About 5,000 years ago, a remarkable way of life, or civilization, grew up along the banks of the Nile River in Egypt. It flourished for over 3,000 years, longer than most other civilizations in the world's history. Egypt is among the most influential of Arab states. It lies between Africa and the Middle East. This ancient country holds a history of over 6,000 years and has many exciting attractions for travelers. The Pyramids, the Sphinx, the tomb of young King Tut are just a few attractions that interest and excite people of all ages.

EGYPT'S CREATION
Egyptian history begins around 3300 BC. This was when the Egyptians finally had enough symbols in their writing to record history. From 3100 BC inscriptions created a way for later Egyptians. It was also the time when the pharaoh, King Menes, created Egypt by uniting the two parts of Egypt, also known as Upper and Lower Egypt, into a single kingdom. He started Memphis in the north and Abydos in the south as his capital cities. A series of strong and able rulers established a well organized government. The calendar was introduced during this time and the sun-god Re was the most loved god-figure. Over time, authority began to disappear and Egypt was controlled by foreign princes. These rulers introduced the horses and chariots to Egypt.

History of the pyramids
Contrary to the common belief, only the Great Pyramid of Khufu (Cheops), not all three Great Pyramids, is on top of the list of Wonders. The monument was built by the Egyptian pharaoh Khufu of the Fourth Dynasty around the year 2560 BC to serve as a tomb when he dies. The tradition of pyramid building started in Ancient Egypt as a sophistication of the idea of a mastaba or "platform" covering the royal tomb. Later, several stacked mastabas were used. Early pyramids, such as the Step Pyramid of King Zoser (Djoser) at Saqqara by the famous Egyptian architect, Imhotep, illustrate this connection.
The great pyramid is believed to have been built over a 20 year period. The site was first prepared, and blocks of stone were transported and placed. An outer casing (which disappeared over the years) was then used to smooth the surface. Although it is not known how the blocks were put in place, several theories have been proposed. One theory involves the construction of a straight or spiral ramp that was raised as the construction proceeded. This ramp, coated with mud and water, eased the displacement of the blocks which were pushed (or pulled) into place. A second theory suggests that the blocks were placed using long levers with a short angled foot.
Throughout their history, the pyramids of Giza have stimulated human imagination. They were referred to as "The Granaries of Joseph" and "The Mountains of Pharaoh". When Napoleon invaded Egypt in 1798, his pride was expressed through his famous quote: "Soldats! Du haut de ces Pyramides, 40 siècles nous contemplent". (Soldiers! From the top of these Pyramids, 40 centuries are looking at us)
Today, the Great Pyramid is enclosed, together with the other pyramids and the Sphinx, in the touristic region of the Giza Plateau. Also in the area is the museum housing the mysterious Sun Boat, only discovered in 1954 near the south side of the pyramid. The boat is believed to have been used to carry the body of Khufu in his last journey on earth before being buried inside the pyramid. It may also serve him as a means of transportation in his afterlife journey according to Ancient Egyptian beliefs.

THE NILE RIVER
No other civilization in the time of the pharaohs could compete with Egypt's magnificent buildings, its wealth, or its long centuries of peace. To a large extent, this is because other civilizations did not have Egypt's main advantage -- its great river. For tens of thousands of years the focal point of Egyptian life has been the River Nile. Egypt is correctly said to be the gift of the Nile and Egypt's two most important areas are the Delta and the Nile Valley. The Nile Delta is the heartland of Egypt. The ancient Egyptians believed that the waters of the Nile came from a "mysterious heaven of plenty". All of Egypt depended on the Nile for water, food, and transportation. The need to maintain irrigation channels as well as the convenient transportation that the river provided were some of the reasons Egypt was the first country in the world to have a national government. The availability of this unlimited supply of water allowed the creation of a society which produced the wonders of ancient Egypt.

PHARAOHS
Pharaoh simply means "the one who lives in the palace". Egyptians addressed their pharaoh as though he were a god with several forms. They thought he was more than human and addressed him with the names of several gods. The pharaoh's most godlike names were "son of Re" and "giver of life like Re". The Egyptians believed that no single name could express the greatness of their ruler. They also believed by serving the gods, the king helped the sun to rise every morning and helped the Nile to flood at the end of each summer. They believed that in return for the offerings of food and water that only the pharaoh could make, the gods would feed the souls of the Egyptians after death. The pharaoh's power was almighty and unquestioned. As a matter of fact, just touching the pharaoh's crown or scepter, even accidentally, carried the death penalty. The pharaoh's chief duty was to build and maintain temples to the gods.

Predynastic Egypt
C 5,000-3,200 B.C.
Dynastic Egypt
C 3,200-2,700 B.C. Development of society, Law, and religion.
The Old Kingdom
C 2,700-2,260 B.C. Great achievements especially in the fields of administration, astronomy and architecture.
The Middle Kingdom
C 2,260-1,780 B.C. An era of prosperity and expansion of political strength and economic horizons. Thebes became the capital. Later, Egypt was invaded by the Hyksos, coming from Caucasia, who remained for 150 years until finally driven back.

The New Kingdom
C 1,580-1,085 B.C. Four centuries of splendor, prosperity and spiritual and artistic achievements. Architecture reached heights.

The Decline
C 1,090-332 B.C. The country fell under the influence or priests. In 525 B.C., Egypt was conquered by the Persians. The Greco Roman Period
C 332 B.C.-640 A.D. In 332 B.C. Alexander the Great took possession of Egypt, called himself a Pharaoh, and founded the City of Alexandria. After his death, the Ptolemaic Dynasty was founded, and Alexandria flourished. Disputes and fratricidal wars ended the Greek domination marked by Cleopatra's suicide. Afterwards, Egypt became a Roman Province.

The Coptic Period
30 B.C.-640 A.D. In 61 A.D. Christianity was introduced to Egypt by St. Mark who founded the Patriarchate of Alexandria, and by 190 A.D. there was a large and flourishing Christian community. After the Roman Empire was officially divided in 395 A.D., Egypt became a part of its Eastem portion, known as the Byzantine Empire whose religion was Christianity. A few years later, the Alexandria Patriarch preached a doctrine of Christianity which was rejected by the Byzantine Church. Consequently, the Coptic Christians in Egypt were persecuted by the Melkite Orthodox.

The Islamic Period
In 641 A.D., the Byzantines were defeated by Arab Moslem armies led by Amr Ibn El-As who built his capital near present-day Cairo. Egypt became an Arab country with a Moslem majority and religious freedom was accorded to people.
Later, Egypt was invaded by Ottoman sultans who relied on Mamelouks (slaves) to govern the country. In 1798, Napoleon conquered Egypt but had to withdraw after his defeat at the naval battle of Abu-Kir, near Alexandria. An Albanian officer in the Ottoman service called Mohamed Ali declared himself ruler of the country, and during his reign (1805- 1849) in many fields, Egypt made tremendous progress; however, under the rule of his grandson, Khedive Ismail, the necessity for foreign capital to finance digging the Suez Canal lead to British rule in Egypt.

The 1952 Revolution
In 1952, the royal dynasty established by Mohamed Ali came to an end when a group of army officers forced the abdication of King Farouk, and in 1954 Gamal Abdel-Nasser became Egypt's president. Egypt was proclaimed a republic. After his death in 1970, Nasser was succeeded by Mohamed Anwar El-Sadat who was assassinated in 1981. Mohamed Hosni Moubarak was elected to Presidency