An Egyptian home in a city looks very different than an Egyptian home in a village.
Egypt is a nation that has existed since ancient times and thus, there is much variety in what constitutes an Egyptian home. Modern Egyptian homes in an urban setting -- such as Cairo or Alexandria -- often look much like modern American homes. A rural Egyptian home in a village, however, may be more likely to be mud-brick and have dirt floors. In such a case, the difference between an Egyptian home and a modern American home is much greater.
Instructions
Rural Egyptian Homes vs. Modern American Homes
1. Start with construction. An Egyptian in a rural village often lives in a mud-brick house. A modern American house is often constructed of brick or wood. Both consist of a primary front door and a number of windows around the house. However, rural Egyptian houses are often square or rectangular in shape, whereas modern American houses may come in many shapes.
2. Compare the roof. While an American house may have a roof in many shapes, covered in shingles, a rural Egyptian's roof is made of the same mud-brick as the house and is flat. This is because an Egyptian living in a rural village sometimes keeps livestock, such as goats or pigeons, on the roof of the house.
3. Observe the flooring. A rural Egyptian house probably has no real floor; that is, the floor is made of the dirt from the ground. An American home, by contrast, has floors covered in tile, carpet or hardwood.
4. Compare the outer appearances of both types of homes. American homes may be painted in a variety of colors, or simply left as brick surfaces, a rural Egyptian home in a village may be painted blue to ward off the evil eye.
Urban Egyptian Homes vs. Modern American Homes
5. Compare the structure of Egyptian families to the structure of American families. Often, wealthier Egyptians living in cities such as Cairo or Alexandria live in villas, in which a branch of the family lives on each floor of the villa.
6. Consider the amenities of each type of home. Whether one lives in an apartment or a private house, appliances such as washing machines and dishwashers are not common in Egyptian homes. Those that can afford them, buy them. In American homes, these are often included. An apartment building will often have a communal laundry room. Across the Middle East, laundromats in neighborhoods are common sights.
7. Note that most Egyptians in cities live in apartment buildings. Space in a city like Cairo is at a premium and there is very little space for private houses anywhere near the center of the city.
8. Compare the lay-out of the homes. Modern American home layouts vary greatly depending on the developer and the designer. In many modern Egyptian homes, however, there is a large living room in the front of the house for greeting and entertaining guests.
