Egypt After the Pharaohs: Archaeology and Society in the Coptic and Early Islamic Periods

The history of Egypt may be famous for the tombs, pyramids and mummies of the Pharaonic periods. This course, however, offers a vision of a different Egypt, a later Egypt: one that evolved from the traditions of the past but was infused by Christianity, Islam, Arabic, and the emergence of one of the world's great cities: Cairo. Students will experience the heritage of Egypt that is contained in the mosque of al-Azhar, the monasteries of the Egyptian desert, and the pageantry and ritual of a new set of ruling elites. At the same time they will understand the continuities of this land which Egyptians refer to as Umm al-Duniya "Mother of the World".