The Jewel of the Nile - A Brief Egyptian History
Egypt was the location of one of the world"s most ancient and important cultures. Most of Egypt is located on the African continent, but the Sinai peninsula links it with Asia. Situated as it is upon the only land route out of Africa, Egypt is one of the most important areas of the continent.This made the Egyptian empires of antiquity very rich and powerful. Egypt first appeared as a unified kingdom around 3000 BCE, but evidence has been found that shows earlier settlements dating back ten thousand years or more. It"s not surprising; the Nile valley follows the course taken by humans as they migrated out of Africa, and the river supplied the food and water needed to support agriculture.
Up until about 8000 BCE the Sahara did not even exist as we know it - the region was green and much friendlier to farming. As the desert expanded and the climate grew more arid, the fertile Nile valley became the a major center of civilization for all of northeast Africa.
Egyptian culture really started to flourish after King Menes unified the land and kicked off the Old Kingdom period in 3150 BCE. This was a period of great growth for Egypt. Many of the iconic sights that visitors see on their Egyptian holidays date from this period. The Great Sphinx and the Pyramids of Giza were built during the Old Kingdom era.
It"s a little known fact that the pyramids once looked much different. Originally, they were covered with a brilliant layer of polished white limestone that reflected the natural light of the sun and moon for miles. Travelers on Egypt holidays can still see that ancient decorative layer, as it now adorns Cairo"s mosques.
Egypt was later ruled by the Middle Kingdom from 2040 BCE, and the New Kingdom ruled from 1550 to 1070 BCE. The New Kingdom pharaohs expanded Egypt"s power into the Levant and as far south as Nubia. This era included some of Egypt"s most well-known rulers: Nefertiti, Ramses II and Tutankhamun.
The New Kingdom ended with the invasion of the Persians, who were in turn defeated by the Macedonian Greeks of Alexander the Great. His general Ptolemy founded a new dynasty that began a new era of foreign rule in Egypt. The famed Cleopatra was the last member of the Ptolemaic dynasty - after her reign Egypt became a Roman province, then a Byzantine province. After that it was absorbed into the Islamic world, where it remains today.
I would advise everyone to swat up on their Egyptian history before Egypt holidays in order to garner a fuller appreciation of the country.