7 Wonders: Egypt

We're not really doing a 'theme week' this week, so much as just adding a little something to our countries for the next couple days.

We're learning about the 7 Ancient Wonders of the World, which brings us to Egpyt, home of both the only still standing Ancient Wonder, the Pyramid of Giza, and also the world's first lighthouse, the Lighthouse of Alexandria. We have some books were working through from the library, but no activities or anything. (Partially because we've done lots of the activities I could think of before).

But the boys are doing two sides of their postcards, to help them remember. 

We did talk all things quintessentially Egyptian. 

Our landmark was the Pyramid of Giza and the Sphinx.  Built around 2560 BC for the  rulers of Khufu, Khafre, and Menkaure, the largest Pyramid (for Pharaoh Khufu) was the tallest structure in the world for nearly 4,000 years. 

We also talked Cleopatra. There were six queen Cleopatras in all, but the last was the most famous. She was the last Pharaoh of Egypt (Egypt them crumbled and the Romans took over). According to legends, she knew how to throw an expensive party, something about dissolving her pearl earning in her water and then drinking it. 

Also, fun fact I didn't know, in learning about the Egyptians love for cats they believed to be mythical and sacred, we discovered the ancient Egyptian word was cat was pronounced 'miaow'. 

While the Pyramids of Giza were our landmark for Egypt, the country is more than the pyramids it is known for. Sure you can visit the pyramids, but you can also take a camel safari, snorkel in the red sea, drift down the Nile, or watch the sunrise from Mount Sinai. 

Egypt is also home to the Suez Canal, offering boats a shortcut from the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea and out into the Indian Ocean, instead of going all the way around. Something like 8 percent of the world's ocean going ships pass through the 101 mile canal.

It does have an official US travel warning, because of the threat of terrorism and that terrorism as really dwindled the tourism industry in Egypt over the last few years.

The boys made their Egypt postcards. 

Calib's featured a sun with a halo (since the sun was once considered the one and only god in Egypt). 

Peyton noted the incessant honking of the cars on the road, and the very little rain they get with one raindrop (Egypt is the driest country in all of Africa). 

And Hayden's postcard featured the cats and camels. (He tends to grab on to the animal portion of the lessons). 

I was excited I had found a 'prouduct of Egypt' drink at the good international section Publix, and I still had the product of Israel cookies that I forgot about, so since they are neighbors, I figured we could have those too. 

For Egypt dinner we had Egyptian Meatballs, Egyptian Koshari, Egyptian Tomato Salad, Egyptian Strawberry Dessert (with Israeli cookies for dipping), and the Mango Juice.

Dinner earned 5 spoons up. 

Calib said the Koshari was like Egyptian gulosh, and he was excited he could actually eat it. I'm not sure if it was just soft so it was easy to chew, or if he's coming around- but he had me save the leftovers for him. (If you make it, that recipe makes a TON of Koshari)

The meatballs benefited from some tzatziki sauce Asa whipped up, and the strawberry dessert was popular with everyone but Calib. It wasn't sweet or anything- basically just cooked down fruit with little biscuit cookies for dipping. 

The salad was fine, but I didn't let it sit as long as it should have. The tomatoes would have benefited sitting in that dressing for a bit. 

The mango juice wasn't too popular. I liked it enough- it was like orange juice but without the pith and acidity (it would make an excellent screwdiver!) It was really heavy though.

Egypt got the appropriate bright sunny yellow color.



72 down, 121 to go!

Next Up: Turkey