Historical Overview
History of Egypt is among one of the richest and ancient histories of the world. Home to one of the ancient civilization that invented writing and erected the first monuments, Egypt has a history of 5000 years old. King Menes founded the first unified kingdom of Egypt around 3150 BC and thus raises the divine rule of Pharaohs dynasty. World famous pyramid of Djoser and Giza Pyramids were erected during the Old Kingdom period, i.e.around 2700-2200 BC. During the 4th dynasty monarchial power was at its zenith. But the dark clouds of political disturbances soon emerged on Egypt and led to first intermediate period of Egyptian history. However the Middle Kingdom, i.e. around 2040 BC brought back the lost prosperity of the country. But soon Egypt witness the first alien attack by the Semitic Hyksos (group of southwest Asiatic and local Semitic people) that initiate the second period of disunity. It was only in the 18th dynasty under the leadership of Ahmose I that droved out the Hyksos out of Egypt. The New Kingdom Period (1550-1070 BC) was the most significant period of Egypt history as it marked the rise of Egypt as an international power. The period is also known for its most well known Pharaohs ruler. They built massive temples and monuments also highlighting the rise of architecture in Egypt. The second period of foreign dominance began with the rule of Greeks and Romans who ruled Egypt for the next 2000 years. The Greek rule of Egypt gave the most well known dynasty of rulers in history, i.e. Ptolemaic dynasty. It was only in 30 BC, following the death of Cleopatra, that Egypt came under Roman Empire as the province Aegyptus. Christianity came along the rule of Byzantines who took control of Egypt in the 1st AD century. But the invasion of Muslim Arabs in AD 639 brought Islam to the soil of Egypt. They remained in power until the French troops under the leadership of Napoleon took control of Egypt in 1801. The French invasion had significant social impact on the country and its culture. But Muhammad Ali of Albanian soon drove French power out of Egypt. He was the first that sown modernization seeds in Egypt land. In 1882 British troops took control of Egypt. It was only between1882 to 1906 that Egyptian led a nationalist movement for independence and from here began the struggle for political independence and emerged the sentiment of nationality among the Egyptians.
