Egypt has one of the longest histories of any country, tracing its heritage along the Nile Delta back to the 6th–4th millennia BCE. Considered a cradle of civilisation, Ancient Egypt saw some of the earliest developments of writing, agriculture, urbanisation, organised religion and central government. Following nearly three millennia of pharaonic rule, Egypt came under foreign rule beginning in the 6th century BC. Egypt was an early and important centre of Christianity, later adopting Islam from the seventh century onwards. Alexandria, Egypt's former capital and currently second largest city, was a hub of global knowledge through its Library. Cairo became the capital of the Fatimid Caliphate in the tenth century and of the subsequent Mamluk Sultanate in the 13th century. Egypt then became part of the Ottoman Empire in 1517, until its local ruler Muhammad Ali established modern Egypt as an autonomous Khedivate in 1867. The country was then occupied by the British Empire along with Sudan and gained independence in 1922 as a monarchy.
Battle of the Nile, Augt 1st 1798, painted by Thomas Whitcombe in 1816
The Battle of the Nile was a significant naval action fought from 1 to 3 August 1798. The battle took place in Aboukir Bay, near the mouth of the River Nile on the Mediterranean coast of Egypt, and pitted a British fleet of the Royal Navy against a fleet of the French Navy. The battle was the climax of a three-month campaign in the Mediterranean during which a huge French convoy under General Napoleon Bonaparte had sailed from Toulon to Alexandria via Malta. Despite close pursuit by a British fleet of thirteen ships of the line, one fourth rate and a sloop under Sir Horatio Nelson, the French were able to reach Alexandria unscathed and successfully land an army, which Bonaparte led inland. The fleet that had escorted the convoy, consisting of thirteen ships of the line, four frigates and a number of smaller vessels under Vice-Admiral François-Paul Brueys D'Aigalliers, anchored in Aboukir Bay as the harbour of Alexandria was too narrow, forming a line of battle that was protected by shoals to the north and west.
Nelson reached the Egyptian coast on 1 August and discovered the French fleet at 14:00. Advancing during the afternoon, his ships entered the bay at 18:20 and attacked the French directly, despite the rapid approach of nightfall. Taking advantage of a large gap between the lead French ship Guerrier and the northern shoal, HMSGoliath rounded the French line at 18:40 and opened fire from the unprepared port side, followed by five more British ships. The rest of the British line attacked the starboard side of the French van, catching the ships in a fierce crossfire. For three hours the battle continued as the British overwhelmed the first five French ships but were driven away from the heavily defended centre. The arrival of reinforcements allowed a second assault on the centre at 21:00 and at 22:00 the French flagship Orient exploded. Despite Brueys' death, the French centre continued to fight until 03:00, when the badly damaged Tonnant managed to join the thus far unengaged French rear division. At 06:00 firing began again as the less damaged ships of the British fleet attacked the French rear, forcing Counter-Admiral Pierre-Charles Villeneuve to pull away for the mouth of the bay. Four French ships were too badly damaged to join him and were beached by their crews, two subsequently surrendered. Villeneuve eventually escaped to open water with just two ships of the line and two frigates. On 3 August the last two remaining French ships stranded in the bay were defeated, one surrendering and the other deliberately set on fire by its crew. (Full article...)
Image 20The sharp boundary between the hyper-arid desert and the irrigated Nile Valley, where most of Egypt's population and agriculture are concentrated. (from Egypt)
Image 37A tomb relief depicts workers plowing the fields, harvesting the crops, and threshing the grain under the direction of an overseer, painting in the tomb of Nakht. (from Ancient Egypt)
Image 47Rectangular fishpond with ducks and lotus planted round with date palms and fruit trees, Tomb of Nebamun, Thebes, 18th Dynasty (from Ancient Egypt)
Image 49E1b1b is the most common paternal haplogroup across Africa, including Egypt, with modern genetic studies rooting the origin of the E haplogroup in East Africa. (from Ancient Egypt)
... that a wealthy councillor's house in the ancient Egyptian desert city Trimithis preserves a line from a lost tragedy by Euripides?
... that the trope of the found manuscript, in which a fictional work refers to another fictional work of literature, dates as far back as ancient Egypt?
... that Moain Sadeq led excavations at Tell es-Sakan in the Gaza Strip, the oldest-known ancient Egyptian fortification to be excavated?
Selected cuisines, dishes and foods - show another
Kawareʻ (Arabic: كوارع) is an Egyptian dish made from slow-cooked cow trotters, resulting in a rich and gelatinous soup. It is a delicacy cherished for its deep flavors and is often enjoyed during festive occasions, either as a soup or the trotters can be removed from the broth and served with fatta. (Full article...)
... that in 215 AD, Roman emperor Caracalla ordered all of Alexandria’s population to be massacred because they produced a satire mocking him?
... that the entrance of Djoser’s pyramid complex features columns fashioned to resemble bundled reeds and ceiling blocks carved into the shape of tree trunks?
This list was generated from these rules. Questions and feedback are always welcome! The search is being run daily with the most recent ~14 days of results. Note: Some articles may not be relevant to this project.
.svg)
.png)
.jpg)
.jpg)
_-_2009.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.svg){kind=small}
.svg){kind=small}
