Egypt civilization

Ancient
Egyptian history is a long and complex one with more than 3,000 years
of details. Throughout these 3,000 years ancient Egyptians lived under
about 30 dynasties, with each dynasty being based on the lineage of
the kings/pharaohs.


Throughout all these years, the country experienced many changes, some being very drastic.


The land began as two (Upper & Lower Egypt), with King Menes
uniting the two regions at around 3,500 B.C.E. From this point on,


the pharaohs were referred to as the rulers of the Two Kingdoms. In art and on tombs,


the pharaohs were now depicted with the crowns of Upper and Lower Egypt combined to become one crown, known as the pschent.


The reason for the difference in names refers to the flow of the life-giving Nile River.
Being that the Nile flows from East Africas highlands down to the
Mediterranean Sea, Southern Egypt became known as Upper Egypt, and
Northern Egypt became known as Lower Egypt. As these two regions
developed independently of each other, the differences between them were
evident after the unification of the country, though customs from both
regions were combined.


Ancient Egypt also saw the rise of a complex polytheistic religion,
which included many gods and the controversy and conflict of one pharaoh
(Akhenaton) even trying to convert the country to monotheism. With his
failure, the country reverted back to polytheism during the reign of his
son.




Relying heavily on the river Nile,
the ancient Egyptian civilization expanded and prospered. Trading also
allowed the ancient Egyptians to gain much wealth. With this wealth, the
royal tombs began to become more elaborate, with the building of
pyramids beginning from 2630 B.C.E. With the rise of the Greek and Roman
civilizations, the ancient Egyptians soon came under the rule of
foreign leaders. With the rule of the Romans came the introduction of
Christianity, leading to the inevitable decline of the ancient Egyptian
religion and society.





For many, the scope of Egypt's history
is difficult to comprehend. Its history covers some five thousand
years, and encompasses the origin of civilization, the rise of the Greeks and Romans,
the establishment of the Jewish, Christian and Islamic religions, the
colonial era when first France and then the English ruled the country,
and finally, a return to independence. Egypt has played an important
role through all of these eras, and today one can find monuments that
evidence Egypt's role in most of the world's historic events, from the
beginning of mankind until the present. More and more, we are not only
learning about the history of mankind in Egypt, but also about his
prehistory, the way that he migrated and finally began to organize
communities that eventually lead to a civilized world.





In Egypt, we find the earliest detailed records of warfare recorded thousands of years ago, but we also find the cemeteries and monuments
of the world's last global war, World War II. In Egypt, we find some of
the first written words of civilization, but we also find great
thinkers and writers through the Greek period, into the Christian era,
the archaic Islamic period and even modern Nobel Literates. In Egypt, we
find ancient pyramids and giant columns supporting massive temples,
but we can now find these architectural elements spread throughout the
world. Here, along with the first monumental buildings made of stone, we
also find the first paved roads, the first wines and beer and even the first peace treaties between organized governments. However, we also find the world's first scientists, doctors, architects and mathematicians.





Egypt is our window to humanity's distant past and in understanding
its history, we find both mankind's greatest glories and achievements,
as well as his often repeated mistakes. We may follow along with the
building of empires, only to see them collapse again and again. We find
great men and rulers of renowned, but we often also see their ultimate
demise.





And here, we learn about religion, its evolution and, as the world
grows older, its replacement with newer religions. Yet, the ancient
Egyptian religion has never really completely died out. Even today, many
Egyptians continue customs, including some aspects of religion, held
over from thousands of years ago. In fact, throughout the world, aspects
of the ancient Egyptian religion, particularly funerary, continue to
effect our modern lives.





We hope you enjoy our efforts to bring Egyptian history and its
monuments to your fingertips. Here one will find just about every aspect
of ancient Egypt, from culture to people, from monuments to knowledge.
Take the time to understand ancient Egyptian history, and we feel
certain you will find, within this knowledge, a better understanding of
this modern world in which we live.