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Description of Egypt, by Edward William Lane. Edited and with an Introduction by Jason Thompson. Cairo: American University Press, 2000. xxxii + 507 pages. Supplement to p.574. Illustrations to p. 579. Bibl. to p. 588. n.p.
Reviewed by Afaf Marsot
Description of Egypt is a fascinating work, indeed a curiosity, having been written over a period of four years but started when Lane first arrived in Egypt in 1825. Although Lane finished a draft in 1831 and submitted it to publishers, who accepted it, for a number of reasons the book was never published until the year 2000.
Edward Lane, an engraver's assistant, was enthralled by things Egyptian, both ancient and modern. He learned Arabic, although no one quiteknows how and, being cursed with chronic bronchitis,...