Egypt+Culture

=Culture =


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**__Language, Religion and Tradition__**

The official language in Egypt is Arabic. However, English and French are understood and practiced by educated classes. Egypt consists of the following religions: Muslim (Sunni), 90 percent, Coptic, 9 percent, and other/Christian 1 percent ([|CIA Egypt Fact Book, 2011]).

Islam is the most practiced religion in Egypt. Most Egyptians practice Islam and it governs their personal, political, economic, and legal lives. Among many responsibilities, Muslims are to pray five times a day (dawn, noon, afternoon, sunset, and evening). Friday is the Muslim’s holy day and everything is usually closed. During the holy month of Ramadan, Muslims are to fast from dawn to dusk and are allowed to work only 6 hours per day. Fasting entails no eating, drinking, cigarette smoking, or gum chewing. Expatriates do not have to fast but the individuals are not allowed to eat, drink, smoke or chew gum in public

__ **Values, Beliefs, and Social Class** __

There are very strict family values within the Egyptian culture. The family is considered the most important unit of Egyptian society and it plays a significant role in all social relations. The individual is always inferior to the family, tribe, or group. Additionally, Nepotism is viewed in a positive light, as it is sponsorship of one’s family.

Social class is very evident in Egypt as it determines one’s access to power. The social class in Egypt consists of upper, middle, and lower. The social class one is born into will determine his or her everyday life and the opportunities he or she receives. Status is defined by family background over wealth and there is very little social mobility ([|Kwintessential, 2011]).

__ **Music** __

__//Ancient//__

Music has been with the Egyptians since the beginning of their existence. Music was a very important part of rituals, daily life, and recreation. Many of the dead were buried with various instruments. Unfortunately, none of this music survived. It is assumed that music was passed down from one person to another, like many of the arts at this time. Universities are working to discover what ancient Egyptian music may have sounded like based on historical forms from today using recreations of instruments. Instruments that were known existed in ancient Egypt consist of lyres, harps, flutes, horns, drums, cymbals and percussion.

<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; height: 272px; width: 257px;"> <span style="color: #ff0000; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; text-align: left;">__//Modern//__ <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Arab music is one of the oldest musical traditions in the world and still exists in the modern music world of Egypt. Modern Arab music consists of all genres such as traditional melodies and ones that are closer to the Western World of pop. <span style="color: #ff0000; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; text-align: left;"> Egypt’s importance in Arabic music is because many great Arabic musicians were Egyptian. Some of these famous Arab musicians were Sayed Darwish, Mohamed Abdel Wahab, Umm Kulthum, Mohamed Al-Qasabji, Zakariyya Ahmad, and Riad Al-Sunbati. Today, one famous Arabic singer, Amr Diab, won the 1998 World Music Award for his song “Nour El Ain” making him the second Arab singer to ever win this award. The English version of this song, called “Habibi,” was a hit in Europe and also became popular in dance clubs located in the United States ([|Tour Egypt, 2011]).

<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Below is the audio and lyrics to Diab's song "Nour El Ain." <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">media type="youtube" key="PszTTyz85fA" height="315" width="420" align="center"

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">__**Food**__

<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Egyptians offer general portions when serving food. Egyptian cuisine accommodates all types of people including carnivores, vegetarians, and vegans. Egyptian cuisine mainly consists of vegetables, herbs, lame, and chicken ([|Egypt Tourism, 2011]). <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">***The below cuisines are all from the website stated above*** <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">

<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">The small pigeons are filled with rice and then roasted. <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">When eating this cuisine, it is recommended to watch for tiny bones. <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">This is made with small balls of kofta which is made of ground  <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> meat with parsley and onions, and is cooked in a thick tomato sauce  <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">served on rice and garnished with pine nuts. <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Fresh seafood is very abundant in Egypt. <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">This cuisine is fried in olive oil, grilled over hot coals, <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">or can be cooked in a "Tajin" (clay pot). The most common <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">fish eaten by Egyptians is balti or bouri. <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">This is made from leafy green vegetables called mallow  <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> in the West and is eaten in the Middle East. It is a stew and <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> is usually cooked with chicken or rabbit and is seasoned with  <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">garlic and flavored with coriander. <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">This is made with layers of bread drenched in milk  <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">and contains raisins and sometimes nuts. Then it is <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">baked until the top of the cuisine is golden brown. <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">The end result is a creamy cake. <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">This is known as falafel in other Middle Eastern Countries. <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">It is a vegetarian cuisine. It contains broad beans combined <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">with spices. The cuisine looks like a tiny doughnut and is deep <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> fried until it is crunchy. <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">This is one of the most famous Egyptian snack foods. <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">It is sold by street vendors and small shops also sell it all <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">throughout Egypt. It is made from rice,lentils, fried onions, <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">and pasta. It is then covered in tomato sauce. <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">This is usually made with a mix of whole meal and  <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">white flour and then put near an open flame, which turns  <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> it into a pita bread. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">References <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Egypt. (n.d.). //Egypt//. Retrieved December 5, 2011, from https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/eg.html

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Egypt - Language, Culture, Customs and Etiquette Guide. (n.d.). //Professional Translation Services | Interpreters | Intercultural Communication & Training//. Retrieved December 5, 2011, from http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/egypt-country-profile.html

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Egypt:Where it all Begins. (n.d.). //Egypt Cuisine//. Retrieved December 5, 2011, from en.egypt.travel/practical_info/eg_cuisine

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Stengle, S. (n.d.). Music in Egypt - Seven Millennia of Performance. //Egypt Travel Guide - Tour Egypt//. Retrieved December 5, 2011, from http://www.touregypt.net/music.htm