History has always been a passion of mine. Ever since I can remember, I was interested in ancient civilizations and their achievements. For a while, I was lucky enough to work at a job that would send me on business trips to the most diverse range of places. Ultimately, I was to end up in Egypt for a week. Paradoxically enough, I never managed to read much about it and had only a superficial knowledge of it. I was in for a big surprise. The wealth of cultural and artistic heritage is absolutely immense, to say the least. I simply had to know more about it.

Consider geography before plunging into history
The minute I landed in my home city, I phoned my best friend who I knew would have some good recommendations for me. His advice took me off guard. He told me to first make an effort to understand the geography of Egypt, to consider where and how the country is positioned before I attempt to grapple with its rich history. The tale of the Egyptian people does, after all, stretch well over 5,000 years. Getting a grip on the basics first is simply a must. I took his advice and started working on my (unofficial) education. Luckily, it did not take long before I was ready to tackle the pharaohs.

Learn the differences between the Old and the New Kingdom
The history of Egypt is so vast and rich in momentous events, it would be impossible to swallow it up as a whole. For the sake of convenience and better understanding, the timeline is divided into the Pre-dynastic period, the Old, the Middle, and the New Kingdom. These are followed by the Ptolemaic era, the Roman conquest, concluding the antiquity. The Middle Ages are marked by the rise of Islam and Ottoman rule. It sounds like quite a lot and it really is. Add to it the British colonial period and the modern era and you will have more on your plate than you bargained for. Taking it slow and relying on the best resources is of paramount importance in this process.
Discover the ancient tombs & mysterious hieroglyphs

For most people, the lure of the Nile will rest on the Egyptian pyramids and the fascinating lives of the pharaohs. So remote yet so vivid, so mysterious yet so easy to love - the ancient period is what draws anyone in. I am hardly an exception to this rule. In my attempt to discover why Egyptians put so much emphasis on the afterlife and how to decipher the hieroglyphs, I have realized that apps can often be of more use than books themselves. These have been particularly helpful in my quest.

Great Apps for Learning About Ancient Egypt
At this point, learning about the mythology, art, and daily life of this fascinating culture has taken up a lot of my free time but I do not regret it one bit.

Conclusion
Ancient Egypt remains an endless source of fascination for history aficionados around the world. Initially, my understanding of it was pretty superficial but, more recently, I have managed to get a good grip on it. Starting with geography, I moved onto general history, and then into the finer points of dynastic conflict, funerary rites, daily living, and artistic production. All of this with the help of apps. I don't see this little obsession of mine going away anytime soon.