Return to Alexandria

An Ethnography of Cultural Heritage Revivalism and Museum Memory

Nonfiction, Social & Cultural Studies, Social Science, Archaeology
Cover of the book Return to Alexandria by Beverley Butler, Taylor and Francis
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Beverley Butler ISBN: 9781315420837
Publisher: Taylor and Francis Publication: July 1, 2016
Imprint: Routledge Language: English
Author: Beverley Butler
ISBN: 9781315420837
Publisher: Taylor and Francis
Publication: July 1, 2016
Imprint: Routledge
Language: English

The Bibliotheca Alexandrina was launched with great fanfare in the 1990s, a project of UNESCO and the Egyptian government to recreate the glory of the Alexandria Library and Museion of the ancient world. The project and its timing were curious—it coincided with scholarship moving away from the dominance of the western tradition; it privileged Alexandria’s Greek heritage over 1500 years of Islamic scholarship; and it established an island for the cultural elite in an urban slum. Beverley Butler’s ethnography of the project explores these contradictions, and the challenges faced by Egyptian and international scholars in overcoming them. Her critique of the underlying foundational concepts and values behind the Library is of equal importance, a nuanced postcolonial examination of memory, cultural revival, and homecoming. In this, she draws upon a wide array of thinkers: Freud, Derrida, Said, and Bernal, among others. Butler’s book will be of great value to museologists, historians, archaeologists, cultural scholars, and heritage professionals.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

The Bibliotheca Alexandrina was launched with great fanfare in the 1990s, a project of UNESCO and the Egyptian government to recreate the glory of the Alexandria Library and Museion of the ancient world. The project and its timing were curious—it coincided with scholarship moving away from the dominance of the western tradition; it privileged Alexandria’s Greek heritage over 1500 years of Islamic scholarship; and it established an island for the cultural elite in an urban slum. Beverley Butler’s ethnography of the project explores these contradictions, and the challenges faced by Egyptian and international scholars in overcoming them. Her critique of the underlying foundational concepts and values behind the Library is of equal importance, a nuanced postcolonial examination of memory, cultural revival, and homecoming. In this, she draws upon a wide array of thinkers: Freud, Derrida, Said, and Bernal, among others. Butler’s book will be of great value to museologists, historians, archaeologists, cultural scholars, and heritage professionals.

More books from Taylor and Francis

Cover of the book Governance and Regulation in the Third Sector by Beverley Butler
Cover of the book Food and Cultural Studies by Beverley Butler
Cover of the book Double Jeopardy by Beverley Butler
Cover of the book Identity Politics and Elections in Malaysia and Indonesia by Beverley Butler
Cover of the book Green Development by Beverley Butler
Cover of the book Migration in the Mediterranean by Beverley Butler
Cover of the book Advances in Social Theory and Methodology (RLE Social Theory) by Beverley Butler
Cover of the book Multinationals in Latin America by Beverley Butler
Cover of the book Music by Pedro de Cristo (c. 1550-1618) by Beverley Butler
Cover of the book Playing Bit Parts in Shakespeare by Beverley Butler
Cover of the book Sixteen Million One by Beverley Butler
Cover of the book The New Wittgenstein by Beverley Butler
Cover of the book The Subject in Question by Beverley Butler
Cover of the book Democracies and Small Wars by Beverley Butler
Cover of the book Young Children and Their Communities by Beverley Butler
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy