Egypt

Quick Facts Population approx. 89 million Capital city = Cairo A transcontinental country (on 2 continents) The Nile is the world’s longest river The Sahara is the world’s largest hot desert Egypt is the most populous country in the Arab World, the third-most populous in Africa (after Nigeria and Ethiopia), and the fifteenth-most populous in the world Egypt has between 118-135 pyramids

Brief History 5000 BC = People settle down and grow crops along the banks of the Nile 2630 BC = Imhotep builds the first pyramid 1347-1339 BC = The reign of Tutankhamen 1182-1151 B.C = Reign of Ramses III, Hebrew migration out of Egypt 332 B.C. = Alexander the Great conquers Egypt 31 BC = Rome conquers Egypt. Cleopatra commits suicide. 642 AD = Arab conquest of Egypt. 1517 = Egypt becomes a part of the Ottoman Empire 1822 = Discovery of how to read ancient hieroglyphics 1882-1922 = UK controls Egypt 1953 = Egypt becomes independent 2011 = Egyptian revolution, longtime President Hosni Mubarak stepped down amid mass protests

Egyptian Revolution 2011 Egyptian protestors focused on lack of free speech and free elections, police brutality, government corruption, high unemployment, inflation, and continued use of emergency law. An estimated 800 people died and over 6,000 were injured in the process. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak resigned on February 11th. The Egyptian revolution sparked other revolutions in Yemen, Syria, Jordan, Libya, and Bahrain

Weird Facts On average, only an inch of rain falls in Egypt per year. Pharaoh Ramses II had over 90 children with his 8 official wives and nearly 100 concubines Because hieroglyphs have no vowels, we will never know for sure how the ancients pronounced their words.

Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt

Tourism in Egypt Tourism compromises 12% of the work force in Egypt During the Egyptian Revolution of 2011, the number of visitors plummeted by over 37% that year falling from 14 million in 2010 to just 9 million by the end of 2011 In the first half of 2014 the number of tourists further declined by 25% as compared with the same period of 2013, while revenues shrank by 25% as well.

Cairo The capital and largest city, population over 10 million Mosques, marketplaces, museums Pyramids of Giza

Egyptian Museum It contains mummies, death masks, sarcophaguses, relics from Pharaohs’ tombs

The Great Pyramids The pyramids of Egypt are not only the oldest of the seven wonders of the ancient world, they are the only ones to survive today.  At the Giza Pyramid complex, there are 6 pyramids and the Sphinx They were originally covered in white limestone Contrary to popular belief, it is no longer thought that the pyramids of Giza were built by slaves

The Great Pyramid of Khufu Built as a burial place for King Khufu (2589-2566 B.C.) and took more than 20 years to build. It is built from over two million blocks of limestone, each one weighing as much as two and a half elephants. It stands about 460 feet (149 m) high—taller than the Statue of Liberty. The base of the Great Pyramid takes up almost as much space as five football fields

Great Pyramid of Khufu (2580–2560 BC) Pyramid of Khafre (2570 BC ) Pyramid of Menkaure (2510 BC) The Queens’ Pyramids

The Great Sphinx A limestone statue of a reclining sphinx (a mythical creature with a lion's body and a human head) The face of the Sphinx is generally believed to represent the face of the Pharaoh Khafra Built 2558–2532 BC

The Nile River 6,853 km long Its water resources are shared by eleven countries Most of the Egyptian population lives very close to the river Without its floods and rich delta land, Egyptian civilization would never have become so powerful

Aswan Dam As an attempt to control the annual flooding of the Nile Built in Egypt in 1971, one of the largest dams in the world The rich silt that normally fertilized the dry Egyptian land settled in Lake Nasser after the building of the dam, forcing farmers to use one million tons of artificial fertilizer every year. Created Lake Nasser, one of the biggest man-made lakes in the world

Temple of Philae Now is on an island downstream of the Aswan Dam UNESCO moved the entire ancient temple complex to a higher island to prevent it from being flooded

Valley of Kings For 500 years from the 16th to 11th century BC, tombs were constructed for the Pharaohs and powerful nobles of the New Kingdom Contain 63 tombs and chambers, and new ones are still being found The tomb of Tutankhamun (with its rumours of the Curse of the Pharaohs), is one of the most famous archaeological sites in the world

Karnak A vast mix of decayed temples, chapels, and other buildings The second largest ancient religious site in the world, after the Angkor Wat Temple of Cambodia The second most visited historical site in Egypt Approximately 30 pharaohs contributed to the buildings Built from 2055 BC to 100 AD.

Luxor The city of Luxor has frequently been characterized as the "world's greatest open-air museum", as the ruins of the temple complexes at Karnak and Luxor stand within the modern city.

Memphis Capital of Egypt during the Old Kingdom Now is only ruins

Saqqara A vast, ancient burial ground for the Ancient Egyptian capital, Memphis Saqqara features numerous pyramids, including the world famous Step pyramid of Djoser Located some 30 km south of modern-day Cairo Built 2667–2648 BC

Alexandria Egypt’s second largest city Located on the Mediterranean Sea Its low elevation on the Nile delta makes it highly vulnerable to rising sea levels Founded by Alexander the Great in 331 BC Known for the Great Lighthouse, Great Library

Sharm el-Shaikh A city on the tip of the Sinai Peninsula A holiday resort and significant centre for tourism in Egypt A major diving centre on the Red Sea

Mt Sinai A mountain in the Sinai Peninsula According to Jewish, Christian, and Islamic tradition, this where Moses received the Ten Commandments The oldest working monastery at its base Two ways up: one is longer but easier, one is steeper and more direct route (the 3,750 “Steps of Penitence"