All About Ancient Egypt

The ancient civilization of Egypt was mostly concentrated in the lower part of the Nile River, and the civilization flourished for more than three thousand years. Many people came to Egypt from various parts of Africa, since the agricultural lands close to the Nile River was extremely fertile.

 

Geographical Features of Ancient Egypt

Egypt is located on the northeastern side of Africa, with the Mediterranean Sea to its north and a mountainous region to its south. The river Nile runs from south to north into the Mediterranean Sea. Ancient Egypt was divided in two parts, namely, Upper and Lower Egypt. The north was called Lower Egypt, while south was Upper Egypt. The rulers of Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt came together under the rule of the pharaohs. Furthermore, ancient Egyptian civilization was also divided in two land types, which were the Black and the Red Land. The fertile land was found close to the river Nile, and it was referred to as the Black Land, whereas the Red Land was the desert region that protected Egypt from its enemies.

Stages of Egyptian Development

In the past, the Egyptian civilization was divided into several periods, which included the Old Kingdom (2686 BC to 2160 BC), which contributed to the 1 st Intermediate Period; the Middle Kingdom (2040 BC to 1633 BC), which was the 2nd Intermediate Period; New Kingdom (1558 BC to 1085 BC) or the 3rd Intermediate Period; the Persian rule (525BC to 332 BC); the Greek rule (332BC to 30 BC); the Roman rule (30 BC to 700 AD); and eventually, the Islamic rule (700 AD to 1500). Ancient Egypt saw its best period during the New Kingdom. Unfortunately, the prosperity of ancient Egypt declined with the end of the rule of the Pharaohs in 31 BC.

Daily Life of the Egyptians

The Egyptian valley civilization flourished because the Nile river valley had predictable floods, which enhanced the fertility of the land. Mineral exploitation in the desert region also helped the economy. The people of ancient Egypt considered their children to be blessings. The most common type of clothing worn by the Egyptians was the “tunic”, which was a long t-shirt-like cloth made from white linen. The men also wore a short skirt called the “kilt”. The houses were usually made from dried mud, and affluent families had reception halls and separate private quarters as well. Food was prepared on open fires and in clay ovens. The main occupation of the Egyptians was agriculture, and the region was also known for the trade of precious stones, advanced medicines, and developments in mathematics.

Religious Practices of the Egyptians

There were hundreds of gods that were worshipped by the Egyptians. Some of the gods included Anubis, Osiris, Horus, and Isis. The divine kingship was referred to as the Pharaoh, and Pharaohs were considered sons of the sun god Horus. It was believed that the king would become Osiris after death, and he would help the Egyptian people in the afterlife. To worship their gods, the Egyptians conducted sacrifices of animals with incense.

Funerary Customs of Ancient Egypt

One of the common beliefs in ancient Egypt was that the physical bodies of their kings should be preserved to keep them happy in the afterlife. Therefore, the body of the Egyptian Pharaohs were preserved by mummification and large pyramid-like tombs were constructed to bury them. The world now knows these tombs as “The Pyramids of Egypt”.

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