Egypt : The People
Approximately 32,500,000 people live in Egypt. Peasant farmers called
fellahin make up over 60 percent of the population. But less than 4 percent of
Egypt's land is suitable for farming. Before the leaders of the 1952 revolution
introduced land reform, less than 2 percent of the landowners owned half of the
land available for farming. Most of the fellahin were tenants or owned very
tiny farms. A man who owned 3 to 5 acres was considered well-off. Now no one
is permitted to own more than 50 acres, and the average Egyptian farm is
generally much smaller than that.
An Egyptian farmer's main tools are the hoe, a simple plow, and the
sakia, or waterwheel. The fellah, his wife, and their ...
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disks. The sharpened edges of the disks crush the
stalks of wheat so that the grain can be separated from the chaff. The water
buffalo or cow also supplies the fellah's family with milk and with calves that
can be sold. Very often the fellah shares his house with his animals. This is
unsanitary, but it is the farmer's preferred way of protecting them. The theft
of an animal could mean economic catastrophe for the poor fellah.
The fellah wears a loose, long cotton robe called a gallabiyea, loose
cotton pants, and a wool cap, which he makes himself. For special events he
makes a turban by folding a white sash around the cap. Flat, yellow slippers
complete the fellah's outfit.
The fellah, the wife of the fellah, wears dresses with long sleeves and
trailing flounces and a black veil, which she sometimes uses to cover her face.
On market days and other special occasions the women wear earrings, necklaces,
bracelets, and anklets. These ornaments are usually made of beads, ...
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Egypt : The People. (2005, June 17). Retrieved March 26, 2025, from http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Egypt-The-People/28659
"Egypt : The People." Essayworld.com. Essayworld.com, 17 Jun. 2005. Web. 26 Mar. 2025. <http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Egypt-The-People/28659>
"Egypt : The People." Essayworld.com. June 17, 2005. Accessed March 26, 2025. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Egypt-The-People/28659.
"Egypt : The People." Essayworld.com. June 17, 2005. Accessed March 26, 2025. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Egypt-The-People/28659.
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