Egypt in the Hermitage

Egypt is the only country in the world with a continuous history of 5,000 years, and that, moreover, on a territory that has remained practically unchanged. The first part of its history was the pharaonic era, going back to the time before the formation of a state and ending when Egypt was incorporated into the Roman Empire, becoming one of its provinces.

It is not possible to determine the precise date when Ancient Egypt ended: its death was long and slow. The terminal point is customarily taken to be Emperor Theodosius I’s decree ordering the closure of pagan temples, along with the making of the last hieroglyphic inscription in the late 4th century AD, although the cult of the old gods endured for another century and a half.

The second major period in the history of Egypt is the Christian era. Christianization began as early as the 1st century, with Mark the Evangelist being the first missionary, while under Emperor Constantine I in the 4th century Christianity acquired the status of the state religion. This period, when Egypt was a part of the Byzantine Empire is usually called Coptic (from the Arabic qubt, meaning “an Egyptian”, which derived in turn from the Greek Aigýptios.) In the years 639–641, Egypt was conquered by the Arabs under the command of Amr ibn al-As, beginning the third, Islamic, era in the country’s history, which continues to this day.

All three of the great Egyptian civilizations are represented in the Hermitage. The collection of antiquities spans a time from the Palaeolithic Age to Rome and comprises mainly of artefacts from burials and temples. The Coptic collection is among the finest in the world. Its most important part is the textiles that come from graves, but there are also articles of daily use. The exhibits from Arab Egypt form a diverse group, from luxury items to everyday trifles, and belong within the context of the far broader overall sphere of Islamic culture.