Modern Egypt Flashcards
When was the Greco-Roman period?
332 BCE - 639 CE
It spanned from the time Alexander the Great left Egypt and lasted until the Rashidun conquest of Egypt around 639 CE.
During the Greco-Roman period, which famous dynasty rose to power?
The Ptolemaic dynasty.
The Ptolemies were a Macedonian family that ruled over Egypt for centuries.
What happened with Alexander the Great’s body?
Perdiccas (General in A’s army) sent Alexander’s body to be interred in a tomb in Macedonia, but Ptolemy (half-brother) intercepted the body en route and had Alexander buried in a tomb in Alexandria.
Who was behind the building of the massive museum and the initial construction of the Lighthouse in Alexandria?
Ptolemy.
He died around 282 BCE and left behind the firmly established Ptlemaic dynasty, which would reign over Egypt for almost three centuries.
When was Alexandria founded?
Alexandria is a port city on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in Egypt, and it was founded by Alexander the Great around 331 BCE.
Which scripture was produced in Alexandria during the Ptolemaic dynasty?
The Septuagint, which was a Greek version of the Tank (the Hebrew Bible, which includes the Torah, Ketuvim, and Nevi’im.
Who was the only Ptolemaic ruler who learned to speak Egyptian?
Cleopatra Vll, the last of the pharaohs.
What was the Ptolemaic dynasty known for?
Petty jealousy, betrayal, and incest, the latter being something they carried over from the previous Egyptian dynasties.
Cleopatra took the Egyptian throne in 51 BCE and made friends with Rome and her own people.
Her and Julias Caesar’s son, Caesarion, was executed by Octavian, who became Caesar Augustus in 27 BCE.
Egypt was assimilated into the ___ ____.
Roman Empire.
What is the Eastern half of the Roman Empire also known as?
The Byzantine Empire.
When was Constantinople formed, and what is it known as today?
It was formed around 330 CE, and is known as Istanbul today.
Who was Egypt controlled by during the 5th century?
Egypt was controlled by several important Christian churches. Christianity quickly gained popularity since it appealed to the rich and poor alike.
What is Pythagoras’ connection to Egypt?
According to legend, Pythagoras traveled to Egypt to gain more knowledge since the Egyptians were known for their philosophical pursuits.
What did Plato believe about the Egyptians?
Plato believed the Egyptians invented arithmetic, letters, and numbers.
What did Aristotle claim about Egypt?
Aristotle claimed that Egypt was the original land of wisdom.
What happened to the Alexandrian library?
Unfortunately, the library was neglected during Roman rule and destroyed by a series of fires, which led to the loss of immense knowledge.
What time period is marked as the Medieval Egypt period?
650 CE - 1520 CE.
What kickstarted the Medieval Period?
Egypt experienced another major upheaval when it was conquered by the Islamic Rashidun Caliphate ( the first caliphate to succeed the Islamic prophet Muhammad).
This period was marked by foreign Islamic kings who ruled over Egypt.
When did Egypt become a Persian province?
After Alexandria fell, the rest of Egypt was conquered by the Persians, and by 621 CE, Egypt had become a Persian province.
General Shahrbaraz governed Egypt on behalf of the Persian shah. A few years later, Heraclitus, the Byzantine emperor, defeated the Persians, who left Egypt in 629 CE.
What was the Battle of Heliopolis?
The Byzantines and Muslims clashed in the Battle of Heliopolis, where the Byzantine army was soundly defeated.
In 641 CE, the Rashidun forces set out for Alexandria.
What was the Mediterranean known as during the Medieval Egypt period?
The Roman Lake, which was slowly being divided between the Byzantine Empire and the Muslim caliphate.
What is a caliphate?
A caliphate or khilāfah is an institution or public office under the leadership of an Islamic steward with the title of caliph, a person considered a political-religious successor to the Islamic prophet Muhammad and a leader of the entire Muslim world.
Who was the Prophet Muhammad?
Prophet Muhammad was the most influential Muslim leader who set the example for Islamic leadership and left behind a large number of Ansar (local inhabitants of Medina who took the Prophet Muhammad and his followers into their homes when they emigrated from Mecca during the hijra).
Who were the Rashidun?
The Rashidun were the first four leaders (caliphs) of the Muslim community, following the death of Prophet Muhammad.
Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, Ali.
When the Muslim forces invaded Egypt, where was the seat of the governor and the administrative centre?
They established a center near Babylon called Fustat.
In 750 CE, the Umayyad dynasty was overthrown by the Abbasid dynasty.
Who were these dynasties?
Umayyad: the second caliphate established after the death of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. The caliphate was ruled by the Umayyad dynasty, also known as the Umayyads. Uthman ibn Affan, the third of the Rashidun caliphs, was also a member of the clan.
Abbasid: the third caliphate to succeed the Islamic prophet Muhammad. It was founded by a dynasty descended from Muhammad’s uncle, Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib, from whom the dynasty takes its name.
What was the Golden Age during the Medieval Egypt Period?
The Abbasid dynasty ruled for over 300 years and accomplished impressive feats such as strenghtening Islamic rule.
This period is known as a time of great scientific, economic, and cultural advancement in Islamic culture.
During the 860s CE, Egypt founded the Tulunid Emirate, which was led by Ahmad ibn Tulun.
What is the Tulunid Emirate?
The Tulunids were a Mamluk dynasty of Turkic origin who were the first independent dynasty to rule Egypt, as well as much of Syria, since the Ptolemaic dynasty.
Who founded the Fatimids that conquered the Nile valley in 909 CE and later conquered Egypt?
New caliphate began in North Africa
Shia Ubayd Allah al-Mahdi Billah.
