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Al-Ahram Weekly 13 - 19 July 2000 Issue No. 490 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 13 - 19 July 2000 Issue No. 490
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Focus International Economy Opinion Interview Culture Features Travel Living Sports Profile People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters Going the extra mile
By Rehab SaadIf only history was always taught like this.
To the untrained eye they looked like a youthful tour of twenty-somethings, trooping after their tourist agency-appointed guide. On closer examination one grows sceptical: even the most conscientious of holiday-makers are rarely so enthralled with a lecture on Pharaonic architectural methods. In fact, the troop was part of a cleverly planned roving classroom.
What better way to learn about Egyptian history than on the spot, taking in lesser-known sites along with Egypt's famous monuments? The 22 American students who came from Beloit College, in Wisconsin, were led by Gene Miller, a lecturer at University College of London (UCL) and an instructor of Egyptology at Beloit. The troop travelled around the country for three weeks and heard lectures by such experts as Margaret Hackforth-Jones, the last student of renowned archaeologist Flinders Petrie (see adjacent story), and lecturers from UCL and the American University in Cairo.
"This is the first time for these students to visit Egypt," said Okasha El-Dali, the group's tour guide and a lecturer at UCL. "It is also the first time for the college to organise such a trip. If it proves successful, it is going to be organised every year."
Students who join the trip get academic credit, but only nine students on the tour came for that reason; the rest just came for fun. Some of the students' parents even came along for the ride.
Even those with a firm grasp on the history and culture of Egypt had much to learn and the endeavour was an unfailing success -- no lagging back under the relentless sun and yawning in the shade of a temple colonnade. These students were pressing forward to hear every word being said and see for themselves every detail under discussion. Speaking to them it was obvious that the experience had made its mark.
photo: Khaled El-Fiqi
"I've read about Egypt, but I wanted to have the experience of being here," said Adrienne Watson, an archaeology major at Beloit. "The people of the world should try to understand one another, be aware of and tolerant of each other. Archaeology is one of the subjects that gives you the chance to do that," Watson said.
Josi Fosdick, an anthropology student, said that the experience had shown her that a lot of important ideas and developments in human society can be traced to ancient Egypt. "Anthropology is learning about Egyptian culture and how ancient peoples once thought," said Fosdick. "To us, a tree or a cat is just that, but for the ancient Egyptians they represented a power, a sort of a god or goddess."
Fosdick said that she was taken with the awareness ancient Egyptians had for their land and its geography, and the advanced society in which they lived. "I want to know why, and how, they knew so much," she added.
Of the surprises that Egypt held for these students, Rebecca Yates said she was amazed to find that the pyramids of Giza were so close to the city and to those of Saqqara, Dahshur and Abu Sir. "I thought they were in the middle of the desert," she said. "In books it is difficult to grasp the whole sense and purpose of the statues, the pyramids and the people," she remarked.
"We came partially to accompany our daughter on her first trip to Egypt, but it is our first trip too," noted John Yates, Rebecca's father, who was drawn by the opportunity to tour Egypt with the benefit of experts on hand. "Such educational trips bring history to life. I think it gives the students a deep understanding of ancient history and the arts," he commented.
The sharp change of scenery was a point of interest for Courtney Everts, who on the group's visit to Abu Sir expressed her amazement that at one moment they were in rural Egypt, "absorbed by all the greenery," and then "all of a sudden you're in the desert."
A boat trip to Seheil Island in Aswan in which the students had an opportunity to meet a Nubian family was a highlight of the trip. "We spent a lovely day in their home, we ate with them and at the end they sold us crafts," Miller said.
Every trip has its quota of drama and the first was a sand storm that postponed the group's trip to Aswan by a whole day. More disappointing was that they were forced to skip some destinations between Luxor and Aswan for security reasons. "We were keen to see some of the villages," Miller remarked, "but the security police allowed us only to stop at Edfu and Kom Ombo."
Despite the success of the trip, Miller has decided to make some adjustments in the future. He felt that fewer sites should be visited and that lectures should be given in advance of the visit. "I believe that it would be better to give students more time to walk around and relax by the pool," he said.
