the peels of egyptian characteristic

The Peels Of Egyptian

Characteristic

Written By: Ahmed Hassan

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AHMED HASSAN

The Peels Of Egyptian Characteristic

The Peels Of Egyptian Characteristic

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Table of ContentsSociety & Culture ............................................................. 1 Family ............................................................................... 2 Food & Drinks .................................................................. 3 Clothing ............................................................................ 4 Sports& Entertainment ................................................... 5 Religion &Spiritualty ...................................................... 6 Myths ................................................................................ 7 Beliefs ............................................................................... 8

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Society & Culture

The Egyptian civilization was one of the great

civilizations that had deep-rooted values and persistent traditions. Despite the succession of different political rules, the Egyptian people kept their customs and traditions, most of which are still prevalent in daily life and social behaviors.

Being religious and acknowledging God's grace is a common phenomenon in Egyptian society. Religious rituals are habitually practiced at home. In ancient Egypt, there were special mihrabs, or prayer niches, for the pictures of idols. In the Coptic era as well, pictures of Christ and the Virgin Mary were found in every house. During the Islamic Age, verses of the Holy Qur'an, written in beautiful Arabic calligraphy, were popular in the homes. Adherence to religion, however, does not mean the Egyptians avoided the pleasant things in life; on the contrary, Egyptians joyfully embraced life, as evident in their jokes, songs, love chants, and folk arts.

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One of the most important characteristics of Egyptian society since the dawn of civilization is the cooperation among society members, resulting in a sort of allegiance with the authorities to face common dangers. Usually, relatives, family members, and friends congregate in times of hardship, death, or illness. Standing beside the afflicted person and his or her family was an unavoidable duty. The Egyptian was faithful, deplored vice, and held ethics as the standard by which people were appraised.

Feasts and festivals played an important part in Egyptian life. In every age, there were new feasts to be celebrated. In the Pharaonic and Greco-Roman ages, there was a particular feast for every god, in which clergymen carried a statue of the god in a great procession that all people attended and at which clowns, singers, and dancers performed. Theatrical plays depicting myths were also performed. Celebrations for friendly gods such as Bes were held by the people rather than the priests. On the day of Bes, no work was done on the pyramid and people would parade down the street dressed in masks of Bes, while dancers and tambourine players followed. The townspeople joined in the singing from their rooftops, while the children would run along beside the dancers singing and clapping their hands. The whole town enjoyed the festival and feast.


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Other occasions were New Year's Day and various feasts for the beginning of the seasons. There was the feast of flood tide that is known in the modern age as Nile Flood Day. In addition, there is the feast of spring, which is currently called Sham El-Nassem. Egyptians still celebrate these two feasts. In the Christian age, there were Saints' Days, Epiphany, Christmas, and Easter. These feasts are still celebrated by Egyptians and some of them are celebrated by both Muslims and Christians, such as Epiphany and Christmas.

In the Islamic Age, particularly in the Fatimid era, the rulers added some processions to share with the people when celebrating their feasts. These processions were headed by thousands of horsemen and lines of camels, upon which brocaded howdahs, or seats adorned with flowers, were fixed. Banquets were also prepared. Certain dishes, traditions, and customs connected to feasts and ceremonies are still celebrated, among which are the Prophet's Birthday, the Outset of Ragab, the Middle and Outset of Sha'aban, the Tenth of Moharam, the New Hijri Year's Day, and the Outset of Ramadan, in addition to the two Islamic feasts, the Lesser Bairam and the Greater Bairam.

Animals were very important to the ancient Egyptians. Unlike other ancient cultures, whose gods looked somewhat like people, most ancient Egyptian gods had animal heads. Any person who killed a sacred animal could pay for that crime with his or her life.


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Since Egyptians believed in an afterlife, they believed that people enjoyed many of the same activities after death as they did in their current life. They prepared for their afterlife by filling their tombs with small and large statutes of friends and family, and with other items they might need to keep them company and to help them have a good time in the afterlife.

The ancient Egyptians enjoyed their life to the fullest. They worked very hard, but saved time to enjoy family, friends, music, parties, swimming, fishing, hunting, sailing, and especially their children, all of which were very important to them.


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Family

The people of ancient Egypt held marriage as a

sacred bond and highly valued family life. This has been made clear in the many statues and writings that depict men and women in an intimate relationship where both depended upon each other and statues that show the nuclear family.

Kinship marriage was popular among Egyptians in order to ensure that the spouses have close social levels and to promote the kinship ties. The bride could also be chosen from the close acquaintances of the family. Girls usually married around the age of 12. Most of the marriage costs were usually divided between both families. While the bridegroom and his family gave a proper amount of money and provided housing, the bride’s family provided furniture and the movable objects. Marriage ceremonies and banquets were held where family members gathered to celebrate, and gifts were presented to the couple from relatives and friends. This tradition has been familiar to Egyptians throughout history.

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Family members shared responsibilities where each had a specific role to play in order for things to run smoothly. The father was the one who would work all day. In smaller households the mother was in charge of all things pertaining to the house. Cooking, cleaning, and watching the children were all her responsibilities. In some larger homes servants served as maids and midwives to help the mother.

Egyptians treasured children and regarded them as a great blessing. If a couple had no children, they would pray to the gods and goddesses for help. In the event that a couple still could not conceive a child, adoption was also an option.

Small children used to play with dolls, toys, and games until they come of age. Young boys learned a trade or craft from their fathers or an artisan. Young girls worked and received their training at home with their mothers. Those who could afford it sent their sons, from about the age of seven, to school to study religion, reading, writing, and arithmetic. Even though there is no evidence of schools for girls, some were home taught to read and write and some even became doctors.


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Woman always had a distinct status in the social and family life. Although women were expected to raise the children and take care of the household duties, there were some jobs available to them. Women ran farms and businesses in the absence of their husbands or sons. Women were employed in courts and temples as acrobats, dancers, singers, and musicians. Wealthy families hired maids or nannies to help with household chores and the raising of the children. Noblewomen could become priestesses. Women also worked as professional mourners and perfume makers. A woman could have separate financial assets other than that of her husband. In addition, she was entitled to possess, dispose independently with, grant, and bequeath private properties as she liked. Women were equally accountable under the law. A woman who was convicted of a capital crime in a court of law would be executed, but only after the court determined that the woman was not pregnant. If such a woman was found to be pregnant, her execution was delayed until after the birth of the child.

There was always a need for a large labor force, since the economy and civilization of ancient Egypt were based on agriculture. People believed that the greater the number of family members, the greater the income they could have. The conditions of the Egyptian environment, with the ample, low-cost, simple foodstuffs it provides, saved poor Egyptians the high cost of having children. Thus, Egyptians always preferred to increase the number of their offspring. In return for looking after their children, parents were entitled to have the obedience and respect of their children.


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In Egypt, moderation has been a prominent feature of family life, with regard to the rights of men and women, seriousness, modesty, entertainment, and joy. Family connections were deeply rooted in the minds of Egyptians.


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Food & Drinks

The rich, dark soil left during the annual flooding of the Nile gave

ancient Egyptians an agricultural advantage as they were able to grow a variety of grains and vegetables in abundance. The Nile provided fish and wild birds and the ancient Egyptians domesticated livestock for meat. Common people did not eat as well as the rich, but they were probably well fed. Meals were usually accompanied by beer, but the very rich drank wine. Banquets were frequently held and food was an important part of the festivals and other celebrations. Some foods were prepared using an oven under which a fire was built. The surface of the oven had open holes and circular depressions of different thicknesses and sizes, which allowed food to be cooked at different temperatures.

From the predynastic period forward, cereal grains made into breads were the base of the ancient Egyptian diet. Flour was mixed with yeast, salt, spices, milk, and sometimes butter and eggs. The dough was kneaded with the hands or sometimes with the feet in large containers. At first, bread was cooked like a pancake. Later it was placed in a baking mold or patted into different shapes, such as long or round rolls or figures for ceremonial purposes. Thick loaves were sometimes hollowed and filled with beans or vegetables. Flat bread was made with raised edges to hold eggs or other fillings. Bread might also be sweetened with honey, dates, and other fruit. Aside from bread, ancient Egyptians ate beans,

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chick peas, lentils, green peas, Egyptian lettuce, leeks, garlic, and onions. Dates were the most popular fruit. They were often dried to be eaten later or fermented into wine. Pomegranates, figs, and grapes were common fruits. Watermelons and plums are referred to in New Kingdom tombs and peaches may have been introduced in the Ptolemaic period.

Meat, fish, and wild fowl were frequently consumed by the rich, but only by the common people during special occasions. Several types of fish from the Nile were not consumed because of their connections with gods. Fish were usually salted and preserved or dried in the sun, roasted, or boiled. Beef was frequently eaten by the upper classes, while the poor might slaughter a sheep or goat on occasion. Pigs were eaten, but more in Lower Egypt than Upper Egypt due to their association with the evil god Seth. Wild game such as deer, antelope, ibex, and gazelles was also eaten. Scenes depicting the production of dairy products such as milk, cheese, and butter appear beginning in the Nineteenth Dynasty.

To prepare food, the ancient Egyptians used fat from animals and oils from plants and seeds such as sesame, caster-oil, flax seed, and horseradish. Salt from the Siwa Oasis was used, but sea salt was avoided because of its association with the evil god Seth. Pepper was introduced during the Greco-Roman period. Herbs and spices including aniseed, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, dill, fennel, fenugreek, marjoram, mustard, and thyme were used.


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Clothing

The climate of Egypt forced people from prehistoric times to wear

light, airy clothing. Linen, made from flax, was the most common material. In later periods, wool and cotton were used. On the earliest predynastic palettes, men are shown naked except for a belt around the waist with a cloth to cover their loins or a kilt with a thick fringe of plant material. The palette of King Narmer is the earliest record of a king wearing the short kilt, called the Shendyt, with its two ends crossed over and tucked under a belt tied at the front.

The dress of the Egyptian pharaohs changed little over time. In addition to the Shendyt kilt, they wore the Nemes headdress. The headdress was a piece of linen cloth gathered at the back of the head. The false beard was also worn to distinguish the pharaoh and associate him with the gods, who were believed to wear straight beards.

Along with the kilt, high officials of the Old Kingdom wore ornaments such as necklaces and pendants. Important men also wore a shoulder cape. Sem priests and others who performed priestly functions wore a whole leopard skin, including head, paws, and tail. By the New Kingdom, those in high ranks wore a longer tunic that reached the

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ankles. This fit under the arms and was held up by a ribbon around the neck. Other high officials wore a pleated kilt or a kilt with an apron over it and a pleated shirt. A short, wide sleeveless cloak was also worn. Sandals were made from leather, papyrus, or palm leaves.

Women's dress in predynastic times probably covered the whole body. A long, sheath-like tunic held up by shoulder straps with the upper edge either above or below the bust was the typical garment in the Old and Middle Kingdoms. In cooler weather, wealthy women put on a long-sleeved gown that hung in folds. During festive occasions, they would wear nets of faience beads across the middle of their tunics. By the New Kingdom, women's clothing was made of two or more pieces, usually in white, but sometimes in pastel shades. Women began to wear over their tunics sheer outer garments, pleated or straight, that were pinned over the bust or tied in decorative ways. Shoulder-length cloaks with a knotted fringe were added to the costume.

Common people wore simple garments, or in the case of boatmen, fishermen, and papyrus gatherers, no clothing at all. Servant girls wore only a skirt or apron. Farmers and other workers wore a simple apron. They wore a kilt when bringing produce to town or visiting relatives or temples. By the Middle Kingdom, the kilt became daily wear in the countryside, sometimes topped with a loose-fitting shirt or tunic.

During the Greco-Roman period, clothing was influenced by the conquering Greeks and Romans. Men and women both wore garments made of large pieces of material, intricately draped to create folds, pleats, and wide sleeves. The cloth was held in place by pins and belts. The chiton, himation, and chlamys are several Greco-Roman styles adopted by the Egyptians.


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During the Coptic period, both men and women wore a tunic, a rectangular shirt-like garment fastened by a belt. Made of plain wool or linen, they were either decorated with a single band that ran down the center of the garment or two vertical bands over each shoulder that ran down to the knee or bottom of the tunic. These bands were intricately woven and colored. Coptic priests wore loose robes that covered their whole body. Over their robes, they wore a Patrashil, a vest of white linen decorated with religious images on the chest.

By the Islamic era, Egypt was famous for its beautiful textiles. The fabrics that Islamic rulers wore or had their names inscribed on signified their power. When the sultan took power, he was given a ceremonial robe called a "Kulah." To gain the appreciation of their people, caliphs and sultans began a tradition of distributing robes among the population on special days.


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Sports & Entertainment

Ancient Egyptians enjoyed games of strategy and chance in which

pieces were moved on specially designed boards. One game involving six lions and six sets of balls, played from the predynastic to early Old Kingdom, was called "mehen." Another game, called hounds and jackals, appears to be a race between a team of five jackals and five hounds around a palm tree. Little is known about the rules for these games.

The most popular game was senet. A precursor of checkers, senet was played on a checkered board of three rows of ten squares. The object of the game was to move the pieces around a snaking track to the finish. Specially marked squares indicated good or bad fortune. Dice was played in the Roman and Byzantine periods into the Islamic era.

Scenes from tombs and temples in all periods show musicians and dancers. Musical performances were important to the cults of the deities and kings and the Egyptians used a variety of instruments, including

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drums, flutes, harps, tambourines, and trumpets. Dancing was considered an honorable career for a woman and probably required a great degree of grace and athleticism to perform the acrobatic movements depicted in temple scenes. Dancing was performed at funerals, festivals, banquets, and other events in ancient Egyptian life. Singing was another popular form of entertainment as well as a means of honoring the gods, as indicated by the title "Chantress of Amun," held by women of the elite class. Few written lyrics of ancient Egyptian songs have been found, except for some texts of love songs from the Ramesside period found in Deir el-Medina.

Ancient Egyptian royalty and high officials enjoyed attending sports competitions. Boxing, wrestling, and fencing with sticks were favorite events. The ancient Egyptians also held a form of early Olympics featuring field hockey, handball, gymnastics, weightlifting, equestrian competitions, swimming, rowing, archery, spear throwing, long distance running, high jump, and tug of war.

Children played less organized games involving balancing, wrestling, and racing as well as ball games with balls made from papyrus. Children had many toys to play with, usually made to resemble animals and people.

After the Greco-Roman conquest, theater became a popular form of entertainment. Parts of plays were discovered on the scrap papyri used to make cartonnage mummy covers. Sporting competitions were still important; Ptolemy the Second established a festival called the Ptolemaieia that occurred every four years and was intended to rival the Olympics.


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Sports & Entertainment

Since the prehistoric age, Egyptians believed that all aspects of life

were controlled by supernatural powers. One important religious concept was the creation of the universe. For the Egyptians, creation was essentially an act of generation, represented by the yearly flooding of the Nile River. Each day was also considered a repetition of the act of creation. As the sun, represented by Atum, traveled across the sky to rise and set and begin the cycle again, so the Egyptians felt assured that the created order of their world was eternal and ongoing.

Unlike modern religions, which are based on a set of theological principles, the ancient Egyptian religion was concerned with interactions between people and their gods, the ethics of dealing with others, and the performance of spiritual duties. The universe was believed to work according to a strict eternal law, Ma’at, which means Right or Balance. For the Egyptian, the universe functioned with predictability and regularity. In the moral sphere, purity was rewarded and sin was punished. Man had to subdue his desires and actions to that law in order to live a good life so that society would be on the right track.

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Some deities were worshiped countrywide and others were worshiped in certain regions. The worship of a number of gods was a distinguishing feature of the ancient Egyptian religion until the reign of Akhenaten. Akhenaten unified all the gods in the image of one single god, which he named Aten, the sun god. This god was depicted as a solar disk, sometimes with wings or with life-giving hands on rays. After Akhenaten's death, the Egyptians returned to their previous religious traditions.

In the Greek era, Ptolemy the First introduced Serapis to Egypt so that both Egyptians and Greeks would have a supreme deity in common. Serapis was a composite of several Egyptian and Hellenistic deities, especially Osiris and the bull Apis. The official trinity of the Ptolemaic period was Serapis, Isis, and Harpocrates. The temple of Serapis was constructed in Koum Al-Dekka in Alexandria and his legacy lasted well into the Roman period. The Roman Empire's policy of religious tolerance paved the way for ancient religions to mix with each other. Isis, for example, was worshiped throughout the Roman Empire.

The history of Christianity in Egypt dates back to the beginnings of Christianity itself. Many Christians hold that Christianity was brought to Egypt by the Apostle Saint Mark in the early part of the first century AD. Important Christian manuscripts, the oldest of which date back to the second century AD, have been found, such as the papers of the Bible of Saint John and a Christian Bible. Although Christianity was readily embraced by many, the Roman emperors persecuted Christianity until the reign of Emperor Galenus. Nevertheless, Christians went on worshiping in secret and had various unofficial schools. The reign of Emperor Constantine was the real birth of Christianity, as it was then declared the official religion of the Roman Empire.

By the fourth century AD, Egypt had contributed to Christian literature, including biographies of the heroes and martyrs. Many groups and schools emerged with different religious concepts, mainly about the nature of Jesus, which led to a great controversy. That controversy


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reached its climax when the Orthodox Church of Alexandria separated from the Roman Church. Most of the Egyptian Christians follow the Orthodox Church.

The spread of Islam in Egypt was totally different from that of Christianity. Islam came into Egypt after its diffusion into all parts of the Arab Peninsula and the completion of its basic beliefs. Those who follow Islam believe the Qur'an is the final revealed Word of God that provides a complete guide for human behavior. Its text was revealed directly to the prophet Muhammad, who is revered by Muslims as the last of God’s prophets, but he is not worshiped. However, the richest contribution of Egypt to the Islamic religion was the Sufi movement, which emerged in Egypt at the end of the second century AH (eighth century AD). A Sufi is a mystic, meaning the practitioner has a greater awareness and lives on a higher plane than which we normally live.


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Myths

Early Egyptians lacked scientific knowledge to explain events such as

why the Nile flooded annually, how the sun rose and set each day, and how the world was created. They used stories about gods and goddesses, called myths, to explain these natural events and to reflect their society's ideals. Religious significance separates myth from folk tales or legends as myths are considered both sacred and true.

One ancient Egyptian creation myth originating from Heliopolis relates the story of the Ennead, or group of nine gods. It tells of a time when nothing existed. The primordial waters of chaos receded and left in their wake a mound of fertile black soil on which the god Atum was seated. From himself, he created the deities Shu and Tefnut. Shu and Tefnut gave birth to Geb and Nut who gave birth to Osiris, Isis, Seth, and Nephthys.

Another creation myth originated in Hermopolis, where Thoth was worshiped as the patron god. In this tradition there are eight gods, called the Ogdoad, who are made up of four male and female couples: Nun and Nunet, Amun and Amunet, Heh and Hehet, Kek and Keket. The males had the heads of frogs and the females had serpent's heads. The Hermopolis creation myth has several variations. The Cosmic Egg from which the god of creation was born was laid by a celestial goose or in some versions, the ibis, the bird associated with the god Thoth. Or a lotus flower rose from the waters and opened to reveal a child-god.

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Most ancient Egyptians would not live past the mid-twenties, so they sought comfort in the idea of life continuing after death. Their observations of nature supported this belief; the sun died in the west and was reborn in the east each day and grain that appeared dead sprouted into a new plant once it was put in the ground. The myth of the death and resurrection of Osiris strengthened the Egyptians belief that they would live again.

After the creation of the world, Osiris took the throne and married his sister, Isis. He is said to have introduced agriculture, built the first temples, and set fair laws for his people. Osiris was killed by his evil brother Seth, who tore the body to pieces and scattered them. Isis was able to gather all the pieces of the body except one, which had been eaten by a fish. She bandaged them together, creating the first mummy, and used her magic to restore Osiris to life. Osiris then traveled to the underworld to be king and judge of the dead. Before Osiris was killed, Isis became pregnant with Horus, who would grow up to defeat Seth and avenge his father's death.

When the Greeks and then the Romans conquered Egypt, they found many similarities among the gods of Egypt and the Greco-Roman gods. Their gods and goddesses were guided by human emotions and stories about them were used to entertain, teach morals, and explain the unknown. Ptolemy the First introduced a god named Serapis who was intended to be a supreme deity shared by the Greek and Egyptian people in Egypt. Serapis, whose name is a combination of Osiris and the Apis Bull, was the god of fertility, healing, supreme leadership, and the afterlife.

By the Islamic period, Egyptian mythological influences were still present in religious thinking. The Muslims were concerned with a life after death in heaven as well. Although not specifically mentioned in the Qur'an, some religious scholars made references to the scales in the afterlife in which the books containing the deceased's deeds are weighed, similar to the weighing of the heart against the feather of Ma'at, or what is true and right.


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Beliefs Egyptians have believed in the afterlife since prehistoric times. After observing various natural phenomena such as the sun rising as if it was born and setting as if it was dying, then rising again the next day, the Egyptians concluded life and death were extensions of each other. Tomb preparation began long before death occurred. Prayers and food lists were written on tomb walls alongside religious and daily scenes, while furniture and various objects were made and placed within the tomb.

Mummification was essential for a happy afterlife because the ancient Egyptians believed that the mummy housed the soul and spirit. The Ka spirit was the essence of the person, like their double, and it remained in the tomb and made use of the offerings and objects there. The Ba spirit was free to move about. The mummification process took approximately 70 days. The body of the deceased was ritually cleansed and purified. The internal organs were removed and placed in canopic jars, except for the heart. The body of the deceased was carried in a funeral procession of the relatives and friends, as well as professional wailing women to the tomb.

Incantations and offerings allowed the deceased to go safely to the afterworld. The Pyramid Texts, the Book of the Dead, and other religious books were collections of these spells and religious texts. Amulets took various shapes of gods and sacred items, such as the lotus flower and the scarab.

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Daily rituals were conducted by temple priests. The high priest of the temple would first wash and then enter the inner temple. After purifying and in front of the god’s statue with burning incense, throwing natron salt, and perfuming it, he would place gems and ornaments on the statue and then make offerings to it. The god's statue was then placed back into the wooden shrine and sealed until the next service.

In the Hellenistic period, Ptolemy the First founded a new religion combining Egyptian and Greek gods so the Greeks and Egyptians would share a deity in common. That new god was called Serapis, for which a temple was built in Alexandria.

Christianity began to spread out through Egypt in the latter half of the first century AD. Christians established unofficial schools for preaching the new religion until it was officially acknowledged in the fourth century AD. Although monasticism spread as individuals sought wisdom in isolation, Saint Antony was a pioneer in establishing the first collective monastic movement.

In the Islamic era, Egypt's contribution to Islam was best shown in the country's spirit of tolerance and broad-mindedness. In other countries, only one religious doctrine was dominant, but in Egypt, the four major Islamic doctrines spread side by side in peace and harmony. A fine spiritual touch was given to religious practices in Egypt, as reflected in the famous Egyptian Sufis, namely Omar Ibn Al-Faridh and Zu Al-Noun Al-Masry. Remote places of worship were dedicated for Sufis in several buildings of the Mamluk era, such as the Khanqah of Sultan Barsbay and the Khanqah of Al-Nasir Farag Ibn Barquq. Egyptians also respected the relatives of the prophet Muhammad and cared for their mosques, even after the Fatimid era ended.

the peels of egyptian characteristic

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