Walk Like an Egyptian Trivia Quiz

Answer: Oligarchy

Over thousands of years, Egypt has existed in several different iterations. We all know of the monarchy of pharaohs whose rule extended all the way until the Cleopatra - Marc Antony - Julius Caesar love triangle that brought down that dynasty. A vassal of many empires, Egypt also existed as a caliphate, a sultanate, a khedivate, a military state, and a republic (with a strong claim as to being a dictatorship as well).

Throughout these thousands of years, and despite the different influences of different peoples on the Egyptians, they were always able to maintain a strong sense of identity and nationalistic pride. This probably contributed to their strength as a people and the ability of Egypt to survive all of these years.

Answer: Anwar Sadat

After the death of Gamal Abdel Nasser due to a heart attack in 1970, Anwar Sadat, his right-hand man and the country's vice-president, ascended to the Presidency. Despite Sadat probably being one of the main reasons the 1973 Fourth Arab-Israeli War occurred (the Yom Kippur War), it was Sadat who decided to take a new path and trod on the road to peace with Israel. On November 19, 1977, Sadat landed in Tel Aviv and the next day addressed the Knesset, Israel's governing body. In his speech, he famously said:

"I come to you today on solid ground, to shape a new life, to establish peace. We all, on this land, the land of God; we all, Muslims, Christians and Jews, worship God and no one but God."

This visit led the way to the 1979 peace accords between Egypt and Israel. Sadly, this was also the reason for Sadat's death. In 1981, Anwar Sadat was assassinated by extremists from his own country. The hit team, led by Lieutenant Khalid Islambouli, opposed the peace accords and believed that peace was what would bring about the downfall of Egypt.

Answer: Cairo was one of the most crowded cities in the world.

An October 2018 census listed that Cairo had a population density of over 16000 people per square kilometer. This made it one of the densest cities in the world. At just under 10 million people, and over 20 million in greater Cairo and the surrounding townships, Cairo was the 15th largest metropolitan area in the world. This causes great traffic congestion, poor air quality, and challenges with infrastructure.

A new capital city was proposed in 2015. It is located about 45 kilometers east of Cairo and was built after looking at Kazakhstan, a country which successfully managed to move their capital. The building was built with a private-public partnership, using both state funds and corporate sponsorships to get the job done. The second-largest mosque in the world, the Al-Fattah Al-Aleem Mosque was dedicated in the new capital in January 2019, as well as the largest cathedral in the Middle East, the Cathedral of the Nativity. These were meant as a symbol of peace and unity, showing the coexistence of the two religions.

Answer: Sinai Peninsula

The Sinai Peninsula is the land bridge between Asia and Africa, and is technically on the African Plate but is still considered part of Asia. In ancient times, it was known as 'Mefkat', the 'Land of Turquoise' but it was renamed due to the belief that the famous mountain of Moses, Mt. Sinai, was located on this peninsula. Saint Catherine's Monastery has long held the belief that the mountain due south of the site is the same Biblical mountain where the Bible was given to Moses.

Sinai is a triangular peninsula bordered by the Gulf of Aqaba in the east, the Mediterranean Sea in the north and the Gulf of Suez in the west. The Suez Canal was dug in northeastern Sinai in order to connect the Mediterranean with access to the Indian Ocean (easing up on worldwide shipping routes).

Interestingly, for a while, the Sinai Peninsula was used as a penal colony by the Egyptians. Don't worry, this was way back in the 3rd to 1st centuries BC. You should worry more about Australians...

Answer: Yes

Most of Egypt is covered by desert. In fact, if it wasn't for the Nile River, Egypt would be a pretty desolate climate to live in. The Sahara, the largest (warm-weather) desert in the world, stretches all the way from the Atlantic Ocean in Western Sahara to Egypt in the east, covering the majority of the country in a dry land.

While most of Egypt lacks rainfall, there is actually a very distinct difference between the desert to the east and to the west of the Nile River. The lands to the west of the river follow the stereotypical desert description, sand dunes, rock formations, very occasional oases, and it extends all the way to Libya. The desert to the east of the river which goes all the way to the Red Sea is hilly to mountainous, arid, and rugged.

Despite the lack of precipitation at the moment, this is predicted to be a cyclical phenomenon. Every 20-thousand years or so the Sahara becomes a savanna with regular rainfall, at least in some seasons. Time is ticking - this should happen in about 15-thousand years. Plan now!

Answer: The Colossus

The Colossus was a giant statue and stood at the entrance to the harbour at Rhodes.

Alexandria was founded by Alexander the Great in the 4th century BC at the location of the Egyptian town of Rhacotis. He made it the capital of the Egypt up until it was moved to Fustat (now Cairo) in AD 641. The Great Library of Alexandria was founded and remained one of the largest centers of learning of the Ancient World until some time in the mid 3rd century AD when it was totally destroyed (it had been partially burned during the time of Julius Caesar, albeit accidentally).

The Lighthouse of Alexandria was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. It stood over 100m tall and was one of the tallest structures in the world. It was damaged in earthquakes and its ruins were used to build other structures. Some remains have been found at the bottom of the Alexandria Harbour.

The Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa, or, the Alexandria Necropolis, is one of the Seven Wonders of the Middle Ages. The necropolis is an old burial place consisting of three levels, the bottom one being submerged nowadays. Remains of humans and horses have been found here. The catacombs themselves combine Hellenistic, Roman and Egyptian traditions and art in one site.

Answer: Aswan High Dam

The Aswan Dam is a dam system consisting of two dams. The first dam, the Aswan Low Dam, was built between 1898 and 1902 when Egypt was occupied by the British. It produces electricity, but its main purpose at the time was to regulate the water flow of the Nile in order to prevent floods and droughts in the different seasons of rainfall.

The Aswan High Dam was constructed between 1960 and 1970 and is located south (upstream) of the Aswan Low Dam. It was constructed under President Nasser and was completed right before his death. The Cold War had played a part in the building of the dam: Egypt sought funding from both the Americans and the Soviets for the project and finally settled for the aid package offered by the USSR.

The dam is a source of controversy for Egypt. On one hand, it is an economic boon, providing clean electricity and jobs for many while propping up Egypt's economy. On the other hand, it has caused several ecological and archaeological issues like erosion of coastlines and the flooding of ancient sites. It also forced hundreds of thousands of Egyptian and Sudanese Nubians to relocate from their lands. Nevertheless, the dam stands tall and proud today.

Answer: False

While the Egyptians claim the 1899 Anglo-Egyptian Condominium is the correct definition for the border - the 22nd parallel - the Sudanese claim that the 1902 British-defined administrative boundary is the correct one, based on different tribal connections to Cairo and Khartoum. This leaves two areas that are disputed, or rather one disputed and one in limbo.

The Halayib Triangle is a region on the Red Sea coast that is north of the 22nd parallel, thus claimed by Egypt, but it was also claimed by Sudan by the 1902 definition. Both nations' maps show this region as being theirs, and both have debated this issue to the United Nations.

On the other hand, Bir Tawil is a smaller area south of the 22nd parallel, so it is not claimed by Egypt, but, in the 1902 definition, it was granted to the Egyptian Ababda tribe as grazing land, so Sudan feels that it's not theirs. Both nations do not administer this small region making it an inhabitable region with no sovereignty at all.

Answer: Tahrir Square

While all the aforementioned are squares in Cairo, only Tahrir Square has had the history and pedigree to be the focal point of revolutions. Originally designated as a city square in 1902 when the Egyptian Museum was moved to its current location, Tahrir Square was originally named after Khedive Ismail Pasha, a 19th century ruler of Egypt and Sudan.

A place of gathering in the 1919 Egyptian Revolution, it became known as "Tahrir" meaning "liberation". It was officially renamed in 1952 when another revolution occurred and the Egyptian republic was born. In 2011, when northern Africa and the Middle East were experiencing Arab Spring, Tahrir Square was a focal point for protesters. This resulted in the resignation of president Hosni Mubarak. Two years later, yet another revolution occurred ousting Mohamed Morsi in favour of General Abdul Fatah al-Sisi.

Answer: Sphinx

The Great Sphinx of Giza is a carving into what was a natural limestone hill depicting a mythical creature with the body of a lion and the head of a human. Its origins are unknown; it was not mentioned in any ancient texts and is very difficult to date. Some scholars attribute it to Pharaoh Khafre. The Sphinx of Giza differs from the Greek legendary creature as it has no eagle wings and it has a man's head and not a woman's.

The Great Sphinx is located within the Giza Necropolis, which also has the Great Pyramid of Khufu, the Pyramids of Khafre and Menkaure, and other minor pyramids. The Great Pyramid is the only World Wonder of the Ancient World that still exists today. The site also contains cemeteries containing royalty as well as the ruins of a workers' village. Indeed, this is the most well-known of Egypt's tourist attractions and perhaps its best-visited site.