The Art of Ancient Egypt was created for magical and religious purposes. The functions and symbols disclose the Egyptians’ beliefs about the world. In the Egyptian religious and social context, works of art played a valuable role. For instance, the reliefs on temple walls portraying smiting Egypt’s rivals and the king making offerings to gods illustrated the idea of the kings fulfilling their duties to maintain order. The first Nile cataract bordered the country at Aswan in the south and the Mediterranean Sea. The Nile Valley life was marked by the anticipated rhythm of the annual flood of the Nile River. Due to the rich soil deposits, the Egyptians could plant and harvest crops.
The Egyptians along the Nile River and Sumerians who lived in Lower Mesopotamia took advantage of water and rich soils. However, there was a major difference between the rivers of Mesopotamia and the Nile River. Unlike the Nile River, the Euphrates and the Tigris were not subject to predictably increased flows or flooding on an annual or seasonal basis. The rivers’ flow was subject to non-regular weather events occurring randomly over the areas the Sumerians lived. The flooding of the Mesopotamia rivers was, however, dangerous compared to that of the Nile River. The two rivers occasionally carried dangerous floodwaters, thus threatening the lives of the Sumerians around the area. The Nile River had anticipated weather patterns, and the Egyptians could contemplate the Nile River bank overflowing at a specific time in the year. The depositing silts were fortified with organic matter and minerals, upon which the ancient kingdom was built and flourished for many years, making their culture more prosperous than the Sumerian.