Egypt

Some Facts About Modern Egypt Official Name: Arab Republic of Egypt (Jumhuriyah Misr al-'Arabiyah) Capital: Cairo Location: Northeast corner of Africa and the Sinai Peninsula Population: 82,999,393 (2009) Official Religion: Islam Religions: Sunni Islam, 89%; Christian, 11% Official Language: Arabic Monetary Unit: Egyptian pound National Anthem: "Bilady, Bilady, Bilady" Egyptian burials today Egyptians used to shroud corpses in mats or furs and put them them in pots, baskets or clay coffins. In some areas a wooden scaffold was buit around the body. A sarcophagus was also usually provided to hold the coffin in the tomb. Today most people are buried in ordinary coffins just like here in the England. They do not build pyramids to put them in either. Life in Egypt today Life in Egypt is almost the same as in England. They go to school or work, have meals with their family, spend time with their friends, and go to the supermarket, much the same as we do. Most Egyptians live in apartment buildings. Only the wealthy can afford to live in free-standing houses because space is difficult to find. Men and women usually live at home with their parents until they get married. Apartments usually have one large room in the front - the living room, where the family entertains guests. Guests who are not relatives are generally not permitted back into the rest of the house. Traditionally, women would stay in the back of the house and not come into the living room if someone who was not a close friend or family visited, although this is less common now. It is, however, considered inappropriate for a woman and man who are not married or related to be alone together. Money Modern Egyptian money ranges from the 25 Piastres up to a 1,000 pound note.Eyptian currency is not the same size. The smaller the value of the note , the smaller its size. Egyptian coins duplicate the value of some of the Egyptian bills. There are 25 Piastres and 50 Piastres coins, In fact, the value of 25 Piastres is so small that they are often difficult to find in either coin or bill, and businesses often round up the price of merchandise to the nearest pound. Egyptian money is very colourful. Religion Egypt is mainly Muslim with an important Christian minority. Islam was defined as the state religion in 1980, No-one worships like the Ancient Egyptians now but lots of rituals from it survive in modern in Christianity and Islam. Some modern practices are direct reenactments of ancient cults. Festivals Ramadan Ramadan is a very important festival in the Islamic calendar. It is celebrated during the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, to honour the time when the Qu’ran was revealed to the prophet Mohammed. Followers of the Islamic faith fast for the entire month, and there is no eating, drinking, or smoking from sunrise until sunset. Certain exceptions are made for small children (those under the age of 10), pregnant and nursing women, and the elderly. Those who do not fast, do so discreetly. In Egypt, working hours are often reduced during Ramadan to allow for more prayer and reflection. The fast is broken each night with the meal referred to as “Iftar”. Iftar is often taken with friends and family and the mood is festive. They listen to traditional music and entertainment through the night, and many stay awake until dawn. Mosques and streets are lit up with beautiful colours each evening and it is a joyous time throughout the nation. The end of Ramadan and the end of the fasting is marked with a festival called Eid-al-Fitr and is celebrated with large feasts. Because the Islamic calendar differs from the Western calendar, Ramadan and Eid-al-Fitr are not fluctuating dates on the Western calendar . Egyptian ChristmasWhile most of the Egyptian population is Muslim, there is a small but significant community of Christians belonging to the Coptic Orthodox Church. For the Coptic Christians of Egypt, Christmas is celebrated on January 7th each year. The Christmas season marks a time of fasting and vegetarianism for the community, and no meat or milk is taken from November 25th to the night of January 6th. Churches and Christian homes are festooned with lights, Christmas trees and manger scenes in the week leading up to Christmas, and on Christmas Eve, the 6th of January, celebrations in churches are held and the bells of the churches ring out. The Pope of the Orthodox Church begins prayers at the big Cathedral in Cairo at 11 p.m., and this service is broadcasted on Egyptian television. Christmas Day marks the end of fasting and picnics on the Nile are common places for celebrations. Children are given El 'aidia, the feast gift, to buy toys or sweets such as ice cream or sugar cane juice. Events In February 2011 Egyptian young people led a revolution to change the way Egyptian people were treated by the men in power, namley their President, Hosni Mubarak, they wanted an end to police brutality, free elections, an end to poverty, freedom of speech for everyone and reforms in employment law which would allow people to earn the same as everyone else. It succeded in removing the President from power and is now atempting to start a fresh new life which hopeully will be better for all the Egyptian people.