Old Kingdom is the name given to the period in the 3rd

millennium B.C.E. when Egypt attained its first continuous peak of

civilization in complexity and achievement – the first of three so-
called "Kingdom" periods, which mark the high points of
civilization in the lower Nile Valley (the others being Middle
Kingdom and the New Kingdom).

The term itself was coined by nineteenth century historians and the
distinction between the Old Kingdom and the Early Dynastic
Period is not one which would have been recognized by Ancient
Egyptians. Not only was the last king of the Early Dynastic Period
related to the first two kings of the Old Kingdom, but the 'capital',
the royal residence, remained at Ineb-Hedg, the Ancient Egyptian
name for Memphis. The basic justification for a separation
between the two periods is the revolutionary change in architecture
accompanied by the effects on Egyptian society and economy of
large-scale building projects.

The Old Kingdom is most commonly regarded as the period of

time when Egypt was ruled by the Third Dynasty through the Sixth
Dynasty (2686 BCE – 2181 BCE). Many Egyptologists also
include the Memphite Seventh and Eighth Dynasties in the Old
Kingdom as a continuation of the administration centralized at
Memphis. While the Old Kingdom was a period of internal
security and prosperity, it was followed by a period of disunity and
relative cultural decline referred to by Egyptologists as the First
Intermediate Period. During the Old Kingdom, the Pharoh became
a living god, who ruled absolutely and could demand the services
and wealth of his subjects.

Under King Djoser, the second king of the Third Dynasty of the
Old Kingdom, the royal capital of Egypt was moved to Memphis,
where Djoser established his court. A new era of building was
initiated at Saqqara under his reign. King Djoser's architect,
Imhotep is credited with the development of building with stone
and with the conception of the new architectural form—the Step
Pyramid. Indeed, the Old Kingdom is perhaps best known for the
large number of pyramids constructed at this time as pharaonic
burial places. For this reason, the Old Kingdom is frequently
referred to as "the Age of the Pyramids."

The Beginning: Third Dynasty

The Pyramid of Djoser at Saqqara

The first notable pharaoh of the Old Kingdom was Djoser (2630–
2611 BCE) of the Third Dynasty, who ordered the construction of
a pyramid (the Step Pyramid) in Memphis' necropolis, Saqqara. An
important person during the reign of Djoser was his vizier,
Imhotep.

It was in this era that formerly independent ancient Egyptian states

became known as nomes, under the rule of the pharaoh. The
former rulers were forced to assume the role of governors or
otherwise work in tax collection. Egyptians in this era worshiped
their pharaoh as a god, believing that he ensured the annual
flooding of the Nile that was necessary for their crops. Egyptian
views on the nature of time during this period held that the
universe worked in cycles, and the Pharaoh on earth worked to
ensure the stability of those cycles. They also perceived themselves
as a specially selected people, "as the only true human beings on
earth".

Golden Age: Fourth Dynasty

The Great Sphinx of Giza in front of the Great Pyramid of Giza

The Old Kingdom and its royal power reached a zenith under the
Fourth Dynasty, which began with Sneferu (2613–2589 BCE).
Using more stones than any other pharaoh, he built three pyramids:
a now collapsed pyramid in Meidum, the Bent Pyramid at
Dahshur, and the Red Pyramid, at North Dahshur. However, the
full development of the pyramid style of building was reached not
at Saqqara, but during the building of the "great pyramids" at Giza.

Sneferu was succeeded by his son, Khufu (2589 - 2566 BCE) who
built the Great Pyramid of Giza. After Khufu's death his sons
Djedefra (2528–2520 BCE) and Khafra (2520–2494 BCE) may
have quarreled. The latter built the second pyramid and (in
traditional thinking) the Sphinx in Giza. Recent reexamination of
evidence has suggested that the Sphinx may have been built by
Djedefra as a monument to Khufu.
The later kings of the Fourth Dynasty were king Menkaura (2494–
2472 BCE), who built the smallest pyramid in Giza, Shepseskaf
(2472–2467 BCE) and Djedefptah (2486–2484 BCE) .

Decline and collapse: Fifth – Eighth Dynasties

Sculpture of a scribe from the fifth dynasty of Egypt

The Fifth Dynasty began with Userkaf (2465–2458 BCE), who

initiated reforms that weakened the Pharaoh and central
government.

Egypt's expanding interests in trade goods such as ebony, incense

such as Myrrh and frankincense, gold, copper and other useful
metals inspired the ancient Egyptians to build suitable ships for
navigation of the open sea. They traded with Lebanon for cedar
and traveled the length of the Red Sea to the Kingdom of Punt,
which is modern day Ethiopia and Somalia for ebony, ivory and
aromatic resins. Ship builders of that era did not use pegs
(treenails) or metal fasteners, but relied on rope to keep their ships
assembled. Planks and the superstructure were tightly tied and
bound together.

After the reigns of Userkaf and Sahure, civil wars arose as the
powerful nomarchs (regional governors) no longer belonged to the
royal family. The worsening civil conflict undermined unity and
energetic government and also caused famines. But regional
autonomy and civil wars were not the only causes of this decline.
The massive building projects of the Fourth Dynasty had exceeded
the capacity of the treasury and populace and, therefore, weakened
the Kingdom at its roots.

The final blow was a severe drought in the region that resulted in a
drastic drop in precipitation between 2200 and 2150 BCE, which
in turn prevented the normal flooding of the Nile. The result was
the collapse of the Old Kingdom followed by decades of famine
and strife. An important inscription on the tomb of Ankhtifi, a
nomarch during the early First Intermediate Period, describes the
pitiful state of the country when famine stalked the land.
Egypt's Old Kingdom (Dynasties 3–6, ca. 2649–2150 B.C.) was
one of the most dynamic periods in the development of Egyptian
art. During this period, artists learned to express their culture's
worldview, creating for the first time images and forms that
endured for generations. Architects and masons mastered the
techniques necessary to build monumental structures in stone.
Sculptors created the earliest portraits of individuals and the first
lifesize statues in wood, copper, and stone. They perfected the art
of carving intricate relief decoration and, through keen observation
of the natural world, produced detailed images of animals, plants,
and even landscapes, recording the essential elements of their
world for eternity in scenes painted and carved on the walls of
temples and tombs. These images and structures had two principal
functions: to ensure an ordered existence and to defeat death by
preserving life into the next world. To these ends, over a period of
time , Egyptian artists adopted a limited repertoire of standard
types and established a formal artistic canon that would define
Egyptian art for more than 3,000 years, while remaining flexible
enough to allow for subtle variation and innovation. Although
much of their artistic effort was centered on preserving life after
death, Egyptians also surrounded themselves with beautiful objects
to enhance their lives in this world, producing elegant jewelry,
finely carved and inlaid furniture, and cosmetic vessels and
implements in a wide

The Egyptian Army In Modern History

In 1516 A.D, the Turkish Army under the command of Ottoman

Sultan "Selim I" defeated the Egyptian Army led by Sultan Al-
Ghoury in the battle of “Marg Dabek” to the north of "Aleppo" and
proceeded towards Egypt invading it in a 1517 A.D. Ever since,
Egypt did not have its own national Army as it had been a territory
under Turkish rule for invasion 218 years when Napoleon
Bonaparte conquered Egypt during the French in 1798 A.D, a date
in history marking the beginning of the modern history of Egypt.
Mohamed Ali , the ruler of Egypt from 1805 to 1848 A.D.,
he created the modern Egyptian army in the year 1823 A.D.

In 1805 A.D, Mohamed Ali Pasha ruled Egypt dreaming to

establish an empire
that could inherit the feeble Ottoman Empire.Thus, In 1823 A.D,
he started to establish an army, mainly from Egyptians.
His Army was organized into six brigades, each one of five
battalions with
the strength of 800 soldiers each. This was accomplished by sept.
1824 A.D. ,
then, a number of french officers topped by colonel Sief - known
as
the French soliman pasha - were assigned to train the army .
Soliman Pasha El Yemen.He ruled Egypt in the year 1848 A.D.

Mohamed Ali also established the first Ministry of War in Egypt

during
the period of 1821 -1822 A.D.The first military display organized
in Egypt,
was inspected by Mohamed Ali on Dec. 26th,1826 A.D. Mohamed
Ali set up a number of military schools starting from 1822 A.D:
the Staff School in 1825 A.D, the Navy School in the same year,
Military Band School in 1827 A.D,
Cavalry School and Artillery School 1831 A.D, the Infantry
School in 1832 A.D, and the Military Engineers School in 1844
A.D. He also founded a large number of Academic Military
Missions to Europe and initiated the military industries of
weapons, ammunition and military uniforms to supply the army
with its provisions.
It`s worth mentioning that in 1839 A.D. the Egyptian ground
forces
reached 23588 soldiers & that of navy soldiers reached up to 1600,

whereas the number of navy warship was about 32 .

The Egyptian Army faught fiercely against the Turkish Forces in

the Battle of
“Nasibain” in June 1839 A.D, the Egyptian Army was about to
reach “Constantinople” the capital of Turkey, when the Western
countries swiftly interfered lest the influence of Mohamed Ali
would extend to Europe.
In 1840 A.D, “London Conference” was held to put an end to the
conflict
between Egypt and Turkey. In line with the conference resolutions,

the Ottman Sultan issued a decree in 1840 A.D, that stipulated the
inheritance of Mohamed Ali’s family as rulers of Egypt and Sudan.
The second main resolution of the conference was to limit the
number of
the Egyptian Army to 18000 soldiers at the most, the thing that
brought
Mohamed Ali`s dream of an empire to an end.
The successors of Mohamed Ali adopted his policy and did not
adhere to
the number of soldiers imposed by the London Conference
resolutions,
instead they worked on increasing and strengthening the Army
power.
Moreover, they established military schools, new army units,
and military industries to produce rifles, canons and swords. In
addition,
they imported heavy weapons from France, England and America.
 A field cannon
A seashore
used during the
cannon used
reign of
during the reign
“Mohamed Ali”
of Mohammad
(1805-1848 A.D.)
Ali

The Army's strength reached its peak during the reign of “Khedive
Ismail” in 1863 A.D.
But, he was forced to reduce the size of his Army and to close
down some
of his military schools by the end of his reign, as a result of the
financial crisis.
In mid 1882 A.D The British colonized Egypt after a fierce battle
against
the Egyptian army led by Orabi pacha near Cairo.
 Ahmed Orabi leading the
Orabi The
Egyptian army against the
leader of the
Khedive Taufik an the British
army
invasion in Egypt in 1882 A.D.

The non - stopping conflicts between the British Occupation

authority & the ruling authorities, casted its negative effects
on the development & competence of the army, nevertheless,

it tookpart in the military expedition to restore Sudan

in 1896 -1898 A.D.

The Most Prominent Wars Of Egypt During That Period

The Battles of the Egyptian Army during the campaign of
restoring
Sudan between (1896-1898 A.D.)

Wahabian War in 1811 A.D.:

Mohamed Ali extended his power over the Arabian Peninsula and

the Egyptian Forces reached the Arabian Gulf.

The Egyptian Army campaign to Sudan in 1820 A.D.
The occupation of Cyprus in 1823 A.D.
The occupation of the Island of Crete in 1824 A.D.
Morea War in Greece on Jan. 13th, 1825 A.D.
The Egyptian campaign to the Eastern Mediterranean countries
where the Turkish Army was defeated.

The Armed Forces And The Revolution Of July 1952

 Members of the revolutionary President Gamal
council Abd EL-Nasser

One of the six principles adopted by the 1952 Revolution, is the

establishment
of a strong national army, and as a result, Egypt signed the
withdrawal agreement with the U.K. in 1954. In compliance with
the evacuation treaty,
the British troops withdrew from Egypt in 1956. In 1955, Egypt
concluded
a treaty with Czechoslovakia to supply the Egyptian Armed Forces
with modern weapons.

Attacking Port Said in October 1956.

On the 26th of July 1956, the Suez canal was nationalized, the
thing that led to the tripatrite agression by England, France and
Israel. This ordeal has only made Egypt more determined to build a
strong national army capable of defending the vital interests of the
country and maintaining the integrity of its territories. On June 5th
1967
Egypt was attacked by Israel, in a bid to destroy the Eegyptian
army &
dwarf Egyptian efforts in assisting Arab cases especially the
Palestinian case.
Despite the bitterness of defeat, the destruction of the main assets
of the Army and the occupation of Sinai, Egypt swiftly restored its
strength
and strong will, declaring the continuation of war struggle to
liberate
the occupied land. On July 1st 1967, less than one month after the
Israeli aggression, the remarkable battle of Ras El -Ush took place
where a limited force with the size of a Ranger Platoon stopped.
Israeli armoured convoy causing severe casualties forcing Israel to
retreat.
On July 14th 1967 the Egyptian Air Force attacked the Israeli
Forces
assembled to the East of the Suez Canal bringing about serious
casualties
and damages to the Israeli Forces. On Octber 21st 1967, the
Egyptian Navy Missile Boats destroyed the Israeli destroyer “
Eilat” in front of Port Said coast, the sort of navy battle referred to
as the first navy battle where missiles were used. Hereafter, the
Egyptian Armed Forces worked against the clock on the
reorganization, rearmament and training plan to regain its strength
along with waging the attrition war against the Israeli Forces to the
east of the Suez Canal where all assets of ground, air and navy
weapons were used.
As a result of the attrition war Israel was forced to construct a
fortified defensive line along the confrontation front with the
Egyptian Forces in the Suez Canal area under the name of “Barlev
Line”, moreover, the Israeli government accepted the U.S
Secretary of State initiative known as “Rogers Initiative” to cease
fire in the Suez Canal front, after what befell on the Israeli Forces.
During that time, Egypt started the planning and preparation for
October War 1973, that was interrupted by the death of the late
President Gamal Abd El-Nasser on Septmber 28th 1970.
President Sadat tookover, and worked on the warplan identifing a
military political objective.
 President Mohammed Anwar EL-Sadat

On Oct. 6th,1973 the Egyptian Armed Forces assaulted the Suez

Canal
after the Air Force strike against the Israeli Forces positions in
Sinai,
the artillery also made the most massive preparations known in
history.
Hereafter, the Armed Forces crossed the Suez Canal and seized
“Barlev Line” destroyed the Israeli sequential attacks and managed
a group of air, sea and land combined operations efficiently,
the matter that led to the glorious victory of the Armed Forces.
 The raising of the
The crossing of tanks and
Egyptian flag on the
the vehicles of the army in
Eastern bank of the Suez
Suez Canal on 6th October
Canal on 6th
1973.
October,1973.

October war paved the way for the negotiations between Egypt and
Israel.
During that period, President Sadat made his historic visit to
Jerusalem on November 19th 1977 where his initiative was
crystalised in achieving peace between Arabs & Israel. President
Sadat exerted tremendous efforts on the peace track until the treaty
of Camp David was signed in Washington on March 14th 1979
with the participation of the USA. In Octber 1981, President Sadat
was assassinated by some elements opposing his policy.
Vice-President Mohammed Hosni Mubarak took over, working on
the peace track & restoring every inch of the usurbed land, this was
accomplished when
the Egyptian flag hoisted proudly over Taba on march 19th 1989.
Ever since President Mubarak took office in 1981, a
comprehensive development plan in all fields accompanied by an
ambitious plan to develop and modernize the Armed Forces on
scientific basis, with updated technologies to be a capable power
that protects peace and secures its foundations.

President Mubarak has always been keen to attend various patriotic

occasions
celebrated by the Armed Forces. Moreover, he is highly concerned
with
the welfare of the armed forces personnel, thus a large number of
projects
were inaugurated: military hospitals, education institutes, new
military social
clubs and military facilities aiming at providing proper service for
the Armed Forces personnel and their families.
.