Egypt: Change - Borders, Politics, and National Identity

Egypt is located at the north-eastern corner of Africa and borders the Red Sea and also shares a border with Israel. On the west, Egypt is bordered by Libya, and to the south, it is bordered by Sudan. Egypt happens to be physically divided into two, unequal halves by the Nile River. In the years from 1919 to 1922, Egypt campaigned for independence from the British protectorate declared in 1914. [1] A party founded by an former educational minister called the Wafd party, which directly translates to "delegation", only wanted for Egypt to successfully and peacefully seceed and gain their rightful independence. [2] Finally, in 1922, Egypt seceded and gained their independence, yet the Crown continuously had an influence to the country until the mid 1950s.

With references to issues that divide people, there is a slight language barrier with the people of the northern parts and the southern parts of Egypt. The main language of Egypt is Egyptian Arabic, with sprinklings of other minority languages throughout southern Egypt. [3] Although Egypt faces many issues that affect their affiliations and their cultural identities, physical borders is not one that particularly bothers them. In recent times, the most trying issue on the people of Egypt is the war on Christianity from those who are of the Muslim "Brotherhood". [4] Again, these Christians, who are referred to as "Copts" are the main target many of those in Egypt who affiliate themselves with Radical Islam.  It is terrifying for these people who are living in fear in this country, who are simply practicing the original religion of their ancestors, that they are continued to be targeted to either convert, or submit to those who practice Islam.  There is not much that these Coptic Christians can do, still, because even the leader of the country and of the military is a devout Muslim. [5] This is definitely a struggle for power and identity for those in Egypt.


[1] http://nvdatabase.swarthmore.edu/content/egyptians-campaign-independence-1919-1922
[2] Ibid.
[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Languages_of_Egypt
[4] http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/08/22/the-muslim-brotherhood-s-war-on-coptic-christians.html
[5] Ibid.

Egypt: Missions

In the days after Jesus' death in the 1st century, much of the people living in Egypt were Christians and true believers of His saving grace. These believers were called Coptic Christians or "Copts". Because there were so many of these people living in Egypt, the Egyptian people were not called "Egyptians", yet they were called "Copts". Up until around the 7th century, the nation was almost nearly widespread with those who were believers of Coptic Christianity. In 641 AD, Egypt was invaded by the Arabic people who went head to head with the Byzantine Army because of the Byzantine rule the people were living under. This time period of change and the introduction of Islam is named the "Islamization of Egypt". This time period nearly goes simultaneous with the "Arabization" of Egypt, when it became the country that we think of when we think of Egypt. [1]

Since the invasion of Islam in the 7th century, Islam has seen a huge increase in religious followers and Coptic Christianity has experienced a large decrease. According to HeartCry Missionary Society, in the 85.3 million people who are residents of Egypt, close to 87% of those people adhere to Islam. In close to 1400 years, the change in the religion of the countries believers has shifted almost completely in the opposite direction. About 12% of the 85.3 million who continue to live in Egypt are considered Coptic Christians. The other one percent is represented as Evangelicals. [2]

In the 1950s, there was a large number of people who claimed to be Jewish Egyptians. The largest number topping out around 66,000 people who adhered to Judaism. After the 1956 Suez Crisis, there was a large emigration of Jews who were expelled by Gamal Abdel Nasser, and now there are only about 50 Jewish Egyptians. [3]

The impact of the invasion of Islam in the 7th century is incredible and widespread throughout the country. Because of the issues that were created with those who were Coptic Christians living in Egypt at that time, they were forced to convert to Islam. If it were not for this invasion, it is possible that much of Egypt would still be believers of Jesus.


[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamization_of_Egypt
[2] http://www.heartcrymissionary.com/egypt
[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Jews_in_Egypt

Egypt: First Contacts

The country of Egypt has long been an interesting one, even as early as the 18th century. Filled with ancient mysteries and tales that date back to the biblical ages and accounts of Egypt, the nation has been an interesting country to many people throughout the world. Of many contacts documented, the first would be the French, in the event of Napoleon Bonaparte and his invasion of Egypt.

[1]

French military leader Napoleon Bonaparte was put in command of the potential invasion of England, however, since the English controlled the English canal, he knew that he would not be successful in completing this mission. Instead, Napoleon thought that another way to get back at the British would be to invade Egypt by threatening their trade routes to India. The French also were in hopes that if they held control over Egypt, that they would be able to control the entire Middle East.

In 1798, many men in the French naval forces set sail for Alexandria, Egypt. An Islamic caste group called the Mamluks were in control of Egypt at this time, however, the French came prepared to win the Battle of the Pyramids. At this time, Napoleon thought that he had won and was now a leader within Egypt. A few days later, the British naval fleet came in and began the Battle of the Nile and won in a drastic blow-out. After many occurrences against him, Napoleon and some of his army retreated back to France because of the impeding war, and the odds were not in the French's favor.

[2]

Soldiers that were still in Egypt during the time of Napoleons retreat, made a very significant discovery in 1799. This discovery was a large black stone, engraved with Greek and Egypt writings on it. It was found in a small village along the delta, called the town of Rosetta. The Rosetta Stone was given to the British once the French surrendered. The writings on the stone dated all the way back to 196 BC. [3]







[1] http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/03/15/article-2293722-0294CDD8000004B0-59_306x455.jpg
[2] http://www.ancientegypt.co.uk/writing/rosetta.html
[3] Smith, Christopher. “Napoleon in Africa” (video). 2014. Accessed June 14, 2016. https://learn.liberty.edu/webapps/blackboard/content/listContent.jsp?course_id=_303751_1&content_id=_12472189_1.

Egypt: Natural Resources

The home of the Egyptians is also home to many natural resources. Egypt has a plethora of important resources, however; some of the most valuable are: petroleum, iron ore, limestone, phosphates, talc, gypsum, lead, and zinc. [1] There are many other resources that prove themselves to be exceptionally important to the development of Egyptian society such as: the Nile River, papryus, and honey. [2] The Nile was especially a pivotal and necessary resource in developing a successful Egyptian society, mostly in the ancient era, however it is still a largely used resource. Travel and commerce, as well as the fertile soil and river basin around the Nile causes it to be a utilized natural resource of Egypt. [3]

Since Egypt borders the Mediterranean Sea, Egypt has access to some huge sea beds that are filled with oilfields, hence where the petroleum comes from.  Egypt's oil production has, in the last few years, overtaken Egypt's oil consumption. [5] As of March 2015, BP (oil company) has signed a contract with Egypt for 12 billion dollars to develop natural gas there, intended for sale in 2017. [6]

[4]

In reference to Egypt's trading balance and systems, their largest export from the nation is oil by a landslide. Egypt exports 155,200 barrels of oil on a daily basis. [7] These numbers allow Egypt's economy to remain the 62nd largest export country in the world. However; Egypt's exports are not nearly as significant as its imports. Egypt has a large trade deficit, in that its imports heavily outweigh its exports for many years and continue to do so. Egypt has had a negative trade balance since around 1980. The United States is one of the larger sources of imports to Egypt, coming in as more than 10% of the yearly total imports. Food, equipment and wood products are the main items of import. [8]




[1] http://www.indexmundi.com/egypt/natural_resources.html
[2] http://www.mapsofworld.com/egypt/natural-resources/
[3] http://historylink101.com/n/egypt_1/a-natural_resources.htm
[4] http://cctv-africa.com/wp-content/photo-gallery/2016/04/2882-oil-derr_article.jpg
[5] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Egypt#Natural_resources
[6] http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/07/business/international/bp-signs-12-billion-deal-to-develop-natural-gas-in-egypt.html?_r=1
[7] http://www.economywatch.com/world_economy/egypt/export-import.html
[8] Ibid.

History Without Words

1. https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/3b/70/5d/3b705da38be8dd20f7a17c2cc49ddfc0.jpg
2. http://cdn3.bigcommerce.com/s-rrxhho/products/1012/images/1195/Sarcophagus-Coffin-King-Tut-small-King-Tut-inside-69__73824.1441480422.500.750.jpg?c=2
3. https://ownersrepny.files.wordpress.com/2012/07/push.jpg
4. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/12/Nile.jpg
5. http://images6.fanpop.com/image/photos/34200000/Osiris-Isis-and-baby-Horus-the-kane-chronicles-34277640-189-267.jpg
6. https://1920332912.rsc.cdn77.org/view/joseph-and-the-pharaohs-dream-GoodSalt-ksjas0219.jpg
7. http://images.earthtouchnews.com/media/1085294/hippos_fighting_2015-05-06_GalleryLarge.jpg
8. https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/79/6b/98/796b98b237b590287c5aba44bc77e73d.jpg
9. http://pre09.deviantart.net/1231/th/pre/i/2012/112/d/3/powerpoint_scrap__epic_sword_man_part_2_by_jay_jay3-d4x8rcx.jpg
10. http://www.irisclasson.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/headless_browser.jpg
11. http://static1.squarespace.com/static/54e6a620e4b0a4a224687ac2/54e6a695e4b08d8eee3875bc/54ea953ae4b021b682c7e693/1426819116265/20141125_ferguson_ae_02.jpg
12. http://atlantablackstar.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Horus-standing-600x511.jpg

Egypt: Religion and Origins

In Ancient times, most are familiar with the gods and goddesses that the Egyptians of the past worshipped and heavily depended on them for guidance and favor. Currently, although these gods and goddesses are regularly referenced and still talked about, it is not a religion that the people of Egypt typically practice anymore.
           
In 2016, the state religion of the nation Egypt is Islam. [1] Egypt is home to nearly 80 million Muslims, which make up around 88% of the people who deem themselves as religious. Typically, these Muslims call themselves "Suni" Muslims. In Egypt, Constitutional Law states that all legislation proposed music coincide with the Islamic Law. [2] This means that legally, residents must associate themselves with one of three religions. These three include Islam, Christianity, or Judaism. [3] There are multiple religions that are unrecognized and/or persecuted in the borders of Egypt. It is not unlikely to hear news of an individual that is charged with the crime of apostasy, which means non-affiliation with a religion. [4]

Islam

[5]

Since 1980, Islam has been recognized as the official State Religion of Egypt. To the right, there is a photograph featured of Islamic Cairo. This particular area of Cairo is referenced as "Islamic Cairo" because of its many mosques as well as other Islamic infused monuments that stand there. [6] Many Muslims believe that either your religious beliefs should be individual and private or the exact opposite, that you should heavily show that your beliefs dominate your every day life.

[7]

Christianity
Varied accounts of numbers have been reported at which is actually the correct percentage of Egyptians who are practicing Christians. Around 10% is the designated number, with outliers that range from 3% all the way to 20%. [8] Christianity is a vast minority to other religions in Egypt, yet it still has the largest numbers of Christians in the Middle East and of North Africa. [9] The second largest city in Egypt, Alexandria, was and is still the largest hub of Orthodox Christians in Egypt. It was an early center of Christianity [10]


Judaism is also one of the three supported religions within the Abrahamic religions that Egypt seeks to have the residents remain within, however, there are not many practicing Jews in Egypt. Since 1948, when Israel declared independence, numbers of residents that practice Judaism in Egypt plummeted nearly 80,000 people. [11]


[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_Egypt
[2] https://berkleycenter.georgetown.edu/resources
[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abrahamic_religions
[4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apostasy
[5] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_Egypt#/media/File:Cairo(js).jpg
[6] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_Cairo
[7] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_Egypt#/media/File:The_church_is_hugging_the_mosque.JPG
[8] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianity_in_Egypt
[9] Ibid.
[10] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Early_centers_of_Christianity#Alexandria
[11] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Jews_in_Egypt

Egypt: A History of Art and Music

Ancient Egyptian art is very recognizable and elaborate. The art of the periods were typically used as offertory to the dead. Paintings were on pottery, figurines, were within ivory carvings, and had sculptures that were deeply intricate. [1] Great art of the Egyptian culture that would be easily recognized by the untrained eye would be the Great Sphinx, the Great Pyramids of Giza,  a sarcophagus (which is a burial tomb), and the limestone bust of Nefertiti.

A range of media was used to create art by the Ancient Egyptians. These multiple outlets of art included papyrus paper, wood, stone, and also painting [2].

Temples and palaces were the typical places of where the most paintings occurred. As noticed in the photographs to the left and below, when people, animals, or objects were painted, they were always painted from the side. The painting featured below is a portrait of Nefertari. She was the first wife of Ramesses the Great and Egyptian queen. [3] Another art form constructed for the queen was the Abu Simbel. These are two large temples carved into the side of a mountain in Aswan Governorate, Egypt. It was made to honor both the Pharaoh and his queen, and is now their burial ground. [5]

[4]

Music in ancient Egypt was an important addition to everyday life, as well as ceremonies, and religious worship, too. There were a few ancient Egyptian gods that were heavily associated with music, their names are Hathor and Bes. [6] As in many painted, carved, or sculpted forms of art, there are representations of Egyptians making music via multiple instruments. Percussion, winds, and stringed instruments were played to honor the gods and to entertain the royalty of Egypt. Typically one female of a higher status would be selected as the office of the musician (shemayet) to honor one specific god or goddess with the gift of music. Singing and clapping were also involved greatly in religious ceremonies.




[1] http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Egyptian_art.aspx
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art_of_ancient_Egypt
[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nefertari
[4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art_of_ancient_Egypt#/media/File:Maler_der_Grabkammer_der_Nefertari_004.jpg
[5] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abu_Simbel_temples
[6] http://www.umich.edu/~kelseydb/Exhibits/MIRE/Introduction/AncientEgypt/AncientEgypt.html

Egypt: Geography

A photograph of Egypt's location within Africa, as well as within the world.

By TUBS - Own workThis vector graphics image was created with Adobe Illustrator.This file was uploaded with Commonist.This vector image includes elements that have been taken or adapted from this:  World location map (W3).svg (by TUBS)., CC BY-SA 3.0, 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15247207

Egypt is located in the northeastern corner of Africa as well as the southwestern corner of Asia. The two continents are connected by a land bridge. [1] Egypt is bordered by Libya and Sudan within Africa. It also touches the Red Sea as well as the Mediterranean sea.

Egyptian Flag [2]

A few of the geographical features of Egypt include the Necropolis Pyramids of Giza, The Great Sphinx, The Nile River, and the Valley of Kings, as well as many others. [3]

The title of largest city in Egypt is claimed it by its capital, Cairo. Cairo is located in the northeast quadrant of Egypt. Its coordinates of longitude and latitude are: 30° 2′ 0″ N, 31° 13′ 0″ E. [4] The city of Alexandria ranks as second in terms of population, and its coordinates are: 31°12′N 29°55′E. [5]

The climate of Egypt is typically incredibly hot, and dry. [7] Temperatures on the hottest day can range from nearly 104 degrees Fahrenheit to 122 degrees Fahrenheit. Egypt is the driest and sunniest country in the world. [8]

Because of the humidity and how arid the land is around the Nile River, near 99% of the entire population of of Egypt of lives on only 5.5% of the total area of land. [9]


The Nile River takes reign as the most famous in regards to features of Egypt. The Nile River is 4,258 miles long. Although, it travels through 11 countries, the Nile's primary source of water is Egypt. Civilization has been largely dependent on the Nile since ancient times since the area around the river is significantly more fertile than much of the surrounding soils. During the development of Egyptian Civilization, silt deposits from the Nile made the surrounding land fertile because the river overflowed its banks annually. This overflow in the winter months was followed by a scorching summer drought. People that live in the area surrounding the Nile use its land to grow crops, and provide a more temperate climate. Also, the Nile served a large spiritual role in early Egyptian's lives. Many referred to the Nile as having healing powers, as well as preventative measures against death. The Egyptian calendar also was based on the cycles of the Nile. [10]

The Nile River in Egypt [11]

_______________________________________________________________
[1] "Egypt", https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egypt.
[2] "Egypt", https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egypt#/media/File:Flag_of_Egypt.svg,.
[3] "Egypt", https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egypt.
[4] "Cairo", https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cairo.
[5] "Alexandria", https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexandria.
[6] "Egypt", https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egypt#Climate.
[7] "Egypt", https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egypt#/media/File:Sand_Dunes_(Qattara_Depression).jpg.
[8] "Climate of Egypt", https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_of_Egypt.
[9] "Geography of Egypt", https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography_of_Egypt.
[10] "Nile", https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nile.
[11] "Nile River", http://www.touregypt.net/images/touregypt/nile7.jpg.