Ancient Egypt Culture

The culture and traditions of Egypt have captured the attention of the rest of the world for ages. Egypt’s ability to conserve the past and succeed with little change is what makes it stand out. Egypt has managed to modernize while conserving its original traditions and practices. Today, many aspects of Egypt’s ancient culture exist in interaction with newer elements, including the influence of modern Western culture, itself with roots in Ancient Egypt. Modern Egypt is similar to Ancient Egypt in many ways, except that it is more functional and is known for being a center of learning. Egypt today is a more desirable place to live than Ancient Egypt was.

Ancient Egypt maintained unbelievably complex and stable structure which aided in the many

Modern Egypt is far more advanced and does not rely as heavily on religion as ancient Egypt did. There have been many accomplishments in areas such as politics and world affairs. In 2009, the World Bank named Egypt the top reformer in the Middle East. Egypt is the fifth largest contributor to UN peacekeeping missions around the world and has been a critical member of the United Nations since 1945. There has been plenty of focus on positive world affairs and bettering the lives for upcoming generations. Egypt has a very good education system and with 18 million students enrolled, it is the largest education system in the Middle East and North Africa. Education is free from ages 6 to 15, thanks to the Education Act of 1953. Cairo, Egypt’s capital city, is the center for many government offices that control the educational system. The American University in Cairo is one of the most prestigious universities in Egypt and the Middle East. “Other universities in the Cairo area include Cairo University, with over 30,000 students, Ayn Shams University, and al-Azhar University, one of the oldest and most prestigious theological schools in the Islamic world (Life).’’ Although many study at the American University in Cairo, a vast amount of education in Egypt comes from the

Family is very important in Egyptian society. “Though modern families are adopting the idea of the "nuclear family" common in the west (parents and children), the traditional Egyptian family unit consists of parents, grandparents, children, aunts, uncles, cousins, in-laws, and all sorts of people. Even though the modern family unit tends to be smaller, families usually live close together and visit each other often” (Life). Children tend to live with their families until marriage, unlike in the West. Marriages can be arranged but they aren’t always and divorces are allowed but they are not very common. Both men and women have to right to ask for a divorce. Women’s rights have been improved significantly since the Revolution. Women have entered the work place and are taking it by storm. This is partly because of the need for higher household income, as well as the increase in women 's education. Today, women serve in all levels of Egyptian society - as doctors, lawyers, scientists, civil servants, and small business owners. Many women have even taken positions of authority in businesses and some have started their own businesses.