Egypt
As if determined to impress on every level, it
doesn't miss a trick: from pharaonic monuments the
pointed perfection of the Pyramids so iconic you
can scarcely believe that they exist, to the enormous drifted voids
and bizarre contortions of the Western Desert; from
the dreamy progress of the Nile to the pinnacles
of Islamic art; from biblical mountain
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tops from biblical mountain tops to temples that
seem to have grown from the desert;
from faded colonial elegance to
crumbling Christian monasteries; and from long pale sand stretches
of coast to the depths of the jewel coloured life of the Red
Sea.
Among all this natural and created splendour teems, the glorious tangled mayhem and intrigue of the everyday,
from the voice of an Arabic diva to a shopkeeper's witty retort; from the pale flow of long robes to the fierce
white of a felucca sail; from the wail of the muezzin (call to prayer) to the gurgle of a sheesha (water pipe)
and from the jumble of the souqs to the meandering progress of a ferry at dusk.
Ancient Time
The history of this country is inextricably linked to the
Nile. Its regular rhythms made Egypt
great civilisations and development possible. But it has been a long
time since the resources around the river alone were able to sustain
the most populous country of the Arabic world.
Life on the Nile
Recorded history stretches back at least 6000 years, beyond the time
of the pharaohs. The country developed into two important
states, one consisting of the Upper Nile Valley,
which stretched north to the delta, and another consisting of the
delta itself. The unification of these two states by Menes
in about 3000 BC set the scene for the greatest era of Egyptian
civilisation. During, the Old Kingdom from the IV
to the VI dynasties, trade developed and building
flourished but power gradually became decentralised.
Internal struggles continued and the country once again split, but
was reunified in around 2050 BC, ushering in the Middle Kingdom.
More than 30 dynasties, 50 rulers and 2700 years of indigenous (and
occasionally, foreign) rule passed before Alexander
ushered in a long, unbroken period of foreign domination in 332 BC.
The ruined cities and monuments that these dynasties left remarkably
preserved thanks to the desert climate are testament to their inventiveness
and vitality.
Rule like an Egyptian
From time to time the dynasties collapsed, due to
decadence, religious conflicts and invasion the Assyrians,
Persians and Macedonians all conquered
Egypt in their time but the strength of the Egyptian
culture meant that it tended to absorb its conquerors. Even after
Alexander's conquest, the rulers that followed (the
Ptolemies) were more Egyptian than
Greek.
The Ptolemies ruled Egypt for 300
years until the defeat of Mark Antony's navy by the
Romans in 31 BC and the subsequent suicide of Antony
and Cleopatra. Egyppt became a backwater
of the Roman Empire and remained so until taken by
the armies of Islam in AD 640. In the centuries that followed, Cairo
became one of the greatest centres of Islamic culture and learning.
In the early 16th century Egypt became part of the
huge Ottoman Empire. However, as the vitality of
this empire waned. Egypt gained autonomy under the
rule of a headstrong local ruler, Mohammed Ali. He
and his successors hoped to make Egypt economically
independent. The greatest of his projects was the Canal of Suez.
Mismanagement bankrupted the country, however, and by 1882 the British
and French had taken control of its finances. When
war broke out in 1914, Egypt was made a British
protectorate. In 1922 the country once again became an independent
state.
The nationalist Wafd party were in power, but the
king retained control and had British backing. The
British kept control of all the important institutions
and the Canal of Suez. During WWII Egypt was an important
base for the British, and the government provided their support on
the understanding that they would receive full independence once the
war was over. After the war, the Wafd demanded that British troops
leave and the resulting situation led to riots and strikes.
Extract from "Africa" book, written by David Else et al. Published by Lonely Planet Ltd, 2004.
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Hookah
A hookah is a single or multi-stemmed (often glass-based) water pipe for smoking.
the hookah has gained immense popularity, especially in the middle east.
A hookah operates by water filtration and indirect heat. It can be used for smoking
herbal fruits, tobacco, or cannabis.
Depending on locality and supply, hookahs may be referred to by many names, often of Arabic,
Indian, Turkic, or Persian origin. Narghilè is the name most commonly used in the Palestinian Territories, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Jordan, Albania, Bosnia, Croatia, Greece, Turkey, Azerbaijan,
Armenia, Bulgaria, although the initial "n" is often dropped in Arabic pronunciation. (From Wikipedia)
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