History of Egypt

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Egypt is widely known around the world. From its ancient history to its large impact in today’s world, it has come to be a country that affects the world around it. Egypt has made quite the improvement in its own country as well. Egypt went from being one of the first ancient civilizations to today, leading in production of natural resources. Egypt’s history contains a change in religious beliefs, a strengthened culture and economic advances.

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            In ancient Egypt, religion was very important. At this time, most Egyptians were polytheistic, meaning they believed in many gods. One god that the Egyptians believed in was Ra, the god of the sun. The Egyptians built temples and sacred areas, in order to better worship their gods. It has also been recorded that Egyptians would have days off in order to fully worship.[1]Their rituals, like mummification, were influenced by their strong belief in gods and the afterlife. In Biblical times, Egyptians still believed in gods, but a faith in God was prominent as well. In the Bible, in Exodus, it says that “against all the gods of Egypt, I will execute judgments.”[2] The true God was known, but some still chose not to believe. However, over the years, the religion of this country has changed. Missionaries from Christian and Islamic nations came to share their faith. It was from this that the nation’s religious beliefs changed. Today, the country is predominately Muslim. This is due to the Islam nation overtaking the country and enforcing Islamic rule.[3] As time has gone on, Egypt experienced changes that affected their religion practices and culture.

            Egypt also has had changes in their culture. Because of their change in religion, they do not all practice ancient Egyptian rituals. One ritual that is rarely practiced is mummification. When a pharaoh or other Egyptian died, they would be mummified. Mummification is when a dead body is preserved using oils and spices, and then wrapped up with cloth. Following this process, a mask would cover the face of the deceased, and then the body would be buried with jewels and other precious things to that person.[4] Today, this is not done, as the country has advanced, and their culture has changed. Another changed cultural aspect of Egypt is its technological advances. As Egypt continued to grow and advance, many new accomplishments were gained for the country. In the 1800s, a railway was constructed, allowing another means of transportation, other than the Nile River and surrounding seas.[5] With this advancement for the country, Egyptians were able to transport imports and exports more easily, compared to floating up or down the Nile, or traveling on foot. Another cultural change in Egypt is the laws it has established. In recent years, Egypt has been controlled by Muslims. Due to this, Arabic Law is what now controls Egypt. Before this new constitution was established, laws came from a charter that dated back to 1971.[6] While the charter did have some of the same basic frame work as the new constitution, there is still a difference. The new constitution is based on Islamic faith, which the charter was not. This means that the constitution has laws that must go along with, not against, Muslim beliefs. This has changed the culture in that it now requires everyone who lives in Egypt, Islamic or not, to follow the Islamic laws.

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            One last change that has come about Egypt in its history is the economic advances it has made. Trade was and still is an important factor in a country’s economy. As stated before, Egyptians used to trade by the means of the Nile and sometimes on foot. The Nile allowed Egyptians to travel north and south of them to trade goods with other countries. One country that helps Egypt’s economy is Vietnam, who exports pepper, rice and coffee to Egypt[7]. Egypt also exports materials to other countries. Oranges are a large export that has enhanced the economy of Egypt. Egypt exports oranges because they are able to plant a larger amount in the country.[8] Other fruits are exported from Egypt. In the last couple of weeks, it has made know the strawberries from Egypt are used in Tropical Smoothie Cafes in Virginia. Egypt is the seventh largest producer of strawberries and the third largest producers of oranges in the world.[9] From ancient times to now, the economy of Egypt has boosted based on availability of products. As stated, Egypt first began trading with countries on their borders, but today they export and import from countries around the world with a much bigger variety of products. In 2013, there were economic problems due to war, but at that time, it was said that the country was on the right track to being where they needed to be on an economic level.[10] Still, this is an improvement from the ancient year of Egypt.

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            Today, the country of Egypt compared to ancient Egypt is very different. Egypt has changed and advanced in so many ways. This country, despite war, religion and cultural issues, has become a country that has made something of itself. Egypt has experienced a change in religion, culture and economy, yet still is semi flourishing in today’s world. The people of Egypt have proved to be ones that persevere and continue to work hard to advance the country that they love, regardless of the changes that have happened.

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[1] Luiselli, M. M. “Personal Piety in Ancient Egypt.”

[2] Ulmer, Rivka. "The Egyptian Gods in Midrashic Texts.”

[3] "Egypt". Encyclopædia Britannica

[4] Ikram, Salima. "The ABCs of Mummification."

[5] Zhuldyz, Turekulova. "Cultural and civilizational processes in Egypt in the XIX century."

[6] Pillay, N. “The Rule of Law and the New Egyptian Constitution.”

[7] Thanh, Dieu. "Climbing Egypt's trade pyramid."

[8] Azalle, A. I. M., Mohammed, Z. S., Ebeid, A. E. B., & Saleh, O. E.-S. (2014). “An economic study of Egyptian orange and its contribution to the development of Egyptian exports.”

[9] Khalil, Hoda A. and Shimaa M. Hassan. "Ascorbic Acid, Beta]-Carotene, Total Phenolic Compound and Microbiological Quality of Organic and Conventional Citrus and Strawberry Grown in Egypt."

[10] "-Egyptian economy recovering, says central bank chief."
[11] “ S is for Scrumptious Strawberries” https://escapadethroughegypt.wordpress.com/2013/02/15/s-is-for-scrumptious-strawberries/
[12] http://memoriesoflonda.com/picvrw/list-of-ancient-egyptian-laws.html

[13] "The Great Pyramids & Great Sphinx of Giza " http://hawkebackpacking.com/egypt_2009_cairo_pyramids.html

[14] "11 Things You May Not Know About Ancient Egypt." http://www.history.com/news/history-lists/11-things-you-may-not-know-about-ancient-egypt