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ʻAmr Munīr is an Egyptian historian and and travellers. This method enables Munīr specialist in the history of Medieval . to differentiate between the traditional ‘Amr Munīr, Misr His primary research area is the folklore myths transferred and inherited by gen- fī al-āsātīr al- and cultural heritage of Egypt in the erations through the ages, on the one Middle Ages and early modern era. This hand, and historical events as recorded in ‘arabīiyah. present work Miṣr fī al-āsātīr al-‘arabīiyah historiographical sources, on the (Egypt in the Arabian Myths) examines the other. myths about Egypt in the writings of Munīr considers the account of al-Maqrīzī Muslim-Arab travellers and historians. It (1364-1442), Kitāb al-mawāʿiẓ wa-l-iʿtibār develops a new approach in modern his- bi-dhikr al-khīṭaṭ wa-l-āthār (Topographic torical studies that differs from the Arab and historical description of Egypt), which classical historical studies, which present also known as al-khiṭaṭ al-maqrīziyyah, as historical studies built on the classic narra- the most prominent source of this study tives of the past written by the contempo- that contains substantial heritage materi- rary chroniclers. In contrast, Munīr’s als about Egyptian history and folklore. approach may be considered a transmis- Another significant study source is the sion stage in recent Arab historiography book Seyahatnâme Miṣr (book of travel of combining cultural heritage studies and Egypt) by Evliya Çelebi (1611–82), an classic historical studies. He seeks to trace Ottoman traveller through the territories the popular imaginations stored in myths of the and neighbouring and tales that the traditional sources lands. Munīr states that this traveller pro- included, but which have been neglected vided a unique description of Egyptian by previous studies. society and its folklore, including many Munīr investigates historical and folk popular tales, myths and superstitions cir- sources of Egypt, Egyptian Society, as well culated among the Egyptian populace. as Egyptian Cities and the . To distin- The sources of this work include a wide guish between myths and historical range of contemporaneous Muslim events, the author examines the old myths sources. In broad terms, the majority of the Ahmed M. Sheir about Egypt that people transmitted sources and writers were chroniclers, eye- through the ages. Munīr then compares witnesses and classical Muslims historians. : al-Majlis al-Aʿlā li-l-Thaqāfah, 2016, and evaluates the perception and trans- Therefore, Munīr’s book relied on a variety 475 pages. ISBN: 9789779209380 mission of these myths in the writings of of other sources, such as Kitāb futūḥ Miṣr the classical Muslim historians, chroniclers wa-akhbāruhā (Conquests of Egypt and

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its news) by Ibn ʿabd al-Ḥakam (d. 870 or through the ages, attracted some promi- that humans used to fill the anonymous 871), Al-istibṣār fi ʿajāʾib al-āmṣār nent writers, historians, philosophers and hiatuses in the past, blending reality with (Description of , Egypt, travellers from the East and West who fiction. Such a human attempt to explore and ) by an anonymous Arab were eager to record and discover the that past was the first attempt to establish geographer (6th AH/13th AD century) and wonders of Egyptian history. These won- history as a science to help in understand- the account of al-Qazwīnī (d.1283), āthār ders are an expression of an axis of the ing the human presence in the past, pres- al-bilād wa-akbār al-ʿibād (Monument of real relations between and Asia, ent, and future. Munīr, therefore, deter- places and history of God’s bondsmen). between Europe and the East, between mines that the first reading of human The author also relied on other historical, the memory of the past and the actual history was a mythological reading, which geographical sources, such as Al-faḍāʾil reality. later was the basis of the earliest endeav- al-bāhirah fi maḥāsin Miṣr wa-l-Qāhirah This work reveals a new image of Egypt by ours to record history. (The brilliant virtues in the merits of Egypt examining the fragments of historical and The second chapter studies the myths and and Cairo) by Ibn-Ẓuhīrat (1422-87), ṣūrat religious knowledge merged with the tales related to the origin of the name al-arḍ (Face of the earth) by Ibn-Ḥawqal (d. myths and folklore preserved in sources Egypt, the origin of the and the 978) and the chronicler al-Masʿūdi (d. and travellers’ reports. In the book’s intro- implications of those fabulous tales about 956), Murūj al-dhahab wa-maʿādin al- duction, Munīr mentions that he aims “to the Egyptians’ pride in their country. It also (The meadows of gold and mines raise popular consciousness of the investigates the debate regarding the of gems). Besides all such sources, the Egyptian cultural heritage, striving to Egyptians’ origins: Hamites, Greeks or study benefited from theMuqaddimat ibn establish a collective comprehension and Arabs. It reveals that these three heritage Khaldūn (the introduction) by Ibn Khaldūn interpretation of the past.” Munīr assumes features were used to satisfy cultural-social (1332-1406) and his theories about society that psychological understanding of the needs for individual communities in Egypt and history. historical phenomena and events is an at the time. The third chapter reveals the This study focuses on examples of tales essential factor in shaping the collective folk materials about the merits of Egypt and myths that the medieval and early vision that interprets history. Chapter one recorded in historical, cultural, folklore modern Muslim historians’ writings men- discusses the differences, similarities and and even religious writings. Writings about tioned about Egypt from the ancient intersections between history and myth. the virtues of Egyptian cities commenced period to the late Middle Ages. The fanci- Munīr presents several definitions of his- by the beginning of the third century AH, ful image of Egypt in the old writings rep- tory and legend in numerous civilizations the ninth century AD, as a type of author- resented, at times, a part of actual events. and languages. He defines the relations ship that combined history with myths and However, at other times, such fantasy built between history and myth as starting with popular heritage, along with religion and an inherent stereotype that displayed the beginning of the human effort to dis- literature. It was a result of the intercom- many perceptions and illusions. Most cover the surrounding world. Therefore, munication of , the Arabic language probably, such impressions, which swelled imagination was one of the techniques

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and the local cultural heritage throughout Chapter seven describes the urbanization thinking at the time. It also strives to rep- Egypt and the Islamic Caliphate. of Egypt, its folktales and the wonders resent the popular vision and understand- Chapter four discusses the myths and existing in the land of Egypt. The tales ing by analysing some elements of folk- tales of the ancient Egyptian civilization in uncover the degree to which the imagina- lore, such as myths. the Muslim sources and as addressed by tion enwraps the and nar- Overall, this work is a milestone in the his- Muslim travellers. The ancient Egyptians rators’ inability to identify its actual history. toriography of the myth and its impact drew the attention and admiration of sto- Such folktales sought to present real upon history and particularly the history of rytellers and writers, who wrote numerous answers about this ancient civilization and Egypt in the Middle Ages and early mod- stories and legends about them and their about its antiquities that have persisted to ern period. It is impressive, showing an economic, political and civilizational this day. Some assigned most of the encyclopaedic depth of understanding, development. Historical memory transmit- accomplishments of the pharaohs to not merely of the history of Egypt as a ted such myths or tales with a romantic witchcraft and paranormal powers. whole, but also of the mythological and perception that attracted the eye of However, most of these fictions hold a ker- popular heritage of Egypt. The study con- Muslim and Arab narrators and travellers. nel of historical facts. Chapter eight inves- tains broad-detailed historical data that Chapter Five relates the legends and tigates the myths and tales about the Nile could be displayed in a better way or in anecdotes regarding the burial customs River and Egypt’s water resources. The multi-separate studies. The period of this of the pharaohs and their treasures. It illus- Egyptians have adored their country and study includes hundreds of sources and trates that some of the tales of the phara- their Nile; the legends phrased this pas- historical materials that are rarely brought onic treasures have some truth to them, sion and love in beautiful and sensational together in a single study. Each part of this but other tales are exaggerated. The form. The chapter confirms that the life study should be studied as a separate author has also tried to display the images and existence of the Egyptians ultimately work. However, despite its breadth, it does of the ancient kings of Egypt that were relied and still relies on the Nile River and take into account the medieval and early ignored by historians’ writings, some of that they regarded this fact with awe. The modern myths mentioned in the Muslim- which are characterised by an excited last chapter deals with the folklore related Eastern sources without considering other imagination. The sixth chapter displays the to the Egyptian character. Historians, medieval sources, such as the contempo- myths of the ancient Egyptian cities, whose writings were sometimes prone to raneous Latin and Byzantine sources that including the news of wonders and tales, exaggeration and other times exhibited dealt with Egyptian history. That opens the which clarifies the extent to which the nar- some reality, subjected the Egyptian per- gate to other scholars to take such study rators were impressed by the achieve- sona to debates, analysis, and conflicts of as a model for further studies that may ments of ancient Egyptian civilization, opinions. To conclude, Munīr mentions investigate the topic of each chapter of which was evident in these legendary sto- that his study aims to illustrate some of the this study in a separate work, while taking ries about the mysterious works of the merits of the historical writing of the into consideration other contemporary ancient Egyptian kings. Muslim historians and their method of

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Ahmed Sheir sources, not only the Arabic Muslims sources and travellers. is a PhD Candidate, holder of Yousef Munīr’s could also have made more use of Jameel Scholarship, at CNMS, Philipps- folk studies literary history and of historical Universität Marburg; writes on the methods like those of the New Historicism impact of Prester John Legend on to develop his methodological tools. It is Medieval West-East relations (12th-15th highly desirable to extend our historical centuries). He also works as a Lecturer studies beyond the classical historical Assistant at Damanhour University. He approaches that use political-military graduated in 2008 from archives and materials to present history University and obtained his MA. degree from above and only for the upper and rul- in 2014 by a joint-supervision between ing classes. Munīr’s book makes a substan- Damanhour University and Göttingen tial effort to pay the same attention to folk- University. He is a co-editor of Studies lore and myths as vital historical sources. It in Peace-building History between East is necessary to use folklore, myths, litera- and West, ASRT-Egypt and CNR-Italy, ture, poetry, and other popular-cultural Egypt, 2019 and author of Tibnin (Toron) materials, and not only historical and in the Ages of the , Germany, archival sources, to present something 2015. new for historical knowledge. email: [email protected]

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Works Cited Ibn-ʿabd al-Ḥakam. Kitāb Futūḥ Miṣr wa-Akhbāruhā. Al-Istibṣār fī ʿajābʾib al-āmṣār, Maṭbaʿat Majlis al-Maʿārif editor. Saʿd Zaghlūl. Dār al- al-Faransāwī al-Khāṣṣ bi-ʿādāt Nashr al-Maghribīyah, 1985. al-Sharqīyah, 1914.

Al-Maqrīzī, Ahmad ibn ʻAlī. Ibn Khaldūn, editor. Kitāb al-Mawāʿiẓ wa-aliʿtibār Muqaddimat ibn-Khaldūn. bi-dhikr al-Khiṭaṭ wa-al-Āthār, ʿAlī ʿAbd al-Wāḥid. Dār al- vol. 3, edited by Muhammad Shaʿb, 1950. Zīnhum and Madīhah al-Sharqàūī. Maktabat Jacques Le Goff. La Nouvelle Madbouly, 1997. histoire. Editions Complexe, 2006. Al-Mas‘ūdi, Abu al-Ḥasan ʿAlī. Murūj al-Dhahab wa- Kearns, Emily and Simon Maʿādin al-Jawhar, vol. 4, ed. Price, editors. The Oxford Marʻī Ḥasan. Al-Maktabah Dictionary of Classical Myth al-Aṣrīyah lil-Ṭibāʿah wa-al- and Religion. Oxford UP, Nashr, 2005. 2003.

Al-Qazwīnī. Āthār al-Bilād Munīr ʿAmr. Miṣr fī al-Āsāṭīr wa-Akbār al-ʿibād, vol. 2, Dār al-ʿarabiiyah. al-Majlis al-Aʿlā Ṣādir, 2003. li-l-Thaqāfah, 2016.

Csapo, Eric. Theories of Veeser, Harold Aram, Mythology. Blackwell editor. The New Historicism. Publishing, 2005. Routledge, 1989.

Evliya Çelebi. Seyahatnâme Miṣr. Translated by Muhammad ʻAwnat, edited by ʻAbd al-Wahhāb ʻAzzām and Ahmad Sulaymān. Dār al-Kutub al-Miṣrīyah, 2005.

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ISSN: 2196-629X https://doi.org/10.17192/ meta.2019.13.8104

Middle East – Topics & Arguments # 13 –2019