Egypt reasserts its ancient culture

Is a few decades before the battle of Manzikert too late for Egypt to begin diverging from both the Christian and Islamic world? Egypt doesn't necessarily go full ancient Egypt but perhaps is separate from its neighbors in the same way that the early Malian Empire was different from the greater Islamic community in its own way. They retain elements of both cultures, but elements of their own previous culture begin to reassert themselves and form a kind of blend which is neither their ancient religion and not exactly like the other two either.

At the very least perhaps they form their own unique sect of Islam that is vastly different from the others?
 

Deleted member 97083

Egypt's ancient culture was already dead by that time, with the closest remnant being heavily Hellenized and then Christianized Copts. But Egypt could potentially have a separate religion. They already were Shi'a under the Fatimids in contrast to the Sunni Seljuks. If Shi'ism never took power anywhere in Iran or India, then it might be perceived colloquially as the Egyptian version of Islam.

To create a new religion in Egypt in this period, your best bet would probably to have a POD during the reign of Fatimid Caliph al-Hakim "the Mad", who had rapidly fluctuating religious views and led to the creation of Druze.
 
Fatimid Shi'a was Ismailism not Twelver. If you can preserve Fatimid control in Egypt well past OTL and Ismailism took root there (though it wasn't that great at proselytizing in its later periods) it could slowly become more distinctive and be identified with Egypt.
 
Weren't there something like six sun deities? And a lot of the gods in general had hypthenared names from when they combined deities. Also, know how people might snootily tell or just 'fun fact' people on how Anubis was not the god of the dead, but Osiris was? Osiris only became the big name in the Middle Kingdom. Anubis was the big guy for the Old Kingdom. Anyways, why on earth would Egyptians want to give up portions of the culture they have spent the last two thousand years working on? Heck, even more than that. Cleopatra was closer to the present day than to the building of the Pyramids.
 
Reviving the ancient Egyptian religion or 'culture' out of thing air more that a thousand years after it ceased being politically relevant is dubious. The Coptic (Christian) angle seems interesting, though. How was the demographic situation back then?
 
The past never comes back. Doesn't mean people don't try and construct stuff. Such a revival, like Irish attempts to revive Gaelic, is imaginable.
 

Deleted member 97083

Reviving the ancient Egyptian religion or 'culture' out of thing air more that a thousand years after it ceased being politically relevant is dubious. The Coptic (Christian) angle seems interesting, though. How was the demographic situation back then?
Egypt became majority Muslim some time between the 10th and 14th centuries. The same applied for most of the Levant.

That said, a successful Coptic-led revolt is unlikely even when they were a majority because they were disarmed as dhimmi. If they did revolt, it would likely be in favor of another, more tolerant Muslim ruler.

However an usurper or invader could arm the Coptic population, which could lead to Copts taking control of said movement that first recruits them. That could potentially create a Christian Egypt.
 

Pangur

Donor
I love the basic idea however your date is way to late. Latest date would be, well just maybe Cleopatras reign
 
Only way to this to happen is either successful revolts by Herwennefer and Ankhmasis between -205 and -185 BC, or Ptolemy Egypt survives as an client state under Cleopatra onward.

Or go back further, and keep the Persians out.
 
I love the basic idea however your date is way to late. Latest date would be, well just maybe Cleopatras reign

I agree that the prompt's date is far too late but I suspect your's might be a little too early. The Temple of Philae, one of the last bastions of the Egyptian religion was added to through out the Roman period and hieroglyphic inscriptions continued on the temple until the 4th century AD. The Romans openly involved themselves in the Egyptian religion and gave significant Imperial patronage to various temples, using many of the same symbols of religion, power, and authority that the Egyptian and Ptolemy dynasties had. Without Christianity it seems to me that there possibly wouldn't have been a decline in the old religion (although architectural forms were clearly evolving with Roman influence).
 
The only real way to have ancient Egyptian religion survive even in a mixed form would be to butterfly away Christianity.

Anyways, it's worth remembering that the idea of reviving or reinterpreting ancient cultural practices for the sake of crafting a new, unique national identity is something that is very modern. I don't see it happening in the era before nationalism was a thing, simple because the Egyptians didn't really care too much about cultural practices that no one, well, practiced anymore.
 

Pangur

Donor
I agree that the prompt's date is far too late but I suspect your's might be a little too early. The Temple of Philae, one of the last bastions of the Egyptian religion was added to through out the Roman period and hieroglyphic inscriptions continued on the temple until the 4th century AD. The Romans openly involved themselves in the Egyptian religion and gave significant Imperial patronage to various temples, using many of the same symbols of religion, power, and authority that the Egyptian and Ptolemy dynasties had. Without Christianity it seems to me that there possibly wouldn't have been a decline in the old religion (although architectural forms were clearly evolving with Roman influence).
That I agree with this, cleo did try to be Egyptian however yeah the options are somewhat earlier or the High Priest get more devious and plan - carry out a successful rebellion
 
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