Ancient Egypt
Personally, I believe it is impossible to discuss Egyptian life without having knowledge of Egypt’s ancient roots. In Ancient Egypt, religion served as a main component of a citizen’s day-to-day life. They constructed monuments and temples to celebrate and worship certain gods. Much like the priesthood in Catholicism or Imams in Islamic faith, men and women would dedicate their lives to worshiping a specific Egyptian god or goddess. The religion of Ancient Egypt was constantly changing as Egypt came into contact with other faiths and civilizations. Although this ancient religion is extinct today, it was the dominant religion of Egypt for over 2000 years. There is no question that it has altered the course of Egypt extraordinarily.
Islam
It is speculated that around 90% of the Egyptian population is Muslim while Christianity trails at roughly 10%. Although these two faiths certainly will not comprise the entire country, it is astonishing to see how religious Egypt is as a nation. The conflict of Islamic tradition has certainly played a role in Egypt’s history, but the majority of Muslims today follow the Sunni Tradition (~85%). The Islamic faith is built around five pillars: shahada, salat, zakat, sawm, and hajj. Shahada is the Islamic profession of faith consisting of two parts: “There is no god but God” and “Muhammad is the messenger of God.” Salat is Islamic prayer which consists of five daily meditations. Zakat is the act of almsgiving in which Muslims donate roughly 2.5% of their income to support the Islamic community. Sawm is the act of fasting that occurs in the ninth month, Ramadan, and forbids eating from dawn to dusk. Lastly, the Hajj is the required pilgrimage to Mecca that a Muslim must complete at least once in their life.
The Nile
The River Nile was fundamental for Egypt’s success as a civilization. As it served as one of Egypt’s only large sources of water, it is not surprising that mostly every city was built near it. When the Nile would flood, it would fertilize the land thus allowing for the cultivation of crops in the region. The Nile also boosted Egypt’s economy through trade routes and protection from barbarians. It was not solely important to Egypt for its economic use, however. The Nile was sacred to their faith in Ancient Egypt. They would even bury their dead on the West side of the river as that was where they believed the Underworld was located. Although the river extends throughout numerous countries, it is most famous for Egyptian use.
Coptic Christmas
Although we never spoke extensively about this festival, I found it very interesting to learn about. Despite Christmas being inherently Catholic, many Egyptians celebrate it as a secular holiday. In Egypt, however, they do not celebrate it on the traditional December 25 but rather on January 7. During Kiahk, the Coptic month leading up to Christmas, families sing songs and worship together. It is interesting that a Catholic holiday warrants such large festivals in Egypt despite Islam being roughly six times more popular. It is said that celebrations last for weeks after January 7.
Mohamed Salah
Soccer, or football, largely predominates all other sports in Egypt. The Egyptian National Club, who refer to themselves as “The Pharaohs”, have dominated in the African Cup of Nations in the past. For many, these football players serve as the inspiration for kids growing up. When the World Cup arrives, some areas will close down in order to support their nation. Mohamed Salah, Egypt’s best player, has made appearances in over 100 matches for his national team. In those games, he has scored just over 50 goals for Egypt. Salah undoubtedly serves as an inspiration for Egypt.
Lighthouse of Alexandria
Egypt is so well-known for its majestic pyramids that most forget entirely about its other ancient wonder of the world: The Lighthouse at Alexandria. Although it was damaged on multiple accounts and is completely destroyed now, it served as a representation of Egypt’s power and strength. In fact, this structure serves as the quintessential lighthouse for architects today. It was built in the 3rd century BCE and completed by Ptolemy II. Although the large Egyptian fort of Quaitbey has been built over the landmark, it is important not to forget the importance and beauty of the lighthouse that once stood there.
The Camp David Accords
The Camp David Accords, secret meetings held by Egyptian president Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin, was overseen by the U.S. President Jimmy Carter. These meetings lasted for twelve days, and they altered Egypt’s relationship with Israel and other countries in the Middle East significantly. This would lead to Israel’s first formal agreement with another Middle Eastern country, and it would cool the scorching tension between the two countries. Prior to these agreements, Israel and Egypt had fought against each other on two separate occasions: The Six Days War and the Yom-Kippur War. It is reasonable that these two nations may still be at conflict today if Carter had not brought these two leaders together.
British Occupation of Egypt
A few years after the Suez Canal was opened, Egypt would soon find itself bankrupt. With civil war looming, the British and French governments were growing more and more nervous that their investment in this canal would be ruined. In order to avoid this, the British occupied Cairo and established Egypt as a “veiled protectorate.” As the British remained in Egypt for over three centuries, the European presence definitely had an effect. It showed Egypt how much more advanced “the West” was. Napoleon’s prescence, as well as Britain’s occupation, would lead to the Nadha Movement in Egypt.
Egyptian Nationality
In some instances, you can understand a lot about a country through their nation’s flag. The case is no different for Egypt. Their flag depicts a tripartite color scheme consisting of red, white, and black. In the middle, the Eagle of Saladin is depicted. This flag is based off of the 1952 Egyptian Revolution flag, and each color symbolizes a different thing. The red stripe refers to the unity of Egyptian blood in opposition to colonization. The white stripe refers to the purity of an Egyptian heart and peace. Lastly the black stripe refers to the dark times of foreign occupation. Saladin’s eagle represents the power and unity of Egypt. Although they have switched the flag multiple times over the past century, there seems to be an overarching theme of nationalism in all of them.
Egyptian Revolution of 1952
Probably the most important event in Egypt’s history from the last century was the Egyptian Revolution of 1952. It would forever change the lives of Egyptian citizens, and it would mark the end of British occupation. Just as the United States did in 1776, Egypt declared that it had seen enough of Britain’s rule and declared a revolution. The Egyptian citizens were tired of a monarchy and desired pure democracy. With the help of the Soviet Union, the Free Officers Movement were able to depose King Farouk and establish Muhammad Naguib as their first president. Egypt has changed drastically for the better from this revolution.
The Egyptian Sistrum
In today’s world, we are easily able to listen to pre-recorded music on applications such as Spotify, Apple Music, and Soundcloud. Popular music of today’s generation is created using computer generated sounds and audio. In prehistoric times, however, music was held much more sacred than it is today. It was a “gift from the gods” to be able to produce heavenly music. One of the instruments that the Egyptians created was the sistrum. It falls within the percussion family and has been assumed to be used in celebration of Bastet. Since Egypt has been a civilization for thousands of years, it has seen many transformations in music.
Ankh
Quite possibly one of the most famous symbols of ancient Egypt is the Ankh. Historians claim that this was possibly one of the first hieroglyphic symbols as its origin dates all the way back to the 1st Dynasty. Although it is disputed, the overall consensus on the meaning of the Ankh is that it symbolizes life. When we talked in class about the significance of Egypt on Christianity, it is not surprising that the Christian cross looks very similar to the Ankh. In fact, the Coptic cross looks almost identical with the only main difference being the circularity of the loop. The Ankh has an oval loop while the Coptic cross has a completely circular shape.