Innholdsfortegnelse for January 2022 i Faces People, Places, and World Culture for Kids and Children

Located just a few miles from where the ancient city of Memphis stood, Cairo, Egypt, is rich in history and antiquities. Sometimes called “the mother of the world,” this city is one of the largest on the African continent. Here are five fascinating facts to get you started. 1 Cairo is dominated by Muslim architecture, so much so that it has earned the nickname “the city of a thousand minarets.” Minarets are towers on mosques, Muslim places of worship. 2 Lunch is the primary meal in Cairo. It is usually eaten between 2 and 3 p.m. A “supper” may be eaten later in the evening, around 9 or 10 p.m. and might be leftovers from lunch. 3 The largest sculpture ever created is the Great Sphinx. The limestone sphinx is…

It has been called “the metropolis of the universe,” “the mother of the world,” and a city that “surpasses anything one can imagine.” It is Cairo, one of the world’s largest cities. Located on the banks of the Nile River in northeastern Egypt, it is home to almost 18 million people. Cairo is located just a few miles south of where the ancient city of Memphis once stood. Memphis was the birthplace of ancient Egyptian civilization. It was home to the pharaohs, the site of the first pyramids, and one of the largest and most important cities in the ancient world. The pharaohs ruled Egypt until 525 B.C.E. when the Persians invaded the country and built a fort in modern-day Cairo. It was a desirable location because of its direct…

When we think of the Nile River, most of us immediately conjure up images of a slow flowing river running northward through the vast desert sands of Egypt, between banks lined with exotic palms and past temples and pyramids, and finally emptying into the Mediterranean Sea. Although we think first of Egypt, throughout history the Nile has also been a very important water source to many other countries in East Africa including Ethiopia, Zaire, Kenya, Uganda, Eritrea, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, Congo, Sudan, and South Sudan. Because the Nile flows through Egypt, we picture it as a single long river. In fact, it is made up of source waters from two tributaries—other rivers that feed a larger river. The White Nile, which begins at Lake Victoria (Africa’s largest lake), merges with…

“Issalaamu ‘alaykum!, “Peace be upon you!,” is a common greeting in Arabic, the official language of 25 countries across the Middle East and North Africa including Egypt. In fact, about 200 million people worldwide speak Arabic. Why is Arabic so widespread? It is the language of the Muslim religion. The holy book of Islam, the Qur’an, is written in Arabic, and all Muslims pray and worship in Arabic. Because Muslims believe the Qur’an came straight from heaven in Arabic, it is sometimes called “the language of heaven.” When early Muslims spread their religion, they also spread their language. English has borrowed words from Arabic. Words beginning with al (Arabic for “the”) often come from Arabic. “Algebra” and “alchemy” proclaim early Arab achievements in mathematics and science. What we call Arabic…

After quarreling with her father, the sun god Ra, the fierce goddess Tefnut ran away to live as a wild cat in a land south of Egypt. The Egyptian god of writing, Thoth, disguised himself as a baboon and went to persuade Tefnut to return to Egypt and her loving father. Thoth, who was also honored as the god of wisdom, would know best how to deal with this unpredictable goddess. Tefnut listened as Thoth described how wonderful Egypt was and why she should come home. But Tefnut had a temper. Each time she became angry with him, Thoth told a fable to calm her. One of these fables was a version of Aesop’s “The Lion and the Mouse.” Thoth’s story is much longer than Aesop’s, and in it, we…

LOCATION: Egypt’s capital and largest city is located in the northeastern part of the country, primarily on the eastern shore of the Nile River. AREA: 83 square miles POPULATION: 7.8 million (18 million in the urban area) CLIMATE: Cairo experiences eight months of summer and four months of winter. June, July, and August are the hottest months with an average temperature of 95 degrees Fahrenheit. Winter days are warm, but the nights are cool and humid. OFFICIAL LANGUAGE: Modern Standard Arabic RELIGIONS: Islam, Christianity CURRENCY: Egyptian pound (1 Egyptian pound = 6 U.S. cents) NICKNAME: City of a Thousand Minarets…

The cuisine of Cairo features a medley of food and dishes rich in history. At the same time, modern treats and even Western fast-food chains are also prevalent. Clearly, this city offers a unique selection of aromas and tastes for both residents and visitors to relish. In Cairo, complex meals start with mezza, similar to appetizers or starters. Mezza may include hummus, a ground chickpea and sesame-seed paste; stuffed grape leaves; and falafel, fried balls of either fava beans or chickpeas and spices. After mezza, diners move on to the main meal. This usually includes meat, such as chicken, beef, or lamb, or fish. Pigeon is considered a specialty. The main course is served with rice and aysh, a flatbread similar to a pita. Main dishes are similar to hearty…

When most of us think of Egypt, we think of pyramids, temples, tombs, and mummies. Most modern tourists visiting Egypt will spend their time traveling by boat down the Nile, seeking to visit the famous sites and recapture a little of what ancient Egypt was like. But the participants in the annual Cross Egypt Challenge have a whole different way to see Egypt. They go places that are off the usual tourist routes and meet more Egyptian people. Those who sign up for the challenge won’t explore Egypt in the typical ways. They will see the country from the back of a motorcycle or a scooter. The Cross Egypt Challenge is a series of cross-country motorcycle and scooter rallies that take place over 10 days. A rally is an endurance…

Did you know that several branches of mathematics and science were invented or refined by Arabs? The English words algebra (al-jabr), average (awār›yah), cipher (sifr), and zenith (whose synonym is “summit,” and the Arabic word samt, meaning “path over the head”) all come from Arabic. The names of everyday objects such as jar (jarrah), magazine (mahāzin), mattress (matrah), and racquet (rāhet) also originated as Arabic words. The next time you wear a new shirt or blouse, you can thank the Arabs for cultivating and naming the plant we now call cotton (qutn). More than any other aspect of our daily lives, many food names can be traced back to Arabic origins. Who has not enjoyed the fl vor of apricots (al-barqūq), coffee (qahwah), oranges (nāranj), lemons (laymūn), limes (l›mah), sugar…

One of the most famous pieces of art from Cairo is the mask of Tutankhamun, an Egyptian king who reigned from 1134–1325 B.C.E. It is made of gold and decorated with semi-precious stones. It was unearthed in 1925, when an archeological team from England found Tutankhamun’s tomb. It was taken to a museum in Cairo, Egypt. In 2014, when some museum workers were cleaning it, the beard fell off. Hoping to cover their mistake, they quickly used epoxy to reattach the beard. Their mistake was exposed when someone noticed that the beard was slightly off center. It was then properly fixed with beeswax. Unfortunately, the museum workers are still facing a trial for their actions. You can make a mask too, but hopefully, yours will stay together. Materials: Tin foil…

The Nile is the lifeline of Egypt. Without it, many animals could not survive. It is home to countless creatures that live in its waters and along its banks. Some animals are feared, and others are revered. Three of the most interesting are the Nile crocodile, the Nile soft-shelled turtle, and the African tigerfish. In case you run into the scary types, here are some facts about each animal and some rules of polite behavior along the Nile. Nile Crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus) The Nile crocodile has a bad attitude and an even worse reputation. This stealthy croc likes to ambush its prey and can eat up to half its body weight at one feeding. Unfortunately, humans and crocodiles share the same habitat, and the Nile crocodile is not…

Perhaps, you have tried whirling around and around until you get dizzy. Did you know there is a dance that focuses on this spinning action? It’s called “Tanoura,” meaning “skirt” in Arabic, and it is about 700 years old. It is popular in Egypt, especially in the capital city of Cairo. The Al-Tanoura Egyptian Heritage Dance Troupe performs for tourists at several cultural centers in the city. The whirling dance originated in the country of Turkey, in the 13th century and was a form of worship. The Sufi poet and philosopher Jalaluddin Rumi is credited with introducing the dance. The Turkish Sufi whirling dervishes, as they are called, spin as a group and wear white costumes and tall cone-shaped woolen hats. The spinning movements represent the Earth revolving around the…

It’s a Date! The sweet fruit of the date palm tree (Phoenix dactylifera) has been a staple food in the Middle East for thousands of years. Slow Food Cairo, an organization that works to prevent the loss of local food cultures and practices, held its annual Date Palm Festival on September 26. The day is about supporting local date farmers and celebrating the industry with various activities including arts, crafts, and music. Date palms are native to the Persian Gulf area in the Middle East. They were brought to North America in the 1800s by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as an initiative to introduce more crops that were appealing to both farmers and consumers. Egypt is the world’s largest producer of dates, accounting for about 17% of global production.…