The British military occupied Egypt in 1882 to protect financial interests in the country, culminating in a violent war. Dissatisfaction with European and Ottoman rule led to a nationalist revolt in 1879. Isma’il Pasha sold Egypt’s shares of the Suez Canal Company to Britain in 1875 in the wake of a financial crisis. Shortly thereafter, French investors financed the construction of the Suez Canal to connect the Mediterranean and Red Seas. From 1852, Britain kept an increased presence in northern Egypt to maintain the overland trade route to India and to oversee the construction of the Cairo–Alexandria railway, the first British railway built on foreign soil. The first Arabic-speaking country to experience overlapping colonial encroachments by European powers, Egypt became an autonomous state within the Ottoman Empire under the rule of Muhammad Ali Pasha (1805-1848) and his male successors. “Some 4500 years later, Ancient Egypt’s amazing contributions towards language, numeracy and industry are gifts that keep on giving.Egypt held particular interest for Victorians as a strategic gateway to the Orient. “There is no doubt that Ancient Egyptian inventions have had an immeasurable impact on the modern world,” the infographic explains.

While some contributions may feel familiar, others are genuinely surprising: It turns out the society was responsible for early versions of everything from air conditioning to home security. In the infographic below, Fairmont explores a few of the many ways in which ancient Egyptians shaped the modern world. From innovations in writing and math to the earliest uses of makeup and perfume, the civilization had a huge impact on the way people today communicate, travel, eat, dress, and more.

While the pyramids still stand as a reminder of their architectural sophistication, the people of ancient Egypt were also responsible for a vast and surprising array of inventions still in use to this day.

Ancient Egyptians were amazing innovators.

Pdf legacies of ancient egypt