The Literature of Egypt and the Soudan from the Earliest Times to the Year 1885 Inclusive. Vol. I-II

Description:

A Bibliography: comprising Printed Books, Periodical Writings, and Papers of Learned Societies; Maps and Charts; Ancient Papyri, Manuscripts, Drawings, &c. First edition. Scarce.

An important and comprehensive reference work for booksellers, librarians, and collectors of Africana and Middle Eastern material.

Prince Ibrahim-Hilmy (1860-1927), the seventh son of Ismā’il Pasha (1830-1895), Viceroy of Egypt under Ottoman suzerainty (1863-1879), was a distinguished scholar and bibliophile. Educated in Arabic literature, Islamic studies, and the classical tradition, he also engaged deeply with Western intellectual currents. His training at the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich (1878-1880), further broadened his perspective. Living through a turbulent period in Egyptian history - marked by British occupation and political upheaval in Sudan - Hilmy participated in the intellectual circles debating Egypt’s national future and independence. This bibliography offers a detailed survey of works relating to Egypt and Sudan from antiquity to 1885. The bibliography lists some 20,000 titles, providing collations, plate descriptions, and other bibliographic particulars. In his preface, Hilmy reflects on its composition: 'Its compilation has been one of my chief consolations during five years of enforced exile, passed chiefly on the hospitable shores of England, and tempered by the kindness of English friends.'

A foundational resource in the study of Egyptology and Sudanese bibliography, and a testament to Hilmy’s erudition and perseverance.

Condition

2 vols, 4to (282x220mm), orig. red cloth, bevelled boards, decorative gilt border and central device to upper boards, spines faded with some wear and chipping to heads; patterned endpapers. Withdrawn from an institutional library with neat ink stamps to verso of title page and final page of each volume. Good.