a nation state with multiple identities: egypt in the middle east transition

Transition in the middle east has been one of the most visible characteristics of the middle east since the end of the cold war. having been probably the most penetrated region of the world, the international and the regional orders have always been closely, although mostly asymmetrically related. thus, the transition in the international arena has been deeply impacting the regional scene, which, along the development from the cold war through the unipolar moment of the united states to the post-hegemonic/post-us, has resulted in a relatively more independent regional order in the making. the new middle east is still in transition, with the us having become one among several external actors, old regional powers returning and new ones emerging. but this transition changes not only the actors shaping the new regional order, but also some of the underlying concepts thereof, e. g. that of the regional power.the present paper aims at presenting one of the most ancient regional powers of the middle east, egypt, by analysing how the interplay of internal, regional and external developments and the re-identification of the egyptian state (and society) contributed to its re-emergence as a regional power.