Welcome to Egypt! Your salespeople: Maggie Collington, Megan Baker, Maura Avington, and Olivia Diaz

COME VISIT EGYPT! Great land of pharaohs and kings Learn more about Egypt’s holidays and celebrations. Explore the ancient pyramids of Egypt! Learn about Egypt’s gods and religions. Hope you enjoy this great land!

Religion Religion was a huge part of Egyptian life. As many as 2000 gods Two chief gods: Amon-Ra and Osiris Temples: “dwelling places for the gods” Three souls: ka, ba, and akh Religion guided everything that the ancient Egyptians did. They had as many as 2000 gods, who ranged from nationally-worshipped gods to gods that local villages worshipped. The two chief gods were Amon-Ra, the sun god, and Osiris, the god of the underworld. Temples were considered to be dwelling places for the gods, so there were several in each village. The Egyptians believed that everyone had three souls: the ka, ba, and akh. In order for those souls to work properly and for the person to go to the afterlife, their body had to remain intact through burial.

Holidays and Celebrations Ramadan One month long No eating or drinking during the day Eid al-Fitr Comes at the end of Ramadan Celebrated for three days Eid al-Adha “The Day of Sacrifice” Sham al-Nessim The Monday after Easter Celebrated by all Egyptians, even non- Christians Holidays and Celebrations The ninth month of the year is Ramadan, a holy month for Muslims. They are not supposed to eat from sunrise to sunset. This fasting should remind people to be grateful for their blessings. Iftar, “breaking of the fast,” is the only meal of the day Eid al-Fitr, which translates as Celebration of the Breaking of the Fast, is a celebration of the end of the month of Ramadan. Eid al-Adha, “the day of sacrifice,” celebrates Abraham’s faith and his willingness to sacrifice his son Isaac because God instructed him to.

Pyramids The Pyramids of Giza Largest and sturdiest pyramids First largest Built for the pharaoh Khufu Second largest Built for Khufu’s son, Khafra Guarded by a large sphinx Third largest: Built for the pharaoh Menkaure The Pyramids of Giza are the largest and sturdiest pyramids in ancient Egypt, although they were not the first or last pyramids to be built. The first was built for the pharaoh Khufu, the second for his son Khafra, accompanied by the Sphinx, and the third for the pharaoh Menkaure. There are many theories as to why the tombstones were built in the pyramid shape that we know so well today. One is that they had sloping sides so a dead pharaoh could climb to the sky and live forever. Another is that the pyramid represented the slopes of the sun.

Government Ancient Egyptians were a theocracy. Theocracy– governed by a priest or god They believed that the pharaoh was a living god. Pharaoh had immense power and control over Egypt. In ancient Egypt, religion and government went hand in hand. They were a theocracy, which means they were governed by a priest or god. In the case of Egypt, the pharaoh was always one to rule. The citizens saw the pharaoh as a living god or a representative of the gods, which meant that he had limitless power and control over Egypt’s citizens. Laws were not officially set, but were generally punishments for wrongdoing. Some extreme examples of laws being carried out were execution or dismemberment.

Science and Technology Calendars Ten days in a week Three weeks in a month Four months in a season Three seasons in a year Five holy days First to come up with a 365-day year Clocks Two types of clocks in ancient Egypt Sundial Water Clock There were two types of clocks that were used: the sundial and the water clock. A sundial was a circle with numbers written all around it with a stick that spun around the center. When the shadow of the stick went to a certain number, say, 3, it was 3 o’clock. A water clock is a little more complicated– there is a pot filled with water on top of a stand with a hole drilled into the side. There were marks inside the pot that measured the “hours” passed as the water got lower and lower. The Egyptians were also the first to invent a 365-day year calendar. However, their calendar was a little bit different from ours. There were ten days in a week, three weeks in a month, four months in a season, and only three seasons in a year.

We Hope To See You Soon!!!!!!!!

Citations http://www2.sptimes.com/Egypt/EgyptCredit.4.3.html http://www.balmoralsoftware.com/timelaps/timelaps.htm http://www.everyculture.com/wc/Costa-Rica-to-Georgia/Egyptians.html http://www.laits.utexas.edu/cairo/modern/religion/religion.html http://www.ancientegypt.co.uk/pyramids/ http://www.antheagardensapartment.co.uk/egypt.htm http://www.ancient-egypt-online.com/ancient-egyptian-pharaohs.html