Modern Egypt is a thriving mixture of cosmopolitan culture. Egypt also boasts of a five thousand-year-old history of culture and civilization. It is a land, which is rich in art and history, people and places. Egypt has emerged as one of the most cultured nations of the world. The cultural history of Egypt can be broadly classified into the following categories:
- Ancient Egyptian Culture
- Modern Egyptian Culture
Ancient Egyptian Culture
Ancient Egyptian Culture represents the ancient ages of Egypt . The Ancient Egyptian age was a very fascinating era in history. Beginning approximately in the year 3000 BC, the ancient era of Egypt lasted till about 300 BC. Extensive excavations of Egyptian historical sites have revealed that ancient Egypt had achieved very high standards of culture. Artifacts and relics found from these excavations reveal that ancient Egyptians were very conscious about fashion and culture.
The ancient royalty of Egypt such as the pharaohs wore a lot of gold jewelry. The abundance of this precious metal made ancient Egypt a rich nation. The royal tombs of Egypt also reveal that they wore silk fabrics. Ancient Egyptian clothing was classified on the caste hierarchy.
The ancient Egyptians were very religious minded. Gods and goddesses were part of everyday life of ancient Egyptians. They had their gods and goddesses on whom they had unflinching faith. Religious practices of ancient Egypt were linked to movements of celestial bodies such as constellations, the sun, the moon, and the planets. Some of the most revered deities of ancient Egyptians are Amun-Re, Osiris, Isis .
The literary culture of Ancient Egypt is very rich. The earliest examples of literature of this time are the pyramid texts and the inscriptions on the walls of the tombs. The Royal library of Alexandria , once the largest library in the world, contained many of the manuscripts of ancient Egyptian literature.
Modern Egyptian Culture
The culture of modern Egypt is like any other cosmopolitan country. Egypt has an interesting mixture of people of different cultural background. Modern Egypt has created a distinct cultural identity, keeping intact its rich ancient cultural heritage. This combination of the old and the new makes the culture of Egypt unique and distinct.
A visit to any of the big cities of Egypt will show the influences of global culture on Egypt. Compared to other Middle Eastern countries, Egypt is culturally much advanced. Tourism being one of the major revenue generators for Egypt, the culture here openly invites foreign tourists. The customs and mentality tends to be full of warmth towards visitors and foreigners.
Egypt's population mainly consists of Sunni Muslims and Coptic Christians. People of both religions moderately follow their religious practices. Religious principles are quite noticeable in their daily lives.
Family ties are quite strong in Egypt. Their male folks respect Egyptian women. This makes most of the big cities such as Cairo and Alexandria much safer for women than any western metropolis.
Egyptians are very fond of arts, music and sports. Football is the favorite sport of the Egyptians.
Egyptian culture has many contrasts and contradictions between the old and the new. The two cultures are vastly different from each other. But in its totality, the culture of Egypt has successfully combined the best of both the worlds. Keeping the charm and splendor of its ancient culture unharmed, modern Egypt has imbibed the contemporary ways of life. Egypt Culture is a balanced culture, both in its antiquity as well as its modernity.
