Egypt is a state in northern Africa, leading its history back to the III millennium BC. It is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. What does Egypt look like today and how did it look in ancient times? What is the most interesting about this country, what are its natural and cultural features?
Egypt: 10 interesting facts
Among the most interesting are the following:
- Toothpaste, soap, glass, cement and wigs were all invented by the Egyptians.
- Antibiotics were first used in the world in Egypt.
- The ancient Egyptians called their country "ta-kemet", which translates as "black land".
- Throughout the history of Egypt, its name has changed several times.
- Some scholars believe the Egyptians invented the game of bowling.
- Modern residents are very fond of football, although the country has not yet achieved significant success in this sport.
- Egypt is one of the hottest countries on the planet.
- Polygamy is allowed in modern Egypt.
- The famous commander Alexander the Great was buried here.
- It is illegal to hug or kiss in public in this country.
Egypt on the world map
Geographically speaking, Egypt is a unique state. After all, it is located on two continents at once: most of it is in Africa, and the Sinai Peninsula is on the territory of Western Asia.
The Republic of Egypt is washed by the waters of two seas: the Mediterranean - in the north and the Red - in the east. The country borders Libya, Sudan, Israel and Palestine. The Sinai Peninsula is separated from mainland Egypt by the Suez Canal, laid in the second half of the 19th century. The total area of the state is about 1 million square meters. km, twice the size of France. Egypt is the second most populous country in Africa. Today, 97 million people live here.
What does the country of Egypt look like today and what did it look like several thousand years ago? What gods did the ancient Egyptians worship? We will answer these questions next. In addition, you will learn what they look like:
- Flag of Egypt.
- The capital of the Republic.
- The main river of Egypt.
- Egyptian men and women.
- Egyptian banknotes and coins.
- Pyramids and sphinxes.
- Egyptian hieroglyphs.
What Ancient Egypt looked like: photos and general information
Egypt is often called the cradle of civilizations. This is a country with a rich and very interesting history. What did Egypt look like in ancient times? Existthere are many sources to help answer this question.
The first people came to the banks of the Nile many thousands of years ago. At first they had a hard time here. But over time, they found suitable places to live, learned to dig canals, drain swamps and cultivate the local soil. About 40 small state formations arose in the valley and delta of the Nile, which by the beginning of the 3rd millennium BC united into a single Egyptian kingdom.
The history of Ancient Egypt has almost three thousand years, up to 31 BC, when the state was finally conquered by the Romans. The science of mathematics, as well as legal proceedings and irrigation technologies, have reached an unprecedented development here. Of course, life in ancient Egypt was concentrated along the banks of the Nile.
The pharaoh was considered the political and religious leader in the country. He was assisted in administration by a whole army of officials - judges, clerks, ministers and treasurers. Egyptian lands were divided into special regions - nomes, each of which was ruled by a nomarch.
The army of Ancient Egypt was armed with spears, bows and arrows, wooden shields. Weapons and armor were made mainly of bronze. During the period of the New Kingdom (XVI-XI centuries BC), famous war chariots appeared in the Egyptian army. Many pharaohs personally led their army in battle, although it was very dangerous for their lives.
What did the ancient Egyptians look like
Get an idea of what the inhabitants of Ancient Egypt looked like, helpnumerous drawings left to us by them. The ancient Egyptians loved to portray themselves, their loved ones, neighbors and rulers. True, it is difficult to judge how realistic and reliable these images were.
It is known that men in ancient Egypt wore white loincloths, but women wore long black dresses. Apparently, because of this, the skin of men was noticeably darker than that of women. Although it is possible that Egyptian ladies additionally brightened their skin with special cosmetics. The ancient Egyptians were swarthy, but not Negroid. However, they always portrayed themselves as dark-haired (perhaps due to the tradition of wearing black wigs).
The ancient Egyptians were big fans of cosmetics. And it was equally used by both women and men. In addition to oils that protect the skin from the scorching sun, eye paints were actively used in ancient Egypt. The most popular colors are black, blue and green. The contour of the eye was outlined with paint, and thin arrows were drawn to the temples. Eyebrows were also painted with paint, and this tradition has survived to this day.
Gods of Ancient Egypt
The ancient Egyptians were pagans. Their gods were considered personifications of various natural phenomena and processes. Each of the elements (water, sun, earth, air, sky) had its own patron.
Egyptian gods were most often depicted as people with the heads of some animal or bird. To the mainThe deities of the ancient Egyptian civilization included: Ra (god of the sun), Horus (god of war), Osiris (ruler of the kingdom of the dead), Isis (goddess of nature). With the passage of time and the coming to power of new rulers, they changed. So, for example, the onset of the New Kingdom was marked by the creation of a new supreme deity - Amon-Ra. This name was formed as a result of the combination of the names of two old Egyptian gods - Ra and Amun.
Worships in Ancient Egypt were carried out in temples, all ceremonies were performed by priests. The figure of the cult, as a rule, was hidden indoors, but sometimes it was shown to the common people. The ancient Egyptians believed in the afterlife, associating it with the process of mummification of the deceased body.
What does Egypt look like now? We will discuss this in as much detail as possible below.
Nature
What does modern Egypt look like? To answer this question, you should first study the geography of this country.
Egypt is dominated by deserts. The valley and delta of the Nile River occupy only 5% of its territory. But it is here that 99% of the population of the state is concentrated. And here are the main cities and almost all the agricultural land of the country. Geographically, the territory of Egypt is usually divided into five regions:
- Nile Delta.
- Nile Valley.
- The Libyan desert.
- Arabian desert.
- Sinai Peninsula.
Practically all vegetation is concentrated in the delta of the main river of Egypt, as well as in the oases adjacent to its banks. Mosta common tree here is the date palm. Other plants include tamarisk, acacia, cypress, sycamore, myrtle. The fauna of Egypt is rather poor. The desert area is inhabited by gazelles, hyenas, foxes, jackals, jerboas and wild boars. In the waters of the Nile, you can meet a hippopotamus or a dangerous predator - the Nile crocodile. The river delta has a rather rich avifauna, numbering about 300 species of birds.
So, we figured out what Egypt looks like in terms of nature and geography. Now let's find out what the official symbols and money of this amazing country look like.
Flag and coat of arms
What does the flag of Egypt look like? It is a rectangular panel with an aspect ratio of 2:3, divided into three horizontal stripes of the same size: red, white and black.
The current state flag was adopted in 1984. All its colors symbolize significant episodes in the history of Egypt: red - the struggle against the colonial regime, white - the peaceful revolution of 1952, and black - the end of the British colonial oppression. In the center of the flag there is a drawing of the state emblem - the so-called eagle of Saladin, one of the main symbols of Arab nationalism.
Currency of Egypt
The currency of the republic is the Egyptian pound. One pound is equal to 100 piastres. International currency code: EGP. One Egyptian pound is equal to 3.8 Russian rubles (at the exchange rate for March 2019).
What does the money of Egypt look like? Banknotes of the following denominations are in circulation: 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 and200 pounds. The banknotes depict famous mosques, mausoleums, ancient bas-reliefs, fragments of statues and other historical monuments of the country.
What do the coins of Egypt look like? Currently, 1-pound coins are in circulation, as well as coins in denominations of 25 and 50 piastres. They are made of steel and covered with a thin layer of nickel or brass on top. The one pound coins feature Tutankhamun's famous funerary mask, while the 50 piastres feature a portrait of Cleopatra VII.
Egyptian cities
There are almost two hundred cities in Egypt. Almost all of them are located either on the banks of the Nile, or near the Suez Canal, or on the Mediterranean coast of the Sinai Peninsula. The largest of them are Cairo, Alexandria, Giza, Port Said, Suez and Luxor.
Cairo is the capital and largest city in Egypt. What does this African metropolis look like?
Today, at least 9 million people live in the Egyptian capital, and over 20 million within the Cairo agglomeration. Cairo is a real city of cultural contrasts, combining Christian and Muslim traditions. It is located on both banks of the Nile, just at the point where the great river breaks into numerous branches, forming a vast delta.
Old Cairo is a network of narrow and noisy streets with chaotic buildings. Here are the famous pyramids of Giza, the ancient Mosque of Amr, as well as the Egyptian National Museum - must-see attractions for tourists. What does it look likenon-tourist Cairo, can be understood from the following video.
Egyptian women
What do women look like in Egypt? Islamic laws oblige all Arab women to wear modest and maximally closed clothing. Moreover, all parts of the body should be closed, except for the face, hands and feet (up to the ankles). Sometimes you can meet women in Egypt, tightly wrapped in black cloaks from head to toe. Nevertheless, not all women follow these rules, many dress the way they want. We althy Egyptian women often wear expensive branded items bought in Europe.
Egyptian men
Egyptian men - what are they like? Above all, they always take care of their family. This, by the way, is very captivating for many Russian women who are accustomed to the laxity and irresponsibility of their compatriots. But this seemingly indisputable advantage has a downside. Since a man in Egypt fully supports his family, he always has the last word in making all important decisions. Egyptian men are quite jealous and like to be in control.
Pyramids and sphinxes
The ancient Egyptians were excellent builders and craftsmen. Many buildings created by their hands have survived to this day. First of all - the pyramids, which served as the tombs of the Egyptian pharaohs. Scientists still cannot understand how people could build such grandiose objects five thousand years ago. For example, the well-known pyramid of Cheopsconsists of two million stone blocks, each of which weighs at least two tons. By the way, it is the only one of the seven wonders of the world that has survived to our time.
What do the pyramids in Egypt look like inside? Inside the pyramid of Cheops there are three tombs, which are located one above the other. The builders of this structure created a complex system of shafts and passages, which is still being studied by scientists.
Another interesting structure left to us by the ancient Egyptians is the Great Sphinx. This is a grandiose stone sculpture, carved from a monolithic 20-meter block. It depicts a mythical creature with the body of a lion and the head of a pharaoh. It is believed that this lion-man guards the pyramid-tombs of the Egyptian kings.
Egyptian hieroglyphs
Egyptian hieroglyphic writing is one of the writing systems used in Egypt for 3.5 thousand years. It is based on simple and complex pictograms supplemented with phonetic signs. In total, there were about 700 different hieroglyphs in the ancient Egyptian alphabet.
The most complete classification of Egyptian hieroglyphs was proposed in 1927 by the British linguist A. H. Gardiner. He divided all the semantic signs of Ancient Egypt into 25 groups, numbering them in Latin letters. Each of these groups had its own name, for example: “a man and his occupations”, “a woman and her occupations”, “trees and plants”, “parts of the human body”, “buildings and their elements”, “agricultural tools”, etc..d.
