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5550 BC |
5550 BC - 3050 BC was the Predynastic Period.
Between 5500 and 3100 BC, during Egypt's Predynastic
Period, small settlements flourished along the Nile.
Before the first Egyptian dynasty, Egypt was divided
into two kingdoms, known as Upper Egypt (Ta Shemau)
and Lower Egypt (Ta Mehu).
The notable rulers of Egypt were the mysterious
'Scorpion' and Narmer
Discovery of a "Scorpion" tomb at Abydos. King
Scorpion was believed to have ruled Upper Egypt and
lived just before or during the rule of Narmer at
Thinis
Egypt was undergoing the process of political
unification. The Egyptian capital at the time was
Thinis
The Thinite kings are buried at Abydos
The Egyptian people adhered to the Horus cult
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3050 BC |
3050 BC - 2686 BC - Early
Dynastic Period
1st and 2nd Egyptian Dynasties
The First and
second dynasties ruled Egypt and began using
hieroglyphics. King Menes aka Hor-Aha whose Horus
name was Narmer, is considered to be the
founder of the first Dynasty.
Large tombs of pharaohs or kings found at at Abydos,
Naqada and Saqqara
Memphis, in Lower Egypt, was established as the
capital of Egypt, founded around 3100 BC and
is the legendary city of Menes, the King who united
Upper and Lower Egypt.
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2686 BC |
The Old Kingdom
"the Age of the
Pyramids." was
established 2686 BC - 2181 BC
3rd - 6th Egyptian Dynasties
Notable Pharaohs
were Djoser - 2668 - 2649, Sneferu aka Snefru -
2613-2589 and Khufu aka Cheops 2589 -
2566 and Unas aka Wenas, Unis- 2375
- 2345
Djoser established his court at Memphis.
The Old Kingdom is famous for the large number of
pyramids, which were constructed at this time as the
burial places of Pharaohs.
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2686 BC |
The 3rd Dynasty -
The first Egyptian
pyramid is built by Imhotep - the Step Pyramid at Saqqara for
King Djoser who was one of the kings of
the 3rd Dynasty
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2613 BC |
The 4th dynasty - The Great Pyramids of
Egypt were built at Giza and revered as
one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
Sneferu aka Snefru -
2613-2589, the
founder of the fourth dynasty, is known to have
commissioned three pyramids.
Khufu (Greek Cheops) 2589 - 2566 erected the Great
Pyramid of Giza
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2498 BC |
The 5th dynasty - Egyptian
religion made several important changes and cult of
the god Ra gained in importance
The kings from Userkaf 2498 -
2491 through to
Pharaoh Menkauhor
2422 - 2414
built temples dedicated to Ra at Abusir.
King Unas aka Wenas, Unis- 2375 - 2345 (the last ruler of the 5th Dynasty) had the
burial chamber in his pyramid inscribed with spells
for the afterlife and the cult of Osiris. These are referred to as the
Pyramid Texts - later used and adapted to become the
basis of the
Book of the Dead
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2354 BC |
The 6th dynasty - The 6th
Dynasty was founded by Teti
Pharaoh Pepy II is credited with the longest reign
in the history of Egypt of 94 years
Nitiqret (also known by the Greek name Nitocris), is
believed to have not only been the first female
ruler of and Queen of Egypt
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2181 BC |
2181 BC - 2040 BC - First
Intermediate Period
7th - 10th Egyptian Dynasties
During this time Egypt saw a breakdown of central
government
Qakare Ibi is the only Pharaoh that can connected to
any monuments. His pyramid has been found at Saqarra
and contains pyramid texts on the walls of his tomb
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2040 BC |
2040 BC - 1782 BC the Middle
Kingdom
11th - 13th - Egyptian Dynasties
The Pharaohs of these dynasties during the period of
the Middle Kingdom were based at Thebes
In the reign of Amenemhet
(1991 BC – 1962 BC)
launched at least one campaign into Nubia
Senusret I (1971 BC – 1926 BC) recaptured Nubia
Amenemhat II (1929 BC – 1895 BC) waged war in the
Levant
Senusret III (1878 BC – 1839 BC) referred to as a
warrior-king also built a temple at Abydos
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1782 BC |
1782 BC - 1570 BC the Second
Intermediate Period
14th - 17th Egyptian Dynasties
Hyksos raiders from Asia led by
Amenemhat III
gained power and moved into the Delta
and introduced the Egyptians to the chariot |
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1570 BC |
1570 BC - 1070 BC the New
Kingdom
18th - 20th - Egyptian Dynasties
The building of the tombs of the Valley of Kings.
The great Pharaohs included Hatshepsut (the famous
female Pharaoh), Akhenaten, Tutankhamun, Tuthmose
and Ramses II. King Akhenaten established
a new religious order worshipping the sun god
Aten. King Thutmose III 1479 -1425
and Ancient Egypt reached the height of its power
when military expeditions brought the eastern coast
of the Mediterranean Sea under Egyptian rule
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1070 BC |
1070 BC - 525 BC the Third
Intermediate Period
21st - 25th - Egyptian Dynasties - the Nubians
conquer Egypt under the command of Piankhy and
restore traditional values and religion
Nehesey (or Nehesi)
was Pharaoh and his
name means 'Nubian'
The Nubian rulers of the Twenty-Fifth Dynasty were
finally expelled from Egypt
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672 BC |
672BC - 332 BC the Late
Period
26th - 31st Egyptian Dynasties
26th Dynasty - Most of Egypt
was in the hands of independent princes however the
25th Dynasty began as a line of Kushite kings based
in their capital at Napata
The Persians conquer
Egypt in 525BC lead by the Persian king
Cambyses II 525 - 522 and establish the 27th Dynasty
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332 BC |
332 BC - 641 AD the
Greco-Roman Period
Alexander the Great invades Egypt and establishes
the
Ptolemaic dynasty 332 BC - 30BC
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332 BC |
Alexander the Great conquers
Egypt. Alexander the Great occupies Egypt and his
general, Ptolemy, becomes king and founds a dynasty.
The city of Alexandria was founded and
became famous for the Great Library and the great
Lighthouse of Alexandria which was one of the Seven
Wonders of the Ancient World.
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196BC |
The Rosetta Stone is carved |
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51 BC |
51-30 BC - Cleopatra VII
reigns and became the mistress of Julius Caesar and
gave birth to his son, Octavian.
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37 BC |
37 BC Queen Cleopatra marries Mark Antony |
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31 BC |
31 BC Octavian defeated Antony
and Cleopatra in the sea Battle of Actium
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30 BC |
The
Roman Period
30 BC Egypt becomes a province
of the Roman Empire from 30BC - 641 AD
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384 AD |
Theodosius ordered the
adherence to Christianity |
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395 AD |
The Roman empire split into
West and East and Egypt became part of the Byzantine
Empire |
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642 AD |
642 AD The Arabs captured
Alexandria and Egypt became a part of the
Islamic Empire
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868 |
868 - 969 The Tulunid and the
Ikhshidid dynasty rule Egypt |
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969 |
Fatimid rulers seized Egypt
and founded the Egyptian city Al-Qahirah (modern day
Cairo) |
