Pyramids of Giza
The Pyramids of Giza and Egypt are linked in most people’s minds. For most people the Pyramids are the first thing to come to mind when thinking about Egypt. They were built for ancient Egyptian kings Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure around 2500 BCE were among the seven wonders of the ancient world and they still stand today. The pyramids represent Egypt’s long and important history for Egyptians, they are structures to be proud of. As a symbol of Egypt, the pyramids definitely impact an Egyptians identity.
The Nile River
The Nile River is the longest river in the world and it served as a staple ancient Egyptian’s stability. To Ancient Egyptians the Nile was necessary to maintain and preserve life in Egypt. Even though the Nile is not leaned on as much today, it is still a reminder of the people that came before and who lived and worked for the future of Egypt. The land near the Nile was one of the few places in Egypt that was fertile due to their desert landscape, so many people settled there and made it their home. Something so important to its ancestors must mean something to Egypt’s people today.
The Suez Canal
The Suez Canal is a man-made canal that was completed and opened for the first time in 1869. The Suez Canal has had a large impact on trade, when it was first opened it was a one-way canal that shortened the route from the Mediterranean Sea to Southern Africa. After the expansion of the canal it now supports two-way and more ships can pass through making it more efficient. Although it was in British control for a long time, but in 1956 the Egyptians gained control of the canal. Such an important part of commerce in Egypt’s recent history would have a profound impact on an Egyptian’s identity.
Al-Azhar Mosque
Pictured is the Al-Azhar Mosque in Cairo, it is one of Cairo’s earliest mosques founded in 970 C.E. This is a place of worship for Egypt’s most popular religion, Islam. Egyptians in general are religious people, whether it be Islam, Christianity, Judaism or another religion and the places of worship are sacred. Being a Muslim Egyptian, Islam would be a large part of your identity and so would the Mosque you worship at whether it be the Al-Azhar Mosque or not.
The Sphinx
The Great Sphinx of Giza is located near the Pyramids of Giza, it is one of the world’s largest monuments. The Sphinx is a prominent figure in ancient Egyptian mythology as well as Greek and Asian mythology. Symbolizing great wisdom and strength, the Sphinx was erected around the same time as the Pyramids by Pharaoh Khafre. Similar to the Pyramids, the Sphinx is one of Egypt’s great tourist attractions today. Egypt is one of the world’s fastest growing tourist destinations, tourism is great for Egypt’s economy.
Pharaohs
Egypt has had many great and well known rulers through out its history and many different names for these rulers. One group of rulers that seem to be especially important to Egypt are the Pharaohs. This is because the Pharaohs had a religious aspect to their rule, they were thought to be a representation of the gods in human form. The Pharaohs played an important role in Egypt’s dominance during ancient times and were a big reason why the civilization could survive and thrive when many other civilizations were dying out.
Egyptian Gods
The Ancient Egyptian gods were the deities that the ancient people of Egypt worshipped. Just as any deity or religion does, these gods provided Egyptians with answers to questions that they could not answer themselves and gave them faith and hope for the future. The ancient Egyptians had gods that coincided with many important aspects of life as well as physical things that human depend on like the sun.
Moses parts the Red Sea
When the Jewish people were enslaved in Egypt, it was Moses who freed them and parted the Red Sea. After this Moses climbs Mount Sinai to get the Ten Commandments. The fact that Egypt played such a large role in this and its proximity to the “holy land” or Jerusalem, makes Egypt a central location and very important to all religions. This is probably why today Egyptians are so religious and three major religions are practiced in the region.
Abbasid Dynasty
The Abbasid Dynasty ruled over the Islamic Empire in its peak from 750 to 1517 C.E. This was a long important period in Egypt’s history when its leaders were not constant in where they were from or their thought process. This period saw the crusades as well as many other attacks on Egypt and divisions among its people, but Egypt prevailed and continued to be independent.
The Book of the Dead
The Book of the Dead was very important to the ancient religion of Egypt. This book was thought to hold the keys to having a pleasant afterlife making it highly sought after. Today the Book of the Dead is studied by historians as it gives them insight on the way that ancient Egyptians thought and the ethics and morals that they held close.
Egyptian Revolution 1952
In 1952 there was an Egyptian Revolution. This marked the end of the monarchy in Egypt, establishing a republic, as well as Egyptian independence which entailed the end of British occupation and Sudanese control. The fact that the Egyptians revolted shows that they valued their voice and wanted to be heard. Egyptians would no longer tolerate the corrupt monarchy that had been in place and valued their independence showing their pride in being Egyptian. This would certainly have a role in an Egyptians identity as it is relatively recent and had big implications for the Egyptian public.
Aswan High Dam
The Aswan High Dam is a dam that was completed in 1970 in Aswan, Egypt that crosses the Nile River which created a reservoir called Lake Nasser. This dam allows the Nile flood to be controlled by man, improves navigation along the Nile and provides enormous amounts of electric power. This does hurt the naturally fertile soil along the river that depended on the flood of the Nile. This dam greatly impacts the lives of the Egyptians that live near the Nile and also affects other Egyptians which could affect their identities.