S1, A3: Ancient Egypt gave the world the most extraordinary monuments in all mankind. Its 3,500 year long history came to an abrupt end with the triumph of Christianity in the 4th century. But for all that, this extraordinary civilization has not disappeared. When in the 19th century, Jean-François Champollion managed to decode hieroglyphics, the form of writing used by the ancient Egyptians, the world understood what it owed to the ancient Egyptians. The architecture, necropolises, shipbuilding and Coptic language of the Egyptian Christians have their roots in this thousand-year-old history. Contemporary Egypt is indeed the daughter of ancient Egypt.