Time Through History of Egypt
How did the ancient Egyptians measure time?
For the ancient Egyptians, observing the moon was the first tool to quantify time itself. Years, months, and weeks were all related to the phases of the moon, so they divided the path of time based on an accurate lunar indicator.
The new moon is the beginning of the month, and the first quarter of the moon coincides with the sixth day, while the law is on the 15th of the month and in the second quarter.
One month consists of 30 or 29 days, with a total of 364 days in a year, and a year consists of 12 months.
Seasons of harvest along Egyptian Nile
The year in the official calendar consists of three seasons, which are divided according to the flood of the Nile. The first season is “Akht,” meaning flood, and lasts from July to October. The second season is “Bart,” meaning winter, and extends from November to February.
The third season is “Shammu,” which is the harvest season. It takes place from March to June, and wheat, barley, and flax are collected, each season lasting 4 months, with a total of 12 months for the year.
Ancient Egypt and Modern World.. Not So Different!
The Egyptian calendar was subjected to change in the year 238 BC due to Ptolemy III, and it caused several changes by increasing the number of days in the Egyptian year, changes that the Egyptian priests did not like.
It was re-applied in the year 25 BC by Emperor Augustus, who completely changed the Egyptian calendar to coincide with the new Greek calendar. It is the basis of the Gregorian calendar that the West follows to this day, and thus the “Coptic calendar” came into being, which the Egyptian Orthodox Church uses to this day.
The Coptic New Year begins with Nowruz, which falls on September 11 according to the Coptic calendar, which is an extension of the ancient Egyptian calendar, and is considered among the oldest in human history.
Our rich Egyptian history is the base we have built on our Egyptian fashion brand Ankh, and our Egyptian heritage is the inspiration behind our designs.
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