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Egypt is a transcontinental desert country situated at the northeast corner of Africa with a land bridge to Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. Famed as one of the earliest human nation states, it hosts one of the longest histories of any modern sovereign state. Because it is geographically dominated by deserts, its civilization developed along the fertile banks of the Nile River that empties into the Mediterranean Sea on its north coast.

Egypt has also played a crucial role in the Assassin-Templar War as the birthplace of the Hidden Ones and the Order of the Ancients, the precursors to the Assassin Brotherhood and the Templar Order respectively.

History[]

Isu era[]

The First Civilization, also known as the Isu, built at least seven Temples in Egypt. One was in the oasis of Siwa and two in Giza. After the Great Catastrophe in 75000 BCE, the Isu left messages for the future generations of their former slaves, the Humans, to prevent another disaster. When all the Isu disappeared, many of their Pieces of Eden were found by humans who used their powers to through History.[1]

Many of the Isu were remembered as gods and inspired the Egyptian mythology. According to legends, Isis, the mother of all Egyptian gods, owned the Ankh and used it to protect the kings of Egypt from harm. After some time, Osiris, Isis' lover, passed away. Isis then used the Ankh to revive him for one night, and during this night, Horus was conceived. From there, the Ankh was left in a pyramid for 200 years, until it was taken away by Roman plunderers to their home city.[2]

Ancient Egypt[]

Old Kingdom period[]

The country was divided between the Lower Egypt and Upper Egypt. Around 3150 BCE, the two kingdoms were united under one ruler, the pharaoh who used Memphis as capital. Between 27th century BCE and the 19th century BCE, many pharaohs ordered the construction of pyramids to use them as tombs. One of the most famous was Khufu's Great Pyramid of Giza.[3]

During the 19th century BCE, Joseph, one of the founders of the twelve tribes of Israel, was sold into slavery in Egypt by his brothers as they were jealous that he had inherited the Shroud of Eden from their father. Joseph became the Pharaoh's chief minister, forgave his brothers and invited their families to live in Egypt. The Pharaoh after Joseph's death became concerned by the Hebrew population and enslaved them.[4]

During the Middle Kingdom period, the pharaohs were protected by the Medjay, an elite paramilitary police force who became later the protectors of the people. The pharaoh also relocated the capital in Thebes and used the Valley of the Kings as a necropolis.[5]

New Kingdom period[]

ACO The Lady of Grace 18

Akhenaten and Nefertiti

Circa 1348 BCE, the pharaoh Akhenaten and his wife Nefertiti were in possession of an Apple of Eden. They abandoned the polytheism and used the artifact to introducing a monotheistic religion centred on the Aten, worshipping the artifact as a representation of the deity. After the death of Akhenaten in 1335 BCE, he was succeeded by his son Smenkhkare who founded the Order of the Ancients, which later became the Templar Order, with the aim of identifying and exploiting ancient Isu technologies. In 1334, Smenkhare died and was buried in the Isu vault of Eeyoo Sekedoo Aat. His brother, Tutankhaten became the new pharaoh and reestablished the polytheism, renaming himself Tutankhamun. He also gave the Apple of Eden to the priests and God's Wife of Amun in the Temple of Karnak in Thebes.[5]

During the 13th century BCE, the pharaoh Ramesses II, with the help of the High Priest and the Apple, was remembered as one of the greatest ruler of Egypt, leading many military campaigns in Syria against the Hittie Empire.[5]

Around 1250 BCE, Moses, a Hebrew prince, eventually liberated his people from slavery by using a Staff of Eden and led them back to the Levant.[4]

Egypt later came to be ruled by the Nubians after numerous campaigns by the Kingdom of Kush. Piye founded the Twenty-fifth dynasty and ruled until his death in 714 BCE.[1] Between 702 and 690 BCE, Piye's son Shabataka ruled over Egypt using a Staff of Eden.[4]

Late period[]

ACO Temple of Amun

The Temple of Amun in Siwa, home to the Oracle of Amun

During the 6th century BCE, Egypt entered into conflicted with the Achaemenid Empire and conquered by the Persians in 525 BCE. A year later, the then Emperor Cambyses II sent an army of 50,000 in an attempt to destroy the the Oracle of Amun in Siwa, though the army was later lost during the sandstorm.[6]

Around 422 BCE, the Persian Assassin Darius travelled with his newborn grandson Elpidios to Egypt to raise him away from the dangers posed from living with his mother Kassandra. Elpidios then grew into an adult and fathered at least one child during his lifetime.[7]

The Persian rule lasted until the late 5th century BCE before being overthrown and subsequently returned to the Egyptians, who ruled until 343 BCE. That year, King Artaxerxes III of Persia led an invasion of Egypt from Pelusium, and with aid from Bagoas and mercenary Mentor of Rhodes conquered Egypt, forming the Thirty-first Dynasty.[8]

Ptolemaic dynasty[]

ACO Alexandria

Alexandria, the capital of the Ptolemaic dynasty for 300 years

In 333 BCE, the Macedonian king Alexander the Great invaded the Achaemenid Empire and conquered Egypt with the help of the Order of the Ancients, who gave him a Staff of Eden. In 332 BCE, Alexander went to the Temple of Amun in Siwa and was recognize by the Oracle as the son of Zeus-Amun and was later crowned as pharaoh in the Temple of Ptah in Memphis. In 331 BCE, he founded Alexandria, which became an important city.[3] In 323 BCE, Alexander was assassinated by Iltani with poison.[9] In 305 BCE, the Macedonian General Ptolemy became the new ruler of Egypt and the founder of the Ptolemaic Kingdom.[3] Alexander body was buried with the Staff of Eden in a great tomb in Alexandria, which became the capital of Egypt. Alexandria became a cultural centre with its Library and its Lighthouse.[1]

During the Ptolemaic dynasty, the Medjay were viewed as an inconvenient relic of the Old Kingdom. The Order of the Ancients led a purge against the Medjay lineages. By 70 BCE only one Medjay left, Sabu of Siwa. He trained his son Bayek to follow his way. In 56 BCE, Sabu was killed by Bion of the Order of the Ancients. Bayek avenged his father and was known as the Last Medjay.[10]

The Ptolemaic kingdom became weak during the 1st century BCE. In 55 BCE, the pharaoh Ptolemy XII Auletes called for the help of the Roman Consul Pompeius Magnus to reclaim his throne. An army of 2,500 Romans led by the General Aulus Gabinianus succeeded to restore the pharaoh. The Army stayed in Egypt and adopted the local culture, becoming known as the Gabiniani. One of their leader, Lucius Septimius, was a member of the Order of the Ancient known as the Jackal. After that, the Roman Republic served as an arbitrator for the Egyptian politics.[1]

In 51 BCE, Ptolemy XII died. He was succeeded by his children, the young Ptolemy XIII and Cleopatra VII. The Order of the Ancients took advantage of the situation to increase their influence on Egypt. They manipulated the young pharaoh and by 49 BCE, Egypt was in Civil War, the Order supporting Ptolemy against his sister. The Order was at every step of society. Pothinus was the regent of the pharaoh and Eudoros was the Royal Scribe. Two members of the Ancients were also nomarchs, Rudjek in the Saqqara Nome and Berenike in the Faiyum Oasis. Hetepi was the second priest in Memphis and orchestrated a supposed curse in the city. Taharqa terrorized the population of the Nile Delta while unearthing the city of Letopolis. Khaliset searched for Isu locations in Giza and captured individuals for sacrifices. The Order also had for ally Gennadios, the leader of the Phylakes, the police force which replaced the Medjay.[1]

Alexandrine Civil War[]

In 49 BCE, during a pharaoh visit of Siwa, the leader of the Order Flavius Metellus accompanied him with Pothinus, Septimius, Rudjek and Medunamun to open the vault. They abducted Bayek and his son Khemu to convince the Medjay to use an Apple of Eden to open the vault. During a fight, Khemu died and Bayek left for dead. A year later, the Medjay and his wife Aya embarked on a quest of vengeance against the Order of the Ancients responsible for the death, beginning with Rudjek and Medunamun, who took the place of the Oracle of Amun. In a span of two years, Bayek hunted the members throughout Egypt, allying himself with Cleopatra in the process.[1]

Ptolemy and Cleopatra tried to find support in the Roman Army. Ptolemy allied with Julius Caesar while Cleopatra tried to forge a alliance with Caesar's rival, Pompey. Septimius and his Gabiniani assassinated Pompey to prevent the alliance. However, Cleopatra succeeded to ally with Caesar. In 47 BCE, the Order led an attack on Alexandria against Cleopatra and Caesar. During the Battle of the Nile Bayek killed Pothinus and Ptolemy died eaten by crocodiles. Metellus, who was in Caesar's army, decided to ally with the Roman consul and Cleopatra, giving back the control of Egypt to the Ancients.[1]

Later, Metellus and Septimus attacked another time Siwa, opening the vault with the Apple and Alexander's Staff. Bayek killed Metellus and recovered the Apple before hiding it under the Library of Alexandria . The Medjay formed an organization with his wife and associates he gained throughout his journey, seeking to protect the freewill of the people. They named their organization the Hidden Ones, which would later become the Assassin Order. One of their first bureau was in Memphis.[1]

In 38 BCE, the Romans and the Order of the Ancients had the control of the Sinai. The Nabatean Gamilat led a rebellion against the Romans. The Hidden Ones supported the rebels in their fight. Bayek arrived in Sinai and killed the member of the Ancients, the General Gaius Julius Rufio. Later, Bayek needed to kill Gamilat as he became extreme, sacrificed innocents lifes to increase the rebellion.[11]

The same year, the God's Wife of Amun Isidora used the Akhenaten's Apple of Eden to punish the soldiers and tomb raiders who pillaged the Valley of Kings. Using the power of the artifact, she created an illusion of a curse making dead pharaohs walked with the living. Bayek investigated in Thebes and stopped Isidora, asking to Sutekh to hide the Apple.[5]

In 30 BCE, Aya, now known as Amunet infiltrated the palace in Alexandria, knocking out Caesarion and confronting her former friend and pharaoh, Cleopatra. With the siege of the city by Octavian underway, Amunet urged Cleopatra to resign to her fate, which she accepted on the condition that Amunet take Caesarion with her back to Rome and train him as one of the Hidden Ones. Amunet handed Cleopatra a vial of poison which she took to commit suicide and departed with an unconscious Caesarion. Meeting with Phoxidas in the shores of the Lighthouse, she boarded the trireme with Caesarion before journeying to Rome.[12]

With the death of Cleopatra, Egypt fell under the control of the Roman Republic, later becoming a province of the Roman Empire.

Islamic era[]

By the 9th century CE, Egypt was a part of the Abbasid Caliphate. In 868, the Mamluk Ahmad ibn Tulun was appointed governor of Egypt. Declaring his independance from the Abbasids, Ahmad founded Al-Qata'i as the new capital of Egypt, establishing numerous trade routes including one with the Norse-Gaelic Kingdom of Dublin in Ireland.[13]

By the end of the 12th century, Egypt was a part of the Ayyubid Sultanate led by Saladin who became the commander of the Muslim armies against the Crusaders during the Third Crusade.[14]

By 1257, Darim Ibn-La'Ahad and the family of his brother Sef had moved to Alexandria.[15] The family was still present in 1511, as one of Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad's descendants, Iskender, had become Mentor of the Egyptian Assassins. Ezio Auditore da Firenze, Mentor of the Italian Assassins, sent apprentices from Constantinople to prevent his execution. The Egyptian and Ottoman Assassins also worked to recover Memory Seals from the destroyed library of Alexandria.[16]

Ottoman rule[]

In 1757, the Templar Haytham Kenway traveled to Egypt to rescue his friend Jim Holden, who had been captured in Damascus while freeing Haytham's half-sister, Jenny Kenway, from slavery. Haytham discovered Holden at the Abou Gerbe monastery on Mount Ghebel Eter, where Coptic priests turned boys into eunuchs. Holden had already been castrated: enraged, Haytham burned the monastery and killed the priests, before carrying his friend to safety.[17]

In 1794, the Assassins in Cairo received an Apple of Eden from the French Assassin Arno Dorian to protect the Piece of Eden from the General Napoleon Bonaparte.[18] Four years later, the French General led a military campaign in Egypt and recovered the Apple, using it to become emperor of France.[19]

Modern era[]

In 1852, deserted English soldier Simeon Price took odd jobs in Alexandria after escaping the sinking of the ship, HMS Birkenhead. Soon, he saved enough to travel to Vienna, Austria.[20]

Modern times[]

In January 2011, protests against then president Hosni Mubarak and his regime erupted in Cairo and other Egyptian cities. Abstergo Industries employee and Egyptian expatriate, Layla Hassan, feeling the need for revolution, asked for a leave of absence and returned to her home country. She was present for the Tahir Square demonstrations. Although her fluency in Arabic was minimal, she managed to become strongly involved in the country's revolutionary youth culture. She helped her new friends communicate via social media and also in hacking digital devices despite the widespread government censorship.[21]

On December 9, 2012, William Miles, the de facto leader of the worldwide Assassin Order, went to Cairo to find the third and final power source for the Grand Temple, which was on display in a museum in the city. Despite his attempts to go unnoticed, the Templars discovered his location and captured him. After that, they sent William and the artifact to Abstergo Industries' facility in Rome, Italy.[22][23]

In July 2013, after the coup d'état that installed Abdel Fattah el-Sisi as president, Layla Hassan decided to reluctantly return to America to work for Abstergo again.[21]

In 2017, Layla Hassan was instructed to go to Egypt to find an important ancient artifact in the Qattara Depression. Layla instead found the mummies of Bayek and Aya and used their DNA to relive their memories using her portable Animus HR-8 to prove her worth to the Animus Project. When she didn't check in with her supervisors they send people after her. After dispatching her attackers using the skills she learned through the Bleeding Effect she was later found by William Miles who offered her a position with the Assassins. Layla accepted his help but refused to join the Assassins as a member, and they both later left for Alexandria.[1]

Gallery[]

Appearances[]

References[]

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