Present-Day Egyptian Culture - Research Paper Example

Present-Day Egyptian Culture Introduction Egyptian civilization is one of the oldest civilizations of the world. The official name of the country Egypt is Arab Republic of Egypt. The location of Egypt is towards the north eastern region of Africa. It is part of South West Asia. Cairo is the capital of Egypt. Foreigners are not present in large numbers in Egypt. The Egyptian currency is in pounds. The city that mainly consists of foreigners in Egypt is Cairo (Cunningham and Reich, 6). Cairo is also one of the overcrowded cities of Egypt. The Egyptian community The communities of Egypt are considered to be one of the highly innate communities in the world. Agricultural practices have emancipated in Egypt since five thousand years and due to this the Egyptian community is considered to be highly deep rooted. Maximum level of cooperation can be observed in the Egyptian community and they have a central government that deals with regulating all types of issues amongst the community. The Egyptians take special care of their community members and assist all members who need help and assistance (Fahmy, 10). Egyptian people at the major level belong to the Eastern Hamitic Stock. There are four cultural groups present in Egypt. They are Egyptian peasants, the Copt, Nubians, and lastly the Bedouins. Each culture practices its own way of living and have different lifestyles. All cultures easily accommodate with others and this way harmony prevails in major regions of Egypt (Lane, 13). Egypt’s geographical position allowed them to be in link with the surrounding regions and hence they developed and adopted multitude types of cultures and experiences (Fahmy, 4). Values and principles of Egypt have emerged from the various religions worldwide. The main source of heritage in the cultural and intellectual areas in Egypt is the religion of the country. Egyptian Language and Religion Egyptian Arabic is the main language of Egypt. French is understood by majority of the erudite classes in Egypt. French is usually taught as a second language in most of the schools and universities in Egypt (Fahmy, 6). Berber language is spoken in Siwa region of Egypt. As discussed above, there are four types of cultural groups present and due to the different practices, the languages spoken in some regions are different from the national language of Egypt. The Egyptians follow the religion Islam and this religion plays a vital role in the Egyptian society. All decisions in the country whether they are economic or political, personal or social are based upon the Islamic principles and practices (Lane, 69). Importance of Family in Egyptian Culture The individuals in Egypt act as subordinates to the family and as collectives in the society. They understand all types of family and social problems emancipating in the society and work towards supporting and taking care of their families with full sincerity and dedication. They observe high elements of mutual respect and cooperation amongst their relatives and family members. Taking pride in their family and being loyal to them is the first priority for Egyptians and they value family more than any other social relationship (Lane, 100). Modern Egyptian Life Big cities in Egypt have been faced to have transformed their lifestyles. The signs that can be observed now for a healthy economy are to have food that is of American style, play sports, and watch movies in cinemas regularly. Modern Egyptians are observed to have high interest in music and arts. Large amounts of public and private transportation is available in major cities of Egypt (Fahmy, 30). On the contrary, there is overpopulation in many areas of the country. A large gap is present between the rich and poor. Pollution is present in considerable percentages in major cities. Apart from the major cities, the rest of the country follows the lifestyle of ancient Egypt. Villages consist of people along the Nile bank. The houses there are made of mud bricks and tents are formed with the skins of goat. Business practices in Egypt Egyptians partners need to be addressed with their surnames during the initial meeting with them. In the business culture of Egypt, the business contacts of people play a vital role in determining the success or failure of any new business. Egyptian businesses are successful if trustworthy people are involved in the business (Dlabay, Burrow and Kleindl, 269). During business meetings, small gifts (inexpensive) are exchanged as a business custom. While the business cards are exchanged amongst the business class, it is important to review the details on the business card of the counterpart as sign of respect and interest in the details of the other businessman (Dlabay, Burrow and Kleindl, 270). This according to Egyptians is a sign of respect towards their counterpart. Dress and Customs of Egyptians The Egyptians wear a long robe that can be of any color and it is called as “gibbeh” by the Egyptians (Lane, 38). Some robes have full sleeves and some robes have more than half sleeves. Turbans are worn by some but mostly in the modern era, less Egyptians wear turbans on their head (Lane, 40). Left hand in the Egyptian culture is considered to be not clean and therefore it is an unacceptable practice to use the left hand for any type of gesture. For any type of gesture only the right hand must be used. While sitting, both feet should be on the ground as it is thought to be offensive if anyone exposes the foot sole to anyone. The Egyptians do not talk directly to the point rather if they give their consent for something it may just mean that there is a possibility of commencing the particular issue. Consent in Egyptian culture does not necessarily mean that they will do the task they have stated. Egyptian men may be observed to walk hand in hand with their friends and this is a strong gesture of portraying the element of friendship between them. Education and Tourism in Egypt Education is a high priority in Egyptian culture and children that are in between the age of six to fifteen are provided with free education that is compulsory upon them to pursue (Lane, 59). Egyptians possess a friendly nature. They are also helpful and assist in whatever way possible if respect is shown to them. They give respect to people who behave according to the values and customs of their culture. Major sources of income for Egypt are through tourism. One of the Seven Wonders of the World, the Pyramids of Giza is located in Egypt and people from all over the world come to visit it. The tourism industry focuses on ensuring that the tourists have a satisfied visit and have the desire to revisit Egypt again in future. The systems of education followed in Egypt are the Azharite Religious System or the State System (Lane, 69). Food in Modern Egypt Egyptian cuisines are considered to be spicy and delicious and they consist of a blend of flavors coming in from Middle East and Mediterranean regions. The national dish of Egypt is Ful mudammas, which is fava beans that are mashed and bread that is called eish masri (Civitello, 13). Bread is a complementary dish with almost all cuisines of Egypt. Other types of popular cuisines in Egypt are koftas and kebabs that are made of lamb meat. This meat is grilled on charcoals. One of the most popular sandwiches in Egyptian food is the Shawerma, which is made up of chicken or meat that is shredded (Civitello, 14). Technological Advances Egyptians have the capability of advanced engineering. One of the latest forms of social organizations in Egypt has been the carving of stones, metal working abilities, and pottery. Tools and metals if made out of bronze have high advantages. These types of tools are of high importance to Egyptians (Assmann, 41). Egyptian weddings Modern Egyptian weddings follow many of the traditions that were practiced in ancient Egyptian weddings. Weddings take place either in mosques or in churches. Reception parties are given after the wedding has taken place. The common elements in these reception parties across Egypt are that singing and dancing of guests are present, there are large number of guests present and the banquet is lavish according to the status of the families. The bride wears the usual bridal outfit and the groom usually wears suits that are black on the wedding day (Lane, 167). Conclusion Egyptian culture has a strong influence on its surrounding regions and these regions reflect upon the different cultural elements in Egypt. The Egyptians appreciate if foreigner behaves according to their values and customs and this fact is true for majority of the cultures worldwide. Education is given high priority in the Egyptian culture and they provide free education to children till a certain age which is a very positive act for any country as this increases the literacy level of the country. The lifestyle of Egypt is on a fast and modern note in the present culture. Egyptians prefer some foods spicy and some moderately spicy. Works Cited  Assmann, Jan. The Mind of Egypt. Jenkins, Andrew, Trans. New York: Metropolitan Books. 2002. Print. Civitello. Linda. Cuisine and Culture: A History of Food and People. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons. 2011. Print. Cunningham, Lawrence S. and Reich, John J. Culture and Values: A Survey of the Humanities. Wadsworth: Cengage Learning. 2010. Print. Dlabay, Les, Burrow, James L. and Kleindl, Brad. Principles of Business. USA: Cengage Learning. 2011. Print. Fahmy, Ziad. Ordinary Egyptians: Creating the Modern Nation Through Popular Culture. California: Stanford University Press. 2011. Print. Lane, Edward W. Manners and Customs of Modern Egyptians. Cosimo Classics. 2010. Print. Read More