Recordings will be available for those unable to attend the live sessions
Lighthouse of Alexandria from Kitāb al-Bulhān (Arabic: كتاب البلهان), Professor Doris Behrens-Abouseif
Join award-winning historian Bettany Hughes and other experts at this hybrid study day as we will highlight some of Egypt's most impressive monuments, including the Great Pyramid of Giza and the lighthouse of Alexandria, two of the seven wonders of the ancient world.
To conclude our theme of the Wonders of Egypt, this event will present new perspectives on some of the most well-known sites and discoveries from Egypt. Our presentations will use virtual technology, contemporary accounts, and recent archaeological discoveries to reconstruct the spatial, physical, and environmental experiences of these sites. Join us to appreciate these magnificent monuments and architectural achievements in a whole new light.
Funds generated from ticket sales will directly contribute to the ongoing work of the Society. Thank you.
Venue
Abstracts
Overlaid Historic maps of Hawara pyramid and labyrinth, Gamal Abdelmonem
From Herodotus to Petrie: Reliving the Marvels of the Ancient Hawara Labyrinth
Professor Mohamed Gamal Abdelmonem
Known to many in Victorian Britain as the home of the Fayoum Portraits or Flinders Petrie's key discoveries, to the Greeks, it was that ancient marvel that surpassed all ancient structures, according to Herodotus, and must be visited. The Ancient Hawara Pyramid and Labyrinth site is a mortuary and pyramid site in the south-eastern Fayum region of Egypt, about 80km south of Cairo. Hawara's artefacts are displayed in more than 36 leading world museums across many countries in North America, Europe and Asia. Through comprehensive surveys, architectural analysis and virtual technology, Professor Abdelmonem will bring multiple layers of histories, collections, and spatial connections together in an interactive and visionary manner. This lecture introduces a novel approach to reuniting the site's historical narratives with its collections by reconstructing the spatial, physical, and environmental experiences of the site in a way that takes advantage of virtual reconstruction, remote sensing, and mobile technology.
The Islamic History of the Lighthouse of Alexandria
Professor Doris Behrens-Abouseif
The lighthouse of Alexandria has a turbulent Islamic history. It was first built by Alexander's successor Ptolemy Philadelphus (286-246 BCE) and designed by the architect Sosastros of Cnidus. The lighthouse shone over the harbour of Alexandria until the early-14th century. EES President Doris Behrens-Abouseif will reconsider and reevaluate significant Arabic texts regarding the lighthouse in the period between the Arab conquest and its collapse. She will focus on contemporary accounts and testimony to present the history and architectural transformation of the lighthouse under Muslim rule.
The sarcophagus and burial chamber from the Tomb of Ay (WV23) in the Valley of the Kings, Nicholas Brown
The Valley of the Kings – Its Life and Afterlife
Dr Nicholas Brown
The Valley of the Kings is arguably one of the most famous archaeological sites in Egypt. For nearly five hundred years, the area was used by the kings of Egypt, their family members, and certain elite courtiers as a sacred necropolis during the New Kingdom (ca. 1550-1069 BCE). This presentation provides an overview of the site's use, history, and development over time.
The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World
Professor Bettany Hughes
The Seven Wonders of the World were staggeringly audacious impositions on our planet. Now, only the pyramid remains virtually intact, yet the scale and majesty of these Seven Wonders still enthral us today. Based on her latest bestselling publication, award-winning historian Bettany Hughes will walk through the landscapes of both ancient and modern time; on a journey whose purpose is to ask why we wonder, why we create, why we choose to remember the wonder of others. During this study day, she will focus on the two wonders of Egypt: the Great Pyramid at Giza and the Lighthouse of Alexandria.
Pyramids of Giza, Bettany Hughes
Booking and information
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the event in person and online, including your personalised Zoom link for joining the event. If you do not receive your email, then please check your junk folders before contacting the Egypt Exploration Society. The study day will be held on our Zoom platform and attendees will be able to interact by asking questions, using the chat and polls. The skills session will be complemented by Google Drive, where resources will be uploaded.
Event tickets are only refundable if notice is provided at least one week prior to the event start date.
The venue and Zoom webinars have a limited attendance capacity, so please only sign up if you’re confident that you can attend. If this event does become sold out, please click the book now button to join the waiting list. We will email you if a place becomes available for this event, so you may reconfirm your interest in attending this study day.We recommend that you join our online events using a PC or laptop. We recommend live online attendance to participate in the Q&A session with the speaker, but this study day will be recorded and available on YouTube after the event for both online and in person attendees.
Hawara pyramid, Gamal Abdelmonem
Please ensure that you have read our guide to attending EES online events before the course begins.
Professor Mohamed Gamal Abdelmonem
Professor Doris Behrens-Abouseif
Dr Nicholas Brown
