WORLD CULTURES & FOLK CUSTOMS - EGYPT

SIMO JELAČA, PhD

FOREWORD

This book summarizes information about culture and customs of different nations. Noticeable differences in customs are among Christian, Islamic and Buddhist’s nations, although in all prevails intention for nice and greatest.  

It will be too much to include every country, as there are similarities among many nations of the same or close nationalities. Characteristic are Russia, Ukraine, Serbia, Belarus, Croatia, Montenegro, Macedonia, or as well as Germany and Austria. The similar conclusion values for Latin nations, among themselves too.

Readers will find basic information about each country, such as its location and size, population and Ethnic Make-up, Religion, Climate, Language, Etiquettes and others. 

This book can equally be used for travelers, either as tourists or business people, therefore everyone will find necessary information about Etiquette of people at their homes as well as at the business.

My intention was to find as much good information as possible. How much I have succeeded readers will judge it. 

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EGYPT

CULTURE AND FOLK CUSTOMS

Facts and Statistics

Location: North East Africa bordering Palestine (Gaza Strip) 11 km, Israel 266 km, Libya 1,115 km, Sudan 1,273 km.

 Size: Egypt has an area of 1,001,000 sq.km.

 Capital: Cairo population about 18.5 million.

 Climate: desert; hot, dry summers with moderate winters 

Population: About 76 million. 

Ethnic Make-up: Eastern Hamitic stock (Egyptians, Bedouins, and Berbers) 99%, Greek, Nubian, Armenian, other European (primarily Italian and French) 1%. 

Religions: Muslim (mostly Sunni) 94%, Coptic Christian and other 6%

Government: republic 

Identification 

Egypt is the internationally used name but not the name used by the people of the country. It derives from the Greek Aegyptos, which in turn probably comes from ancient Egyptian words referring to the land. Western names derive from this, as does the word "Copt". "Copt" can be taken to mean "Egyptian" in general, but now commonly means an Egyptian Christian, technically one belonging to the majority Coptic Church.

 Language in Egypt

For almost 13 centuries Arabic has been the written and spoken language of Egypt. Before the Arab invasion in AD 639, Coptic, the language descended from ancient Egyptian, was the language of both religious and everyday life for the mass of the population; by the 12th century, however, it had been totally replaced by Arabic, continuing only as a liturgical language for the Coptic Orthodox Church.

Egypt is part of the Arabic speech community of about 250 million people, spread from Morocco to Oman. Arabic is a branch of the Semitic languages, which in turn belongs to the Afro-Asiatic language family together with Berber, Ancient Egyptian, Chadic, and Cushitic.

Arabic has become the language of both the Egyptian Christian and Muslim. The written form of the Arabic language, in grammar and syntax, has remained substantially unchanged since the 7th century. In other ways, however, the written language has changed the modern forms of style, word sequence, and phraseology are simpler and more flexible than in classical Arabic and are often directly derivative of English or French. 

Islam

Islam is practiced by the majority of Egyptians and governs their personal, political, economic and legal lives. 

Islam emanated from what is today Saudi Arabia. The Prophet Muhammad is seen as the last of God's emissaries (following in the footsteps of Jesus, Moses, Abraham, etc) to bring revelation to mankind. Islam is described with a few more details under Turkey.

Family Values

·         The family is the most significant unit of Egyptian society.

·         Kinship plays an important role in all social relations.

·         The individual is always subordinate to the family, tribe or group.

·         Nepotism is viewed positively, since it is patronage of one's family.

·         The family consists of both the nuclear and the extended family.

Egyptian Honor

·         Honor is an important facet of interpersonal relationships.

·         Respect and esteem for people is both a right and an obligation.

·         An individual's honor is intricately entwined with the reputation and honor of everyone in their family.

·         Honour requires that Egyptians demonstrate hospitality to friends and guests.

·         It also dictates that people dress as well as their financial circumstances allow, and show proper respect and deference to their elders and those in authority.

·         A man's word is considered his bond and to go back on your word is to bring dishonor to your family.

Social Class

·         Social class is very apparent in Egypt since it determines your access to power and position.

·         The social class an Egyptian is born into dictates their everyday life and the opportunities they will have.

·         There are three social classes: upper, middle, and lower.

·         Status is defined more by family background than by absolute wealth.

·         There is little social mobility.

Meeting Etiquette

·         Greetings are based on both class and the religion of the person.

·         It is best to follow the lead of the Egyptian you are meeting.

·         Handshakes are the customary greeting among individuals of the same sex.

·         Handshakes are somewhat limp and prolonged, although they are always given with a hearty smile and direct eye contact.

·         Once a relationship has developed, it is common to kiss on one cheek and then the other while shaking hands, men with men and women with women.

·         In any greeting between men and women, the woman must extend her hand first. If she does not, a man should bow his head in greeting.

Gift Giving Etiquette

·         If you are invited to an Egyptian's home for dinner, bring good quality chocolates, sweets or pastries to the hostess.

·         Do not give flowers, which are usually reserved for weddings or the ill, unless you know that the hosts would appreciate them.

·         A small gift for the children shows affection.

·         Always give gifts with the right hand or both hands if the gift is heavy.

·         Gifts are not opened when received

Dining Etiquette

If you are invited into an Egyptian's house:

·         You would normally remove your shoes before entering.

·         Dress well and conservatively. Appearances are important to Egyptians.

·         Compliment the host on the house.

Table manners

·         Wait for the host or hostess to tell you where to sit.

·         Eat with the right hand only.

·         It is considered a sincere compliment to take second helpings.

·         Always show appreciation for the meal.

·         Leave a small amount of food on your plate when you have finished eating. Otherwise they will keep filling it up for you!

·         Meeting Etiquette

·         Greetings are based on both class and the religion of the person.

·         It is best to follow the lead of the Egyptian you are meeting.

·         Handshakes are the customary greeting among individuals of the same sex.

·         Handshakes are somewhat limp and prolonged, although they are always given with a hearty smile and direct eye contact.

·         Once a relationship has developed, it is common to kiss on one cheek and then the other while shaking hands, men with men and women with women.

·         In any greeting between men and women, the woman must extend her hand first. If she does not, a man should bow his head in greeting.

·         Gift Giving Etiquette

·         If you are invited to an Egyptian's home for dinner, bring good quality chocolates, sweets or pastries to the hostess.

·         Do not give flowers, which are usually reserved for weddings or the ill, unless you know that the hosts would appreciate them.

·         A small gift for the children shows affection.

. Always give gifts with the right hand or both hands if the gift is heavy.

. Gifts are not opened when received.

Dining Etiquette

If you are invited into an Egyptian's house:

. You would normally remove your shoes before entering.

. Dress well and conservatively. Appearances are important to  Egyptians.

. Compliment the host on the house.

Table manners

. Wait for the host or hostess to tell you where to sit.

. Eat with the right hand only.

. It is considered a sincere compliment to take second helpings.

. Always show appreciation for the meal.

. Leave a small amount of food on your plate when you have finished eating. Otherwise they will keep filling it up for you!

.  Conservative clothes and present yourself well at all times.

. Egyptians believe direct eye contact is a sign of honesty and sincerity, so be prepared for disconcertingly intense stares.

. Egyptians are emotive and use hand gestures when they are excited. In general, they speak softly, although they may also shout or pound the table. This is not indicative of anger; It is merely an attempt to demonstrate a point.

. You should demonstrate deference to the most senior person in the group, who will also be their spokesperson. This is a country where hierarchy and rank are very important.

Business Meeting Etiquette

Appointments are necessary and should be made in advance.

·         Confirm the meeting one week in advance, either in writing or by telephone.

·         Reconfirm again a day or two before the meeting.

·         Meetings are generally not private unless there is a need to discuss matters confidentially. In general, Egyptians have an open-door policy, even when they are in a meeting. 

·         This means you may experience frequent interruptions. Others may even wander into the room and start a different discussion. You may join in, but do not try to bring the topic back to the original discussion until the new person leaves.

·         High- level government officials often adhere to more western business practices and hold private meetings without interruptions

·         Business meetings generally start after prolonged inquiries about health, family, etc.

·         If you send an agenda and presentation materials in advance of the meeting, send both an English and Egyptian Arabic translation.

·         Business Negotiation

·         The social side of business is very important. Egyptians must know and like you to conduct business. Personal relationships are necessary for long-term business.

·         Business is hierarchical. The highest ranking person makes decisions, after obtaining group consensus.

·         Decisions are reached after great deliberation.

·         If the government is involved, discussions will take even longer since approval must often be given by the ministers of several departments.

·         Business moves at a slow pace. The society is extremely bureaucratic. It may take several visits to accomplish a simple task.

·         It is advisable to include older people with impressive titles in your team since Egyptians respect age and experience.

·         Expect a fair amount of haggling. Egyptians seldom see an offer as final.

·         Egyptians do not like confrontation and abhor saying 'no'. If they do not respond, it usually is a negative sign.

·         Always include research and documentation to support your claims.

·         Do not use high-pressure tactics.

·         Egyptians are tough negotiators.

·         Dress Etiquette

·         Business attire is formal and conservative. Dress well if you want to make a good impression.

·         Men should wear dark coloured, lightweight, conservative business suits, at least to the first meeting.

·         Men should avoid wearing visible jewelry, especially around the face and neck.

·         Women must be careful to cover themselves appropriately. Skirts and dresses should cover the knee and sleeves should cover most of the arm.

·         Business Cards

·         Business cards are given without formal ritual.

·         Have one side of your card translated into Egyptian Arabic.

·         Always hand the card so the recipient may read it.

·         Make a point of studying any business card you receive before putting it into your business card case. 

Tipping is Way of Life in Egypt 

·         In Egypt tipping is cordially accepted and often expected. You can offer tips for all the people who have helped you during your travel but do not offer them small coins or notes.

Women of Egypt  

·         Egyptian women are known for their exquisite beauty. Nowadays Egyptian ladies in general are well educated, groomed, and they take responsibility for the professional world also. In Egyptian society, girls are well pampered by their parents till they get married and get established in reality.

·         In Egypt tradition virginity is considered as a prime value for women and therefore women do prefer keeping their modesty and virginity as maximum as possible. Most Egyptian men prefer to get married with women who are virgin and value family values. 

·          Egypt is a completely safe place for women. Therefore it is a safe travel destination for foreign tourist groups of women to set their vacation in Egypt.The trend is for marriage partners to be increasingly more like one another in age and level of education.

Calendar

The Coptic calendar is called the Alexandrian calendar, and it is made on a solar cycle and made of 12 months of 30 days and 1 month of 5 days, respectively. In every4 years a 6th day is added to the shorter month. Besides Coptic Orthodox Church, farmers often follow Coptic calendar for their date reminder, calculation, as well as counting of days. 

Urbanism and Architecture

Villages consist of a core residential area surrounded by fields, and agricultural land. The core consists of contiguous one-story mud-brick houses built along narrow dirt roads. The houses incorporate a stable for the farm animals. Owning a cow or a water buffalo represents a high investment. Since the mid-1970s the mud-brick houses have progressively been replaced by houses made of fired bricks, and growing population and prosperity have led to an expansion of the built-up surface of the village. Each village has at least one mosque. The mosque is communal and public for men.

The urban character of the national culture is most apparent in the two major cities: Cairo and Alexandria. The architecture and layout of Cairo reflect the various epochs of its history. Cairo is a continuously expanding city, and numerous squatter settlements are built on the outskirts. These squatter areas have poor water and sewage connections, and lack services such as schools, clinics, and police.

Egypt is crowded. The built-up areas of villages have very high population densities.

Food in Daily Life 

The most important food item in daily life is the bread loaf. The indigenous cuisine relies heavily on legumes. The level of consumption of animal protein depends almost entirely on wealth. In villages, people sit on a carpet, and food is placed on a very low round wooden table. Each person has a spoon, and everyone eats directly from the service dish. In cities, people sit on chairs around Western-style dining tables. Each person has his or her own plate, spoon, fork, and knife.

Several Muslim feasts are marked by special meals:The Id al-Adha, The 'Id al-Fitr, The Prophet's Birthday, Christmas day and Easter day and (Orthodox Copts). Fasting is seen as a spiritual exercise by both Muslims and Christians.

Basic Economy 

About 25 percent of the gross domestic product comes from industry and about 18 percent from agriculture. The remaining 57 percent includes all other activities, primarily services, including tourism.

Egypt is a rich agricultural country, with some of the highest yields per unit of land in the world. The main crops are cotton, sugarcane, wheat, maize, and fava beans with substantial areas given over to fruit orchards (primarily citrus) and to vegetables. Livestock (cattle, water buffalo, sheep, and goats) is also important and some land is used to grow fodder crops for these animals. There are two crops a year on average.

Major Industries 

Egypt is a relatively industrialized country, especially in textiles and garment manufacture, cement, metal works of various kinds, and armaments.

Trade 

Egypt tends to import more than it exports. Imports include consumer goods, including food, and raw material for industry; exports are largely agricultural products and services. A major Egyptian export consists of workers who labor outside the country but who send money back home.

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