A Ride in Egypt from Sioot to Luxor in 1879: With Notes on the Present State and Ancient History of the Nile Valley, and Some Account of the Various W [Paperback]

This 1879 book gives details the famous sites, but also, unusually, takes notice of the political state of Egypt.In this 1879 book, Loftie gives details of visits to the famous sites, but, unusually, takes notice of the political state of Egypt, and is trenchant in some of his criticisms. He also goes off the beaten track, making excursions away from the river, rather than travelling only by boat.In this 1879 book, Loftie gives details of visits to the famous sites, but, unusually, takes notice of the political state of Egypt, and is trenchant in some of his criticisms. He also goes off the beaten track, making excursions away from the river, rather than travelling only by boat.In the second half of the nineteenth century, accounts of the journey down the Nile became increasingly common. This narrative by William John Loftie (18391911), who wrote prolifically on travel, art, architecture and history, was published in 1879. (His A Century of Bibles is also reissued in the Cambridge Library Collection.) Loftie spent in total about 15 months in the Nile valley over several seasons, and justifies his book by the rate of archaeological discoveries: 'books published even three years ago are already behind the times'. He gives details of his journeys to and from Egypt, and of visits to the famous sites, but, unusually, he takes notice of the current political and economic state of Egypt, and is trenchant in some of his criticisms. He also goes off the beaten tourist track, hiring donkeys to make excursions away from the river, rather than travelling only by boat.Preface; 1. On the voyage; 2. The prophet on the platform; 3. The fellah; 4. Dervishes; 5. The Boolak museum; 6. The pyramids and the sphinx; 7. Babylon; 8. Education in Egypt; 9. The journey to Sioot; 10. Sioot; 11. The Greek shop at Soohag; 12. The donkeys; 13. The ancient this; 14. The table of Abood; 15. The famine; 16. Dendera; 17. Gypt; 18. Amen; 19. Luxor; 20. Floating down; Appendix; Index.