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Description
The Greek historian Herodotus called Egypt, "The Gift of the
Nile," and along that life-giving river, the ancient
Egyptians built their amazing civilization, one they ruled for
three millennia. Conquered by the Persians in 341 B.C., the
Greeks and Romans followed, but it was the Arabs that introduced
Islam and Arabic, and subsequently dominated this ancient land
for many centuries.
In 1517 the Ottoman
Turks invaded, and took control. Following the completion of the
Suez Canal in 1869, Egypt developed into a vital transportation
hub, but fell heavily into debt. To protect its investments,
Britain seized control in 1882. Egypt then became a British
protectorate in 1914, achieving partial independence in 1922,
and full sovereignty in 1945. Egypt remains one of the
favorite destinations of archaeologists, historians and tourists
from around the world.
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