"E" is for Egypt

I'm not an official A - Zer, but I couldn't resist Celebrating "E" for Egypt!

Egypt was ruled by Pharaohs from about 3000 B.C. to 350 B.C.  After that, Egypt was occupied by a succession of conquerors:  Persians, Greeks, Byzantines, Romans, Mamluks, Napoleonic French, Ottoman Turks, and finally in 1882 by the British.  Egypt became independent in 1952.  As of 2013, the county's population is 85 million (compared to: US = 312 million, Britain = 63 million).

There are over 100 pyramids in Egypt, built between 2700 - 1500 B.C.  (Later, pharaohs were buried in secret underground tombs to foil grave-robbers.)  The largest of the three pyramids of Giza is one of the “Seven Wonders of the World” and was built in 2550 B.C.

From a distance, it’s hard to grasp its true size.  But when you're close, it's mind-boggling!

The Great Sphinx is the oldest and largest statue in the world.  Built around 2550 B.C., it lost its nose in 1348 A.D. when a Muhammad Sa'im al-Dahr hammered rods into it and broke it off.  The man was hanged for vandalism.

Over the centuries, the Sphinx was buried in sand almost to its neck until fully excavated around 1925.

No one knows who ordered it to be constructed or what it was called because no mention of it occurs in any ancient documents of the time.  That’s the mystery of the Sphinx.



I love where I live.  <3  What's your favorite thing about where you live?

This post is part of VikLit's blog hop, Celebrate the Small Things. To be part of this blog hop, all you have to do is follow the link and put your name on the Mr.Linky list, and then be sure to post every Friday about something you're grateful  for that week.  It can be about writing or family or school or general life.  This is the funnest and easiest blog hop ever!

Egypt: Sand or Dust?

Contrary to popular belief, Egypt doesn't have "sand" dunes or any type of the granular sand we usually see on seashores.  Egypt's deserts are made of a very fine dirt, resembling dust.  Like the 1930s Dust Bowl in America when the dirt was so light it could be carried on the wind across hundreds of miles, Egypt's duststorms can reach across the Red Sea and into neighboring Middle Eastern nations.

Egyptian duststorm blowing east across the Red Sea into Saudi Arabia.

When there's an actual duststorm (which happens about once a year), the dust is so thick outside that you can barely breathe and visibility is cut to about thirty yards.  Everyone stays inside, but the dust sneaks under doors and coats the nearby floor within hours.

Cairo as a duststorm begins to move in.

Even when there isn't a duststorm, the constant wind blows the fine dust through every crack and crevice in an apartment.  It's a housekeeping nightmare. 

• In one day, the dust isn't visible but if you run your finger on a floor or table, the beige dust will coat your fingertip.
• After two days, you can see the dull coating on furniture and floors.
• After five days, the dust is so thick you can write your name in it.

• Within two weeks, the dust covers floors, counters, furniture, mirrors, everything so thickly it looks like an attic where no one's been, much less cleaned, in years. 

  

I'm not a great housekeeper to begin with, and the dust is a very determined foe, so it usually wins!