The Culture of Egypt

Egypt is one of the most ancient civilizations known to human beings. Besides the Pharaonic era, at different points in time, Egypt has been influenced by Hellenism, Christianity, Arabic and Islamic cultures as well as modern, Western culture. What has emerged as a result is something unique, novel and altogether fascinating. Ancient Egyptian art and architecture captures the imagination of scholars and tourists even today. And no world traveler can consider his voyages complete without seeing the Pyramids.

The Ancient Egyptian language, which is a separate branch in the family of Afro-Asiatic languages, was among the first written languages. Hieroglyphic inscriptions preserved on monuments and sheets of papyrus are evidence of the richness of this ancient language and continue to enthrall linguists and language enthusiasts all over the world. Ancient Egyptian literature dates back to the third millennium BC. But it was only during the Greco-Roman period (332 BC − AD 639) that Egyptian literature started being translated into other languages. The Rosetta Stone was also found at this time and it unlocked the mysteries of Egyptian writing.

Egyptian novelists and poets are bold and experiment with modern styles of Arabic literature. Egyptian novelist Naguib Mahfouz was the first Arabic-language writer to win the Nobel Prize in Literature and his Cairo Trilogy is a deep and haunting insight into the rhythms of daily life is Egypt. Other prominent Egyptian writers include Nawal El Saadawi, well known for her feminist works and activism, and Alifa Rifaat who also writes about women. Vernacular poetry is perhaps the most popular literary genre amongst Egyptians, represented most significantly by Bayram al-Tunisi, Ahmed Fuad Nigm (Fagumi) and Abdel Rahman el-Abnudi.

Egyptian music is a rich mixture of indigenous Egyptian, Arabic, African and Western influences with a strong tradition of percussion and vocal music. Cairo is known as the "Hollywood of the Middle East" and the annual Cairo International Film Festival is renowned.