In 2025, the Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology Research Centre in Cairo joined an ongoing collaboration between the Institut français d’archéologie orientale (Ifao) and the German Archaeological Institute in Cairo (DAIK), to co-organize the seminar series “Exploring Egypt: Histories and Historiographies. This collaboration also welcomed the participation of the Centro Archeologico Italiano (CAI), and the Netherlands-Flemish Institute in Cairo (NVIC) also joined the collaboration. The seminars will rotate between the premises of the participating institutions.
This seminar series explores diverse dimensions of historical knowledge production about Egypt. It brings together experts to reflect on how Egypt’s history has been written, narrated, and conceptualized across various periods. Discussions critically examine the actors, contexts, and power dynamics involved in shaping historical narratives, fostering a richer understanding of Egypt’s past and its historiographical traditions.
With an interdisciplinary approach, the seminars bridge distinct fields such as Egyptology, modern Egyptian historiography, and the history of heritage and preservation. They also expand beyond professional historical writing to consider other institutions, genres, and channels that influence historical narratives, including academic versus “popular” representations and heritage preservation practices. This seminar series, organized by Dr. Fatma Keshk (Postdoctoral Fellow, DAIK & Ifao, and 2022–2023 PCMA UW & Ifao Fellow), creates a dynamic forum to discuss themes such as the histories of Egyptology, archaeology, Arabic and Islamic studies, and the critical intersection of history and heritage.