Egypt is a state in northern Africa, leading its history from the third millennium BC. This is one of the most popular countries among tourists on the planet. What does Egypt look like today and what did it look like in ancient times? What is the most interesting country, what are its natural and cultural features?
Egypt: 10 Curious Facts
Among the most interesting are the following:
- Toothpaste, soap, soap, glass, cement and wigs - all this was 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 that the Egyptians invented a game such as 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.
- In modern Egypt, polygamy is permitted.
- The famous general Alexander the Great was buried here.
- In this country, it is forbidden to hug and kiss in public places.
Egypt on a world map
In terms of geographical location, Egypt is a unique state. After all, it is located immediately on two continents: most of it is in Africa, and the Sinai Peninsula - in the territory of the front of Asia.
The Republic of Egypt is washed by the waters of two seas: the Mediterranean - in the north and Red - in the east. The country borders on 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, which is twice as much as the territory of France. Egypt is the second most populous country in Africa. Today, 97 million people live here.
What does Egypt look like today and what did it look like a few thousand years ago? What gods did the ancient Egyptians worship? We will answer these questions further. In addition, you will learn how:
- 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 antiquity? There are many sources that will 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 the Nile Delta, which, by the beginning of the 3rd millennium BC, had united into a single Egyptian kingdom.
The history of Ancient Egypt dates back almost three thousand years, right 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 unprecedented development. Of course, life in ancient Egypt was concentrated along the banks of the Nile.
The political and religious leader in the country was considered the pharaoh. An entire army of officials — judges, clerks, ministers, and treasurers — helped him manage. Egyptian lands were divided into special areas - 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), the famous war chariots appeared in the army of Egypt. Many pharaohs personally led their army in battle, although it was very dangerous for their lives.
What did the ancient Egyptians look like?
To get an idea of what the inhabitants of Ancient Egypt looked like, the numerous drawings left by them by themselves help us. The ancient Egyptians loved to portray themselves, their loved ones, neighbors and rulers. True, how realistic and reliable these images were is difficult to judge.
It is known that men in ancient Egypt wore white loincloths, while women wore long black dresses. Apparently, because of this, the skin of men was noticeably darker than the female. Although it is possible that the Egyptian ladies additionally lightened their skin with special cosmetics. The ancient Egyptians were swarthy, but not Negroid at all. Moreover, they always portrayed themselves as dark-haired (perhaps this is due to the tradition of wearing black wigs).
The ancient Egyptians were big admirers of cosmetics. Moreover, it was used equally by both women and men. In addition to oils that protect the skin from scorching sunlight, ancient Egypt actively used eye paints. The most popular colors are black, blue and green. The outline of the eye was drawn around the paint, and thin arrows were drawn to the temples. Eyebrows were also painted, and this tradition has survived to the present day.
Gods of ancient egypt
The ancient Egyptians were pagans. Their gods were considered the personifications of various natural phenomena and processes. Each of the elements (water, sun, earth, air, sky) had its own patron.
Egyptian gods are most often depicted as people with the heads of an animal or bird. The main deities of 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 advent of new rulers, they changed. So, for example, the offensive of the New Kingdom was marked by the creation of a new supreme deity - Amon-Ra. This name was formed as a result of combining the names of two old Egyptian gods - Ra and Amon.
Divine services in ancient Egypt were carried out in temples, all rituals were conducted by priests. The figure of the cult, as a rule, was hidden indoors, but sometimes it was shown to ordinary people. The ancient Egyptians believed in the afterlife, linking it with the process of mummification of the deceased body.
What does Egypt look like now? We will discuss this in more detail below.
Nature
What does modern Egypt look like? To answer this question, you should first study the geography of this country.
Desert dominates in Egypt. The Nile Valley and Delta occupy only 5% of its territory. But it is here that 99% of the state’s population is concentrated. And here are the main cities and almost all of the country's agricultural land. Geographically, the territory of Egypt is usually divided into five regions:
- Delta Nile.
- Valley of the Nile.
- Libyan desert.
- Arabian desert.
- Sinai peninsula.
Almost all the vegetation is concentrated in the delta of the main river of Egypt, as well as in oases adjacent to its banks. The most common tree here is the date palm. Among other plants, one can distinguish tamarisk, acacia, cypress, sycamore, myrtle. The animal kingdom of Egypt is rather scarce. Gazelles, hyenas, foxes, jackals, jerboas and wild boars live in the desert. In the waters of the Nile you can meet a hippo or a dangerous predator - the Nile crocodile. The river delta is rich in avifauna, numbering about 300 species of birds.
So, what does Egypt look like in terms of nature and geography, we figured it out. 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 cloth 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 British colonial oppression. In the center of the flag is a drawing of the national emblem - the so-called Saladin eagle, one of the main symbols of Arab nationalism.
Egypt currency
The monetary currency of the republic is the Egyptian pound. One pound equals 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 Egyptian money look like? In circulation go banknotes of the following denominations: 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200 pounds. The paper notes depict famous mosques, mausoleums, ancient bas-reliefs, fragments of statues and other historical monuments of the country.
What do Egyptian coins look like? Currently in circulation are 1-pound coins, as well as coins in denominations of 25 and 50 piastres. They are made of steel, and on top are covered with a thin layer of nickel or brass. On one-pound coins the famous funeral mask of Tutankhamun is depicted, and on coins of 50 piastres is a portrait of Cleopatra VII.
Egyptian cities
In Egypt, there are almost two hundred cities. Almost all of them are located either on the banks of the Nile, or at the Suez Canal, or on the Mediterranean coast of the Sinai Peninsula. The largest of these 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 live in the Cairo metropolitan area. Cairo is a real city of cultural contrasts, combining Christian and Muslim traditions. It is located on both banks of the Nile, just in the place 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 Amra, as well as the Egyptian National Museum - attractions from the category must see for tourists. What non-tourist Cairo looks like can be understood from the next video.
Egypt women
What do women look like in Egypt? Islamic laws oblige all Arab women to wear modest and most closed clothes. Moreover, all parts of the body should be closed, except for the face, hands and feet (to the ankles). You can sometimes meet women in Egypt, tightly wrapped in black burkas from head to toe. Nevertheless, not all women follow these rules, many dress as they like. Wealthy Egyptians often wear expensive branded items bought in Europe.
Egypt men
Egyptian men - what are they? First of all, they always take care of their family. This, incidentally, is very captivating to many Russian women who are accustomed to the slackness 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 all important decisions. Egyptian men are quite jealous and love to keep everything under their 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 that served as the tombs of the Egyptian pharaohs. Scientists still cannot understand how five thousand years ago people could construct such grandiose objects. For example, the famous Pyramid of Cheops consists of two million stone blocks, each weighing at least two tons. By the way, it is the only of the seven wonders of the world that has survived to our time.
What do the pyramids in Egypt look like inside? Inside the Cheops pyramid there are three tombs-tombs, which are located one above the other. The builders of this structure have created a complex system of mines and passages, which is still being studied by scientists.
Another interesting building left to us by the ancient Egyptians is the Great Sphinx. This is a grandiose stone sculpture carved from a monolithic 20-meter block. She 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 tomb pyramids of Egyptian kings.
Egyptian hieroglyphs
Egyptian hieroglyphic writing is one of the writing systems that has been used in Egypt for 3,500 years. It is based on simple and complex pictograms, supplemented by phonetic signs. In total in the ancient Egyptian alphabet, there were about 700 different characters.
The most complete classification of Egyptian hieroglyphs was proposed in 1927 by the British linguist A.H. Gardiner. He broke all the semantic signs of Ancient Egypt into 25 groups, numbered them with Latin letters. Each of these groups had its own name, for example: “man and his occupations”, “woman and her occupations”, “trees and plants”, “parts of the human body”, “buildings and their elements”, “implements of agriculture”, etc. .d.