One of the world's first civilizations, Egypt, land of the Nile, dates back to the dawning of civilization itself. Historically, however, Egypt's history is said to have begun in c. 3000 B.C, when King Narmer (also known as Menes) united Lower and Upper Egypt. Narmer's conquest marked the begining of the first of thirty dynasties to rule Egypt. These dynasties have been grouped into three main periods in Egypt: the Old Kingdom, the Middle Kingdom, and the New Kingdom.
A geographical note:The Nile is the only river in the world that flows backwords. Starting in the Himilayas, it flows north, dumping into the Mediterranean Sea. Upper Egypt is located just above Kush, and is the southern half of Egypt. Lower Egypt lyes just above Upper Egypt, and includes the Nile Delta, the most fertile area of land, and where the Nile branches out into three different sections before spilling into the Meditteranean.
The pyramids - The Egyptians of the old kingdom built these tombs/memorials for their kings. Builders of pyramids, evidence shows, were treated royally, not like slaves - as was once suspected. Pyramid walls were decorated with pictures and heiroglyphics telling of the kings life. All negative aspects were ommitted, since they believed memories would follow you and affect your after life. To attain a good after-life, leave behind good memories.
The Step Pyramid was not only the first pyramid ever built in Egypt, but the first all-stone building in the world. Located near Memphis, it was built for King Djoser in the mid-2600s B.C. The Great Pyramids, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, are probably the single most famous innovation of the ancient Egyptians. Located at Giza, the three pyramids were built for King Khufu, and are protected by the Great Sphinx. The Sphinx and the pyramids are all connected by a series of underground tunnels. (Tallest pyramid = 481 ft/147 m high)
Mummification - The Egyptians believed that a king's soul continued to guide the kingdom after death. Before entombing a dead king in his pyramid, they first preserved the king's body from decay by a procedure called embalming. Next they wrapped the dried, shrunken body--called a mummy--with long strips of linen and placed it in an elaborate coffin. Only then could the coffin lie in the burial chamber of the pyramid along with the kin's clothing, weapons, furniture, and jewelery--personal possessions the king could enjoy in the afterlife. - World History, The Human Experience - National Geographic Society, by Mounir A. Farah and Andrea Berens Karl.
Mummification probably began when Egyptians found dried up corpses out in the dessert (The Egyptian mummification process dried out bodies by leaving them in the dessert).
The Egyptians mummified their dead to preserve their bodies for after life. This was crucial because, according to their beliefe, if we cut a finger off your corpse, your soul would also lose a finger. It was very important to your after life that your body was preserved. Organs were removed and placed in specific containers, called canopic jars, and each jar was protected by a certain god. Your brain was removed piece by piece through your nose with a hook and then thrown away (Egyptians didn't know what it did and thus it held no importance). Mummification usually took about two weeks, and included rituals to help guide the Ka, or your soul, to the after-life.
The Egyptians, who considered themselves the most beautiful, intelligent, and civilized among all people, despised the Hyksos, who, along with every other non-Egyptian people, were considered scum in comparision. To overthrow them, they learnened to use Hyksos weapons and adopted the horse-drawn chariots. In c. 1600 B.C. Ahmose, and Egyptian prince, raised an army and drove out the Hyksos.
"Ahmose founded the first dynasty of the New Kingdom. He and his successors took the title pharoah, an Egyptian word meaning "great house of the king". Ahmose rebuilt Egypt, restored abandoned temples, and reopened avenues of trade. The pharaohs who followed him, however, used large armies to relize their dreams of conquest. They pressed farther into to the east and into the rest of Africa than had previous kings" - World History, The Human Experience - National Geographic Society, by Mounir A. Farah and Andrea Berens Karl.
Queen Hatshepsut - "Upon [her husband] Thutmose II's death, the throne passed to Thutmose III and Hatshepsut—as the boy king's aunt and stepmother—was selected to be regent until he came of age. At first it seemed that Hatshepsut was patterning herself after the powerful female regents of Egypt's then recent history, but as Thutmose III approached maturity it became apparent that she had only one model in mind: Sobekneferu, the last monarch of the Twelfth dynasty, who ruled in her own right. However, Hatshepsut took one step further than Sobekneferu and had herself crowned Pharaoh around 1473 BC, taking the throne name Maatkare.
"Maatkare Hatshepsut or Hatchepsut (late 16th century BC – c. 1482 BC) was the fifth Pharaoh of the Eighteenth dynasty of Ancient Egypt. Hatshepsut is generally regarded by modern Egyptologists as one of the most successful pharaohs, ruling longer than any female ruler of an indigenous dynasty. She was one of the most prolific builders of Ancient Egypt, commissioning hundreds of construction projects throughout both Upper and Lower Egypt and under her reign Egypt's trade networks began to be rebuilt, after their disruption during the Hyksos occupation of Egypt during the Second Intermediate Period. She is believed to have ruled from 1503 BC to 1482 BC. Josephus writes that she reigned 21 years and 9 months, while Africanus states her reign lasted 22 years; both of whom were quoting Manetho. Hatshepsut is regarded variously as the earliest known queen regnant in history, as the first known female to take the title Pharaoh, and the first great woman in history, although all of these claims have been contested.
"...Although many Egyptologists have claimed that her foreign policy was mainly peaceful, there is evidence that she led successful military campaigns in Nubia, the Levant and Syria early in her career.
"Hatshepsut died, either as she was approaching or just entering middle age, in early February 1482 BC or 1483 BC; no record of her cause of death has survived, although both natural causes and murder have been proposed. Her mummy is believed to be missing from the Deir el-Bahri Cache, and has never been officially identified. An unidentified female mummy—found with Hatshepsut's wet nurse Sitre In and with her arms posed in the traditional burial style of pharaohs—has led to the theory that the unidentified mummy might be Hatshepsut. - Wikipedia.com (click here for more information regarding her.)
Akhenaton - Amenhotep IV assumed power around 1370 B.C. He broke away from the Egyptian traditional polytheism, and founded a new religion under one god: Aton, the sun-disk god. Amenhotep changed his royal name to Akhenaton ("spirit of Aton"), claiming to be his equal. Amenhotep IV even moved the capital from Thebes to Akhetaten ("Horizon of Aton"), known today as Amarna.
"Styles of art that flourished during this short period are markedly different from other Egyptian art, bearing a variety of affectations, from elongated heads to protruding stomachs, exaggerated ugliness and the beauty of Nefertiti [his wife]. Significantly, and for the only time in the history of Egyptian royal art, Akhenaten's family was depicted in a decidedly naturalistic manner, and they are clearly shown displaying affection for each other. Nefertiti also appears beside the king in actions usually reserved for a Pharaoh, suggesting that she attained unusual power for a queen. Artistic representations of Akhenaten give him a strikingly bizarre appearance, with slender limbs, a protruding belly and wide hips..." - Wikapedia.com
"These controversial changes had an unsettling effect on Egypt. many of the common people rejected the worship of Aton, a god without human form, and continued to believe in many deities. The priests of the old religion resented their loss of power. At the same time, the army was unhappy about Egypt's loss of territories under Akhenaton's weak rule." - World History, The Human Experience - National Geographic Society, by Mounir A. Farah and Andrea Berens Karl.
"Crucial evidence about the latter stages of Akhenaten's reign was furnished by discovery of the so-called "Amarna Letters". These letters comprise a priceless cache of incoming clay tablets sent from imperial outposts and foreign allies. The letters suggest that Akhenaten's neglect of matters of state were causing disorder across the massive Egyptian empire. The governors and kings of subject domains wrote to beg for gold, and also complained of being snubbed and cheated. Early on in his reign, Akhenaten fell out with the king of Mitanni. He may even have concluded an alliance with the Hittites, who then attacked Mitanni and attempted to carve out their own empire. A group of Egypt's other allies who attempted to rebel against the Hittites were captured, and wrote begging Akhenaten for troops; he evidently did not respond to their pleas." - Wikapedia.com
After his death, the priests restored the old religion and forced Tutankhamen, Akenaton's successor, to move the capital back to Thebes. Akhetaten was utterly abandoned, and all traces of Aton outside the city were degraded, if not removed entirely. Out of all the pharoahs, Amenhotep IV was the most despised by his people.
Read more about him here
Rames II - "During the 1200s B.C., the pharaohs worked to resore Egypt's prestige. Under Rames II, or Ramses the Great, the Egyptians fought their neighbors, the Hittites, for control of Syria. The confict, however, led to a standoff at the Battle of Kadesh in 1285 B.C. Later the two empires concluded a treaty--unique for this time--pledging to keep permanent peace with each other and to fight as allies against any enemy.
"In Egypt, Ramses, who ruled for 67 years, erected large statues of himself and built many temples and tombs. In A.D. 1995, archaeologists uncovered one of the most significant Egyptian discoveries: a vast underground tomb believed to be the burial place of 50 of Ramses' 52 sons.
"After the death of Ramses II in 1237 B.C., Egypt weakened under the attacks of Mediterranean sea raiders, and enter a period of decline. Beginning in 945 B.C., it came under the rule of foreigners..." - World History, The Human Experience - National Geographic Society, by Mounir A. Farah and Andrea Berens Karl.
Wikipedia: "Ramesses II (also known as Ramesses the Great and alternatively transcribed as Ramses and Rameses) was an Egyptian pharaoh of the nineteenth dynasty. He lived from ca. 1302 BC to 1213 BC and reigned from either 1279 BC to 1213 BC or 1290 BC to 1224 BC. He ruled for a total of 66 years and 2 months, becoming pharaoh in his early 20s. He was once said to have lived to be 99 years old, but it is more likely that he died in his ninetieth year. Ancient Greek writers (such as Herodotus) ascribed his accomplishments to the semi-mythical Sesostris. He is widely believed to have been the Pharaoh of the Exodus.
"Ramesses II was the third king of the 19th dynasty, and the son of Seti I and his Queen Tuya. The most memorable of Ramesses' wives was Nefertari. Others among his wives were Isisnofret and Maathorneferure, Princess of Hatti. The writer Terence Gray stated in 1923 that Ramesses II had as many as 200 sons and 200 daughters; more recent scholars, however, believe his offspring, while numerous, were far fewer, somewhere around 90. His children include Bintanath and Meritamen (princesses and their father's wives), Setnakht (Sethnakhte), the Pharaoh Merneptah (who succeeded him), and prince Khaemweset."