Importance of Studying Cultures

What is a culture to an average citizen? For some it is something they learn at school, for some these are norms of etiquette, for some folklore of the definite country. None of these individuals is completely right. A culture is a composite of all the features mentioned above and a lot more. A culture is what surrounds you, what is in you and what are you trying to understand. This definition sounds quite philosophically, but as you know all the sciences are interconnected and integrate in harmony to help a human being to find his place in this world. Knowledge of any culture makes a person richer than David, wiser than Solomon. People are used to judging about a person by his knowledge of different cultures and their customs. If to apply this system of assessment now, the results will be a bit below the expected level.
Ancient cultures have always been a matter of interest for students and scholars. We believe that ancient cultures have the answers to questions we always ask ourselves and consider them to be philosophical. This is quite possible if to recollect that most of present day inventions have ancient discoveries as a base. Therefore many scholars still strive to decipher some of Egyptian inscriptions left in tombs of pharaohs. First written record was found on stones. The usual topic is hunting, or ritual performing. Step by step these carps developed into the alphabet that was used by ancient Egyptian monks to write down spells, prayers and documents. After the discovery of papyrus they started to write books and keep them is special buildings that later will be called libraries. The biggest loss of the world of culture was the destruction of the library in Alexandria, established by great queen Cleopatra. Some of wax and clay boards used for writing are still safe and kept in the British Museum, the main facility to keep artifacts from Egypt and other former colonies. Other major European cultures that are famous all over the world are ancient Greek and Roman that gave the world a number of geniuses that developed sciences and arts. Asian cradle of ancient cultures and religions is situated in two countries: India and China. Their development started long before Greek nation was formed and some of their masterpieces still remain a mystery for the world.
The world of wonders is big enough and there is always a lot to learn and to research. But no matter how attractive these wonders seem, you have to be a profound expert in your own culture, which is your pride. We were brought up as patriots and the duty of a good citizen is to know and to respect the culture of a country and to make a good contribution to it. The truth is that culture starts within us, our attitudes, demeanors and thoughts.