Living in Egypt at the turn of the millennium, cultural anthropologist L. L. Wynn was struck by the juxtapositions of Western, Gulf Arab, and Egyptian viewpoints she encountered. For some, Egypt is the land of mummies and pharaohs. For others, it is a vortex of decadence, where nightlife promises a chance to salivate over belly dancers and maybe even glimpse a movie star. Offering a new approach to ethnography, Pyramids and Nightclubs examines cross-cultural encounters to bring to light the counterintuitive ways in which Egypt is defined. Guiding readers on an armchair journey that introduces us to Russian and Australian belly dancers on Nile cruise ships, Egyptian rumors about an Arab prince and his royal entourage, Saudi girls looking for a less restrictive dating scene, and other visitors to this "antique" land, Wynn uses the lens of travel and tourism to depict a fascinating and often surprising version of Egypt, while exploring the concept of stereotype itself. Tracing the history of Western and Arab fascination with Egypt through spurious hunts for lost civilizations and the new economic disparities brought about by the oil industry, Pyramids and Nightclubs ultimately describes the ways in which moments of cultural contact, driven by tourism and labor migration, become eye-opening opportunities for defining self and other.
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About the Author
L. L. Wynn is Associate Lecturer in the Anthropology Department of Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia. She has taught in a Saudi girls' school and, receiving grants from organizations such as the Mellon Foundation, undertook more than two years of anthropological fieldwork in Cairo.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
snapshots of Egypt's present, ghosts of her past,
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This review is from: Pyramids and Nightclubs: A Travel Ethnography of Arab and Western Imaginations of Egypt, from King Tut and a Colony of Atlantis to Rumors of Sex ... a Marauding Prince, and Blonde Belly Dancers (Paperback)
As someone who visited Egypt for the first time only recently, determined to see the Pyramids and buy a few ornamental souvenirs, I found this to open up a much larger vista than I'd had of Egypt.So I went to see a blonde belly dancer, and a brunette belly dancer, and guess what: I preferred the Pyramids. Reading "Pyramids and Nightclubs" may be the best predictor for any prospective visitor of which version of Egypt you'll prefer to visit. I recommend the book not only for would-be tourists but for anyone who wants to sort through the myths of modern Egypt and its relation to the rest of the "Arab world."
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Enlightening,
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This review is from: Pyramids and Nightclubs: A Travel Ethnography of Arab and Western Imaginations of Egypt, from King Tut and a Colony of Atlantis to Rumors of Sex ... a Marauding Prince, and Blonde Belly Dancers (Paperback)
Studying Egyptology for many years I find this book paints a different picture about the subject - politically as well as socially.A must on anyone's bookshelf interested in Egypt, both ancient and modern.
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