History Of Egypt
Civilization Emerges in the Nile Valley 2-3
The Age of the Pharaohs (3200 BCE - 30 BCE) 3-4
British Colonial Rule (1914-1954) 4-5
Modern Egypt (1954 -- Present Day) 5-6
Conclusion & Suggestions
Egypt has always remained one of the most intriguing areas on the planet, with historians, archaeologists and laymen alike flocking to the country on a steady basis throughout the last two centuries to indulge their curiosity and explore the heart of human civilization. The home of iconic monuments built by the world's first civilizations -- including the Great Pyramids of Giza, the Sphinx and a wide assortment of temples and ruins -- Egypt has come to represent the age of humanity's emergence for modern society. The age old cities of Cairo, Alexandria and Luxor have become modernized during the last century, but visitors and residents to Egypt have come to recognize the nation's seemingly natural blend of antiquity and progress . From the ubiquitous images of mummies being exhumed from the underground tombs, to the tumultuous reign of Cleopatra during the Roman era, Egypt boasts one of the longest continuous histories in the entire world. In this paper, I shall explore the history of ancient Egyptian civilization, along with the impact of colonialism on Egypt's development into a modern nation. Related issues to be discussed include the ancient civilizations ruled by the Pharaohs, the role of the Nile River and its valley in shaping Egyptian history, and the construction of the Suez Canal.
Main Body of Discussion
Civilization Emerges in the Nile Valley (6000 BCE -- 3200 BCE)
Thousands of years before cultures sprang up in Greece and Rome, the first civilizations were being built along the fertile farmlands of Egypt's Nile Valley, as the world's longest river created a true oasis in the desert. The development of agriculture itself is believed to be a product of the Nile Valley's astounding ability to support life, and early humans congregated here to grow food, thus creating the world's first cities (Janick, 2000, p. 28). For thousands of years, people improved their ability to cultivate wheat, flax, papyrus and other crops, domesticating animals and engaging in trade. Because the Nile River overflows its banks and spills into the surrounding Delta on an annual basis, the land of the Nile Valley is always replenished with nutrients from silt deposits, and this provided the opportunity for people to transition away from nomadic wandering to steady civilizations (Jankowski, 2000, p. 16). Surrounded for hundreds of miles by the desolate Sahara Desert, Egypt's first cities of Cairo and Alexandria became the home of millions of inhabitants, and today 99% of Egyptians occupy only about 5.5% of the country's land area, while 98% of Egyptians live on only 3% of its widespread territory (Fouberg & Murphy, 2009, p. 91).
The Age of the Pharaohs (3200 BCE - 30 BCE)
With great societies springing up throughout the Nile Valley, the inevitable human desires to rule and to be ruled led to a series of dynasties which spanned thousands of years. Known by many names today -- including the "Age of the Pyramids" and "the Old Kingdom" -- this era in human history was defined by the organization of civilizations under the rule of a deity-figure known as the Pharaoh. There were dozens of Pharaohs who ruled over Egypt during its ancient history, and many of these figures of worship built the incredible monuments we still revere to this day (Jankowski, 2000, p. 22). From the Great Pyramids and Great Sphinx of Giza to towering obelisks, Egyptian Pharaohs attempted to achieve immortality by creating buildings, temples and pyramids which could stand forever in tribute to their glory (Midant-Reynes, 2005, p. 45). Many of the most famous Pharaohs also came to believe in their own worship, aspiring to live as truly divine beings, and religion at the time motivated them to explore ways of preserving the human body for posterity. Believing that the soul could be made immortal if the body never decomposed, the early Egyptian Pharaohs perfected the process of mummification, draining the dead body of fluids and wrapping it in the distinctive "mummy" attire the world knows today. Among the most powerful Pharaohs to rule over ancient Egypt were Ramesses II, King Tutankhamen, and Cleopatra VII, one of the only female Pharaohs ever (Midant-Reynes, 2005, p. 52).
British Colonial Rule (1914 -- 1954)
As is the case with the majority of nations which were conquered and colonized by the British during their reign of global imperialism, the Egyptian people of Northern Africa experienced a rapid restructuring of an age old cultural identity system. Located in the "Cradle of Civilization" -- a region straddling both the African continent and the Arab-speaking Middle East -- Egypt has long...
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