History
Egypt has the richest, oldest and most varied history of any country
in the world. The first settlers were the hunting tribes from North
Africa who met with the nomadic tribes of Asiatic origin, and settled
in North Africa in 12,000BC. The greatest civilization ever known
to man - the Pharaonic civilization was considered to be by far
the greatest civilization of all.
Overall 30 dynasties existed and were divided into three major
periods - Old, Middle and New kingdoms. The Persian invasion was
shortlived when Alexander the Great took over Egypt in 322 BC, and
brought the Pharaonic period to an end. In 306BC, the Ptolemic era,
led by Ptolemy saw the development of Egypt as the cultural and
intellectual center of the ancient world. However, the Ptolemaic
line ended with the suicide of Cleopatra in 30BC.
Culture
Egyptian culture is very much centered around religion and family
values. However, there is a vast difference between the rural and
urban people of Egypt. The rural inhabitants still live the traditional
life of their ancestors and depend entirely on agriculture and live
in very modest mud brick houses. In this patriarchal community,
the male is still very much the dominant sex and the female still
plays the subdued and traditional feminine role. Family ties are
very strong, and neigbors are usually treated as family. The urban
society still hold on to this traditional system of Egyptian values
but to a much less extend. They tend to lead a more modern and westernized
lifestyle.
Generally, Egyptians are extremely patriotic. However, they are
also known for their helpfulness and friendliness. The dress code
is conservative, in line with their Islamic beliefs. Both men and
women have to be decently covered, especially the women.
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