What to read to understand contemporary Egypt

Five recent books that help make sense of the Middle East’s most populous country

CAIRO, EGYPT - MARCH 14: People buy traditional lanterns of the holy Muslim month of Ramadan at a market shop in the central El-Haram district on March 14, 2023 in Cairo, Egypt. Egypt's pre-Ramadan inflation, spurred by recent fuel hikes and increased consumer demand prior to Islam's Holy month marked by day-long fasts, family gatherings and large meals, has forced further devaluing of the local currency, which has lost almost half of its value since last March. (Photo by Fadel Dawod/Getty Images) — Image: Getty Images

Mar 17th 2023

OUTSIDERS OFTEN visit Egypt to see its ancient pyramids, tombs and temples. Several empires have risen and fallen in the land along the Nile since those were built. Contemporary Egypt, the Middle East’s most populous country, has been shaped by the uprising against the dictatorship of Hosni Mubarak in 2011 and the subsequent rise to power of Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi, an army general. His regime suppresses dissent, often brutally. Its mismanagement of the economy has pushed many Egyptians into poverty. Those who had hoped for change in 2011 have grown pessimistic. Even so, Egyptians take pride in their homeland, often referring to it as oumm al-dunya, the “mother of the world”, not just for its history but for the warmth and humour of its people. Here are five recently published books, both fiction and non-fiction, that help explain contemporary Egypt and the people who call it home.