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Egypt History
» The Ancient Kingdom
» The Middle Kingdom
» The New Kingdom
» Alexander Arrives
» Empires Come and Go
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 Egypt History
Egypt has unique attractions that visitors from
around the world flock to see generation after
generation. The country’s legacy of historical sites
is unparalleled in its magnificence. There is
nothing else grouped together in one place in that
equals such a heritage from the ancient world as
the Pyramids, the Sphinx, the Temples of Luxor and Karnak,
the Valley of the Kings and Queens, Philae and Abu
Simbel.
Its history goes back some 5,000 years with the
Pharaonic Era divided into three main periods.
The Ancient Kingdom
The capital of the Ancient Kingdom was Menf
(Memphis), which was founded by King Menes, the
first king of the 1st dynasty, who united Upper and
Lower Egypt.
One of the famous kings of that dynasty was Zoser,
who built the Saqqara Pyramid, the first
large-scale stone structure in history.
 The Middle Kingdom
The capital of the Middle Kingdom was Thebes. This
was a period characterized by an artistic
renaissance, agricultural projects and trade
exchange with Bilad el Sham and the Sudan.
Luxor is a part of ancient Thebes – the one hundred
– gated city at it was called by the renowned Greek
historian Homer. The city grew over the years and
the Arabs, impressed by its beautiful palaces and
huge edifices, renamed it Luxor – City of Palaces.
The New Kingdom
The New Kingdom begins with the 18th Dynasty,
founded by King Ahmos. Its capital was Thebes,
except for a short period when King Akhenaton moved
his capital to Tel-El-Amarna. Among the eminent
rulers of the New Kingdom was King Ramses II, who
left a great architectural patrimony, the most
important was the two Temples of Abu Simbel. The
first and largest of the temples is dedicated to the
sun god Ra-Harakhte while the second was dedicated
by Ramses II to his beautiful wife, Nefartari. The
Greater Abu Simbel Temple is unique, as the sun
shines directly of the Holiest of Holies tow days a
year – February 21, the Kings Birthday, and October
22, the date of his coronation.
Alexander Arrives
The Pharaonic Era ended in 332 BC with the arrival
of Alexander the Great. And the foundation of a new
capital bearing his name marked the beginning of the
period of renewed sophistication, and the dynasty
of the Ptolemy’s.
 Empires Come And Go
Thereafter, following the death of Cleopatra,
Egypt’s most famous Queen, Augustus took possession
of the country in the name of Rome in 30 BC. For
six-and-a-half centuries afterwards the Romans used
Egypt as there empire’s granary and ruled with
forceful efficiency.
During the fourth century AD Byzantium replaced Rome
as ruler and then, in 640, an Arab army under the
command of Amr Ibn el-Aas invaded and El Fostat was
established as the capital in part of what is now
Cairo.
The city continued its growth following a Tunisian
invasion in 969 and, in general, the country
prospered, but there was decline under the country’s
next set of rulers, the Mamlukes.
The Mamlukes were slaves within the previous regime
but their powers increased as that of their masters
declined. They ruled from 1250 to 1517, when they
were overthrown by the Turks, who brought Egypt
into the Ottoman Empire.
For nearly 300 years, until 1787, the Turks treated
Egypt as a backwater and the country lost its
prominence on the main trade routes.
Then, in July 1798, Napoleon arrived in Alexandria
and Egypt was rather abruptly brought into contact
with Europe. But, following the emperor’s defeat and
capture by the British, the French withdrew. Their
departure led to a power struggle, which ended in
Muhammad Ali being recognized as sultan in1805.
A passionate believer in European ways, he
encouraged its influences. This trend was continued
by its successor and, under the leadership of one of
them, Ismail, the Suez Canal was opened in 1869.
Modern Egypt
Thirteen years later, following another internal
battle for supremacy, the British arrived, staying
until 1936, when the Anglo-Egyptian Treaty was
signed. The reins of power were then put in the
hands of the king Farouk, who was overthrown in 1952
by the free officers led by Gamal Abdel-Nasser.
In 1954, Nasser emerged as the full leader of Egypt
and between 1960 and 1970, the year of his death;
his presided over the building of the famous Aswan
dam, which was financed by the Soviet Union.
It was his successor and vice-president, Anwar el
Sadat, who was seen as a world class statesman. He
had begun his rule by defeating a challenge to his
authority and expelling Soviet military personnel.
Some years later, he took part in historic talks
with Israel that were to lead to the signing of the
Camp David Treaty in the presence of the then
America President, Jimmy Carter.
Since 1981, President Mohamed Hosni Mubarak has been
the leader of the United Arab Republic.
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