Egypt Through History: Who Ruled Its Lands
The land of today's Egypt appears on 39 historical border maps from 500 BC to today. Over that time it was held, in whole or in part, by 18 different states, among them Egypt, Ottoman Empire, Mamluk Sultanate, Fatimid Caliphate, Eastern Roman Empire.
EgyptExplore the history of Egypt in the interactive map
Compare 1000 with today · Egypt as a state on the map
Who ruled the land of Egypt, map by map
Share of sample points inside today's borders held by each state on each map. Areas with no organised state on the map are left out.
Historic cities in Egypt
Famous people of Egypt
| Lived | Person | |
|---|---|---|
| c. 1341 BC – 1323 BC | Tutankhamun | Pharaoh of Egypt |
| c. 1303 BC – 1213 BC | Ramesses II | Pharaoh of Egypt |
| 1137 – 1193 | Saladin | Sultan of Egypt and Syria |
| 1138 – 1204 | Maimonides | Jewish philosopher and physician |
| c. 1280 – 1337 | Mansa Musa | Emperor of Mali |
| 1332 – 1406 | Ibn Khaldun | Historian |
| 1769 – 1849 | Muhammad Ali Pasha | Ruler of Egypt |
| 1918 – 1970 | Gamal Abdel Nasser | President of Egypt |
Battles and historic sites
| Year | Battle or site |
|---|---|
| 1869 | Suez Canal |
Landmarks
Great Pyramid of GizaStanding · 2560 BC
Abu SimbelStanding · 1264 BC
Questions
Which empires and states ruled the territory of Egypt?
On the border maps from 500 BC to today, the largest shares of the territory of modern Egypt belonged to Egypt, Ottoman Empire, Mamluk Sultanate, Fatimid Caliphate, Eastern Roman Empire, Roman Empire, along with 12 other states.
What was Egypt part of in 1000?
On the border map for 1000, most of the territory of today's Egypt lay within Fatimid Caliphate.
What was Egypt part of in 1500?
On the border map for 1500, most of the territory of today's Egypt lay within Mamluk Sultanate.
What was Egypt part of in 1900?
On the border map for 1900, most of the territory of today's Egypt lay within Egypt.
Further reading
Last updated 9 November 2026. Sources: border data from historical-basemaps, land and rivers from Natural Earth; texts written for Chronica Maps from standard reference works. How we make the maps.