Thread about Egypt:

When asking someone about Egypt, they'll probably picture a desolate desert, bedouins, camels, and the pyramids in the background. Egypt, however, has a much more vibrant background than common belief. From the great battles against the mongols to the era of the Mamluk Egyptian..

Kingdom with Sudan, Chad, and Gaza, Egypt was a central influence in global politics. The pictures above are from Tahrir Square, an area in Egypt lost in time with its magnificent European-like architecture and a history of the greatest revolution in the country's history..

While Egypt might be a laughingstock in today's standards, it had a glamorous presence in the world up to the mid-1900s. When the Abbasids fell to their knees from the mongols, our country stopped thr mongols where they stood. Every mongol messenger ordering Egypt..

(Back then the mamaleek) to surrender was decapitated, and their head was hanged on one of the gates leading to Egypt. Before the mongols even entered our country we slaughtered them while they were on the way. Perhaps we were one of the strongest civilizations back then.

In the early-1800s, the Ottoman Empire was beginning to fall and Egypt had the chance to start a new, much more powerful Islamic empire if not for the European intervention. Believe it or not, Great Britain owed us tons of money as well (till this day they didn't pay it back)..

The Egyptian pound might be a terrible currency by today's standards, but back in the days, one Egyptian pound was the price of a golden coin. My dad told me the story of my great grandfather, who married, bought a house, and rented a boat all for less than 50-100 pounds!

When the British and the French colonized Egypt, we started a slow decline, which became rapid after they've left us and put the military ruling the country. Eventhough Egypt may have lost its grandeur, we still look at our history with pride and honor.

To be honest, I wasn't fond of my country until my last visit to Egypt, when my dad took me to the untouched parts of central Cairo near Tahrir Square. As I looked at the views with awe, I wondered.. What if?