All About Africa
Overland from Cork to Cape Town

Egypt - Niamh O Riordan.

David Healy said it would take years to understand Egypt and after my month here, I believe I am further away from that goal than when I first arrived. The culture here is at once modern and traditional, western and middle eastern, rural and urban, open and closed. When one thinks of Egpyt, one thinks primarily of Ancient Egypt - the Sphinx, the Pyramids, the Pharoahs. Modern Egypt is a whole other ball game.

Egypt: 3200 B.C - Present Day

Whereas we at home are aquainted with a single colonizer, Egpyt has hosted many foreign occupiers. The regularity and richness of the annual Nile River flood, coupled with semi-isolation provided by deserts to the east and west, allowed for the development of one of the world's great civilizations. A unified kingdom arose circa 3200 B.C. and a series of dynasties ruled in Egypt for the next three millennia. The last native dynasty fell to the Persians in 341 B.C., who in turn were replaced by the Greeks, Romans, and Byzantines. It was the Arabs who introduced Islam and the Arabic language in the 7th century and who ruled for the next six centuries. A local military caste, the Mamluks took control about 1250 and continued to govern after the conquest of Egypt by the Ottoman Turks in 1517. Following the completion of the Suez Canal in 1869, Egypt became an important world transportation hub, but also fell heavily into debt. Ostensibly to protect its investments, Britain seized control of Egypt's government in 1882, but nominal allegiance to the Ottoman Empire continued until 1914. Partially independent from the UK in 1922, Egypt acquired sovereignty following World War II.

In 1945 Egypt became a leading member of the Arab League which was headquartered in Cairo. Egyptian nationalism continued to increase as did her discontent. In 1952 mobs burned European centers in Cairo; the people could not be controlled. Egyptian army officers seized the government: Egypt was finally under Egyptian control for the first time in over 2600 years. In 1956 the English, French and Israelis attacked and occupied the Sinai Peninsula, taking it from Egypt. By 1957, the United States and the United Nations persuaded Israel to withdraw. Israel would increasingly become a problem for Egypt. In 1964 the Arab League formed the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) which was controlled by Egypt until 1969 when it was taken over by Yasir Arafat. In 1967 the Israelis invaded Egypt and several other nations, overran the Sinai Peninsula and destroyed Egypt's Air Force while it was still on the ground. In 1973, Egypt launched an attack against Israel. A temporary cease-fire led to a partial withdraw from Sinai. In 1979, after a meeting at Camp David, Egypt signed a peace treaty with Israel which established peace between the two countries and returned Sinai to Egypt. Egypt was expelled from the Arab League as a result of the treaty and was finally welcomed back in 1989.

Egypt Today

Under President Mubarak, in power since 1981, Egypt is considered a moderate Arab nation and President Mubarak has worked hard to revive the economy, to keep peace with other Arab nations and to build strong relations with the west. It is a fine line to walk. While there is much anti-Western sentiment in Egypt, we have been warmly and genuinely welcomed here. "Welcome to my country!", they say. "Where you come from?". "You like Egpyt?".

Egypt's ancient past and the fact that it was one of the first Middle Eastern countries to open up to the West following Napoleon's invasion means that it is seen by many as the intellectual and cultural leader in the region. The head of Cairo's Al-Azhar Mosque is one of the highest authorities in Sunni Islam. Mubarak has also worked to bring domestic peace with an active campaign to root out terrorists: the tourist and antiquities police are a strong presence day and night. Unfortunately, this was not enough to stop another bomb blast in Cairo on April 30th, the second in three weeks, that has resulted in further loss of life.

There is much dissatisfaction in Egpyt today which can be seen in rising emigration numbers, increasing levels of corruption (we've heard the word baksheesh or bribe more times than I care to mention) and also in rising crime rates. There is a prominent public sector here in Egpyt with high levels of underemployment (underutilization of labour) leading to inefficiency. There is increasing religious tension in Egypt: President Mubarak is continually challenged by a strict muslim contingent anxious to return to a more traditional Islamic way of life while the Coptic Church (10% of the population) are suffering prejudice and victimisation. There is an increasing desire to return to traditional ways of life: more and more women opt to wear the veil, the gallabiya is increasingly worn by men and traditional arabic music is more popular than ever.

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