Geography of Egypt CHW 3M

Another River Civilization Civilization in Egypt began about 3100 BCE, not long after it began in Mesopotamia Like Mesopotamia, Egypt developed around a great river system Egyptian civilization began as a scattering of villages and settlements along the mighty Nile River, the longest river in the world Greek historian, Herodotus: “Egypt is wholly the gift of the Nile”

Similar to Mesopotamia Land along the banks of the Nile was extremely fertile The river flooded annually, depositing rich supplies of silt for surrounding fields To the Egyptians, the Nile was a lifeline It provided water for both irrigation and drinking, silt for their fields, and a natural highway to link their communities

Different from Mesopotamia The Nile was a friendlier river than either the Tigris or the Euphrates, and so life was more stable in ancient Egypt than in Mesopotamia Sudden and disastrous floods like those in Mesopotamia happened rarely The flooding of the Nile was more predictable In fact, flooding was so predictable that Egyptians could set their agricultural calendar according to the river’s schedule

White Nile and Blue Nile The waters of the Nile River come from the convergence of two rivers: the Whilte Nile and the Blue Nile The Blue Nile, fed by the summer monsoons in Ethiopia, led to the flooding of the Nile This flooding occurs annually between July and October The receding waters leave behind a rich soil, which makes the Nile River Valley a fertile and productive region

The Blue Nile is so-called because during flood times the water is so high, it changes colour to an almost black. The local Sudanese language world for black is also used for the colour blue The White Nile is called so because of the light-coloured clay sediment in the water giving the river a light grey colour.

Egypt in Development As ancient Egyptian civilization developed, it stretched from the mouth of the Nile on the Mediterranean Sea south to Elphantine, near the First Cataract of the Nile (cataracts = white water rapids) Filled with granite rock, this cataract served as a natural border between Egypt and Nubia to the south

Nubia For years, Egypt traded or fought with Nubia During the New Kingdom, Egypt conquered Nubia Nubians served in Egyptian armies and influenced Egyptian culture Egyptian art from this period shows Nubian soldiers, musicians, or prisoners When Egypt declined, Nubia conquered Egypt. Nubians did not see themselves as conquerors. They respected Egyptian traditions

Black Land and Red Land The Egyptians called the region of rich soil along the banks of the Nile the Kemet, or Black Land Beyond this fertile strip of land were the dead sands of the surrounding deserts: the Libyan Desert to the west and the Arabian Desert to the east The Egyptians called these forbidding territories the Deshret, or the Red Land

Desert Treasures The desolate appearance of the Red Land was somewhat deceiving A treasure house of minerals lay beneath the shifting sands The Arabian Desert was a source of gold and fine gems, including garnet, agate, and chalcedony The desert lands farther east in the Sinai Pininsula provided copper for manufacture of tools and weapons The Libyan Desert in the west yielded valuable building materials such as granite, quartzite, flint, marble, and slate Amethyst Garnet Agate Chalcedony

Desert Treasures cont. The Deshret was also valuable in other ways In the Libyan Desert, running parallel to the Nile, were six oases (fertile areas) called wadis. Two of the wadis became important suppliers of wine; another, the Wadi Natrun, was a source of natron, a salt used in the embalming of bodies (mummification process)

Geographic Barriers of Egypt The deserts also acted as a buffer, shielding Egypt from invasions and, to some extent, insulating it from outside influences Red Sea to the East Mediterranean to the North

Upper Egypt There were also major differences between the landscapes of the upper and lower regions of the Nile The landscape of Upper Egypt was marked by the Nile river valley, which ranged from 6 to 20 km wide In this region, called the ta-shema or land of the shema-reed, the Nile flows from the highlands in a single stream towards modern Cairo creating a deep trench with cliffs towering on either side several hundred metres high The people living in the Nile river valley could never forget how close they were to the desert, its mountains and cliffs stood in clear view, reminding the Egyptians of their dependance on the Nile

Lower Egypt In Lower Egypt, north of present-day Cairo, the Nile separates into different branches that veer northeast and northwest to the Mediterranean Sea, creating a fertile triangular plain This area was called the ta-mehu, the land of the papyrus plant, or the Nile delta Here, the land was black and flat, often swampy, but with extensive areas of ideal pasture land The delta was more isolated and protected from land invasions than the valley of Upper Egypt The outlet to the sea was also important for trade and cultural exchange

The Nile Delta The area in which the Nile empties into the Mediterranean Sea is known as the Nile Delta The Nile Delta is the largest area of fertile land in Egypt

The Mediterranean Another geographic feature that significantly shaped Egyptian history was the Mediterranean Sea, Egypt’s major outlet for trade The extensive trade routes that were established allowed Egypt to obtain a wide diversity of goods Trade was also a key factor in the exchange of cultures One cannot help but notice the tremendous influence the Egyptians had on the architecture and art of the Greeks

The Faiyum Lake Moeris, which lies at the end of a branch of the Nile, is at the centre of an oasis known as the Faiyum Through extensive irrigation, the ancient Egyptians were able to make the Faiyum the third largest area of settlement and agriculture in Egypt

Nile allowed huge territory to be ruled by one leader Strong leadership needed to organize harvest after flooding Other geography important too Big desert protected Egypt (more time to develop)

THE NILE METER A Nilometer was a structure for measuring the Nile River's clarity and water level during the annual flood season. It was a step-like structure that measured how high the flood would be. If it was low, there would be famine. If it was too high, it would be destructive. There was a specific mark that indicated how high the flood should be if the fields were to get good soil.