Egypt

مصر Present wiki: Friday Dec. 3 Dress up and bring dish: Thursday Dec 9 UN Debates: After winter break

﻿مرحبا هذا هو الويكي الخاصة بي ، وبلدي مصر. اللغة التي يتحدثون غير العربية ، والنشيد الوطني لا يوجد لديه الكلمات.هذا كل ما أعرفه حتى الآن. (Hi this is my wiki, my country is Egypt. the language they speak is Arabic, and the national anthem has no words.)


 * Historical Summary

**Living along the Nile River is a country that ruled for three millennia; Egypt. Although Egypt was conquered by the Persians in 341 B.C. and Romans and Greeks shortly after, the Arabs finally introduced Egypt to Islamic culture. This is the culture that dominated the ancient land for quite a few centuries. By 1517, the Ottoman Turks had invaded and taken control. They remained in control until the mid-19th century, only having control briefly taken from them for 8 years by the French. In 1869, after the Suez Canal was completed, Egypt turned into a vital transportation hub, but fell deeply into debt, only to be saved in 1869 when Britain seized control to protect its investments. Egypt was taken under Britain’s wing in 1914, given partial independence in 1922, and finally reached full freedom in 1945. Because of rapid population increase, a very limited amount of arable land, and a dependence on the Nile River, Egyptian resources are being highly over-taxed. Today, the Egyptian government is still struggling through economic reforms and a massive need for investment in communication and infrastructure. ** || Historical Timeline

||||= ||
 * ~ [|Ancient Egypt] ||
 * = [|Predynastic Egypt] ||
 * = [|Protodynastic Egypt] ||
 * = [|Early Dynastic Period] ||
 * = [|Old Kingdom] ||
 * = [|First Intermediate Period] ||
 * = [|Middle Kingdom] ||
 * = [|Second Intermediate Period] ||
 * = [|New Kingdom] ||
 * = [|Third Intermediate Period] ||
 * = [|First Persian Period] ||
 * = [|Late Period] ||
 * = [|Second Persian Period] ||
 * ~ [|Greek Egypt] ||
 * = [|Alexander the Great] ||
 * = Ptolemaic Egypt ||
 * ~ [|Roman & Byzantine Egypt] ||
 * = [|Christian Egypt] ||
 * = [|Byzantine Egypt] ||
 * = [|Persian Occupation] ||
 * ~ [|Muslim Egypt] ||
 * = [|Fatimid Egypt] ||
 * = [|Ayyubid Egypt] ||
 * = [|Mamluk Egypt] ||
 * = [|Ottoman Egypt] ||
 * ~ [|Modern Egypt] ||
 * = [|French Campaign] ||
 * = [|Muhammad Ali Dynasty] ||
 * = [|Khedivate of Egypt] ||
 * = [|Sultanate of Egypt] ||
 * = [|Kingdom of Egypt] ||
 * = [|Republic]


 * [] ** ||
 * Historical Enemies **

** 1479 BC- The Battle of Megiddo: Pharaoh Tuthmosis III had over 20,000 men under his command to battle Syria’s 15,000 man army. The Egyptians won the battle, capturing over two hundred chariots and two thousand horses from the defeated Syrians. ** ** 1288 BC- Kadesh, Syria was under Hittite control. The Egyptians were led by Ramesses II. They were tricked by two spies employed by the Hittites, so Ramesses took the Amun division forward to Kadesh. They went to the north, while the other three divisions hurried to break their camps and follow. Ramesses’ division reached the NW side and set up camp. The Ra division was attacked by a large group of Hittite chariots, broke ranks, and fled. Those to the north ran to the Amun division for safety, while most of the others were scattered or destroyed by the Hittities. **  **Ramesses killed the king’s brother and several other key leaders. The Egyptians of the Amun division were still surrounded by Hittites. Ramesses tried to break through the Hittite line to the south six times, gaining no success... At last the Ptah division appeared in the distance to the south. The Hittites were forced to retreat this was considered a great victory for the Egyptians, but the Egyptians never took the city, They just signed a peace treaty with the Hittites.**


 * Historical Conflicts




 * In Egypt, the Ptolemaic Kingdom began following Alexander the Great's conquest in 332 BC. It ended with the death of Cleopatra VII and the Roman conquest in 30 BC. Pharaoh of Egypt, creating a powerful Hellenistic state stretching from southern Syria to Cyrene and south to Nubia. Alexandria became the capital city and a center of Greek culture and trade. To get the attention of the Egyptians, they named themselves the successors to the Pharaohs. Then later, the Ptolemy’s took on Egyptian traditions by marrying their siblings. They also had themselves put into public monuments in the Egyptian style, and participated in the Egyptian religious way of life. Hellenistic culture thrived throughout Egypt until the Muslim conquest. The Ptolemy’s had to fight native rebellions and were involved in foreign and civil wars. This led to the decreasing power of the kingdom and eventually being annexed by the Roman Empire. **


 * In 945 BC, Sheshonq I of Libya seizes Egypt's throne. Throughout this time period the Sudanese, Assyrians, Persians and then the Greeks fought over the control of Egypt. Alexander the Great's conquest left a new dynasty the Ptolemy’s to control until finally Rome took Egypt and the death of Cleopatra ended the reign of the Pharaohs. **

* **Most of Egypt is covered by the low-lying sand dunes and depressions of the Western and Libyan Deserts. East of the Nile River, the semi-arid Arabian Desert extends to the edges of the Red Sea.** http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/africa/eg.htm  || Flag and Significance
 *  Egypt was ruled at first, during the initial Islamic invasion in 639 AD, by governors acting like they were the Righteous Caliphs, and then the Umayyad Caliphs in Damascus but, in 747, the Umayyad’s were overthrown and the Arabs power slowly began to get weaker. This dynasty lasted until 1174; then, Egypt came under the rule of Kurdish Ayyubids during Saladin. This lasted until 1252. The Ayyubite Kurds were overthrown by their bodyguards, the Mamluks, who ruled under the suzerainty of Abbasid Caliphs until 1517, because this was when Egypt became part of the Ottoman Empire. ** || Map of the Country
 * **In the far southwest, the land rises into the Gilf Kebir Plateau, with elevations near 2000 ft. Sandstone plateaus front the Nile and the Red Sea, with cliffs as high as 1,800 ft. In the far southeast, the Red Sea Mountains, an extension of the Ethiopian Highlands, continue on into Sudan. **
 * **<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The country is dissected by the amazing <span style="background-clip: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 10px;">[|Nile River], as it flows north to the Mediterranean Sea from it source in central Africa. The surrounding Nile Valley, 5-10 miles wide, is the country's only fertile land. and home to 98% of the population. **
 * **<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The Red Sea is extended into the Mediterranean by the man-made <span style="background-clip: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 10px;">Suez Canal . The Sinai Peninsula lies east of the canal, and this limestone plateau rises to Mt Catherine in the south. **
 * **<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Lake Nassar, the largest lake, is man-made, and created when the Aswan dam was constructed, then finished in 1970. **

**The flag of Egypt, most recently adopted on 4 October 1984, features three horizontal stripes: red, white, and black. The emblem of an eagle is situated in the center of the flag. The color red refers to the era before the 1952 revolution. The white symbolizes the advent of the 1952 revolution, which ended the monarchy without bloodshed. Black symbolizes the end of oppression of the Egyptians at the hands of the monarchy and British colonialism.** [] ||
 * <span style="color: #980b98; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Traditional Cultures



* **<span style="border-collapse: separate; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 26px;">Egypt is a country of "everyday piety." The central belief in Islam is in the oneness of God, whose truths were revealed through the prophet Muhammad. The statement of this basic profession of faith is one of the five pillars of the religion. The other four are the Ramadan fast, the pilgrimage to Mecca, the five daily prayers, and the giving of alms. For many Muslims these five pillars sum up the belief system and indicate the practices. Egyptians frequently invoke the notion of God and his power. Any statement about the future, for instance, is likely to contain the injunction, "God willing," showing that the ultimate determination of the intention is up to God. **


 * **<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The two main Muslim religious holidays are the feast following Ramadan, the fasting month, and 'Id al-Adha, which corresponds to the Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca. The Ramadan holiday comes after a month of fasting and family visits and people usually just rest. The 'Id al-Adha celebrates Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son, who then miraculously turned into a ram, so that most families try to sacrifice a ram on this day. Other religious holidays include Moulid an-Nabi, commemorating the birth of the prophet Muhammad, which is especially important for sufis; and Islamic New Year, the first day of the month of Moharram. **

<span style="color: #980b98; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">http://www.everyculture.com/Cr-Ga/Egypt.html ** || <span style="color: #980b98; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Traditional Clothing

* ==**<span style="border-collapse: separate; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;">CLOTHING OF WORKERS **==


 * <span style="border-collapse: separate; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;">Workers wore loincloths made of animal hide and linen. They also wore simple tunic dresses. **
 * <span style="border-collapse: separate; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;">Loincloth: a piece of material fastened around the waist and worn by men. **
 * <span style="border-collapse: separate; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;">Most of the slaves worked naked. **

**<span style="border-collapse: separate; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;">CLOTHES OF WEALTHY **

 * <span style="border-collapse: separate; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;">Men or women wore long see-through robes that were pleated. **
 * <span style="border-collapse: separate; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;">Better-off people wore wide clothes of white cloth. **
 * <span style="border-collapse: separate; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;">Wealthy people did not wear more jewelry or fancier clothes to show wealth. They did wear gold jewelry and the most transparent clothes. **

**<span style="border-collapse: separate; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;">GETTING DRESSED **

 * <span style="border-collapse: separate; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;">Women did not dress without washing (rich people had a tiled area for washing). After washing, they rubbed themselves with scented oil then they placed a large rectangle of linen over their heads, gathered the loose corners up and tied them in a knot below the chest. **
 * <span style="border-collapse: separate; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;">The usual toilet articles were tweezers, razor and comb. **

**<span style="border-collapse: separate; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;">HAIR **

 * <span style="border-collapse: separate; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;">They wore a new wig each day (both men and women wore wigs). **
 * <span style="border-collapse: separate; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;">Wigs were made from human hair or wool. **
 * <span style="border-collapse: separate; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;">They wore curled wigs for special occasions. **

**<span style="border-collapse: separate; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;">JEWELRY **

 * <span style="border-collapse: separate; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;">Whether you were rich or poor you wore jewelry. **
 * <span style="border-collapse: separate; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;">They wore rings, necklaces and ear studs. **
 * <span style="border-collapse: separate; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;">Ear studs: earrings. **
 * <span style="border-collapse: separate; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;">The jewelry was made of gold or colorful beads. **
 * <span style="border-collapse: separate; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;">Necklaces were made with turquoise and lapis lazuli stones. **
 * <span style="border-collapse: separate; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;">Lapis Lazuli: a deep-blue stone used for ornaments. **

**<span style="border-collapse: separate; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;">MAKE UP **

 * <span style="border-collapse: separate; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;">Both men and women made up their eyes and lips. ****<span style="border-collapse: separate; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;">Eyes were rimmed, eyebrows were painted and lashes were darkened with a black powder called kohl. **
 * <span style="border-collapse: separate; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;">The red cheek powder was called ochre. **
 * <span style="border-collapse: separate; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;">They used a dye called henna to redden their nails and hair. **
 * <span style="border-collapse: separate; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;">They mixed powdered minerals with oil to get colors. **
 * <span style="border-collapse: separate; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;">At parties women wore a cone of scented fat on their heads that slowly melted making their heads smell nice. **

**<span style="border-collapse: separate; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;">FOOTWEAR **
**<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">Thousands of years ago, ancient Egyptians left evidence of their love for food. Well-preserved wall paintings and carvings have been discovered on tombs and temples, depicting large feasts and a variety of foods. Many of these ancient foods are still eaten in Egyptian households today. Peas, beans, cucumbers, dates, figs, and grapes were popular fruits and vegetables in ancient times. Wheat and barley, ancient staple crops, were used to make bread and beer. Fish and poultry were also popular. []** ||
 * <span style="border-collapse: separate; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;">People usually went barefoot and carried their sandals, wearing them only when needed. **
 * <span style="border-collapse: separate; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;">The sandals were made of palm fiber or braided papyrus. **
 * <span style="border-collapse: separate; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;">Papyrus: tall water plant that grows in the Nile Valley. ** || <span style="color: #980b98; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Traditional Foods