Another place you might want to travel to is Egypt. Ancient Egyptians lived along the Nile river. They used this river to travel, for trade, and they used it to grow crops. They used the Nile for a lot of things but there were also risks for living on the Nile. Some risks are when the Niles floodwaters were just a few feet lower than normal, the amount of fresh silt and water for crops was greatly reduced. When the floodwater was a few feet higher than usual, the unwanted water destroyed houses, and precious seeds that farmers needed for planting. When visiting Egypt most people fly into Cairo. Cairo is the biggest city and also the capital. While you are in Egypt you can expierence life on the River Nile in Cairo, you can go snorkeling in the coral reefs on the coast of the Red Sea or you can expierence the desert when you go visit the pyramids. Egypt is best visited in the fall and spring because the summer is very hot. Below is a map of Egypt.
Religion-The early Egyptians were polytheistic, believing in many gods. The most important god to them was Re, the sun god, and Osiris, god of the dead. In total the Egyptians worshiped more than 2,000 gods and goddesses. They built huge temples to honor them. Egyptians believed in the after death. Egyptians believed they would be judged for their deeds when they died. Now, most Egyptians follow the Islamic religion. When in Cairo you will want to visit the Mohamed Ali Mosque which has a beautiful view of old Cairo from its courtyard.
Rulers and Government-In Egypt there were pharaohs. The pharaoh was the supreme ruler of government and religion. They were a theocracy which is when rule is based on religious authority. The pharaoh had thousands of people that worked for him to make sure laws were carried out, troops were trained, and that people paid their taxes. They did not have a complex set of laws, judges were supposed to use common sense to solve the cases. When a law was broken the punishment fit the crime. Your punishment could be anything from being beaten with a cane to having your hand cut off for stealing, or even being put to death.
Landmarks and culture-When you go to Egypt a landmark you must see are the pyramids. The largest pyramid is the Great Pyramid at Giza. Egyptians used the Pyramids as burial sites. The king and queen would each get there own chamber in the pyramid. You should visit the pyramids because it is one of the 7 Wonders of the World and it is an amazing experience. Below is a short video about the Pyramids.
If the video does not work copy and paste this url.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDXtD3BvLxM
When you visit Egypt you might want to go on a River Nile Cruise. This will give you a great opportunity to see Egypt while traveling down the Nile on a boat.
10 facts about Egypt:
- Asiatic invaders, called Hyksos, ruled Egypt from 1640 to 1570 B.C.
- The Egyptian gods were called pharaohs.
- For the kings, the resting place after death was a structure called a pyramid.
- The Egyptian bodies were preserved by mummification.
- Scribes developed a writing system called Hieroglyphics. Hieroglyphics consisted of pictures.
- The Egyptians invented a better writing surface-papyrus.
- Egypt was located on the Nile. When the Nile flooded the water destroyed houses, and seeds that the farmers used. When the water was lower than normal, the amount of fresh silt and water for crops was greatly reduced.
- The Nile river brought rich soil that allowed settlements to grow.
- Egypt was ruled by a theocracy, a government in which rule is based on religious authority.
- The egyptians were polytheistic, believing in many gods.
