Egypt

Egypt: timeline and key events

20 events 🌍 Country page : Egypt
  1. Politics

    Unification of Egypt by Narmer

    King Narmer, or Menes, unifies Upper and Lower Egypt to found the first pharaonic civilisation. This unification marks the birth of the Egyptian state, one of the oldest civilisations in the world.

  2. Culture

    Construction of the Great Pyramid of Khufu

    Pharaoh Khufu has the Great Pyramid of Giza erected, one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world and the only one still standing today. This colossal monument, 147 metres tall, testifies to the technical mastery and absolute power of the pharaohs.

  3. Culture

    Reign of Akhenaten, religious revolution

    Pharaoh Akhenaten imposes the cult of Aten, the single solar disc, sweeping away traditional polytheism in what is considered the first attempt at monotheism in history. His reform will be reversed after his death by his successor Tutankhamun.

  4. Politics

    Reign of Ramesses II, apex of the New Kingdom

    Pharaoh Ramesses II reigns for 66 years over Egypt and brings the New Kingdom to its peak through his military conquests, including the Battle of Kadesh, and his immense constructions such as Abu Simbel. He is often identified as the pharaoh of the biblical Exodus.

  5. Politics

    Alexander the Great conquers Egypt

    Alexander the Great takes Egypt from Persia without a fight and founds the city of Alexandria, which will become the greatest intellectual centre of the ancient world. The Egyptians welcome him as a liberator from Persian domination.

  6. Politics

    Ptolemaic Dynasty, Ptolemy I

    After Alexander's death, his general Ptolemy I founds the Ptolemaic dynasty, which governs Egypt for three centuries. Under their rule, Alexandria becomes the intellectual capital of the world with the famous Library and the Lighthouse of Alexandria.

  7. Politics

    Reign of Cleopatra VII, last queen of Egypt

    Cleopatra VII ascends the throne and pursues a skillful policy to preserve Egypt's independence from Rome, allying successively with Julius Caesar then Mark Antony. Her reign ends in 30 BC with the Roman conquest.

  8. Politics

    Egypt becomes a Roman province

    After the suicide of Cleopatra VII and Octavian's victory, Egypt is annexed by Rome and becomes its richest province, the granary of the Empire. This date marks the end of the pharaonic civilisation that had lasted three millennia.

  9. Politics

    Arab conquest of Egypt

    The Arab armies of Caliph Omar conquer Byzantine Christian Egypt within a few years, opening a new era for the country. The gradual Islamisation and cultural Arabisation profoundly transform Egyptian society over the centuries.

  10. Culture

    Founding of Cairo by the Fatimids

    The Shia Fatimid dynasty seizes Egypt and founds the city of Al-Qahira (Cairo), destined to become one of the greatest cities of the Arab and medieval world. The city also houses the Al-Azhar university, the intellectual centre of Sunni Islam.

  11. Politics

    Saladin takes power in Egypt

    The Kurdish general Salah ad-Din Yusuf ibn Ayyub, known as Saladin, overthrows the Fatimid dynasty and reunifies Egypt under Sunni authority. He will found the Ayyubid dynasty and become famous for retaking Jerusalem from the Crusaders in 1187.

  12. Politics

    Ottoman conquest of Egypt by Selim I

    Ottoman Sultan Selim I defeats the Mamluks at the Battle of Ridaniya and annexes Egypt to the Ottoman Empire. The country remains under Ottoman domination for three centuries, until Napoleon's arrival in 1798.

  13. Science

    Napoleon Bonaparte's expedition to Egypt

    Napoleon Bonaparte lands in Egypt with an army of 38,000 soldiers and 167 scholars to study the country. Though militarily limited, the expedition revolutionises knowledge of ancient Egypt and paves the way for modern Egyptology.

  14. Science

    Champollion deciphers hieroglyphs

    French linguist Jean-François Champollion announces the decipherment of Egyptian hieroglyphs using the Rosetta Stone. This discovery opens access to 3,000 years of pharaonic writing and establishes Egyptology as a scientific discipline.

  15. Economy

    Inauguration of the Suez Canal

    The 193 km Suez Canal is inaugurated with great pomp in the presence of European sovereigns and Empress Eugenie. Linking the Mediterranean to the Red Sea, it revolutionises world maritime trade and makes Egypt a strategic crossroads.

  16. Politics

    British occupation of Egypt

    Britain invades Egypt to protect its interests in the Suez Canal and establishes a de facto protectorate. This occupation lasts until 1952 and fuels a strong Egyptian nationalist movement throughout the 20th century.

  17. Politics

    Independence and discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb

    Egypt gains formal independence in 1922 under King Fuad I. That same year, archaeologist Howard Carter discovers the intact tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun in the Valley of the Kings, sparking worldwide fascination with ancient Egypt.

  18. Politics

    Free Officers Revolution, Nasser takes power

    Colonel Gamal Abdel Nasser and his Free Officers overthrow King Farouk in a coup and proclaim the Republic. Nasser embodies Arab nationalism and launches a policy of social modernisation along with land reform.

  19. Politics

    Nationalisation of the Suez Canal, Suez Crisis

    Nasser nationalises the Suez Canal, previously controlled by a Franco-British company, triggering an international crisis. The ensuing Franco-British-Israeli intervention is halted by American and Soviet pressure, boosting Nasser's prestige.

  20. Politics

    Egyptian-Israeli Peace Treaty of Camp David

    President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin sign the Washington Peace Treaty, the first peace agreement between Israel and an Arab country. Sadat receives the Nobel Peace Prize but is assassinated two years later by Islamists.