Pyramids and Nightclubs: A Travel Ethnography of Arab and Western Imaginations of Egypt, from King Tut and a Colony of Atlantis to Rumors of Sex Orgies, Urban legends about a Marauding Prince, and Blonde Belly Dancers

by L.L. Wynn

2008 — Leeds Honor Book in Urban Anthropology – Society for Urban, National, and Transnational/Global Anthropology Living in Egypt at the turn of the millennium, cultural anthropologist L. L. Wynn was struck by the juxtapositions of Western, Gulf Arab, and Egyptian viewpoints she encountered. For some, Egypt is the land of mummies and pharaohs. For others, it is a vortex of decadence, where nightlife promises a chance to salivate over belly dancers and maybe even glimpse a movie star. Offering a new approach to ethnography, Pyramids and Nightclubs examines cross-cultural encounters to bring to light the counterintuitive ways in which Egypt is defined. Guiding readers on an armchair journey that introduces us to Russian and Australian belly dancers on Nile cruise ships, Egyptian rumors about an Arab prince and his royal entourage, Saudi girls looking for a less restrictive dating scene, and other visitors to this "antique" land, Wynn uses the lens of travel and tourism to depict a fascinating and often surprising version of Egypt, while exploring the concept of stereotype itself. Tracing the history of Western and Arab fascination with Egypt through spurious hunts for lost civilizations and the new economic disparities brought about by the oil industry, Pyramids and Nightclubs ultimately describes the ways in which moments of cultural contact, driven by tourism and labor migration, become eye-opening opportunities for defining self and other.

Genres: Nonfiction, Egypt, Ethnography, Middle East

279 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2007

About the author

Lisa L. Wynn received her PhD in anthropology from Princeton University in 2003. Her early research compared Arab and Western tourism in Egypt. Her current research examines reproductive health technologies in the Middle East, including emergency contraception, medication abortion, hymenoplasty and erectile dysfunction drugs. She's also at work on an ethnography about dating, courtship, marriage and extramarital affairs in Egypt. Born in the United States, Lisa now teaches anthropology at Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia.

Reviews

[Jodi Rossi · Rating 2 out of 5]

L.L. Wynn is terribly full of herself and it takes away from the ethnographic research of the book. While I understand she means it to be self reflective, that is not how I read it at all and could have done without her commentary.

[Carl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this book while in Cairo, near the end of our 9-day tour there, and found it fascinating. It compares theories between the various Egyptologists, "Pyramidiots", and other scientists. It also contrasts the many and extreme differences between western and Arab tourists, and the prejudices Egyptians hold about them. It's written all from a personal experience perspective. Quite enjoyable.

[Tish Newmyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great book for understanding Egypt! Wynn looks at the differences in Western and Gulf Arab and Egyptian points of views about Egypt. Westerns think of and visit Egypt because of its antiquities. Arab tourists come for it's vibrant culture and modernity.

[Bell Curran · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author aggregates reviews of this book on the Culture Matters blog, summarising it as "gracefully written" and "academically constipated."