home Tarot spreads Travel to ancient Egypt. Barbara Mertz Red Earth, Black Earth

Travel to ancient Egypt. Barbara Mertz Red Earth, Black Earth

The ancient Egyptians called their country Ta-Kemet - Black Land? Why? What do you think they called the Red Land?

Actually, ancient Egypt was a narrow river valley, stretched from north to south and squeezed on both sides by rocky cliffs. For the ancient Egyptians, their own country, a land created by the gods and full of gods, a land in which everything was created and happened in the only correct way, was only the river valley itself, which they called Kemet, “Black”. For the Egyptians, black color symbolized fertility, so if the image of a particular deity has black skin color, this means his fertility, and therefore goodness.
For a resident of the valley, from here, from the rocks, the desert began, spreading with wide wings on both sides of the Nile valley - the Eastern Desert (that is, the desert located east of Egypt) and the Libyan Desert. In the desert that stretches on both sides of the Nile Valley, the color of the soil is red. The red-haired god of destruction, Seth, reigns there, the eternal enemy of the orderly, divinely correct course of things. The Egyptians called the desert Deshret (Desheret), "Red".

Introduction

Since time immemorial, the ancient Egyptian civilization has attracted the attention of mankind. Egypt, like no other ancient civilization, creates the impression of eternity and rare integrity. On the land of the country that is now called the Arab Republic of Egypt, in ancient times one of the most powerful and mysterious civilizations arose, which for centuries and millennia attracted the attention of contemporaries like a magnet.

At a time when the era of the Stone Age and primitive hunters still dominated in Europe and America, ancient Egyptian engineers built irrigation structures along the Great Nile, ancient Egyptian mathematicians calculated the square of the base and the angle of inclination of the Great Pyramids, ancient Egyptian architects erected grandiose temples, the grandeur of which was not can belittle time... The relevance of the chosen topic is due to the active development of international educational tourism in Egypt. The purpose of this course work is to describe the culture of ancient Egypt. The history of Egypt goes back more than 6 thousand years. The unique monuments of ancient culture preserved on its territory annually attract a huge number of tourists from all over the world. Grandiose pyramids and the Great Sphinx, majestic temples in Upper Egypt, many other architectural and historical masterpieces - all this still amazes the imagination of everyone who manages to get to know this amazing country. Today's Egypt is the largest Arab country located in northeast Africa.

Why is Egypt called Egypt?

So - ancient Egypt. Who among us has not heard the words since childhood: “Egypt”, “Egyptians”, “Egyptian hieroglyphs”, “Egyptian pyramids”, “ancient Egypt”. But the most surprising thing is that neither the ancient nor the modern inhabitants of Egypt called and do not call their homeland that way. In ancient Egypt, the inhabitants called their country “Black”, and themselves “people of the Black (land)”, after the color of the fertile soil of the low-lying Nile Valley. Even in ancient times, the peoples of the Arabian Peninsula, Western Asia and Mesopotamia, who came into contact with the Egyptians, gave Egypt their name: Misr - “Populated place, city”, since they were apparently struck by the population of Egypt and the large number of cities located close to each other . Modern Egyptians also call their country: Misr. Why do we, like many other European nations, use the word “Egypt”? This name comes from the ancient Greeks. It comes from the name of the ancient Egyptian city of Memphis - Hikupta. At the beginning of the 1st millennium BC, when the ancient Greeks began to penetrate Egypt, the first of the largest cities they encountered was Memphis at the border of the Delta and the Nile Valley. The Greeks took its name (or rather, one of the names, since “Memphis” is also an Egyptian word) “Hikupta” or “Aiguptos” to designate the entire country. So our word “Egypt” is also very ancient, but it came to European languages not directly from the Egyptian language, but from ancient Greek.

For “discovering” it for me.

First, I'll tell you that:

The Egyptians called their land "Kemet" - Black Land for its fertility in the Nile Valley.
The Egyptians were skilled navigators and sailed not only along the Nile, but also in the Mediterranean Sea.
Scientists still don’t know exactly how the pyramids were built, but they believe that a lot of people took part in their construction. (They moved huge stones and, using various devices, raised them higher and higher. The skill of the builders was so high that even today it is not possible to insert even a thin knife between some stones.)
Tutankhamun (the last pharaoh of the 18th dynasty) began to rule Egypt at the age of 8-9 years.
The Egyptians wrote on papyri. Papyrus is a special writing material prepared from grass of the sedge family, which the Egyptians collected in the backwaters of the Nile.
The Egyptians worshiped hundreds of different gods and goddesses
Temples were built for the gods.
Temples are not only the house of God; schools, workshops, and warehouses operated at the temples.
The most important gods of the Egyptians were:
Horus is the falcon-headed god and patron of the military.
Ra is the sun god.
Anubis is the jackal-headed god of death.
Goddess Sebek - with the head of a crocodile - patroness of the Nile
The ancient Egyptian civilization existed for about three thousand years.
Egypt had slaves - usually prisoners of war captured in battle.

9. Nefertiti lived a long time ago: in the 14th century BC, that is, 3400 years ago. She was the wife of Pharaoh Amenhotep IV. The couple were known as great reformers, as they founded the new capital of Egypt, Arman, and tried to spread their own religion among their subjects - the worship of one god, Aten, depicted as a solar disk. The essence of the religion was to replace all local idols with one - the Sun God.

Nefertiti, one of whose names, Neferneferuaten, meant “Beautiful are the perfections of the solar disk,” played an important role in the events of her time. She was not only a queen, but above all, a high priestess who participated in all temple services and rituals. She was the living embodiment of the life-giving power of the sun, giving life.

Would you like to meet her?

A magical ritual of transport to the time of Queen Nefertitti.

We dress in “Egyptian” clothes, and along the way I tell you:

In the hot season, a man's clothing consisted of one loincloth. But it was unthinkable to leave the house without bracelets and other jewelry. Countless rings were put on the fingers, and several rows of beads adorned the neck. Sandals were very rare and highly valued. Shoes were woven most often from papyrus, less often from leather, and sometimes they were even made from gold. A simple Egyptian made the main journey carrying his sandals in his hands. The attire of noble Egyptians was almost the same for both men and women. Their translucent dresses were worn directly over the shirt. The severity of the long skirt was brightened by the obligatory slit to the waist. Both men and women wore wigs with glittering jewelry. Incense was placed in one of the head decorations.

How can you get to the queen? What needs to be done for the guards to let us into the palace?

In ancient Egypt, an oracle (fortune telling) was used to get an answer to an important question. Now we will find out how to get to the palace.

We take out the encryption and the key and guess the message.

Now you need to collect the beads. We will need to complete the tasks of the characters we meet along the way.

BAZAR. We meet a merchant and he promises a bead if the children help him make silver medallions. One of the ways of making jewelry in Egypt is minting.

DESERT: The merchant says that several beads are far away in the desert. Arriving at the place, we see a bowl of wheat cereal. There are 11 beads hidden in it.

Potters: potters made dishes on a potter's wheel and then fired them. They also carved dishes from beautiful stones found in the desert.

On occasion, I bought a pottery wheel, but unfortunately there were problems with the batteries and we tried it out! Tomorrow morning Artem is going to the store to buy batteries.

Great Nile . During the flood, the water level in the Nile rose in some years to 14 m. In four months, the water brought a lot of natural fertilizers to the valley. They settled on fields flooded with water. Only in mid-November does the river return to its usual banks. Then sowing begins, the harvest was harvested in the spring.
Over millennia, floods have created a thick layer of soft, fertile, shiny black soil in the narrow valley. Therefore, the inhabitants called their country “Black Land” in contrast to the neighboring stone-sand deserts and the fact that it is now one of the two longest rivers in the world.

A jar of beads floats in the Nile (bathtub with colored water). It is guarded by crocodiles (cut out of cardboard). Children throw coins at the crocodiles until the predators go to the bottom (cardboard gets wet and sinks quickly, so do not throw the crocodiles into the water in advance). After this, take out a jar of beads.

Oasis . The presenter tells the children what an oasis is and promises to give a bead if they tell them which tree growing here the Egyptians considered the sacred tree of life. As a hint, the presenter asks questions, and the children add up the name of the tree from the first letters of the answers to them. Questions:

Mythical creature with the body of a lion and the head of a man (Sphinx)
Designations of words or letters among the ancient Egyptians (Hieroglyphs)
The sacred animal that the Egyptians called “miu” (Cat)
A place in the desert where there is a source of water and many plants (Oasis)
“Inhabitant” of the pyramid (Mummy)
An animal that carries people and cargo. But not a camel. (Donkey)
Egyptian sun god (Ra)

If the children do not know the answer to any of the questions, the presenter will tell them (at our holiday only the last question caused difficulties). He can also comment on other answers, adding some details. And we need to tell about the sycamore tree, show its photograph.

Library . The children come to the scribe and he promises a bead in exchange for new papyrus scrolls. You can simply make papyrus out of paper (roll it into a tube, secure it, and cut a third to make leaves) and lay it out around the room for the children to collect first. Then you need to cut off the root (tell them that the roots are edible) and leaves, and cut the stem lengthwise. You will get several strips. They are folded, as for real papyrus, with one layer lengthwise and a second layer crosswise. The presenter says that papyrus has sticky juice and under pressure the parts are firmly connected. And at the holiday you can grease them with PVA. At the end of the holiday, children can write something on the resulting papyri.

Schools were located at churches. And parents brought their children from an early age, when they decided that the child was ripe for learning. There is information that a certain official brought his baby to school when he was five years old.

From birth, Egyptian children ran around naked. Boys wore a necklace around their neck, girls wore a comb in their hair and a belt. The boy was given a loincloth before school. The older girls wore dresses. But the girls probably never attended school - they were content to be educated at home. The boys studied for about 12 years.

The child, first of all, learned to read, write and count. Papyrus was too expensive to give to schoolchildren, so children practiced on polished limestone plates, lined or squared. Then the matured student was entrusted with a blank papyrus, on which he copied some religious texts from the “textbook” with a brush in red and black ink. The title and initial lines of the text were written in red ink, the rest of the text in black. Each scribe also learned to draw, so he also drew pictures on papyrus. These schools had libraries where ancient texts were stored: religious, edifying and literary works.

When training Egyptian officials, much attention was paid to memorizing various sacred texts.

At the later stages of education, much attention was paid to the study of sciences.

The students took exams. The one who was recognized as having passed the exam was freed from worldly clothing, then bathed, shaved bald, anointed his body with incense and dressed in priestly attire.

Fields . Children come to the peasants and they ask for help planting plants - we had mint. I also talked about the use of mint in ancient Greece.

and in general about how people of that time worked in the fields without transport.

After the spill, the soft, oily, and wet soil was plowed with oxen or cows (1). Grain was thrown into the plowed ground (2). Then goats, sheep and rams were driven across the field, which trampled the seeds into the loose soil, thereby saving them from the birds (3). When the harvest time came, the reapers came out with pieces of sharpened stone inserted into their wooden sickles (4). The compressed bread was transported to a threshing floor - a round platform for threshing - and bulls or donkeys were driven along it, which knocked ripe grains out of the ears with their hooves (5). The threshed grain was winnowed: it was thrown high up with hands or wooden spatulas, the lighter husk was carried away by the wind, and the heavier grains fell down (6).

Pyramid . The last few beads are in the pyramid. But the road to them is guarded by a sphinx asking riddles. Riddle: “Why did the ancient Egyptians call their country Kemet (black land).” The children received all the necessary information (about how important the Nile was, how well everything ripened in the fields fertilized with its black silt) when they dug canals. But they may need leading questions to answer the sphinx.

Did you know that a calendar was created in ancient Egypt?

One of the first solar calendars originated in Egypt. The Egyptian calendar was distinguished by its exceptional simplicity and convenience. The year was divided into 12 equal months, each containing 30 days. The months were named like this:

Thoth
Faofi – Phaophi
Athyr – Athyr
Choiak
Tibi – Tybi
Mechir – Mechir
Phamenoth – Phamenoth
Pharmuthi – Pharmuthi
Pachon – Pachon
Payni
Epiphi – Epiphi
Mesori

Each month was divided into 3 large weeks, 10 days each, and 6 small weeks, 5 days each. The Greeks called them "decades" and "pentads". In addition to dividing into months, the year was also divided into 3 seasons of 4 months each: the time of the Nile flood, the time of sowing and the time of harvest.

All beads are collected. We came to Nefertitta.

About my son’s impressions: he really liked it and asks for something else like it.

Lesson topic: "Ancient Egypt".

Lesson type: generalizations and systematization of knowledge.

Purpose and objectives of the lesson:

Summarize and systematize students’ knowledge on the topic “Ancient Egypt”, test students’ knowledge on this topic;

Teach to apply knowledge in practice, showing various creative abilities.

Develop the ability to respond orally and work in a team;

Cultivate an interest in learning, a desire to know more about the subject being studied

Test students' knowledge of basic terms, concepts and definitions on the topic.

Determine the level of knowledge of students:

The process of formation, flourishing and withering of Egyptian civilization;

Achievements of Egyptians in the economy, social structure, and culture;

Basic natural and climatic conditions.

Determine students' level of understanding:

The fact that the ancient Egyptians were “teachers of teachers” of many subsequent civilizations;

Also, the fact that the Egyptians created a centralized state, unique for its time, in which free people occupied the leading place in all spheres, emphasizes the leadership and regulatory role of the pharaoh.

Determine students' skill level:

Show on the map the geographical location of the state of Egypt.

Lesson equipment: map “Egypt and Mesopotamia until the middle of the 1st millennium BC.” e.”, applications on the history of the ancient world for grade V, cards, crosswords, drawings, lesson presentation, computer

Form: non-standard lesson, game

Lesson structure:

I. Organizational moment.

Setting the lesson goal.

II. Generalization and systematization of knowledge on the topic “Ancient Egypt”.

Updating basic knowledge:

What topic have we finished studying? (Ancient Egypt)

Where and when did the Egyptian state emerge? (In North-East Africa, on the banks of the Nile from the first cataract to the Mediterranean Sea more than 5 thousand years ago, 3 thousand years ago the King of Southern Egypt subjugated Northern Egypt)

What were the phases of the economic year in Egypt? (In July, the Nile begins to flood; in November, the Nile, sowing and harvest growth November–March; April, May harvest, and in June repair of canals

Why did the inhabitants of Ancient Egypt call themselves inhabitants of the “Black Land”? (the ancient Egyptians called the fertile land "black earth")

Let's start the game "Secrets of Ancient Egypt"

The main task: collect all the keys that will help guess the name of the scientist who unraveled the ancient Egyptian writing. Letter and number keys are given after completing each task.

Task one: Fill out the map. On the outline map, label the Nile River, the seas, the agricultural region and the capital of Ancient Egypt.

Task 2. The mystery of the ancient manuscript.

I, Pharaoh___________(Tutmas), who made the greatest conquests in ____(1500 BC). I conquered the country __________ (Nubia), there is a lot of gold in it. He also conquered the Sinai Peninsula, it is rich in _________ (copper ore deposits). And also __________(Palestine),__________(Syria),______(Phenicia) submitted to me

(For a correctly completed task, a key with a letter and a number)

Task 3. Blitz survey

1.What mythological creature was built next to the pyramids? (Sphinx)

2.Why were the pyramids built?

3.Which pharaoh’s pyramid is the tallest. When was it built? (Pyramid of Cheops around 2600 BC, height 150m).

4. Which pharaoh’s pyramid was found unplundered? (Pharaoh Tutankhamun)

(For a correctly completed task, a key with a letter and a number)

Task 4. Definition of concepts.

Servant of the gods in the temple -

Statue depicting a lion with the head of a man - sphinx

Task 5 Fun moment

We depict the splashing of fish.

Task 6 Historical monuments.

Connect historical monuments with the cultural sectors they represent

literature architecture painting sculpture

The Myth of Osiris

Great Sphinx

Paintings on the walls of the temple

The Pyramid of Cheops

Temple of the god Amun-Ra

The Tale of Sinuhet

Hymn to the god Amun-Ra

Papyrus with songs of the Egyptians

Statuette of the goddess Bastet

Task 7: Correct the mistakes

When I came to this country, I learned that the Egyptians were in great trouble. The Nile has not flooded for several years and has become fairly shallow. All other rivers in Egypt can be forded. I reached the largest of the pyramids, where Pharaoh Tutankhamun is buried. When I approached the pyramid, a downpour poured in, and I had to hide in an oak grove. When the rain stopped, I began to look for the entrance to the pyramid, but the Egyptians told me that the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun had long been plundered and not a single thing had been preserved... Stop making things up, - the narrator was interrupted, - you have never been to Ancient Egypt! There are many historical errors in your story.

Task 8: Crossword

1. Country governance system

7.The ancient capital of Egypt

8. Pharaoh who carried out campaigns of conquest in the middle of the 2nd millennium BC

9.Water lifting device

10. Sculpture of a lion with a human head

Results of the expedition

Put the keys in the correct sequence and read the name of the scientist

2 4 1 6 3 5 7

A PO SH O M L N

Champollion

Many have tried to unravel the mystery of the hieroglyphs. But the French scientist Champollion, who lived at the beginning of the last century, managed to do this. At that time, a large black stone covered with writing was found in Egypt. One inscription was made in hieroglyphs, and the other was in ancient Greek, a language well known to the scientist. The names of Pharaoh Ptolemy and Queen Cleopatra were found in the Greek inscription. And among the hieroglyphs, some signs were circled. The scientist suggested that these were royal names. The words “Ptolemy” and “Cleopatra” have common signs P, T, L - the signs in the two frames coincided. So Champollion proved that hieroglyphs are writing signs that can convey the sounds of speech.

Lesson summary

Which country did we travel to today?

What new have you learned?

Are you ready to try to become ancient Egyptian scribes?

Run the test.

Task one: Fill out the map. On the outline map, label the Nile River, the seas, the agricultural region and the capital of Ancient Egypt.

Task 2: The mystery of the ancient manuscript.

I, Pharaoh ___________, who made the greatest conquests in ____. I conquered the country __________, there is a lot of gold in it. He also conquered the Sinai Peninsula, it is rich in _________. And also they submitted to me _____________,__________,___________.

Task 2: The mystery of the ancient manuscript.

Task 3: Blitz survey.

2.Why were the pyramids built?

5.What do scientists find in the tombs of the pharaohs?

6 What is a mummy? Why was it done?

(For a correctly completed task, a key with a letter and a number)

Task 3: Blitz survey.

1.What mythological creature was built next to the pyramids?

2.Why were the pyramids built?

3.Which pharaoh’s pyramid is the tallest. When was it built?

4. Which pharaoh's pyramid was found unlooted?

5.What do scientists find in the tombs of the pharaohs?

6 What is a mummy? Why was it done?

(For a correctly completed task, a key with a letter and a number)

Task 4: Definition of concepts.

Delta, pharaoh, Ra, hieroglyph, sarcophagus, bronze, shaduf.

Servant of the gods in the temple -

Tall reed in Egypt, from which writing material was made - papyrus

God Pharaoh, judge in the kingdom of the dead - Anubis

(For a correctly completed task, a key with a letter and a number)

Task 4: Definition of concepts.

Delta, pharaoh, Ra, hieroglyph, sarcophagus, bronze, shaduf.

Servant of the gods in the temple -

Statue depicting a lion with a human head - sphyx

Tall reed in Egypt, from which writing material was made - papyrus

God Pharaoh, judge in the kingdom of the dead - Anubis

(For a correctly completed task, a key with a letter and a number)

Task 5 Fun moment

“Let's revive the ancient Egyptian song of praise to the sun god, replacing some words with movements.

When you rise and ascend in the east, driving away the darkness, then the whole earth triumphs.

Flowers and plants in the fields come to life from your rays.

Birds fly from their nests and sing your praise.

Your radiance penetrates the depths of the waters, and fish splash on the surface of the river.

People wake up, raise their hands to you and get to work.

They stood up, hands up, stretched.

We make “flashlights” with our hands

Hands to the sides, depicting flapping wings.

Extend your arms in front of you, with your hands

We depict the splashing of fish.

Hands up, stretched, hands down, sat down.

The Myth of Osiris

Great Sphinx

Paintings on the walls of the temple

The Pyramid of Cheops

Temple of the god Amun - Ra

The Tale of Sinuhet

Hymn to the god Amon - Ra

Papyrus with songs of the Egyptians

Statuette of the goddess Bastet

Task 6: Historical monuments

Connect historical monuments with the cultural sectors they represent

literature architecture painting sculpture

The Myth of Osiris

Great Sphinx

Paintings on the walls of the temple

The Pyramid of Cheops

Temple of the god Amun - Ra

The Tale of Sinuhet

Hymn to the god Amon - Ra

Papyrus with songs of the Egyptians

Statuette of the goddess Bastet

Task 7: Correct mistakes

One liar and braggart claimed that he visited Ancient Egypt with the help of a “time machine”:

FIND HISTORICAL (factual) ERRORS

Task 8: Crossword

1. Country governance system

2.Tomb of the Egyptian Pharaohs

3. Appropriation of the product of someone else's labor

4.Ancient Egyptian writing sign

5. Monetary collection in favor of the state

6. A fantastic tale about gods and heroes

7.The ancient capital of Egypt

HISTORY LESSON

5th grade

" ANCIENT EGYPT"

History teacher: Maisinger Marina Andreevna

Art. Smaznevo 2012

The later population of the Giza Plateau resembles the Taza type of people. Dr. Derry, one of the medical specialists on ancient Egypt, argued that this type also resembles the ruling class of the Twenty-first Dynasty, which originated in Libya.

I don't want to get into the debate about the two different races that lived in Egypt. This debate is inextricably linked to other issues, such as which “race” brought classical culture to Egypt. Even if we agree that people of different physical types lived in Egypt, it is impossible to determine which of the two population groups has the exclusive right to attribute to itself the monumental architecture of Egypt, writing, and complex social organization. The older physical type, the short, thin-boned Predynastic Egyptians, may be classified as the dark-skinned "Mediterranean type," the Abyssinians and the Somalis. We can give them the conventional name “Hamites,” although this word is more suitable to designate a group of languages than to describe peoples (anthropological terminology may well be revised - a lot of confusion has accumulated in it since the existence of anthropology). Perhaps the later Egyptians can be classified as Semites, keeping in mind that the definition of “Semitic” primarily refers to linguistics. It is best, however, to simply note that among the Egyptians there were two different types, although to a modern person they might appear the same: brown skin, dark hair, dark eyes. No group of people has ever been “pure” unless completely isolated; if she sought "purity" it would mean ethnic suicide through incest. Like the rest of us, the Egyptians were, in all likelihood, half-breeds. In the north they could be Arabs or have Semitic blood; in the south Nubian elements could be strong.

Therefore, racial discrimination became absurd. There was discrimination, of course, but not on the basis of skin color. Like the Greeks and many other peoples, the Egyptians called themselves "the people." Other peoples were not people, but just barbarians. Whenever Cush (Nubia) is mentioned in any text, it is always referred to as “wretched Cush.” “Don’t worry about the Asians,” a Thirteenth Dynasty prince tells his son. - They only Asians." Later, contempt for foreigners was replaced by bitter experience. Some of the "mere" Asiatics invaded and conquered Egypt; later they were replaced by the once quiet, “pathetic” Kush. Then it was the turn of the Greeks, Persians and Romans. However, conquest and occupation did not shake the Egyptians' belief in their own superiority. In this they were no worse or better than us; we still have a long way to go before we are able to understand that greatness does not belong to a nation, that it can only be earned by the individual, and that all men are brothers in their weaknesses and frailty, as in many other things.

Red and Black Earth

Symbols of Upper and Lower Egypt

1. TWO COUNTRIES

The world in which our Egyptian baby appeared is a rather narrow one, especially in a physical sense - the Nile Valley is approximately six hundred miles long and only ten miles wide. During the time of the pharaohs, Egypt consisted of the Nile Valley and a triangular delta, where the river split into several branches flowing into the Mediterranean Sea. These two parts of Egypt differed in their physical geography, and therefore the Egyptians always divided their country into two distinct regions. Until the First Dynasty, when Egypt entered the historical scene as a single state with a single king, the Delta and the Valley appear to have been separate kingdoms. Since written evidence of that era has not reached us, we can guess about the existence of pre-dynastic kingdoms only from indirect sources, and this information is extremely fragmentary.

The kings of Egypt wore two crowns on their heads - literally. The "Double Crown" consisted of the crown of Upper Egypt and the crown of Lower Egypt. Other details indicate the dual nature of this monarchy: two goddesses, Nekhbet in the south and Buto in the north, guarded the king; his title included the words "King of Upper and Lower Egypt" and "Lord of the Two Lands." We can go on, but this evidence is quite enough to confidently assert that once, along with the topographical, there was also a political division between Upper and Lower Egypt.

The Egyptians called their land "Two Countries". The state was divided into Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt, which roughly corresponded to the Valley and the Delta (the Nile carried its waters from south to north, so Upper Egypt on the modern map is located below Lower Egypt). The expression "Middle Egypt" is sometimes used in books to refer to the area between Cyprus and Assiut, but this division into three parts has only recently arisen. Apparently, the ancient Egyptians loved contrasts; they sharply separated Upper Egypt from Lower Egypt, and the Red Land from the Black Land.

The “Black Land” was Egypt itself, and anyone who has visited the Nile Valley will easily understand why the Egyptians chose this name in comparison to the Red Land of the Desert. Along both banks of the Nile stretches a strip of fertile black soil, annually fertilized by the river's floods. The black earth ends suddenly, as if the finger of a deity drew a boundary, commanding: on this side there is life, the greenery of growing grains; on the other side there is death and sterility of lifeless sands. Barren lands surround the valley in the west, east and north and turn into two huge deserts - the Libyan and Arabian.

The Egyptians hated the desert. Only miserable Bedouins lived there, nomads who did not know the gods; Anyone who finds himself in the desert sees only unbearable heat, hunger and thirst. However, without the Red Land, Egypt would not be Egypt as we know it. It was on the barren plateaus of the Red Land that the Egyptians mined gold, from which they made objects that aroused the envy of the rulers of other powers of the Middle East, and which gave the power that wealth brought. In the desert and on the Sinai Peninsula, the Egyptians mined copper - raw materials for tools needed in the construction of the pyramids, and for weapons - with its help they conquered Nubia and Egypt's eastern neighbors. In the sands stretching beyond the cliffs bordering the Black Land, the Egyptians built temples and tombs that have survived to this day to tell us about the splendor and greatness of Egypt. The fertile black soil, so beloved by the Egyptians, produced short-lived things, and the desert preserved even such short-lived objects as fabrics and papyri - and even human flesh. Ancient Egypt was a product of both the Black Land and the Red Land, although the people of Egypt called themselves "Kemites", meaning "blacks".

The Delta region was entirely Black Land - flat, green and often swampy. This means that we may learn much less about this area than about the Valley area. The vast majority of objects on display in museums were discovered in Upper Egypt; The Delta represents a gap in our knowledge of Egyptian culture, and it's a gap that needs to be filled, especially now that a new dam is raising the water levels above the ancient cities of the Delta, making them inaccessible for excavation.

Many of these cities played a very important role during the time of the pharaohs. In the western part of the Delta was the ancient capital of Buto, “the seat of the throne.” The capital was located among swamps, and its goddess, the cobra, later became one of the two protective forces that guarded the king. South of Buto was Sais with its sacred lake, the abode of the goddess Neith. Further east, almost in the center of the Delta, was Busiris, where Osiris lived before moving to Abydos in Upper Egypt. Located southeast of Busiris, Bubastis should be of interest to all cat lovers as it was the site of the worship of Bast, the cat-headed goddess. To the northeast of Bubastis lay Mendes, where a sacred ram was venerated, and directly east of this city was Tanis, on the plain south of Lake Menzala. This city was not as ancient as Sais or Buto, but it had a rather interesting history. Scientists are still arguing whether Tanis was Avaris, the fortress of the Hyksos invaders, and Pi-Ramesses, where the forced ancient Jews built a treasury city for their enslavers.

Travel to ancient Egypt. Barbara Mertz Red Earth, Black Earth

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Why is Egypt called Egypt?

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