|[L2 201]c.5000BC Agriculture is introduced into the Nile valley and a [G 024/ sedentary farming culture] develops.
|c.3100 - 2686BC THE EARLY DYNASTIC PERIOD (Dynasty I - II)
|[L2 202][I 001]c.3100BC Menes unifies Upper and Lower Egypt and becomes the first known king. A new capital is constructed at Memphis.
|c.2686 - 2160BC THE OLD KINGDOM (Dynasty III - VI)
|c.2700BC DYNASTY III:
[L2 203][I 002]The architect Imhotep builds a step pyramid at Saqqara for King Zoser.
King Huni is the first to attempt the construction of a true pyramid at [M 002]Meidum.
|c.2613 - 2494BC DYNASTY IV:
[L2 204][I 003]Sneferu builds first true pyramid at Dahshur.
[L2 205][V 010]Climax of pyramid building at Giza by the pharaohs Khufu, Khafre, and Menkaure.
[L2 206][P 004&P005&P007&P064]The probable construction of the Sphinx.
|c.2494 - 2345BC DYNASTY V:
[I 006][P 053]Worship of sun god Ra becomes the predominant religion. Sacred shrines are built with obelisks dedicated to the sun.
|c.2345 - 2181BC DYNASTY VI:
Increase in power of provincial governors leads to decentralized power.
[M 001]Trading relations are cultivated with Byblos, Punt, Sinai, Palestine and Nubia.
|c.2160 - 2040BC THE FIRST INTERMEDIATE PERIOD (Dynasty VII - XI):
[I 007]Worship of Ra wanes in favor of the Cult of Osiris.
Sporadic fighting between the centers of Heracleopolis [M 002&M 003](Lower Egypt) and Thebes (Upper Egypt).
|c.2133 - 1991BC DYNASTY XI:
Low inundations of the Nile and a lack of general policy for irrigation result in famine.
[I 008]Mentuhotep II defeats Heracleopolis.
|c.2040 - 1786BC THE MIDDLE KINGDOM (Dynasty XII):
Mentuhotep II reunites Egypt, reorganizing the land and sending [M 001]expeditions to Libya, Nubia, Sinai and Syria. Period of greatest extension of the kingdom begins.
[M 013]Fortifications built in the eastern Delta and at the Second [G 005/ Cataract] secure country's defense.
Trade and diplomacy brought on by prosperity exposes Egypt to foreign influences and ideas.
|c.1786 - 1567BC THE SECOND INTERMEDIATE PERIOD (Dynasty XIII - XVII):
Gradual collapse of central control over Egypt with growth of [G 013/ Hyksos] power.
|[M 002]c.1674BC Memphis falls to Hyksos.
|c.1674 - 1567BC DYNASTY XV:
Salitis, the first Hyksos ruler to assume the throne, founds new dynasty.
|c.1650BC Theban King Kamose declares war on Hyksos and succeeds in penetrating to Avaris, the Hyksos capital.
|c.1650 - 1567BC DYNASTY XVII:
New line of Egyptian rulers assume control at Thebes.
|c.1567 - 1050BC THE NEW KINGDOM (Dynasty XVIII - XX)
|c.1567 - 1320BC DYNASTY XVIII:
[I 009]Ahmose completes defeat of [G 013/ Hyksos] and unites Egypt under new dynasty.
[I 010][M 012&M013]Greatest territorial expansion under Tuthmosis III: empire is extended as far east as the Euphrates River and south to the Fourth [G 005/ Cataract] of the Nile.
|[I 011][P 064]c.1450BC Tuthmosis IV digs the Sphinx out of the sands.
|[P 069]c.1379 - 1362BC Religious and cultural revolution under Akhenaton.
|[I 012][P 073]c.1361 - 1352BC Tutankhamun restores the old cults at Thebes.
|c.1318 - 1304BC DYNASTY XIX:
Seti I prepares for military operations against the [G 012/ Hittites], the dominant Asiatic power.
|[I 013][P 052] c.1299BC Ramesses II fights Hittites at the Battle of Kadesh. New cosmopolitan capital emerges at Pi-Ramesse.
[M002&M012][V 009]
|c.1283BC After a decade of stalemate, a treaty is concluded with the Hittites.
|[I 014]c.1198 - 1166BC Ramesses III is the last great Egyptian pharaoh.
|c.1190BC Invasions by Libyans and [G 023/ Sea Peoples] are thwarted.
First recorded labor strike in history takes place.
Rapid loss of Asiatic Empire occurs after death of Ramesses III; the supply of silver and copper is cut off, and the gold supply is considerably reduced.
|c.1140 - 1085BC Economic distress leads to pillaging of tombs and royal mortuary temples.
|c.1050 - 650BC THE THIRD INTERMEDIATE PERIOD (Dynasty XXI-XXV)
|c.1050 - 945BC DYNASTY XXI:
Upon the death of Ramesses XI, Smendes, the governor of Tanis, becomes king and founds a new dynasty.
[M 003]High priests of Amon at Thebes acquire power almost equal to the pharaoh and assume the title of king.
[M 001]Growth of the Kingdom of Israel under King David and Solomon.
[M 012&M 013]King Siamon of Egypt presents Philistia as a dowry in the diplomatic marriage of his daughter to Solomon. It is a move that is indicative of the decline of Egyptian power in the region. Egypt is unable to maintain control over Nubia because of its internal weakness.
|c.945 - 712BC DYNASTY XXII:
[I 024]Sheshong I, great chief of the Meshwesh Libyans, musters strong military backing and takes the Egyptian throne, forming a new dynasty. He revives Egyptian influence in Asia.
|[I 015]c.730BC Under threat of attack from Egypt's Libyan rulers, the Kushite King Piankhi invades and defeats the Libyans.
|c.664 - 332BC THE LATE PERIOD (Dynasty XXVI-XXXI)
|c.664 - 525BC DYNASTY XXVI:
Assyria supports several loyal vassal princes in the Delta to assert [I 016]control over Egypt. The powerful Psamtik extends his authority over all Egypt, founding the Saite XXVI Dynasty
Egyptian foreign policy avoids territorial expansion and tries to maintain the status quo. This period sees the rise of nationalism and a cultural revival.
|[M 001]c.525 - 404BC DYNASTY XXVII:
The Persian Cambyses penetrates Egypt and reaches Nubia in 525BC. Egypt, Cyrenaica and the Libyan oases form the sixth Persian [G 022/ satrapy].
|[M 012]490BC Athenians defeat Persians at Marathon. Libyans revolt in the Delta in 486BC and 465BC.
|c.404 - 343BC Death of Darius II of Persia prompts a rebellion by Delta Libyans. They go on to form the Saite XXVIII Dynasty. The Libyans rule over the next three dynasties.
|343BC Renewed Persian strength under Artaxerxes III leads to the reconquest of Egypt following victory in the Battle of Pelusium.
|332 - 304BC MACEDONIAN KINGS:
[I 017][M 012]Alexander the Great of Macedonia defeats Persians at Issus in 333BC and is given Egypt by the Persian [G 022/ satrap] in 332BC.
[M 002]Alexander builds a capital at Alexandria, the ruling seat of a strongly centralized state.
[M 001]Alexander dies suddenly in Babylon in 323BC; his generals divide the empire among themselves.
|304 - 30BC THE PTOLEMIES:
The division of Alexander's empire into independent states saw Egypt [I 018]come under the control of one of his generals, Ptolemy I.
|[I 019]284 - 246BC Ptolemy II conducts a massive administrative and economic reorganization of Egypt. This period also revives the Egyptian custom where a king marries his sister.
|[I 020]193BC With native revolts and a military threat from Syria, Ptolemy V Epiphanes marries Cleopatra, daughter of Antiochus III of Syria.
|168BC Greece comes under Roman control. Ptolemies foster friendship with Rome, placing themselves under Roman protection.
|51BC Ptolemy XII Auletes, the last king to maintain Egyptian neutrality in Rome's internal disputes, is succeeded by his daughter [I 021]Cleopatra VII.
|44BC Cleopatra's security under the patronage of Julius Caesar ends abruptly with his assassination. She joins with Antony after his victory over Caesar's enemies.
|36BC Marriage of Antony and Cleopatra.
|[M 012]30BC Antony and Cleopatra commit suicide after Octavius defeats them in the Battle of Actium in western Greece.
|30BC - AD395 THE ROMAN PROVINCE:
[I 022]The stability of Octavian's (later Augustus) new empire depends on a continuous grain supply from Egypt. Egypt is given special treatment to ensure its security.
|[I 023]AD284 Diocletian reorganizes the administration of the Roman Empire; Egypt is divided into three provinces.
Christianity spreads throughout the empire and is sanctified by Emperor Constantine, instigating the development of a formal Egyptian church.
|AD395 - 64 THE BYZANTINE PROVINCE:
[M 001]With the death of Theodosius, the Roman Empire is permanently divided into east and west; Egypt is ruled from Constantinople.
|AD642 - 1517 ISLAMIC EGYPT:
Muslim armies sweep out of the Arabian peninsula, attacking Egypt in AD639.
[M 002]Alexandria is evacuated in AD642.
Arabs establish a capital at Fustat, a fortified township at the apex of the Nile delta.
|AD706 Arabic becomes the official state language.
|[M 002&M001]AD649 - 669 Arabs use shipyards of Alexandria to construct their own fleet. Trading expeditions are sent to Rhodes, Cyprus and Sicily.
The Byzantine navy is defeated at Phoenix in AD655.
|AD868 - 905 TULUNID DYNASTY:
[M 001]Ahmad ibn Tulun establishes control over Egypt, independent of the Abbasid [G 004/ caliphate] in Baghdad. He restores the country, in part, to its former ancient glory.
Tulun's son squanders Egypt's wealth and both Egypt and Syria fall into anarchy with his murder in AD896.
|AD935 - 969 IKHSHIDID DYNASTY:
Muhammad ibn Tughj restores stability to Egypt in a manner similar to Tulun.
|AD969 - 1171 FATIMID DYNASTY:
[M 002]The Fatimid [G 004/ caliphate] is established at Cairo in AD973 as an independent rival to the Abbasid caliphate.
|1171 - 1250 AYYUBID DYNASTY:
[M 001]Saladin, commander of a Syrian army, restores allegiance to the Abbasid caliphate and unites Egypt with Syria and Mesopotamia in a new Egyptian empire.
Sultan al-Malik as-Salih Ayyub is forced to buy more Turkish slaves (Mamluks) to man the Egyptian armies after attacks by the Crusaders.
|1250 - 1517 MAMLUK DYNASTY:
After the death of as-Salih Ayyub, the Mamluks are able to exploit internal palace politics to gain the Egyptian sultanate. Egypt becomes the unrivaled center of the eastern Muslim world.
|1261 Mamluks re-establish the Abbasid [G 004/ caliphate] in Cairo after Mongols invade Baghdad.
|1323 After several major battles, a truce is concluded with the Mongols.
Population decline from plague, Bedouin raiding, loss of control over Indian trade to Portugal, and Mamluk factionalism lead to Egyptian decline.
|1517 - 1805 THE OTTOMAN PROVINCE:
[M 001]Ottoman Turks defeat Mamluks and Egypt becomes province of the Ottoman Empire, ruled from Istanbul.
|[M 013]1536 - 46 Egypt is used as a base to expand the Ottoman Empire south into Nubia as far as the Third [G 005/ Cataract] and exert dominance over the Red Sea with the capture of Aden and Yemen.
|[M 002]1798 July 1 Napoleon invades to control the land and sea route to India, capturing Alexandria and Cairo.
|1798 August 1 Nelson destroys the French fleet in the Battle of the Nile.
|1799 February Napoleon invades Syria to deny Ottoman access as a base to attack Egypt, but fails to take Acre.
|[M 012]1799 August 22 Ottoman landing at Abu Qir fails to maintain its bridgehead, but Napoleon decides to return to France.
|[M013]1801 March Egypt is invaded by the British at Abu Qir, Ottomans from Syria, and British Indian forces at Qusayr on the Red Sea coast. The French expeditionary force surrenders in September.
|1803 March The British evacuate Egypt according to the terms of the Peace of Amiens signed with France.
|1803 May Albanian contingent of the Ottoman army mutiny and assume viceroyalty of Egypt. Albanian viceroy is assassinated shortly afterwards and military command is passed to Muhammad Ali.
|1805 - 82 MUHAMMAD ALI
|1805 May Revolt in Cairo against Ottoman viceroy; Muhammad Ali is made viceroy.
|[M 001]1811 - 13 Expedition to Arabia is carried out to expel fanatical Wahhabi Muslims from the Arabian territory of the Hejaz.
|1816 - 18 Muhammad's son, Ibrahim, brings Central Arabia under Egyptian control.
|1820 - 21 Ibrahim conquers Northern Sudan.
|1833 Egyptian forces capture Syria.
|1848 July Ibrahim succeeds Muhammad Ali, but dies a few months later.
Muhammad's eldest grandson, Abbas I, becomes viceroy.
|1850 - 1981 MODERN EGYPT
|[M 002]1851 - 58 The British build a railway from Alexandria to Cairo and then extend it to Suez.
|1859 - 69 Construction of the Suez Canal, promoted and aided by France, gets underway.
|1882 British rule begins under Consul General Evelyn Baring (later to become Lord Cromer).
|1914 Egypt is proclaimed a British protectorate when Turkey enters World War I on the side of the Germans.
|1922 Britain declares Egypt an autonomous monarchy with King Fuad as ruler.
|1924 Zaghul Pasha, leader of the [G 031/ Wafdists], becomes the country's first prime minister after a landslide victory.
|1936 - 52 King Fuad's son, Farouk I, assumes political leadership.
|1952 January 26 (Black Saturday):
Egyptian uprising against the British.
|1952 July King Farouk is deposed by Free Officers' coup led by Colonel Gamal Abdel Nasser.
|1954 April Egypt is pronounced a republic and Nasser becomes its first prime minister.
|1956 (Suez Crisis):
Nasser nationalizes the Suez Canal. Britain, France and Israel launch an attack on Egypt, curbed by American and Soviet intervention; United Nations troops occupy the Canal Zone.
|1958 Egypt establishes United Arab Republic (UAR) with Syria and a federative association with Yemen is formed.
|[M 013]1967 (Arab-Israeli Six Day War):
Israel occupies Gaza Strip, Sinai Peninsula, Western Jordan and the Syrian Golan Heights.
|1970 - 71 Death of Nasser. Anwar As-Sadat becomes president. Egypt is renamed Arab Republic of Egypt and a new constitution is adopted.
|[M 001]1973 October (Yom Kippur) War breaks out against Israel. The conflict ends in stalemate.
|1979 March 26 Israeli-Egyptian peace treaty is signed between Anwar As-Sadat and Menachem Begin.
|1981 October 6 Sadat is assassinated by members of the radical fringe of the Muslim religious opposition. [P 048]Hosni Mubarak assumes the Egyptian leadership.
