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Introduction to Egyptian history
Tomb painting, Luxor
Kiosk of Trajan, Philae Temple
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt’s history stretches over 3,000
years, and making sense of its various dynasties,
pharaohs, gods, myths and legends is a challenge
to most visitors. Visiting a variety of pyramids,
temples and tombs during your trip goes some
way to putting this history into context, but you
may find that a detailed guidebook wouldn’t go
amiss either.
The history starts with the legendary founding
of the Ancient Egyptian kingdom, under Pharaoh
Menes, in around 3100 BC. This pharaoh,
according to myth, unified the two kingdoms of
Upper and Lower Egypt, consolidating them
under one crown. From that moment, the
Egyptians created one of the most developed
civilisations of the ancient world. A complex
series of myths featuring thousands of gods
sprung up, helping the Egyptians to explain the
creation of the earth and nature. Inventions such
as papyrus paper and the hieroglyphic system of
writing meant these myths were disseminated
and recorded for posterity. In the last years of
the Ancient Egyptian civilisation a series of
foreign powers, including the Hellenistic forces
of Alexander the Great, and the Roman Empire,
began to hold sway over the lands, bringing to
an end this great influence on the world’s history.
Karnak Temple
Monk, St Anthony’s Monastery
Christian Egypt
Following the Ancient Egyptians, the Hellenistic
Ptolemaic dynasty and then the Romans ruled
Egypt, bringing with them their own gods and
religious myths. According to local tradition,
Christianity was brought to Egypt by St Mark in
around 60 AD, at the time of the Emperor
Nero. In the years following St Mark’s arrival,
local people became frustrated with the
existing rulers from Rome, and were
consequently enthusiastic converts to the new
religion. The Copts, as these converts became
known, encountered difficulties in practising their
new faith and suffered considerable persecution
even after Emperor Constantine made it the
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