Description
Drawing from rich archival sources in Egypt, the UK, and France, and from little-known Arabic publications, Reid discusses up to now neglected topics in both scholarly Egyptology and the preferred “Egyptomania” displayed in world’s fairs and Orientalist painting and photography. He also examines the link between archaeology and the upward thrust of the up to date tourist industry. This richly detailed narrative discusses not only Western and Egyptian perceptions of pharaonic history and archaeology but also perceptions of Egypt’s Greco-Roman, Coptic, and Islamic eras.
Throughout this book, Reid demonstrates how the emergence of archaeology affected the interests and self-perceptions of up to date Egyptians. Along with uncovering a wealth of significant new material on the history of archaeology and museums in Egypt, Reid provides a captivating window on questions of cultural heritage–how it is perceived, constructed, claimed, and contested.