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Egypt is essentially a plateau divided by the Nile Valley into the Western and Easter Dessert. About 95 percent of the population lives in the Nile Valleyvand Delta. Egypt and the Nile are of course an important foundation of Western civilization. We have done some work on Ancient Egypt, but have virtually no information about modern Egypt. Egypt was conquered by the Arabs in the 7th century. At the time Egypt was largely Coptic Christian. The country was gradually Islamicized. Egypt is the most populace country in the Arab world. Traditional clothes appear to be still widely worn in Egypt, especially in rural areas. Until after World war II, traditional clothes were almost universally worn. Western clothes have gradually become more common, especially in urban areas. We hope that Egyptian readers will help provide some information on Egyptian clothing styles. As far as we know, traditional clothing are generalized Arab and not specificlly Egyptian styles.
Egypt is essentially a plateau divided by the Nile Valley into the Western and Eastern Desserts. About 95 percent of the population lives in the Nile Valley and Delta. There are, however, small populations in the Eastern Desert (Sinai) and Western Desert (eastern Sahara). Egypt is thus in a very real way synonamous with the Nile. It was here that Egyptian civilization developed. The Nile is the longest river in the world, originating in East Africa and running through the desert before emptying into the Mediterranean. The regularity of the seasonal rise and fall of the Nile provided the basis for the development of agriculture and as aesult the great civilization of Ancient Egypt.
Egypt and the Nile are of course an important foundation of Western civilization. We have done some work on Ancient Egypt. Mesopotamian civilization seems to predate Egyptian civilization. but the two developed in contact. Yje earliest known written date comes from an Egyptian calendar--4241 BC. Ancient Eguptian is divided into 30 dynasties, organized into the Old, Middle, and New Kingdoms (3400-332 BC). Menes united Upper and Lower Egypt establishing a united kingdom or the first time creating the first centralized Egyoptian state (3400 BC). He established the capital at Memphis. The decline of the Old Kingdom (25 century BC) resulted in an Egyptan dark age. The Middle Kingdom began with the XIth Dynasty which restored the unity of Egypt. The new capital was Thebes. The Middle Kingdom reached its peak of power about 2000 BC. The mysterious Hyskos conquerred the Middle Kingdom (1788 BC). They are a poorly understood people, perhaps of Semetic origins from the East. Egyptians rose up and expelled the Hyskos, establishing the New Kingdom (1580 BC). Internal divisions allowed the Nubians to seize power (712 BC) and there was abrief period of Assyrian dominance. Egyptiansgain exerted control (663 BC). The Persian Emperor Cambyses conquied Egypt (525 BC). Egyptians again exerted control (405 BC). After smashing Persian armies, Alexader seized control of Egypt with little opposition (312 BC). After Alexanders meteroic career, his generals divided his empire. Ptolemy established an Egyptian kingdom based at Alexanfria. Octavian after the Battle of Actium, annexed Egypt to the Roman Empire. After the rise of Christianity, Egypt became Coptic Christian. At times Byzantium exerted cointrol over Egypt. The Arabs conquered Egypt (639-642 AD). The country was gradually Islamicized. The Fatimite family seized control of Egypt who made Cairo the new captal (10th century). Saladin founded the Ayyubite Dynasty during which the Mamelukes seized control of Egypt (1250). The Ottomans conquuered Egypt (1517), but by the 18th century was only nominal. Napoleon invaded Egypt to sever British links with Indua (1798). The French were expelled by Anglo-Turkish forces (1802). Mohammed Ali rose to power as the Ottoman Pasha (governor) (1805), butvgradually exerted independence from the Ottomans. He founded a dynasty that ruled into the mid-20th century. The construction of the Suez Canal by a British-French group made Egypt of great strategic impotance. The British made Egypt a protectorate. British military forces during World War I fought off an Ottomon offensive (1915) and then launched an offensive into Palestine thatv helped destroy the Ottoman Empuire. After the War, the Wafd Party agitated for independence which the British granted (1923). Faud I was Egypt's first constitutional monarch. An Anglo-Egyptian Treaty addressed the comolete withdrawl of the British (1936). This was delayed by World War II and an Italuan invasion (1940). The Western Desert became an important battlefield of the War with the entry of the German Afrika Korps. The British defeated the Afrika Korps at El Alemaine (Octover 1942). There was consideravle support for the Axis among Arab natioinalists. Egypt did not declare war on Germany until late in the War (February 1945) and after the War offered refugeton NAZI war criminals. After Isrrael declared independence, the Egyptian Army invaded and Egyptians were shocked with Israel's ability to resist. Army officers expelled King Farouk I (1952) and G.A. Nasser soon exerted his dominance. Nasser seized control of the Suez Canal. The British, French, and Isreali response is called the Suez Crisis. Egyptians were again shocked with the Isrealis defeated the Egyptian Army in the Siani.
Egypt has one of the longest recorded histories of any country because it was one of the original river valley civilizations. The Nile Valley was, however, settled before the development of civilization an recorded history. One source of information on this ealy era is the etnicity of the Egyptin people. We are sure, for example, jusy how the indeginous people of the Nile Valley differed from those of Mesopotamia. DNA research opens up newv avenues of resaerch. The population of Egypt is highly concentrated in Nile valley and the delta. The population there is largely homogeneous which includes the indigenous population of ancient Egypt mixed with the Arabs folloewing the Islamic invasion (7th centurry). Modern Egyptians define themselves as Arab, but this is more of a cultural and linguistic afinity than ethnic similarity. There is some variation in the northern delta cities like Alexandria. Here foreigners (Persians, Romans, Greeks, European Crusaders, Turks, and Circassians) have mixed with the indigenous population. This can be seen in individuals with blond and red hair, blue eyes, and lighter complexions which are more common than in the general Egyptian population. The rural population or fellahin are less likely to have been affected by the foreigners in the northern delta. Throughout the Nile Valley the population is relatively similar.
the Sa'idi (Upper Egyptians) live in the area south of the Delta, from Cairo to Aswan. They are ethnically and culturally little different from the people of Lower Egypt (south of Aswan). In the extreme south, Nubians do differ etnically and cultutally from other Egyptians. They have ethnic features of sub-Saharan Africa. Here there are many variatiojs. The Nile is an important transportation route ans thus there has been considerable mixing of population. This is why the general Egyptian population is so homogeneous.
The Saharan Desert extends from the Nile west to the Atlantic. In Egypt it is referred to as the Western Desert. The Western Desert includes an ethnically destinct people. They were once nomds, but manu have now settled down. There is also an even smaller population in the Sinai. Some of these people are of non-Arab ethnic groups, but many are ethnic Atabs whose ancestry date from the Arab conquest.
Over 90 percent of the population is Muslim. There is a Christian minority of about 5 percent of the population. There was also asmall Jewish population, but since the Isreael Palestine wars, the Jewish population has emigrated or been expelled.
Early photographic images of Egypt mostly show children working. Few boys and almnost no women were educated. The only schools that seemed to have fincrioned were Islamic madrrassas.
Egypt is the most populace country in the Arab world. Traditional clothes appear to be still widely worn in Egypt, especially in rural areas. Images of Egypt in the late 19th and early 20th century suggest a country where fashion and the way of live was little chnged for centuries. Until after World war II, traditional clothes werealmost universally worn. Western clothes have gradually become more common, especially in urban areas. We hope that Egyptian readers will help provide some information on Egyptian clothing styles. As far as we know, traditional clothing are generalized Arab and not specificlly Egyptian styles.
The first important Egyptian phjotographer was the Armenian immigrant, G. Lekegian. He created msany important images depicting Egyptian life in the late 19th century.
Related Chronolgy Pages in the Boys' Historical Web Site
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[The 1920s]
[The 1930s]
[The 1940s]
[The 1930s]
[The 1940s]
[The 1950s]
[The 1960s]
[The 1970s]
[The 1980s]
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