Luxor4u

Sorry if this type of question has been asked before, I have looked through older posts but I can't find any relevant recent answers.
T'Other half is doing last part of his university course. Like a lot of men in Luxor, he has been laid off work, so now cannot afford to buy expensive books. He is taking himself off to all sites with book, camera and trying to glean as much information as he can on his own.He has been surfing the net for information, but would pefer good old fashioned books to read. Are there any librararies for students to use freely in Luxor. Are there any Lectures that he could attend? I have told him that lots of information posted on here, but he feels that as an Egyptian, that this forum is not for him!
I have told him that I will throw the question across to my wise and learned comrades and find out Info for him.
He is so proud to have got to his last year, and says it has been wonderful to learn so much history about Egypt (AND LOTS MORE) he feels that he was born an Egyptian, but as a lot of people there, never knew his own history,he had never been to temples, sites, cities etc.
He has been an ardent student and has a thirst for more, so any help offered would be much appreiciated!

The library in Karnak Temple Street has an OK collection of books on history and such. It costs a nominal amount to get borrowing privileges.

Glyphdoctor wrote:The library in Karnak Temple Street has an OK collection of books on history and such. It costs a nominal amount to get borrowing privileges.

What does nominal amount meaaaan???

Not sure. I would guess between 5 and 30LE a year for borrowing privileges.

The library catalog can be searched here:
http://catalog.mpl.org.eg/uhtbin/cgisir ... /60/1182/X

Just choose Luxor for the library from the dropdown list.

Thanks Glyph, very useful information. I never knew of this library.

Is that different from the library in the Heritage Centre? I noticed a while ago that there was a reasonable reference section on one floor. I also understand Kent Weeks is setting up a library on the West Bank for reference work.

Maakari, tell him to attend the free lectures at the Mummification Museum at 7pm on Sunday evenings (not tomorrow because of the symposium) We get a big proportion of Egyptians attending those. Often a Reis and some of his Egyptian dig team for the mission. If he gets to meet and talk to them it might prove useful.

A description of the library:
http://www.luxoregypt.org/English/Activ ... brary.aspx

As for Kent Weeks' initiative, I think that has been exaggerated. We had hardly any books in the office when I worked for him and I was told even a lot of those were disposed of and so I cannot really imagine what he has left and I have been told whatever is left is what is going to be there.

Thanks every one for information!
BBLUX, Re lectures, can he just turn up to those and attend? I know much as he is very clever and intellectural man, he is very shy of himself, and he still feels that because he has come from a rural village and has put his self through University, that people might look at him wondering why He has turned up! I have told him to be proud of himself, and that his thirst of knowledge is a credit to him. He just wants to learn all about Archeaology and history and feels that at this time with no job to do, whilst he has got the time, to use that, and learn more.
So any more helpful advice I can pass on would be much appreiciated !

Of course he can Maakari! The lecture theatre can hold around 190 people so he could always hide at the back and just observe to begin with. Any Egyptian attending, especially one who has put himself through university the hard way, should receive maximum respect. Tell him I'm the person operating the projector in the middle of the auditorium if he wants to talk.

Thanks for that BBLUX! I have passed all this info on to his Nibs,and he is chuffed to nuts. He is heading out to Luxor tommorrow to check out libraries.
He is also going to Habu Medinet(?) temple. Although he has been at Uni.,He says this is one that there has never been any information on, and amazingly he has never been there, although this was true of any of the sites of historical interest in Egypt. Until he went to University! A whole new world opened up to him. When we went to Cairo for the first time to see Pyramids he was spellbound as much as all the tourists, and we rode on horseback the whole plateau with his jaw dropped to the floor. I asked him, as he has lots of family (including the owners of the horse stable) in Cairo, why had he never done it before? He said before he went to Uni, he felt he should'nt be there! When, a few years agoI was going to London to see Tutankhamens treasure on tour, he was so envious. He said I am Egyptian and I have never seen these things, and I am going to go and learn all about my country and know my heritage. And good on him, he has done it!
(He even found out that there is an Obelisk down the road from me at Kingston Lacey house, and wants to go and see it now!)

I know many Egyptians that have thought the same, M, including previously my husband. He loves exploring his land and history, and doesn't understand why they are not encourage to do so. After all, it brings business to locals, and all the other usual benefits of tourism to the tourist and hosts. Good news is, it seems to be happening, as he reports there are a lot more Egyptian tourists in Luxor since the revolution, especially now. He has been dealing with them almost daily over the last 2 months.

What is the program he is studying in? Is it one of the open university programs?

There are enormous resources on the internet that he might be interested in. You mentioned Medinet Habu - the Oriental Institute has on its website many papers on it as well as most other areas of their work in Egypt, all available for free download in pdf form - http://oi.uchicago.edu/research/pubs/catalog/egypt.html

Although many are heavily detailed academic reports, the guidebook to Habu by Murmane (United with Eternity) is a really good introduction to the temple - you can download the PDF at http://oi.uchicago.edu/pdf/united.pdf (or buy it at the coffee shop opposite the entrance to the temple.

Hi GD
Yes, he is in a open university course. He had to take this route because he had to fund it himself, so had to take work that fitted in with lectures, exams etc.
I am not sure, exactly what degree it is tho'!!!!!!!! We seem to get lost in translation! no matter how he puts it, or how I hear it in English or Arabic, or translating it on google!
the syllabuss(?) of the course consisted of Archaeology, Islamic architecture, ancient Egypt, Turkish history, ooh all sorts
one translation of the degree is .............
Archaeology South Valley University Open University programme 4 year duration. Sohag Archaeology section, and tourism guides.???????????

He has been out and about this weekend and today. He has been to the Heritage centre today and bought yearly ticket. Then he went to Karnak, but after hunting high and low, and asking everyone, could not find the library!!!!!!!!!!!! So went back to Rammeseam (??!)
Any other hints on location????

Hi Maakari, you mention a yearly ticket from the Heritage Centre, what is this please? Is it like the museum carnets in Europe that give unlimited entry to sites?

Many thanks

Maakari wrote:He has been out and about this weekend and today. He has been to the Heritage centre today and bought yearly ticket. Then he went to Karnak, but after hunting high and low, and asking everyone, could not find the library

I wonder if there is some confusion over Karnak and Karnak Temple Street. The library is billed as part of the Luxor Heritage Centre. It might not be too clear at the moment as its patron's name, Suzanne Mubarak, was hastily removed! But that is where it should be.

I think it is like a pass, they said that he cannot take books away, but this ticket means he can go when ever he likes to peruse the books. It cost 50LE, and lasts 1 year.

An update on Kent’s library, it is sort of open now with limited stock and you should contact Ahmed Hassan for opening hours etc. I have his phone number which I can email you. The provisional opening hours are late afternoon early evening.

The Getty Institute, Unesco and the World Heritage Fund are all getting involved and will be donating books.

Kent is buying a number of Arabic language books on archaeology and conservation, on health care prenatal and maternal heath. He is hoping that locals will use it and educate themselves. It is aimed at locals and although that is mainly Egyptians it does include ex pats living here as well

Donations are welcome and one resident has already donate a number of books which Kent was glad to accept. He wants to populate it with anything and everything from English fiction to Arabic academic works and everything in-between.

His right hand man Ahmed is the guy to contact about donations, visiting and opening hours.

It is not a lending library but a reading library and is free