The Historic Connection Between Egypt and Greece
By: Amana Tashfee/ Arab America Contributing Writer
Egyptian-Greek Relations
Ever wondered about the relationship between Egypt and Greece? These are two very different countries that share a similarly rich history. Egypt and Greek relations date all the way back to 600 BC when the Greeks often toured Egypt. The two countries shared historical ties and cultural ties, which essentially stems from their cordial relationship. In looking at the modern relationship between these two countries, diplomatic ties were formed following Greece’s independence in 1821. There was a large population of Greek’s residing in Egypt during the Hellenistic period however, in the wake of the 1952 Egyptian revolt, the majority of them had to flee. The Greek population in Alexandria, the community that was once flowing with roughly 400,000 Greeks, now remain only 5,000. In spite of this gap, Greece still remains as a prominent influence in Egyptian culture. Let’s take a look at how these two collide.
The Influence of Both Cultures
The influence of Greece on Egypt is surely a prominent belief as there is a large amount of sufficient evidence to support the presentable symbolism of Greek culture in Egypt. The city of Alexandria was the most Greek-populated city in Egypt with much cultural influence from Greece if analyzed. When looking at Alexandria, it is quite interesting to see the mix of both Greek and Egyptian culture spread throughout the city. How can this be? Speculations lead to assume that it is almost inevitable for there to be little to no Greek symbolism in Egypt after the war. With the two countries having strong international relations, there has to be some sort of cultural merge between the two in which both cultures are influenced by each other.
The Greek Club (pic)
Greek influence remains in Egyptian cities through restaurants, clubs, casual outdoor hangouts. These places serve as an important symbolic representation of Egyptian history. The Greek’s lived in many of the cities across Egypt and set up many churches and health centers across the country which were later founded by other communities. To represent the rich history between the Greeks and Egypts, many restaurants and bars are Greek-themed such as the well-known Greek Club in Alexandria. This restaurant attracted many residents and very quickly became a place for visitors to eat and enjoy.
Similarities
In similarities between the two cultures, both emphasized the importance of harmony and peace within their community and residents. Greek and Egyptian cultures prioritized the well-being of the people in order to reach this level of ease. This is why in many Greek cultures we may see many beautiful gardens and trees, this is set in order to help provide harmony for the community. Similarly, this principle of harmony was highly important to Egyptians as well. The Nile river was a representation of the concepts of balance and peace as it served to be very resourceful to Egyptians and their land. This idea of harmony was also represented through family ties in both cultures. Having extended family in houses to create a calm togetherness-like feeling was highly valued by both the Egyptians and Greeks.
In analyzing the Egypt-Greek relationship, one of the main aspects in common between the two was the passion and interest in literature. With Egyptian literature dating back to the 3rd millennium, the Greeks soon discovered this as they settled into Egypt. These pieces of literature would center around the topics of the typical adventures of Egyptian pharaohs and their fights against enemies along with some literature affiliated with a religion. Many of these pieces of literature were later translating into ancient Greek writers who would have to learn to adapt to ancient Egyptian writing. Much of the work written by Egyptians were influenced by Greek stories and models such as the Hellenistic period.
Intro: With the common notion of Greece and Egyptian being the same, as you can see although this is not true, there is a large historical and even cultural overlap between the two. With many Greeks residing in Egypt to this day, there is a prominent blend as both have influence over one another.
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