Cultural, historical, adventure, and custom customized trips are just a few of the tours that Deluxe trips offer in Egypt and Jordan.
Another nurture and in that respect brings many astonishing things within the vast history of Egypt; Egyptian history demonstrates the rise and fall of dynasties, empires, and civilizations. The history of Egypt, of course, has several enigmas, innovations, and cultural achievements that still maintain the attention of the world. The state of this great nation went from ancient times into the modern era and is an epic tale of endurance, grandeur, and changes. The present article will discuss some of the exciting facts about Egypt, dealing with Egyptian history and Ancient Egypt tours, and give insight into its important past.
Ancient Egyptian civilization is over 5,000 years old and is perhaps one of the oldest and most studied civilizations in human history. Ancient Egypt undoubtedly helped provide the very foundations for human culture and civilization through its monumental achievements in architecture, writing, and governance. The evolution of the ancient Egyptian civilization, which owes its existence to the Nile, has endowed the fertile land with a source of irrigation, a means of transport, and life for its people.
Did you know? That Narmer-the first pharaoh of Egypt-had managed the union of Upper and Lower Egypt by 3100 BC, thus cementing the foundation of one of the most powerful empires in ancient history?
The Great Pyramids of Giza must perhaps symbolize Egypt’s history most poignantly. Thus lie these magnificent edifices, constructed in the Fourth Dynasty, close to 2580–2560 BCE. The Great Pyramid of Giza, also called Khufu's Pyramid, is most of the time referred to as the largest and most magnificent od 3 pyramids, at an astonishing height of 481 feet (146 meters).
Interesting Fact: Originally, the Great Pyramid was clad in smooth, white limestone casing stones that reflected the sun. Therefore, the pyramid shone brightly in the sunlight. The casing stones were long since removed, but the splendor of the monument remains.
If you want to explore more about the ancient Egyptian civilization and ancient Egypt tours, check out Egypt in a Day Tour for an in-depth exploration of Egypt’s majestic wonders.
One of the greatest contributions to humanity by ancient Egypt is the creation of hieroglyphics. This complex writing system consists of symbols and pictures. The ancient Egyptians employed it in writing their religious texts, monuments, and official documents. The discovery by Jean-François Champollion of how to read hieroglyphics in 1822 opened up the possibilities of understanding ancient Egyptian culture and history.
Fun Fact: Hieroglyphics were used for writing, but they had a spiritual quality as well. The belief was that the symbols possessed magic, hence the presence of many symbols in tombs and temples, thus protecting the person in the afterlife.
The Pharaohs were the kings and queens of ancient Egypt. They were living gods holding absolute power over their people. Not just political leaders, they also served as spiritual leaders for the continued maintenance of Ma'at that is the divine order and harmony of the universe.
Famous Pharaohs:
Tutankhamun: His tomb, found nearly intact in 1922, made Tutankhamun almost undoubtedly one of the most famous pharaohs, even though he was ruler for a short tenure.
Ramses II: Ramses II (also known as Ramses the Great) took the position of the most popularly regarded among all the greatest pharaohs of Egypt. He ruled for sixty-six years and is famous for his military victories and countless extensive construction projects, which include the two temples at Abu Simbel.
To learn about all the interesting lives of Egypt's rulers, do not hesitate to visit Luxor virtually, the age-old city considered as an open-air museum, which contains many temples and tombs of pharaohs that are visible even today.
Historical mummification in ancient Egypt is predominantly connected to the preservation of the body for life after death. The procedure included embalming and the extraction of organs, followed by wrapping the body in linen bandages to prevent decay. The ancient Egyptians had skilled priests who executed elaborate mummifications.
Did You Know? This process could take about 70 days or shorter, depending on which method was used for mummification. Generally, the mummification of pharaohs and nobles was the rule, while commoners were usually just buried.
Various insights into Egyptian history are yet to be provided by mummies. Take a tour of Coptic Cairo to experience a mix of Egyptian, Christian, and Islamic history.
The Great Sphinx of Giza is considered to be one of the great marvels and mysterious monuments of the ancient Egyptian civilization and the best Egypt Tours. Carved from limestone, the Sphinx projects that the creature had the body of a lion and the head of a pharaoh, thought to be Pharaoh Khafre. Its function is debated among historians and archaeologists.
Did You Know? The current belief holds that the Sphinx was built around 2500 B.C. and once had a nose, which was eroded away and possibly vandalized later.
Egyptian architecture is grand to an incomparable degree. Temples and monuments were built in honor of the deities and pharaohs. Some of the most famous temples include The Temple of Karnak and The Temple of Luxor, both in Luxor, Egypt, whereas these massive monuments were built with utmost precision and detail and often aligned with celestial events.
Tip: If you want to learn more about Egypt's temples and ancient history, we suggest a visit to Memphis, the ancient capital of Egypt, which contains numerous ruins of Egypt's glorious past.
The Nile River, which is the longest river in the world, has been living in the heart of Egyptian civilization. It watered the cropland and provided a route along which trade could be carried to sustain city growth and the flourishing of Egyptian society. The Nile River was very fundamental to Egyptian history. The whole lot must have been different without the Nile.
Interesting Fact: Every year, flooding of the Nile was a real event for Egyptian farmers. The flood deposited silt, rich with nutrients on the banks of the Nile, making them fertile for growing crops.
Founded by Alexander the Great in 331 BCE, Alexandria became a prominent cultural and intellectual center in the ancient world. Home to the famous Library of Alexandria, which housed hundreds of thousands of scrolls and manuscripts, the city was a beacon of learning, attracting scholars, philosophers, and scientists.
To explore more about this stunning city, check out Alexandria: The Pearl of the Mediterranean Sea, which continues to hold significance as a blend of Egypt's rich history and Mediterranean culture.
Yet another spot for pursuing the historic legacy of Egypt is Aswan city, which lies alongside the Nile. The panoramic scenery and monuments that Aswan has to offer clash in their importance with many events that Aswan has witnessed, from the construction of the High Dam to control the Nile and flooding to set in hydroelectric power for the region.
Pro Tip: If you're in the mood for Aswan's beauty and history, don't miss the Aswan: The Most Beautiful City on the Nile tour.
This Middle Kingdom is classified as a period of the revival of art and literature, where the artist was gainfully regarded as a producer of food and a higher consumer in the newly unified country. Its achievement was defined in the West as an artistic renaissance. In the following, we will briefly discuss the key characteristics of Old Egypt, which gradually changed with the advent of the Middle Kingdom and ushered into the New Kingdom.
1. The Old Kingdom: The Age of the Pyramids
The Old Kingdom of Egypt, aka the Age of the Pyramids, lasted from circa 2686-2181 BCE. The Old Kingdom specifically refers to the political and cultural glory of pyramid construction, which had very obvious effects on the geography of ancient Egypt.
The Pharaohs, the very divine kings of all Egypt, ruled through central power during the Old Kingdom years. They were really gods on Earth, inspiring fear and absolute allegiance. The pharaohs created an enormous bureaucratic structure to further strengthen the control of the lands of Egypt.
Pyramid Building
This was the period of pyramid-building: the work became especially noteworthy during the construction of the Great Pyramid of Giza, built under Pharaoh Khufu's rule. These great edifices served many purposes: They were tombs and symbols of the Pharaoh's divine power, and of their transitioning into the afterlife. The purpose of this skill was to coordinate many workers, use labor, and apply knowledge of advanced engineering and mathematics.
Religion and Society
The shared beliefs of religion shaped Old Kingdom Egypt. Pharaohs were seen as intermediaries between gods and people, and their part in making Egypt prosper could not be overstated. Likewise, the hereafter received a central focus in religion, with esoteric burial rituals and vast offerings provided to smooth the Pharaoh's journey into eternity. Society was rigidly tiered, with clear distinctions made between governing elites and lowly laborers who undertook monumental projects, such as the building of the pyramids.
Decline of The Old Kingdom
The immediate cause for the Old Kingdom's end was civil strife, economic distress, and a diminishing authority of the central government flowing into the First Intermediate Period. The collapse of the Old Kingdom effectively fractured Egypt and left it vulnerable to all sorts of regional conflicts.
Following the turmoils of the First Intermediate Period, the Middle Kingdom was marked by political reunification, constant time with cultural fame, an uninterrupted golden era of existence in ancient Egypt.
Reunification and the Rise of the Middle Kingdom
The Middle Kingdom started when Pharaoh Mentuhotep II of the 11th Dynasty managed to reunite Egypt after the First Intermediate Period. This era saw the strengthening of the mature central government concerned with the consolidation of power and welfare of the masses.
The Expansion of Egypt
Where the Old was mainly devoted to monumental/cultic construction, the Middle Kingdom was destined to be remembered instead for military expansion and economic stability. The Pharaohs, such as Amenemhat II and Senusret III, expanded Egypt's borders through Nubia (present-day Sudan) to obtain precious resources such as gold. Military campaigns, linking Egypt with districts to the North and South, heralded the growth of a booming economy in Egypt, which was benefited by trade.
Advances in Culture and Art
The Middle Kingdom also arose with culture and the arts. The creation of literature, especially the "Instructions of Amenemhat," presented an emphasis on wisdom/governance and perhaps the values of the time. The architecture in the Middle Kingdom was impressive too, with the incredible cart-emptying of gigantic temples like the Temple of Karnak.
Religion and Society
The religion of the Middle Kingdom, with a decidedly afterlife focus, became a bit more egalitarian, though. The Pharaoh was not perceived as divine in the absolutely Old Kingdom way anymore; indeed, the whole religious practice became much more community-oriented, with numerous temples for gods who were perceived to be more forgiving and approachable.
Decline of the Middle Kingdom
The internal power struggles that led to the decline of the Middle Kingdom would be followed by invasions from the Semitic Hyksos during the Second Intermediate Period. However, the same legacy that embodies the spirit and strength of the Middle Kingdom would augment the resurgence of Egypt in the New Kingdom.
New Kingdom Egypt (c. 1550-1070 BCE) brought the ancient Egyptian state to a high point of power, wealth, and cultural influence. It is often called the "Golden Age" of Egypt.
Political Power and Military Expansion
This New Kingdom was a strong, aggressive military force that put pharaohs like Thutmose III, Amenhotep II, or Ramses II into Egypt's border and brought territories under their heels like those of the Near East and Nubia. It was not only a protection against the frontiers of Egypt but also one of the greatest sources of wealth through tribute and resource acquisition.
The Rise of Strong Pharaohs
The New Kingdom boasts the reign of some famous pharaohs among the people of ancient Egypt, such as Hatshepsut, Akhenaten, Tutankhamun, and Ramses II. Hatshepsut, one of the very few female pharaohs, is well known for her monumental building projects, which include her mortuary temple at Deir el-Bahari. Akhenaten is historical for introducing an attempt at real monotheism, worshipping the sun god Aten, which was later rejected by his successor, Tutankhamun. Ramses II, often called "Ramses the Great," is remembered for his military victories and grand construction projects, especially temples at Abu Simbel.
Religious and Cultural Achievements
Through these years, the religious practices of the Egyptians were founded upon worshipping highly powerful gods such as Amun-Ra, crowned king of the gods. Building temples after impressive temples, such as the Temple of Karnak, dedicated to these gods was done on an unprecedented scale. This period also saw a flourishing of art and literature, plus highly monumental architecture. One of the most splendid of such archaeological finds in Egyptology, illuminating the riches of the New Kingdom, is the well-known tomb of Tutankhamun that was found by Howard Carter in 1922.
The Decline of the New Kingdom
The New Kingdom went into decline due to a multitude of factors including civil wars and invasions, weakening central authority, the Sea Peoples aggressive attacks, and political fragmentation at the end of the New Kingdom which eventually brought Egypt to the Third Intermediate Period.
A Rich and Varied History of Egypt
From the rise of the ancient Egyptian civilization to the present, the history of Egypt is indeed full of inspiring achievements and untold stories. It may be more about the majestic pyramids, the mysteries of the Sphinx, or the wisdom of the pharaohs, but there is a lot to inspire and continue to intrigue people around the world in Egypt's rich history.
Want to explore Egypt and its wonders close to it? Do not forget to participate in the guided Egypt tours, for example in Cairo, to witness firsthand the great and beautiful Egyptian history!
Discover now our answers to the most common questions that may come to your mind about tourism and trips to Egypt
Cultural, historical, adventure, and custom customized trips are just a few of the tours that Deluxe trips offer in Egypt and Jordan.
The Dead Sea, Petra in Jordan, the Pyramids of Giza, Luxor's historic temples, and many other famous sites can be expected to be explored with Deluxe Tours.
offer a hassle-free holiday, Deluxe Tours' packages generally include lodging, transport, meals, guided tours with experienced local experts, and entry fees to attractions.
Spring (March to May) and fall (September to November) offer the finest weather for sightseeing and outdoor activities, making those months the best times to visit Egypt and Jordan.
These two countries are close by, only a 1.5-hour flight apart, and when combined, offer a variety of distinctive experiences. We advise you to spend at least 12 days visiting both countries for a truly unforgettable experience
Combining the eclipse viewing with visits to historic sites like the Pyramids of Giza, the Valley of the Kings, and a Nile River cruise are highly recommended.
