Pathways Egypt

Cairo has been dubbed the “City of a Thousand Minarets”, which immediately tells you a lot about the importance of religion in Modern Egypt. Nonetheless, it would not be fair to say that the church – in this case, Islam – dominates Egyptian society, as the country does have something of a secular approach, with political parties banned from campaigning or governing on a religious agenda. Any legislation passed in Egypt must agree with Islamic law, in recognition of the fact that between eighty and ninety per cent of the population are Muslims.

The overall religious makeup of Egypt is stated as 85% Muslim, 14% Coptic Christian and 1% from other religions, although there are only three religions officially recognised in the country – the three Abrahamic religions (Islam, Christianity and Judaism). This is despite a very small number of Jewish people in Egypt – believed to be around 200 – and Egypt plays an important role in the Arab-Israeli peace process due to its recognition of the Israeli state.

In Egypt religion is viewed as being an important part of life, and it is home to two major religious institutions, the Al-Azhar University (which was founded in 970 as the country’s first Islamic University) and the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria (founded in the middle of the first century). It is seen as having a strong principle of religious tolerance, as Muslims and Christians live side by side, working together and sharing more than separates them. The presence of a large Islamic majority in the country does mean that life is run according to Islamic principles, and some Coptic Christians are of the opinion that the institutions have something of an Islamic bias – however, there are legal provisions intended to avoid this.

The question of recognition is an important one to the Coptic Christian community in Egypt. Some members are of the opinion that in Egypt religion is used as a discriminating factor in the workplace, while others point to the recognition of Coptic Christmas on January the 7th each year as an effort to support the principle of equality. This debate is expected to continue going forward.

Today, the use of the word ‘Pharaoh’ is used to refer to a king-like ruler of ancient Egypt, though this usage actually evolved over time. The original usage and meaning is ‘Royal House’, just as we would describe the Windsor Royal House for the current United Kingdom monarchy. In time, however, the word’s usage began to change until eventually it literally referred to a “king”.

The Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt ruled similarly to their Western counterparts. They rule on an hereditary basis, though the title did not always pass direct from father-to-son. Each direct set of descendants are attributed to a ‘Dynasty’, which is usually prefaced with a number. For example, the builder of the Pyramid of Giza Khufu was a Fourth Dynasty Pharaoh, while the boy-king Tutankhamun was Nineteenth Dynasty. By and large, however, the blood line is preserved in one way or another through a matrilineal (traced through the female line) descent.

Pharaohs were human beings on earth as well as, scripture says, representatives of the Egyptians Gods. The initial belief was that the Pharaohs were the sons of the cow deity Bat, but this eventually changed. The most well known belief was that, in life, the Pharaohs were the earthly incarnation of the deity Horus in life and Osiris once dead. Upon the death of a Pharaoh, they were believed to unite with Osiris, the God of the Afterlife.

Given the often misogynistic approach of most ancient civilizations, the Pharaohs were remarkably forward thinking. The blood line was passed through the female line, and the right to be a Pharaoh depended on birth (or marriage) to a previous Queen. The wives of a Pharaoh were involved in society and governance, and while the Pharaoh was always the supreme leader and male, the role of women was well appreciated.

The Pharaohs duties include everything we would associate with Kingship today, in terms of both government and ceremonial duty. They also, though their believed link to Osiris, played a religious role in Ancient Egypt.

Egypt is a country with extremely strong links to its past, a place which has one of the longest histories of any in the world. Along with Roman and Greek ancient civilization, Egyptian cultural influence stretched far beyond the boundaries of the country. The legendary Egyptian civilization was responsible for many innovations and works of great craftsmanship relevant to art and historical craft. Among the innovations of Alexandrian craftsmen was the invention of Papyrus, which is recognized by us today as paper.

Of course, Egyptian craftsmanship is defined for many people by the burial processes and tombs of ancient Egypt, not least the legendary pyramids that include the Great Pyramid of Giza, the only one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World to still be standing today. The Pyramids themselves were built to house the tombs of Egyptian nobles – specifically the Pharaohs and their consorts – and are immediately recognized by just about anyone who sees them. In actual fact, their structure is so recognizable that any three-dimensional triangular shape is now known as a “pyramid”.

The Great Pyramid was built for the fourth generation Pharaoh Khufu, who reigned from 2589-2566 BC and is, interestingly, the builder of the largest building of ancient times and simultaneously the subject of the smallest royal sculpture ever to be found – a statuette in ivory about three inches tall.

Along with the pyramids, other examples of classic Egyptian/Alexandrian craftsmanship are visible in the death masks and sarcophagi that were created for the Pharaohs. The most famous of these would obviously be the incredibly intricate mask created for perhaps the most famous Pharaoh of all time, Tutankhamun, whose tomb was discovered fully intact in 1922 by the archaeologist Howard Carter. Among the effects found in the tomb, the mask was seen as the one which truly stood out, and has come to represent ancient Egypt in a single image for many people. The importance placed on burial ceremony in Ancient Egypt was reflected very strongly in their traditions and now, millennia later, has come to symbolize an entire ancient civilization for a great many people.