I've always wanted to go to Egypt. I'm a bit of a history geek, plus Egypt's air of mystery and exoticism adds to its appeal. The other day, whilst gazing at my rain sodden garden, I thought of a way to do it, still staying in lockdown, and without winning Lotto. I decided to delve into the library's eResources.
Flexing my research muscles I started with the reference section hoping to get an overview of Egyptian history, quite an ask given there's over three thousand years of it. Both World Book Advanced and Britannica make valiant attempts to provide an overview, with Britannica's being longer, denser and more complex. Moving on to the History section, Gale in Context provides windows into more specialised information, including primary resources.
Having got the big picture I thought I'd head for the fun stuff - Access Video and Kanopy streaming services where I could just sit back and be entertained. To my surprise Kanopy actually offers a course in Egyptology from Long Island University, along with their other documentaries. The Hidden Treasure of the Cairo Museum, tells the stories of objects in the museum.
Access Video hosts several excellent television series. One Simply called Egypt dramatises the early discovery of ancient Egyptian sites. Treasures of Ancient Egypt is an engaging look at Egyptian art. Landmark Ancient Egypt is aimed at younger people.
I'm feeling immersed in the tourist sites by now and I'm heading back to the books. I tried OverDrive eBooks and eAudiobooks where I found titles like The Pharoahs of Egypt and The Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt. Better still on the fun front, books by Elizabeth Peters and Agatha Christie who both locate their books in archaeological digs. Agatha Christie's husband was an archaeologist and she set several novels at digs.
Elizabeth Peters is an Egyptologist who meticulously researches her books. She bases her main characters on two larger than life historic figures from Egyptology. Her novels are tongue-in-cheek mystery/romances that somehow manage to parody both genres.
By now I really feel I've been there. All that's missing is the heat, the crowds and experiencing the awesome size of the temples. Not bad without leaving home.
Add a comment to: Armchair travel (because that’s the only kind right now)