Life More ..

Ostriches, antelopes and lions were hunted here in ancient times, but they must all now be sought in the savannas of the Sudan and East Africa. It is not only the wildlife that has changed. Neither the camel, the immediate image of a desert country, nor the water buffalo, always to be seen basking in the canals or river, can be found in ancient art. Both were relatively late introductions to Egypt, the camel by the Persians in the fifth century BC, and the water buffalo by the Mamelukes. Over the centuries new fruits and crops have been introduced for food, or, as with cotton, for trade. In the 19th century many tropical trees and plants were brought into Egypt, which have altered its appearance further.

The eucalyptus trees which line the roads, and the bougainvillaea which flourishes in Aswan, have now become part of the landscape. Egypt's position in the eastern Mediterranean has assured it an important political role throughout history. Even when the country itself was difficult for Europeans to visit, its ancient power and splendour were an irresistible lure to adventurous travellers. Long before the science of Egyptology developed there was much to focus the Western mind upon the country. Egypt figures in many of the major episodes of the Biblical narrative. The story of Joseph; Moses and the Exodus; the compaigns of Shishak, king of Egypt, against Jerusalem all created images of Egypt as a great power, often in opposition to the Jews. Yet, according to the account in the New Testament, with the flight of the Holy Family into Egypt the country become a haven from the despotism of Herod. Indeed, Christianity flourished in Egypt, and monasticism was developed there.