Everything you need to know about Egypt

Here are 14 interesting facts about Egypt. Some may just surprise you!

1. Egypt is one of the oldest advanced human civilizations and is home to the only remain Ancient Wonder of the World, the Great Pyramid of Giza. Built in the 4th century, this magnificent structure still baffles even the greatest of mind's to this day in terms of just how it was constructed. It is also one of the most visited places on Earth, and for good reason too! 

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2. There are at least 118 pyramids in Egypt. Pyramids were built primarily to house the rulers of ancient Egypt to see them off into the afterlife. They are synonymous with Egypt, although many people do not know that at least 80 of the pyramids still standing today were actually built by the Kingdom of Kush, now located in the country of Sudan.

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3. Egypt is home to no less than seven of the UNESCO World Heritage sites; Abu Mena, Historic Cairo, Abu Simbel, Saint Catherine, Wadi Al-Hitan, Memphis and its Necropolis, and Ancient Thebes.

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4. Sandwiched in between Cairo and Israel on the Red sea, the Sinai Peninsula is home to Mount Sinai, where Moses is said to have climbed and received the ten commandments.

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5. Islam is the dominant religion in Egypt with other 90% of its citizens identifying as Muslims. The other 10% are primarily Christian. The main language is Egyptian Arabic, which differs from Arabic spoken in its neighboring countries.

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6. Despite being born in Alexandria (named after Greek conqueror Alexander the Great), Cleopatra is actually Greek. One of Egypt's most famous figures, she descended from the Ptolemaic Dynasty of Greek Macedonians. This dynasty ruled Egypt for nearly 300 years. Her name translates to 'Her Father's Name' in Greek.

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7. Egypt has been conquered several times over the centuries, falling to the Roman Empire, the Greek Ptolemaic Kingdom and the British Empire.

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8. Egypt's capital city, Cairo, is the largest city in the Middle East with a population just under 10 million.

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9. Many people assume that ancient Egypt was one of the first advanced civilizations. While it was indeed one of them, it was established in 3000 BC, almost 5,000 years after evidence of the first humans in the area. With the incredible discovery of the highly advanced Göbekli Tepe in Turkey dating back to 10,000 BC, our history and understanding of our origins is literally being re-written by the day.

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10. Make-up was widely popular amongst the men and women alike in Ancient Egypt. It was believed to have healing powers, with the added bonus of protection against the Sun.

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11. If you go by the ancient Egyptian calendar, it is the year 6263! In fact, the 12-month calendar we use today was invented in Egypt. However the original calendar set the days of the month to a fixed 30 days, which caused the seasons to fall out of synchronization. To counter this, a 5 non-day festival was held at the end of every year to literally 'correct' time.

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12. The Nile River is the longest river in the world and cuts right through Egypt. In fact 95% of its population lives along the river. With 90% of the country desert, this certainly makes sense!

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13. Egypt is a land of significant strategic importance as it borders both the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. Ships can sail easily between the two via the man-made Suez Canal, a vital trade route between the continents of Asia and Europe.

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14. 'Upper Egypt' is actually located in the South of the country, with 'Lower Egypt' in the North. This is because of the flow of the River Nile, which goes North to the Mediterranean Sea.