She is interested in knowing where Egypt is, its history and its culturekeep reading this post. We are going to tell you the most interesting facts about this country, which unites Northeast Africa and the Middle East. The culture of this country is one of the most extensive around the world and is divided into two; old and current.
La Egyptian culture, has always aroused the curiosity of many people for its great discoveries, ways of living, curiosities, etc. Thanks to the work of professional paleontologists and archaeologists in each of their investigations and discoveries, we know something new about their way of life many years ago.
La cultural heritage of this country, came to influence the West as can be seen with the calendar, the judgment of the dead and the idea of the existence of the soul. All these habits, ways of thinking and living, are important to know if you are a lover of the history and culture of other places or simply want to travel to the country and have knowledge about everything that surrounds the country.
History of Ancient Egypt: Geography
Source: https://es.wikipedia.org/
Egypt, It is located in the northeast of the African continent.. Due to this geography, it is isolated from other countries. The country is bounded on the west by the Libyan desert, on the east by the Arabian desert, on the north by the Mediterranean Sea and on the south by the Ethiopian massif and the Nubian desert.
In addition to these limits, it must be added that the The Nile River runs through the country from south to north.. Note that this river will be of vital importance in the development of civilization in Egypt. This river is called the river of the gods and is honored by the Egyptian inhabitants. The waters that fill its channel, give life to the valley that protects it.
A river irregular in terms of the flow it carries since the rains affect it directly leading to flooding. These floods are beneficial for fertility, meaning that abundant crops depend on the river's flooding. When these phenomena occur, Egypt becomes a land rich in food as well as fertile.
The Egyptians to control the water that entered after the floods of the river, begin to build wells with marks indicating the water level, these wells were known as nilometers. If the floods were going to pose a danger to both their lives and their crops, dikes were built, a system that continued to be used until the XNUMXth century.
Egypt becomes a river society, to such an extent that in its tombs there are paintings related to the river, fishing, rain, etc. These storms have a direct impact on Egyptian society, giving rise to superstitions and beliefs that the gods were linked with these natural phenomena.
The natural regions of this country are the Nile Valley, the Delta, the eastern and western deserts, and finally, the Sinai Peninsula.
History of Ancient Egypt: Appearance of writing
The history of the appearance of writing begins around the year 3000. The Egyptians believed that this appearance was a thing of the gods of wisdom, that is to say of Thoth. In Egyptian writing we find three different types.
The first one is the hieroglyphic writing which is the best known of this culture. Used to be associated with monuments and was made in relief. The interpretation of this type of writing is very difficult since on certain occasions it was read from one direction to another or vice versa.
The second type of writing is hieratic, It is a writing with a cursive style more abbreviated than the one we just saw. This writing model was more used for everyday life, and it is also appearing in various texts.
Por último, la demotic script that is the most popular and the one that appears later. This writing was used in the country until the invasion of the Romans.
For the knowledge and discovery of Egypt, writing has been a very important instrumentIt should be noted that the discovery of the Rosetta Stone was crucial for understanding Egyptian culture. Another important event for this culture was the opening of the first tomb in 1923, the tomb of Tutankhamun, which you can learn more about in our publication on the tomb of Tutankhamun and in the context of the economy of Ancient Egypt.
Egypt: Society and Politics
Two of the social problems that the government of this country has to face are the rising cost of living and rising inflation, especially with the arrival of the pandemic more than 3 years ago.
Egypt, according to its Constitution, is a Arab republic based on a democratic political system. The official religion of the state is Islam and the legal norms are marked according to its sacred book, the Koran.
El legislative power is associated with the People's Assembly, which is elected every five years for a mandate and is composed of 450 members and 15 additional members who are appointed by the president in charge. The mandates have a total duration of 6 years, but it is the President of the State who can dissolve the Chamber as long as he has the approval of the people through a referendum.
On the other hand, executive power is held by the Council of Ministers. It is the president, who can freely appoint the vice presidents and ministers to him. The President of the Republic is considered the Head of State and Supreme Commander of the country's forces.
As to judicial system followed by Egypt, is independent from the rest of the powers seen. This judicial power is reviewed by the Supreme Court and the State Council.
Egypt is the country with more population of the Arab countries, its population numbers over 104 million inhabitants within the country, and nearly 10 million emigrants. Furthermore, the economy was vital to its development and is an interesting topic to explore.
Culture of Egypt: curiosities and customs
In this section, we are going to talk about what are the curiosities you should know about this culture in addition to its customs and essential sites that you have to visit if you travel to the country.
Religion
In the culture of Ancient Egypt, different goddesses were worshiped through magical ceremonies. These gods were represented with a human body and an animal head. Some of the gods to whom this cult was rendered are Horus, Anubis, Isis, Osiris or Ra.
Today, in Egypt the religion practiced is Islam., in addition to being, as we have said in a previous point, the official religion of the country. There are also religious groups of Chaldean Catholics and Coptic or Armenian Orthodox.
Art and architecture
We all know the famous Egyptian pyramids, mastabas, hypogea and temples that are iconic elements of the country. There are about 40 pyramids that housed inside the tombs of the pharaohs and their families. To better understand the construction of these incredible structures, you can check out our post on the construction of the Egyptian pyramids.
mastabas For those who don't know, they are the places where men were buried mummified. The hypogea, usually found near the foothills of the mountains and were intended to bury people with a high standard of living. On the other hand, temples are buildings whose purpose was to worship the gods.
As for Egyptian art, it is very characteristic for the use of both religious and funerary symbolsArt served as a way to conceptualize each of the gods they worshipped, attributing different elements to them. To learn more about art and its evolution, you can read about the history of art.
In many of the artistic representations of this culture, we find that used any of the scriptures we mentioned above and that they were made with pointed reeds and a kind of ink.
Lunch time
Source: https://es.wikipedia.org/
This region is known for its delicious gastronomy, some of the most popular dishes are kushari, fattah and the famous shawarma. For dinner time, the Egyptian culture has a series of customs that it is important that you know so as not to be rude.
In Egypt it is habitual eating with the right hand, which is the one used to perform everyday tasks. While the left hand is considered the hand with which to do the dirtiest tasks.
If you want to repeat a plate of food do not hesitateIn Egypt, this gesture is seen as a great compliment. In many parts of the country, they will refill your plate without you having to ask. It is also interesting to know the Egyptian symbols and their meaning.
Dress
It's a conservative country, like many Arab countries. There are no specific rules on how we should dress, but it is recommended to wear warm clothing, especially for women. mandatory in certain buildings to cover the head, shoulders and knees so as not to offend anyone.
Emphasize that the displays of affection in public are not usually well seen in Egypt and are considered inappropriate depending on where you are.
Presentations
If you are going to greet a person of the same sex, usually through a handshake. But, if you know him in a closer way, don't be surprised if they give you two kisses. When greeting a person of the opposite sex, the woman may extend her hand to the man or the man may bow his head in a courteous manner.
Places to visit in Egypt
Egypt is an amazing country full of beauty, history and nature. It has different places to visit and that is why we leave you a small list with some of the best.
Giza pyramids
One of the greatest wonders you will find in this country, is the only one left standing and represents the oldest history of Egypt. To better understand its historical importance, be sure to check out our publication on pyramids and funerary architecture.
The Nile River
Navigating the Nile River is an experience that you should not miss if you travel to Egypt. It is considered the backbone of the country, and a place where history and nature meet.
ancient temples
On the banks of the Nile River, and traveling on one of its cruise ships, is the safest way to visit the most amazing pharaonic temples. To learn more about the temples you can't miss, visit our article on the most important temples in Egypt.
the valley of the kings
An inhospitable landscape, and another of the places that you must mark on your visit to Egypt. you can find tombs of pharaohs, queens, names, etc.This place is of great relevance in Egyptian history and it would be interesting to explore its historical and mythological aspects.
cairo city
TO visit the Islamic quarter of Cairo is a must experience. You will see mosques, markets, museums, different places that the city brings together and that make us recommend it without a doubt.
Other places that you can visit if you travel to the country are the different deserts, the Sinai Peninsula, the Red Sea, Alexandria, and many other places that not only gather beauty but also a whole history.