cultureEgyptian culture is very traditional and conservative with an importance of family and honor. Since most Egyptians are Muslims their values and way of life follow the teachings of the Koran. Cairo, the “administrative capital of Egypt” follows tradition while also having a night life with a selection of shopping, relaxation, and evening activities.
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- Ethnicity: Population size of about 67 million. The majority of the population comes from Eastern Hamitic backgrounds
- Clothing: Since Egypt is a hot place and is mostly desert people will wear light, cotton clothing. Following the Islamic principles for women, they are expected to be conservative and modest by keeping their arms and legs covered and must wear a head scarf. Men in Egypt wear loose-fitting trousers and shirts. Many in the city wear clothes similar to those in the U.S.
- Language: The official language is standard Arabic. There is also Egyptian Arabic known as a second language to countries outside of Egypt. Educated people learn English and French.
- Religion: 90% Sunni Muslims, 8% Coptic Christians, 2% Jewish or other Christian denominations. Many businesses are closed on Fridays for the Muslim holy day while are closed on Thursdays as well. Muslims fast during the Ramadan month and some are allowed to only work six hours per day. During Ramadan, Muslims do not eat, drink, or smoke until after sunset. All people who enter mosques must remove their shoes before entering. Coptic Christians celebrate Christmas on January 7th instead of December 25.
- Modern Art: Cairo’s annual International Book Fair is one of the largest in the world
- Food: One of the most important foods in daily life is bread. In rural areas the bread is baked by women in mud ovens at home. The main national dish is foul which is a dish of slowly cooked fava beans seasoned with salt, lemon, cumin, and oil and is usually eaten for breakfast. Another common dish is tamiyya or falafel which is made from crushed fava beans mixed with onions, leeks and fried in oil. Also popular is koshari , a mixture of rice, black lentils, and macaroni covered with tomato sauce and garnished with fried onions. These dishes are prepared at home, but are also sold in stalls all over Cairo.