A tree of light... olives in the memory of Egyptian civilization

Introduction: The olive tree in Egypt grew in a blessed land and woven the history of Egypt over seven thousand years

The olive tree in Egypt was not just a fruitful plant. Since it emerged from the blessed phase of Sinai, as Almighty said, it has been a symbol of life, light and blessing that brought together religion, civilization and nature.

“A tree that comes out of Sinai grew with fat and dye for food.”

In a land in the middle of the Levant, Palestine on the east, the Mediterranean basin and Europe on the west, this blessed tree found an ideal home in Egypt's soil and diverse climate. It was a cultural bridge through which agricultural and commercial knowledge crossed between East and West.

From the temples of the pharaohs to the oases of Siwa and Sinai, and from the ancient contemporary of Fayoum to the modern oil laboratories, Egypt has remained the land of olives and light; carrying its message throughout the ages... and instilling in the world the meaning of uninterrupted blessing.

It is a tree that embraces history, doctrine and science to tell the story of a land that has known agriculture since the dawn of humanity... and has taught the world the meaning of blessing and immortality.

The imports of the kings of ancient Egypt from Palestine: when the holy oil crossed the sea to the Nile

Although Egyptians knew olives in their local environment, Pharaonic inscriptions and archaeological texts indicate that the kings of ancient Egypt imported olive oil from Canaan (present-day Palestine), which was one of the richest oil-producing regions in the Near East.

The Amarna papyri and Karnak inscriptions show commercial expeditions from Egypt to Gaza, Jaffa and Beit Shean to fetch quantities of oil, perfumes and wood.

Olive oil was offered among the luxurious royal gifts to the pharaoh. In palace stores, pottery of Canaanite origin bearing symbols of quality and origin were discovered. There were also seals in Tel Amarna with the words “Good oil from Canaan” written in cuneiform script, proving the existence of active trade between the Nile Valley and the Levant in the fourteenth century BC.

This exchange has contributed to the transfer of Levantine varieties of olives to Egypt to be mixed with local seeds and paved the way for the establishment of organized olive agriculture in Fayoum and the Delta. Thus, olives became a symbol of an early cultural integration that combined the blessing of the Palestinian phase and the fertility of the land of the Nile in a partnership that planted the first roots of the eternal relationship between Egypt and olives.

1. Olives in Ancient Egypt: When the Tree Was Transformed into a Sacred Heritage

• Through more than 120 pharaonic inscriptions found in Thebes and Saqqara, the features of the first processes of pressing olives and extracting their oil are highlighted.
• In Tutankhamun's tomb, 22 pottery jars containing the remains of pure olive oil were discovered — an indication of its nutritional and ritual value.
• At the Temple of Madamud in Luxor, scenes were filmed showing priests painting the bodies of kings with oil in the royal sanctification rituals.
• Ancient Egyptians developed impressive techniques including fine stone presses, anti-oxidation pottery, and linen filters.
• Olive oil was part of medical preparations and embalming and was used to illuminate temples, reflecting their early recognition of its chemical and spiritual value.

2. Kiman Faris in Fayoum: the first olive industrial center in the ancient world

• In the heart of Fayoum, excavations have revealed seven complete stone presses from the Ptolemaic period, along with charred olive pits that were radiocarbon proven to date back to 2500 BC.
• At the time, Fayoum was known as the “oil store”. Egyptians created advanced irrigation systems to control water and salinity, enabling them to produce distinctive local varieties such as Fayoumi olives.
• In the Roman era, Egyptian oil exports to Rome and the Levant amounted to twenty thousand wages per year, making Egyptian oil a strategic commodity mentioned in ancient trade records.

3. Sinai, Siwa and Matrouh: the oases of blessing where heaven meets earth

In the Sinai phase, the tree is not just agriculture, but a sacred symbol.

The Almighty said: “When a tree comes out of Sinai, it grows with fat and is painted for those who eat” (Al-Muminoon: 20)

Thus, the land of Al-Tur was immortalized as the blessed land of olives, where spiritual meaning meets agricultural richness.

Soil analysis in the region proves that it contains mineral elements that give the oil a unique flavor. Today, Sinai Golden Oil is produced with an acidity of less than 0.5%.

Siwa Oasis is the jewel of the Western Desert. It includes more than 70 thousand olive trees of local varieties that are irrigated with pure groundwater. It produces oils that have received the Certificate of Protected Origin (PDO) from the European Union for their quality and purity.

4. Islamic and Mamluk era: olives are the currency of blessing and trade

• With the entry of Islam, olives took on a new religious and economic dimension.
• Al-Maqrizi noted that Cairo had more than 45 markets selling oils, and that olive oil was used in food, treatment, lighting and mosques.
• In Mamluk documents, we find references to quality control systems and the establishment of accurate specifications for sale and storage.
• At Amr ibn Al-Aas Mosque, Zaytoun has been the source of lighting for more than five hundred years.
• The industries based on it have also flourished: soaps, perfumes and medicinal ointments, making Egyptian oil a cultural and economic product par excellence.

5. Muhammad Ali Waly to Modern Egypt: Olive between Development and Science

• In the nineteenth century, Muhammad Ali Pasha began to introduce new agricultural systems, establishing experimental olive farms in Nubaria and Al-Buhaira.
• By the mid-twentieth century, agriculture expanded in Matrouh and Sinai thanks to agricultural extension programs.
• Today, Egypt is one of the top ten olive producing countries in the world and the first in the world in the production of table olives, with a cultivated area of nearly 250 thousand feddans and an annual production of about one million tons of fruits.
• It also produces about 40 thousand tons of olive oil per year. Its products are exported to more than 35 countries, taking advantage of its Mediterranean climate and its location among the most important markets in the world.
• Maasar has also created a modern mechanism that relies on cold cooling to maintain chemical quality and natural flavor.

6. The olive in the religious and spiritual heritage: a tree that connects the earth to the sky

In the Holy Quran, Zaytoun is mentioned in seven surahs, including the Almighty saying:

“Allah is the light of heaven and earth... It is burned from a blessed olive tree” (Al-Noor: 35).

• In the Bible, the dove carried an olive branch as a sign of peace after the Flood.
• In the Torah, oil is mentioned as a symbol of purity and divine light.
• In the Egyptian Coptic Church, olive oil is used in baptism and blessing rituals.
• Thus, the three monotheistic religions meet on one land... Egypt is the land of Al-Tur and Zaytoun.

7. Olives and Modern Science: From Lab to Table

• Egyptian olives contain more than 45 phenolic antioxidant compounds, most notably oleuropein, which gives a bitter taste and protects against heart disease.
• Recent research indicates that Egyptian olive oil has anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties and is used in the development of natural cosmetics and functional food industries.
• Olive leaves and waste products are also used to produce medicinal extracts and natural antioxidants.

8. The latest statistics in Egypt for olive cultivation and olive oil production

The latest data issued by the International Olive Council (IOC) and international agricultural market reports indicate that Egypt has become one of the world's leading countries in olive cultivation and table olive production.

The cultivated area has reached about 100 thousand hectares (about 250—270 thousand feddans), with a total annual production of approximately 950 thousand to one million tons of fruits, mostly directed to the manufacture of table olives, which Egypt accounts for about 23% of world production, while 35 to 40 thousand tons of olive oil are extracted annually.

These figures, approved by the International Olive Council (IOC) and international market analysis platforms such as IndexBox and Olive Oil Times, show that Egypt is moving steadily towards strengthening its position as a regional center for the production and export of olives and olive oil, supported by national projects in Sinai, Matrouh and the oases and a continuous expansion of high-quality local and imported varieties.

Conclusion: The Tree of Eternity... Egypt's Message to the World

From the Pharaonic inscriptions to the Fayoum Contemporary, from the Tur Mountains to the scientific research laboratories, the olive tree in Egypt remains a bridge between the past and the future, between earth and heaven. It is a tree that does not die because it plants its roots in a history full of wisdom, grows in a land blessed by God, and produces oil that is the symbol of light and life.

Today, the olive tree is one of the pillars of the agricultural, industrial and export renaissance in Egypt. It is not just an agricultural crop but a promising strategic investment that combines the blessing of the land and the value of the economy. Egypt has all the ingredients that qualify it to be a regional power in this sector: a mild Mediterranean climate, large areas suitable for agriculture in Sinai, Matrouh and oases, and accumulated experience in manufacturing and oil extraction.

In addition, its unique geographical location connects East and West. It is located at the same distance from Spain, Italy, Greece and the Levant — the cradle of olives in the world — making it a natural link in the global market for olives and olive oil.

Investing in the olive tree is a bet on a green economic future that enhances food security, supports exports, and embodies Egypt's vision to move towards a sustainable economy based on added value and agricultural excellence.

It is Egypt's message to the world: blessing is not only in oil, but in awareness, knowledge and connection to the land, and that whoever grows olives... grows peace.

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