“Egypt in the Writings of Arab, Muslim, and Western Travelers” Seminar

Prof. Kamal Anani, Egyptian and Islamic History and Archaeology Department, Faculty of Arts, Alexandria University; Prof. Heba Mahmoud Saad, Dean of the Faculty of Tourism and Hotels, Alexandria University; Prof. Doaa Kandil, Tourist Guidance Department, Faculty of Tourism and Hotels, Capital University

28 September 2026

01:00 PM

the BA Main Entrance, Auditorium

The Bibliotheca Alexandrina (BA), through the Antiquities Museum, Cultural Outreach Sector, is organizing a seminar entitled “Egypt in the Writings of Arab, Muslim, and Western Travelers”. The event will take place on Monday, 28 September 2026; 1:00 pm, at the BA Main Entrance, Auditorium, as part of the BA’s annual series, the “16th Alexandria Dialogues”.

The discussion will be moderated by Prof. Ahmed A. Zayed, Director of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, and will feature a distinguished group of professors and specialists offering scholarly insights based on key sources of travel literature within Islamic civilization. Participants include Prof. Kamal Anani, Egyptian and Islamic History and Archaeology Department, Faculty of Arts, Alexandria University, and Former Dean of the Faculty of Archeology and Languages, Matrouh University, who will deliver a lecture entitled “Egypt as Seen and Described by Ibn Battuta”. Prof. Heba Mahmoud Saad, Dean of the Faculty of Tourism and Hotels, Alexandria University, who will present a lecture entitled “Egypt through the Eyes of Travelers in the Mamluk Era”. The seminar will also host Prof. Doaa Kandil, Tourist Guidance Department, Faculty of Tourism and Hotels, Capital University, and Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Heritage and Museum Studies, Capital University, will deliver a lecture entitled “A Reading of Travelogues: Reflections on Writings by Travelers and Orientalists about Modern-Era Egypt”. These lectures will shed light on the writings of Arab, Muslim, and Western travelers, highlighting their commitment to recording detailed observations regarding Egyptian society, the local population, customs, traditions, and festivities.

The 16th edition of the “Alexandria Dialogues” series, is a set of discussion forums launched several years ago by Prof. Ahmed A. Zayed. It aims to foster open dialogue among intellectuals, decision-makers, and the public by discussing travel literature concerning Egypt, a body of intellectual and historical sources documented by geographers and travelers over the decades.