Known to have existed for almost thirty centuries, Egypt’s soul has always been deeply historical. In every direction, and behind every historic building, there is a rich past of people who came from elsewhere and then settled, built and fought for this land. From the pyramids, we see the past of the ancient Egyptians, and similarly, from other iconic buildings like the Sultan Hassan mosque, there is also the past of the Mamluks who, in contrast to what many think, also perceived themselves as Egyptians. In her new 2018 fiction novel, ‘The Mamluk Trilogy’ (Awlad El Nas), renowned Egyptian writer Reem Bassiouney approaches history with a deeper outlook on the human experience of the Mamluks in Egypt, who originally came as owned slaves and then later ruled Egypt for around 267 years. With her introspective, engaging and gentle writing, Bassiouney introduces new and fresh ideas on identity, history and what it means to be Egyptian. Egyptian Streets sat with Reem Bassiouney to discuss the fascinating trilogy and her views on identity. She is a professor of sociolinguistics at The American University in Cairo, and has written several novels that were…
‘I Want People to Think Deeply About the Human Experience’: Exclusive Interview with Reem Bassiouney
August 20, 2019
