Egypt can be divided into four major regions: the Nile Valley and Delta, the Arabian Desert, the Libyan Desert, and the Sinai. The Nile River valley is about 950 mi. long. In the south the valley is rarely more than 2 mi. wide. “North of EDFU (Idfu) the valley averages 5 to 10 mi. in width, with steep cliffs on either side” . From Cairo to the north, the valley merges with the fertile delta. “Southwest of Cairo near the town of Al-Faiyum, a large depression called the Faiyum Depression, covering about 700-sq. mi. in area, was left when Lake Moeris evaporated.” Today Lake Birket Qarun, a shallow lake, occupies part of the depression, 150 ft below sea level. The depression is extremely fertile and is noted for its orchards and gardens.

The Arabian Desert, known in Egypt as the Eastern Desert, is an extension of the Sahara. It consists of a plateau that slopes upward from the Nile to heights o

In the great museum of Egyptian antiquities in Cairo, curious sightseers look daily into the very faces of the pharaohs and nobles who ruled Egypt many centuries ago. The ancient Egyptians were preserved as mummies, or embalmed bodies, thousands of which have been taken from the sands and tombs of Egypt. The Egyptians practiced the art of mummifying their dead for 3,000 years or more in the belief that the soul would someday return to the body and occupy it again. The bodies were preserved by the use of resin and spices or sometimes by immersion in a solution of salt.

Villages and towns were situated near the Nile because it was the chief highway as well as the only source of water. Even the rich lived in houses of mud brick, and the walls were richly colored. “Windows were small, high openings covered with loosely woven matting to keep out the heat and glare of the sun.” The most fashionable district was near the king's palace. Even here, houses were crowded close together to leave more space for farmland. Some dwellings were two stories high. Usually houses were built back to back to save space. Some opened onto a narrow street; others faced a small walled garden.

seven ancient wonders still standing.”

In the later Middle Ages it became the center of trade between Europe and the East and one of the chief seats of Muslim culture. “By about 1340 nearly 500,000 people lived in an area five times greater than the original Fatimid walled city.” Cairo had become greater than any city in Africa, Europe, or Asia Minor. In 1517 it fell to the Turks, who reduced it to a provincial capital. “In 1798 it was seized by Napoleon, but British and Turkish forces drove out the French three years later and the city was handed back to the Turks.” The British, however, retained special interests in Cairo.

One of the most fascinating women of all time was Cleopatra VII, queen of Egypt. She had great intelligence and beauty, and she used both to further Egypt's political aims. “Cleopatra was of Greek heritage and culture; one of the Ptolemy line set on the throne of Egypt after the conquest of Alexander the Great.” Her father, Ptolemy XII, named her and his elder son, Ptolemy, joint rulers. Cleopatra came to the throne in 51 BC. Three years later young Ptolemy supporters had Cleopatra driven into exile. In 48 BC Caesar appeared in Egypt in pursuit of his rival, Pompey. “When Cleopatra heard that Caesar was in the palace in Alexandria, she had one of her attendants carry her to him, rolled up in a rug offered as a gift.” Captivated by her charm, the 52-year-old Roman helped her regain her throne. Ptolemy XIII was drowned, and Caesar made Cleopatra's younger brother, Ptolemy XIV, joint ruler with her.

Egyptian doctors new lots about the human body for their time. They studied the structure of the brain, and knew that the pulse was related to the heart. They could also cure many illnesses and set broken bones. Like the doctors of today, Ancient Egyptian doctors gave out prescriptions. The prescriptions that they gave out were usually for medicines.

Some topics in this essay:
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