fair. In practice, however, it has not been possible to achieve this ratio, in part because farmers work long hours with little spare time to run for office, let alone attend long meetings. Moreover, many older farmers and workers do not have a high enough level of formal education to serve effectively. "

Online Brittanica.com

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History

Ancient Egypt (from 3,000 B.C.)

Ancient Egypt could be considered an oasis in the middle of the Sahara desert. It depended on the yearly inundation of the river Nile, which helped to sustain the agricultural population. Before it united into the famous empire ruled by one king, or pharaoh, Egypt was a long strip of city-states. The empire lasted more than 30 centuries and was ended with the arrival of Alexander the Great, who changed completely the way this civilization had lived until then. Ancient Egypt was the first literate empire in the entire Mediterranean basin. Its writings are still now visible on the temples’ walls and on the famous papyrus scrolls. Schools were not yet open at that time, so education happened at home. Only rich and nobles were able to read and write because they were able to pay scribes, who would teach their children this rare ability. The initial period of the Egyptian history is called the Old Kingdom. Many pharaohs were part of this reign, including Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure, the three builders of the Great Pyramids and the Sphinx. The three pyramids were tombs for the rulers, full of secret passageways and traps, so that the treasures could not be profaned. Unfortunately this happened; tomb robbers were able to get in and get all the precious treasures the pyramids contained. The only well-known tomb of a pharaoh where no robbers ever entered was that of Tutankhamen. The sphinx, another well-known building, was a tribute to the gods. There was legend that narrated about another sphinx opposite to the one we know only a few hundred meters further away. One of the most famous Egyptian leaders in this period was Cleopatra, the most famous queen of this country.

Cleopatra and her reign

The vast majority of Egypt’s stories about their queens have been lost in the centuries, so the only great queen we hear about when Egypt is involved is the famous Cleopatra. She lived in a very literate age and was able to shape the Roman Empire. She was highly intelligent and could speak almost all the most important languages of the time (Latin, Egyptian, Greek….). She seduced two Romans in her tragic and short life that ended with suicide. She fell in love with the famous Marc Anthony, successor or Julius Caesar. When Octavian, who wanted to become emperor of the Roman Empire and not become friendly with the Egyptian one, killed him the beautiful queen wanted committed suicide by letting a poisonous snake bite her. Other that her love stories, she is famous for helping her reign to shine. She improved literacy and education. Temples were built in honor of the gods under her consensus and agricultural methods were improved for the farmers of the land. When the Arab population invaded Egypt they had a very different story of queen Cleopatra from the Western World. The Roman culture saw her as an evil witch, who was able with her beauty and trickery to make Marc Anthony fall in love with her. They thought her only plan was to get control of the famous Roman Empire. The Arabs, though, considered her a highly intelligent woman who was able to improve her empire. Unfortunately she fell in love with a Roman leader and this brought her to a tragic and young death.

After the Egyptian Empire

With the arrival of Alexander the Great, the Egyptian Empire’s way of life changed completely. This was the first of a long series of invaders. After him, came the Arabs, who also controlled Syria, Iraq and Iran, but tried not to oppress the minor ethnicities. They did not force the Egyptians to convert to Islam, but hoped for a permanent residence in this area. Many dynasties passed (including the Ikhshidid and Tulunid one) before Islamization took place. Even though the oppressors had not tried to convert the population, over many centuries the Sunni branch of Islam took over people’s lives. The culture began to change and more Mosques were built. The way of dressing too was radically changed and women had less and less power in their social life. During the Old Dynasty, women had an important saying in their daily life and also in the government (see Cleopatra), but during this period all was taken from them. The Ottoman Empire soon took over and their reign lasted two centuries. With Napoleon, though this empire in Egypt was destroyed and the French began to rule the area. In one of the battle between the two, it was said Napoleon destroyed the Sphinx nose, and modified this ancient building permanently. The British and many others invaded Egypt and many centuries passed before this country became what it is now. The Arab Republic of Egypt has suffered many changes in government and rulers, but this all helped to shape its culture and country.

Potpurri – Myths and Leggends

The Tutankhamen Curse

This is a much more recent legend that talks about the recent discovery of the mummy of Tutankhamen in the Valley of Kings. Five people were part of this expedition and all of them died within a year from the finding of the mummy. Many discoveries have taken place recently in Egypt, but this was the one that has exited the world’s public. Tutankhamen became king at a very young age and died too very young. The most famous news on him, though, was his tomb. He wasn’t buried in the famous Egyptian pyramids as the other Pharaohs, but in an underground sealed room in the “Valley of Kings” with all his treasures. It has remained miraculously undiscovered by tomb robbers for more than 3000 years, so the precious ancient objects have “rested” untouched until the arrival of the team. Lord Carnavol, a wealthy lord in England had paid Lesley Carter as the head of the exploration team. After the discovery of the tomb, Carnavol entered it on a daily basis. After some time though, a mosquito bit him and the bite became infected. He died because of a respiratory infection. The first element of the legend is that his death happened simultaneously with two others facts. In England, at that time his dog started howling and never stopped until it died. In Cairo, a huge blackout took place and no light was available for about an hour. There were more myths and legends on the discovery on the tomb, but these were the most shocking for the population. After this almost all who owned Egyptian artifacts donated them to museums and the US government began a research on all the mummies in their museums. They checked if showing them on a daily basis could affect the public with poisonous fungi or other bacteria. In the end al this was made for nothing. Scientists have explained the curse with a solid theory, but the curse still goes on now. 12 people, who have been in contact with the mummy and the tomb, have died; this cannot be forgotten easily.

Osiris the God of the Underworld

This is a story that explains how Osiris was able to become king of the Underworld thanks to his wife Isis. It has been part of the Egyptian oral tradition for a long time; until scribes wrote it in hieroglyphics on parchment scrolls. The legend says that the first kings of Ancient Egypt were actual gods descended on Earth. Osiris and Isis ruled Egypt wisely, helping the farmers with their fields and teaching children how to love and venerate the gods. Set, Osiris’ brother, but also the God of Chaos, wanted to steal that power from him and his wife. Set plotted the king’s death with a group of men and finally reached and agreement. When Osiris came back from a long trip on the fertile banks of the Nile, Set organized a feast in his honor, which he used as an excuse to trick him. He had prepared a beautiful basket at his side, and he told all the guests that whoever was able to fit correctly inside it would receive it as a present. Some men were too tall, some were too short, others too fat, but Osiris fit perfectly. That basket was made for him and the plan had started its course. Set and his men nailed the lid of the basket and threw it in the Nile. The “coffin” floated for many days in those dangerous waters and finally got trapped in a tree and stopped completely. This tree covered the basket with its trunk as a protection. Many days passed and that tree had become the most marvelous one in all Egypt, and everyone talked about it, but nobody knew the mystery behind it. Queen Astarte and King Malcander heard about this beauty, so they cut it down and built with it a pillar for their great palace at Byblos.

In the meantime Isis, who knew Osiris had died, wanted to find his body and have a proper funeral. She knew that if she didn’t do that, the king, even though he was a god, had no right to enter Duat, the Land of the Dead. She walked miles and miles without finding anything of her adored husband. After many days the story of the beautiful tree reached her ears. Isis decided to enter the palace as a simple maid, so she wouldn’t be recognized as a goddess. She spent there many nights; the queen admired her, but was also suspicious. Some other maid had told her they had heard screaming and strange noises coming from Isis’ room at night. One night, to discover this, the queen entered and saw Isis creating flames as high as the ceiling around he son. She grabbed him and began cursing the goddess, but then noticed the fire was had not harmed the boy. Isis calmly answered that she wanted to transform her son in a god, but she had interrupted it. The queen, feeling awfully ashamed, begged she would continue what she was doing with her son, but she refused. She promised, though, to live a long happy life if she donated the pillar to the goddess’ palace. An agreement was reached and Isis returned to the palace where she had left her son Horus. Opened the trunk of the tree, they found the coffin and the body of Osiris. As soon as he was buried, he became King of the Dead and who judged all souls. The worthy ones would dwell in Duat with him while the unworthy were doomed to “eternal nothingness”.

Culture

The continous life and energy of the native Egyptian artistic tradition is expressed in the temple architecture and sculpture as the Great Pyramids and the Sphinx. The Egyptian language continued to be used in its hieroglyphic until late in the Roman period. It was discovered by archeologists only thanks to the "Stela di Roseta". The Egyptian literary tradition grew after the Old Dynasty and many paper scrolls were found in ancient libraries.. The genre most commonly represented is the romantic tale, as the one of Cleopatra and Marc Anthony. The stories usually involve the gods, royal figures, magic, romance, and hereos' life and fights. The Egyptian story cycles were influenced by Greek stories; literature works were translated into Greek.

Egypt is a country with an immense cultural mix. In every major city in Egypt you will find traditions that remain from the time of the Pharaos, and in other parts you will find tribal customs that were brought in by many invaders throughout the centuries. That contradiction and contrast between areas of Egypt, when you compare it with other Middle Eastern countries, is what makes Egypt seem advanced against some of the others.

The official language of Egypt is Arabic. Most Egyptians speak different dialects of the language, but in Education the only language taught is Arabic. There are also minor groups. The Beja of the southern section of the Eastern Desert use an Afro-Asiatic language of the Cushitic branch known as To Bedawi.

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Works Cited:

Introduction

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/country_profiles/737642.stm

Encyclopedia Britannica 2009 Ultimate Reference Suite

http://www.kingtutone.com/pyramids/information/

Religion

http://www.ancientegypt.co.uk/menu.html

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/eg.htm

http://www.horus.ics.org.eg/en/history/TheMamluks.aspx

Economy

Encyclopedia Britannica 2009 Ultimate Reference Suite