Recent press coverage of what has been coined as 'curfi marriage' seems to bear witness to evolving sexual norms in Egyptian society today. More than to the phenomenon itself, for which no serious... Show moreRecent press coverage of what has been coined as 'curfi marriage' seems to bear witness to evolving sexual norms in Egyptian society today. More than to the phenomenon itself, for which no serious statistics are available, our attention should be drawn to the labelling procedures indulged by the press and 'popular literature'. Perceptions of sexuality and curfi marriage, and the way in which society is portrayed, reflect an attempt to incorporate the changing norms within a revived Islamic code. Reading the press, one discovers with astonishment an unleashed resentment of and blame on the youth and women. Show less
During the last decade Cairo has witnessed a flowering of shopping malls, ATM and mobile phone use, resort-style recreation, and fast-food consuming, all of which represent a radical departure from... Show moreDuring the last decade Cairo has witnessed a flowering of shopping malls, ATM and mobile phone use, resort-style recreation, and fast-food consuming, all of which represent a radical departure from previous Egyptian consumer habits. These new behaviours symbolize Egypt’s increasing integration into the world capitalist system, if not its growing participation in multiple dimensions of globalization. Show less
The political opposition in Egypt has recently been showing growing forms of cooperation, especially at the grass root level. The nationalist Nasserists, Leftists and Islamists are infamous for... Show moreThe political opposition in Egypt has recently been showing growing forms of cooperation, especially at the grass root level. The nationalist Nasserists, Leftists and Islamists are infamous for their internecine conflict and none are a homogeneous political group representing a monolithic political front. Recent attempts to forge new types of collaborative political action, particularly between the latter two groups, should, therefore, not be understood as a coalition representing three discrete parties under their official leaderships, but as loose networks comprising members or sections of different political camps as well as unaffiliated sympathizers. Show less
As part of the VIDI 'Cultural innovation in a globalising society: Egypt in the Roman world', this research explores manifestations of Egypt in the material culture of Augustan Rome. This period... Show moreAs part of the VIDI 'Cultural innovation in a globalising society: Egypt in the Roman world', this research explores manifestations of Egypt in the material culture of Augustan Rome. This period was a crucial turning point for the urban landscape of Rome, which was characterised by cultural diversity. Previous studies focus primarily on Greek influences on the development of Augustan material culture, while Egypt remains neglected or simply categorised as exoticism or Egyptomania. This research, in contrast, set out to investigate whether or not __Egypt__ constituted an integral part of Augustan material culture during this period. By comprising for the first time a comprehensive and interpretative overview of manifestations of Egypt in Augustan Rome __including public monuments, paintings, and architectural elements as well as pottery, gems, and jewellery from private contexts__ a wide variety of case studies could be conducted, among which object reappraisals as well as new finds and contextual analyses were featured. By focusing on the archaeological data, this study demonstrates that Egypt was not an exotic Outsider in Rome, but constituted a remarkably diverse part of Roman material culture and the Augustan urban landscape, and was integrally part of the inherently flexible Augustan material culture repertoire. Show less
In Egypt, as in many other parts of the formerly-colonized world, numerous tensions and conflicts revolve around gender issues. Women are often caught between the pursuit of modernization, attempts... Show moreIn Egypt, as in many other parts of the formerly-colonized world, numerous tensions and conflicts revolve around gender issues. Women are often caught between the pursuit of modernization, attempts at liberalization, a pervasive nationalist rhetoric of 'authenticity', processes related to Islamization and ongoing imperialist encroachments. Those women who are actively engaged in contesting existing gender relations and social injustice are particularly vulnerable to being stigmatized as anti-nationalist and antireligious. Indeed, contemporary women activists in Egypt have increasingly been accused, particularly by Islamist movements and conservative nationalist forces, of collaborating with Western imperialism by importing alien ideas and practices and disseminating them throughout society. Show less
Mass Culture and Modernism in Egypt began as my dissertation research. My plan was to write about concepts of the person in Egypt, and one of my sources was to be media, though this was not... Show moreMass Culture and Modernism in Egypt began as my dissertation research. My plan was to write about concepts of the person in Egypt, and one of my sources was to be media, though this was not necessarily to be the primary focus of the research. At the outset, my plans were quite flexible. I was interested in the relation of local identity to practices associated with both foreign and ‘classical’ Islamic ideals. Show less
Several sites in the desert between the Nile and the Red Sea, in Egypt and Sudan, as well as in the Nubian Nile Valley have produced the sherds of decorated hand-made cups and bowls, now identified... Show moreSeveral sites in the desert between the Nile and the Red Sea, in Egypt and Sudan, as well as in the Nubian Nile Valley have produced the sherds of decorated hand-made cups and bowls, now identified as Eastern Desert Ware (EDW). Because of their small number and enigmatic origin these sherds have been mostly ignored. For this study, 290 EDW sherds were collected and investigated macroscopically, microscopically and by mass-spectrometry of both the ceramic matrix (ICP/MS) and the preserved organic residues (GC/MS). The results strongly suggest that EDW was made and used by the pastoral nomads living in the desert in the 4th-6th centuries CE. The former identification of these nomads with the Blemmyes of the written sources, however, must now equally strongly be rejected. Show less
Understandably, the 11 September terrorist attacks in the USA have reinforced more than ever Western anxieties over the 'threat' of 'Islamic fundamentalism'. The perpetrators' Islamic identity and... Show moreUnderstandably, the 11 September terrorist attacks in the USA have reinforced more than ever Western anxieties over the 'threat' of 'Islamic fundamentalism'. The perpetrators' Islamic identity and the subsequent mass street protests in the Muslim world during the US bombings of Afghanistan left little doubt that political Islam in the Middle East is here to stay. However, the picture conceals some significant changes that Islamism in the Middle East has been undergoing in recent years. There is a clear shift from the earlier emphasis on Islamist polity to one on personal piety and ethics; from constituencies centred around impoverished middle classes to more fragmented adherents including the privileged groups. Show less
Globalization has led to more competition not only globally but also locally. As a response to globalization and in an attempt to internationalize, international schools have been growing at an... Show moreGlobalization has led to more competition not only globally but also locally. As a response to globalization and in an attempt to internationalize, international schools have been growing at an unprecedented rate in Egypt. There are practical reasons why so many parents enroll their children in such schools, but what are the larger implications and possible benefits? This article exposes the general nature of international schools in Egypt, taking into account the teachers, students, as well as the curricula on offer, with a focus on the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program (IBDP). This article contends that there are many contradictions in the parent‟s motivations to enroll their children at international schools. Show less
The Manichaeans of Kellis: Religion, Community, and Everyday Life is the first monograph examining daily life of a Manichaean community in the Roman Empire. It shows where and when a... Show moreThe Manichaeans of Kellis: Religion, Community, and Everyday Life is the first monograph examining daily life of a Manichaean community in the Roman Empire. It shows where and when a Manichaean affiliation mattered for ancient individuals and families, how it affected their personal letters, as well as their day-to-day interactions in a fourth-century village. The papyrological and archaeological evidence from the village of Kellis (modern Ismant el-Kharab) presents a unique perspective on this late antique religion that is otherwise mostly known for its theological and cosmological system. The specific setting of these finds, in particular having liturgical texts and personal letters from the same houses, offers many opportunities to reconstruct family networks, village interactions, as well as some of the underlying religious structures and practices. By pursuing a bottom-up approach, this study brings Manichaeism to life as a religion for ordinary people. It also engages with the larger theoretical debates concerning the role and position of “lived religion” in the academic Study of Religion, as well as current perspectives on the fundamental transformation of religion in Late Antiquity. Show less
One of the most interesting and least-examined episodes in the career of Sayyid Qutb (1906-1966), the influential Egyptian ideologue of Islamism, is his sojourn in the United States from November... Show moreOne of the most interesting and least-examined episodes in the career of Sayyid Qutb (1906-1966), the influential Egyptian ideologue of Islamism, is his sojourn in the United States from November 1948 to August 1950. Egypt's Ministry of Education had sent the 42- year-old Qutb to the US to investigate American instructional methods and curricula, a task for which his career as an educator in Egypt had well prepared him. A number of materials exists that allow the researcher to reconstruct the main lines of Qutb's itinerary in the US and to explicate his thoughts on the essential nature of American society and culture. These include articles, 'letters home' written by Qutb and published in the Egyptian periodicals al-Risala, al-Kitab, andal-Hilaland, interestingly, documentary materials available at the University of Northern Colorado,'where Qutb studied in 1949. Show less
This contribution presents the preliminary results of the author's PhD research, with a focus on Bishop Abraham of Hermonthis (ca. 590-621). Previously, it was assumed that the bishop died between... Show moreThis contribution presents the preliminary results of the author's PhD research, with a focus on Bishop Abraham of Hermonthis (ca. 590-621). Previously, it was assumed that the bishop died between ca. 610 and 620, but the author argues that he passed away in 621. Show less
This article, written for a wide audience in Dutch, provides a summary of the author's PhD dissertation, Episcopal Networks and Authority in Late Antique Egypt (defended in November 2017, published... Show moreThis article, written for a wide audience in Dutch, provides a summary of the author's PhD dissertation, Episcopal Networks and Authority in Late Antique Egypt (defended in November 2017, published by Peeters in Leuven in 2018), on seventh-century bishops who represented a new church hierarchy and were organizing it on a local level. This hierarchy is the forerunner of the present-day Coptic Orthodox Church. Show less
In the 2019 season, the joint Leiden-Turin Expedition to Saqqara continued work in the area north of thetomb of Maya with the aim of lowering the terrain above the new tomb discovered during the... Show moreIn the 2019 season, the joint Leiden-Turin Expedition to Saqqara continued work in the area north of thetomb of Maya with the aim of lowering the terrain above the new tomb discovered during the 2018 season(V82.1) and to prepare the area for further exploration in 2020. Many layers of deposit situated immediatelyto the north of the new tomb were removed, and – although they mostly originated from previous excavationsin the 1980s and 1990s – systematically investigated. Several dumps of organic material such as linenand wood as well as numerous small finds and relief fragments were identified and recorded. In addition,existing storage facilities on site were renovated and upgraded. In this process, part of the undergroundstructures of the tombs of Horemheb and Meryneith were surveyed by the 3D Survey Group (Politecnico diMilano). Thanks to the cooperation with the same Milanese team, a new documentation method was testedduring the ongoing excavation work. Within a 3D model the different stages of excavation were recorded,allowing the digital reconstruction of the stratigraphy of the whole area and the documentation of all findsin their original contexts. A Digital Surface Model of the entire concession area was also produced, and 3Dmodels of some of the previously excavated monumental tombs were created. Lastly, since heavy rainfallshad damaged many of the earlier excavated monumental tombs open to the public, they were consolidatedand where necessary rebuilt. Show less
Del Vesco, P.; Greco, C.; Müller, M.; Staring, N.T.B.; Weiss, L.V.; Gasperini, V.; ... ; Warner, N. 2019
In 2015, the Museo Egizio in Turin joined the Leiden expedition to Saqqara, in the area south of the Unas causeway. This report presents the expedition’s new approach as well as some first results... Show moreIn 2015, the Museo Egizio in Turin joined the Leiden expedition to Saqqara, in the area south of the Unas causeway. This report presents the expedition’s new approach as well as some first results of this new cooperation. In the 2018 season, the Leiden-Turin expedition worked in the northern sector of its concession, covering an area of ca. 250 sqm just north of the tomb of Maya. Here Late Antique layers overlie a windblown deposit containing some simple burials and numerous “embalmers’ caches”, some of which yielded marl clay cups with hieratic labels. An overview of both the pottery and the human remains found during this season is provided in the present report. Below the wind-blown deposit is a level with Ramesside funerary chapels and shafts. One of them has a remarkable decoration including six small-format figures carved in high relief in the middle of its back wall. The shaft of another chapel was also excavated, revealing several plundered chambers which yielded only scanty finds. A large mud-brick wall exposed during the previous season turned out to belong to the outer wall and pylon entrance of a monumental tomb, whose owner’s name has not been found yet.A photogrammetric survey by a team of the Politecnico di Milano yielded a 3D model of the dig (included in the web version of this report), as well as several 3D models of the monumental tombs (completed or in the making). During the season, conservation work was carried out on several tombs and on the newly discovered Ramesside chapel. Show less
Contemporary discussions of the Egyptian peasantry, for example relating to the recent tenancy law, centre on stereotypes of backward peasants. Such discourses, which paint peasants as apolitical... Show moreContemporary discussions of the Egyptian peasantry, for example relating to the recent tenancy law, centre on stereotypes of backward peasants. Such discourses, which paint peasants as apolitical creatures and bearers of a backward mentality, can be traced at least as far back as the interwar era. But by using the peasant “mentality” as an all-explanatory device for understanding rural poverty, these discourses ignore the social and political processes that produced rural poverty in the first place. Show less
Henna rituals associated with the marriage celebration have been gradually disappearing in urban Egypt in the past half-century. Yet the art of henna has recently been revived among certain circles... Show moreHenna rituals associated with the marriage celebration have been gradually disappearing in urban Egypt in the past half-century. Yet the art of henna has recently been revived among certain circles of young middle- and upper-class Cairene women who have reincorporated the tradition of henna painting into the pre-nuptial 'hennanight' party. Show less
The discourse on education in Egypt uses key terms such as reform and crisis. It is rare to find a society that is satisfied with its educational system. What seems important here is to analyse... Show moreThe discourse on education in Egypt uses key terms such as reform and crisis. It is rare to find a society that is satisfied with its educational system. What seems important here is to analyse that which is considered as related to education. In other words, to what extent education is considered among the major causes of societal problems or, as the magic solution to these problems. Show less
