Index: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Home > History of Egypt
The history of Egypt is the longest continuous history, as a unified state, of any country in the world. The Nile valley forms a natural geographic and economic unit, being bounded to the east and west by deserts, to the north by the sea and to the south by the Cataracts of the Nile. The need to have a single authority to manage the waters of the Nile led to the creation of the world's first state in Egypt in about 3000 BC. Egypt's peculiar geography made it a difficult country to attack, which is why Pharaonic Egypt was for so long an independent and self-contained state. Once Egypt did succumb to foreign rule, however, it proved unable to escape from it, and for 2,300 years Egypt was governed by foreigners: Persians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Turks and British. When President Nasser once said that he was the first native Egyptian to exercise sovereign power in Egypt since the last Pharaoh, Nectanebo II, was deposed by the Persians in 343 BC, he was only slightly exaggerating.
Egyptian history has been divided by this encyclopedia into six periods:
- History of Ancient EgyptAncient Egypt appeared as a unified state sometime around 3300 BC. It survived as an independent state until about 1300 BC. Archeological evidence indicates that a developed Egyptian society has existed for much longer. Ongoing excavation in Egypt continu: 3000 BC to 332 BCCenturies: 5th century BC 4th century BC 3rd century BC Decades: 380s BC 370s BC 360s BC 350s BC 340s BC 330s BC 320s BC 310s BC 300s BC 290s BC 280s BC 337 BC 336 BC 335 BC 334 BC 333 BC 332 BC 331 BC 329 BC 328 BC 327 BC 326 BC Events Alexander the Grea
- History of Greek and Roman EgyptThe conquests of Alexander the Great brought Egypt within the orbit of the Greek world for the next 900 years. After 300 years of rule by the Macedonian Ptolemies, Egypt was incorporated into the Roman Empire in 30 BC, and was ruled first from Rome and th: 332 BCCenturies: 5th century BC 4th century BC 3rd century BC Decades: 380s BC 370s BC 360s BC 350s BC 340s BC 330s BC 320s BC 310s BC 300s BC 290s BC 280s BC 337 BC 336 BC 335 BC 334 BC 333 BC 332 BC 331 BC 329 BC 328 BC 327 BC 326 BC Events Alexander the Grea to 639Events Dagobert I succeeded by Clovis II as king of the Franks in Neustria and Burgundy During the Islamic conquest of Persia, Susa is destroyed Births Deaths 639. AD
- History of early Arab EgyptFrom 639 to 1517 Egypt was part of the Arab world, ruled at first by governors acting in the name of the Ummayad Caliphs in Damascus. In 747 the Ummayads were overthrown and the unity of the Arab world was broken. Although Egypt remained under the nominal: 639Events Dagobert I succeeded by Clovis II as king of the Franks in Neustria and Burgundy During the Islamic conquest of Persia, Susa is destroyed Births Deaths 639. to 1517
- History of Ottoman Egypt: 1517 to 1805
- Egypt under Mehemet Ali and his successors: 1805 to 1882
- History of Modern Egypt: since 1882
Read more »