This thesis explores the link between migration and food security in Egypt, both in the short and longer term. Instead of relying on predictions and extrapolations typical of traditional...Show moreThis thesis explores the link between migration and food security in Egypt, both in the short and longer term. Instead of relying on predictions and extrapolations typical of traditional forecasting techniques, it uses the novel concept of 'scenario'. The question guiding this research can be summarized as follows: "What do the certainties and uncertainties of possible future migration trends reveal about food security issues in Egypt?". The research results in two scenario matrices, of which two possible scenario outcomes are further elaborated on.Show less
Master thesis | Theology and Religious Studies (Master)
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In this master thesis I explore whether we can discover a link between the positions on nationalism and Nazism taken by Ṭāhā Ḥusayn and Sayyid Quṭb. In other words, does their particular...Show moreIn this master thesis I explore whether we can discover a link between the positions on nationalism and Nazism taken by Ṭāhā Ḥusayn and Sayyid Quṭb. In other words, does their particular redefinition of Egypt after independence from Britain lead them through a tunnel of love/hate, directly to the other end, i.e. a particular response to Nazism? Or is the path not necessarily as straight as we might think it to be?Show less
This thesis seeks to interrogate the response of the European Union to the events known as the Arab uprisings, with a particular focus on the political transitions experienced by Egypt and Tunisia...Show moreThis thesis seeks to interrogate the response of the European Union to the events known as the Arab uprisings, with a particular focus on the political transitions experienced by Egypt and Tunisia since early 2011. It conducts a thorough textual analysis of major European Neighbourhood Policy documents and ‘speech acts’ related to Egypt and Tunisia, using Norman Fairclough’s three- dimensional Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA). In each instance of ENP discourse, this study sees a text, a discursive practice and a social practice. It identifies the particular discursive configurations of democracy promotion in these text samples, noting a significant change in tone since the launch of the ENP in 2003. More specifically, it points to the new neighbourhood agenda developed by the EU since the wave of protests in the Middle-East and North Africa, characterised by greater ownership of ENP policies by EU partners, considerable differentiation in their objectives and a heightened concern for the stabilisation of the region. Rooted in a critical, constructivist approach to discourse analysis, it eventually contends that the seemingly less voluntarist narrative developed in South Neighbourhood policy documents is the result of higher threat perception in the Union. A threat narrative is indeed highlighted, as a particular instance of a crisis rhetoric, resulting in a notable downscaling of EU normative ambitions in the region. Investigation of the Egyptian and Tunisian cases since 2011 provides important information regarding these developments in the ENP. This thesis eventually points to civil society assistance as a narrative of inclusiveness which could prove to be a significant addition to ENP democracy promotion agenda, while recognising the limits of this endeavour.Show less
This thesis studies the continued claim to credibility of Arab state media following the Arab Uprisings which began in 2010. Surveys conducted on countries across the Middle East have shown a rise...Show moreThis thesis studies the continued claim to credibility of Arab state media following the Arab Uprisings which began in 2010. Surveys conducted on countries across the Middle East have shown a rise in local consumption of national media, including state media, despite the proliferation of available news sources in the information revolution. Using qualitative survey analysis and interviews, this thesis attempts to probe at the underlying reasons behind this phenomenon, using Egypt as the main case study.Show less
Master thesis | Classics and Ancient Civilizations (MA)
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The main focal point of this thesis are the imperial statues of Roman Egypt. Two distinct styles can be recognized in the sculptures: a traditional Egyptian style and a classical Roman style. The...Show moreThe main focal point of this thesis are the imperial statues of Roman Egypt. Two distinct styles can be recognized in the sculptures: a traditional Egyptian style and a classical Roman style. The research question is dual: Are the stylistic differences of imperial statues from Egypt related to differences in provenance? And does a connection between style and function of imperial statues exist? After giving a general introduction to Roman Egypt and the changes that Roman rule brought forth on a political and military level, a corpus of 37 statues is discussed. The characteristics of each statue are described, with special attention to their provenance. In the fourth chapter contemporary archaeological and written sources are treated, as well as existing theories on the placement and functions of imperial statues. Afterwards the research results are presented and a clear conclusion is drawn.Show less
Suez is a seaport city which is one of the two gates of the Suez Canal. Most media talked about Tahrir Square in Cairo as the epicenter of the Arab Spring in Egypt. However the truth is that Suez...Show moreSuez is a seaport city which is one of the two gates of the Suez Canal. Most media talked about Tahrir Square in Cairo as the epicenter of the Arab Spring in Egypt. However the truth is that Suez was genuinely the center of the unprecendented uprising, as it was the first city to rise up against Hosni Mubarak. Likewise, Suez was also sadly known for being the city where the first protester was killed in Egypt during the January 2011 uprisings. Therein, Suez was renowned across Egypt for carrying ‘The Flame of Revolution‘. As such, some activists referred to Suez as the ‘Egyptian Sidi Bouzid’.Show less
In the thesis four coffin sets belonging to the Bab el-Gasus cache, discovered in 1891 in Deir el-Bahari, Egypt, and now belonging to the collection of the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden in Leiden, were...Show moreIn the thesis four coffin sets belonging to the Bab el-Gasus cache, discovered in 1891 in Deir el-Bahari, Egypt, and now belonging to the collection of the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden in Leiden, were discussed on the basis of the following research questions: - Which construction techniques have been used? - Which materials have been used? - Is it possible to recognize the signature of a workshop or an artist? - Do the coffins have a distinctive iconography and if so, what are the striking features? - Can we draw some preliminary conclusions of the social and economic status of the owners of the coffins? A general overview of coffin development in ancient Egypt and more specifically, of the Leiden Bab el-Gasus coffins was followed by the chaîne opératoire of the coffins, starting with the wood, used for the manufacture of these coffins. A small study of some wood samples proved all the coffins to be of the species F. sycomorus. In affirming this, however, it does not account for the observed differences of the wood, and only raises new questions for further investigation. Subsequently, the plaster, pigments, paint and varnish were discussed. Color and the attached symbolic meaning were very important in the decoration of the coffins (Taylor 2001b, 164). A study with a handheld XRF—a device whereby a sample is irradiated by low-energy X-rays—showed no specific outcome, only confirming the use of gold on the lid of F93.10.1a and the presence of orpiment in more than one of the samples. Both pigments had already been observed with the naked eye. It is difficult to draw conclusions about the workshops involved into the production of the coffins. The sets show various similarities, but at the same time give evidence to the practice of reuse. Some key elements of the iconography have been discussed according to the model of Panofsky. The decoration of the sets consisted primarily of symbols of resurrection, while other vignettes gave evidence to a new repertoire of religious images—some of which referred to a combination of several different mythological aspects (Quirke and Spencer 1992, 106). According to Cooney, this can be understood as a reaction and adaptation to the changing funerary traditions, scarce resources, and fear of theft of the funerary objects that took place during the period (Cooney 2011, 24). In chapter seven the owners of the coffins were discussed. The two chantresses, to whom set F93.10.1 and F93.10.3 are assigned, are probably not the original owners of their sets. The third coffin has been usurped three times. The fourth coffin is anonymous, but is associated in Daressy’s list (1907) with Siamun, a male mummy. Although reuse of some coffins is certain, mistakes made in antiquity and in the Nineteenth Century AD may have contributed to the mix up of coffin parts, resulting in the incorrect allocation of names to coffins, lids to different caskets and mummy-boards to other sets. The Bab el-Gasus coffins from the Leiden collection do not differ herein with the other sets of the entire Bab el-Gasus cache. In this thesis not every research question is fully answered. Further research will be needed to discover the whole story of the priests of Bab el-Gasus.Show less
Bachelor thesis | Oude culturen van de mediterrane wereld (Bachelor)
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De Egyptische demon wordt vanuit een godsdienstwetenschappelijk standpunt benaderd en de scriptie gaat dieper in op de functie van de demon in de onderwereld, aan de hand van vertalingen van het...Show moreDe Egyptische demon wordt vanuit een godsdienstwetenschappelijk standpunt benaderd en de scriptie gaat dieper in op de functie van de demon in de onderwereld, aan de hand van vertalingen van het Boek van Twee Wegen en het DodenboekShow less
This study examines the Egyptian collection of antiquities in the National Museum of Antiquities, Leiden after the addition of Anastasi's collection and creates a comparison with the Egyptian...Show moreThis study examines the Egyptian collection of antiquities in the National Museum of Antiquities, Leiden after the addition of Anastasi's collection and creates a comparison with the Egyptian collection of antiquities in the British Museum, London, after Salt's collection was incorporated. The aim of this research is to see if a large addition to a pre-existing collection affects the original plans for the overall collection. A theoretical framework has been constructed focussing on the already existing literature around these two collectors and the respective museums. This is supported by an internship at the National Museum of Antiquities to look in further detail at the artefact catalogue and carry out further research around the subject. The expected result is that the original plans for the two collections will have been changed quite rapidly when incorporated into the respective museums. This is due to the size and object type within the new collections and their impact on the other objects within the already existing museum collection. This research aims to explore the details of these developments, and whether any similarities can be identified between the two circumstances.Show less
In this thesis I have investigated the reasons for which Romans appropriated foreign material culture, in which conditions and what happened with it after was brought in Rome during the Late...Show moreIn this thesis I have investigated the reasons for which Romans appropriated foreign material culture, in which conditions and what happened with it after was brought in Rome during the Late Republic (second and first century B.C.). Moreover, what kind of material culture was taken and why were these specific objects chosen and not others. My main focus was to understand the appropriation of foreign material culture and how did it influenced the Republic. It is very difficult to define the three cultures, but an attempt had been made in order to explain the concepts and how do they interact with each other. Before studying the influence of the foreign material culture, definitions have been given to the concepts used in this thesis. I have studied the Greek material culture and its impact on the Roman people, on the architecture of temples and on the Roman culture. Using the temple of Apollo Sosianus as an example, the Greek material culture used in its decoration has been studied, but also the Egyptian motifs which occur. It is a significant temple of this period of time due to its many restorations which can be observed in the material preserved. This thesis is exploring the Egyptian material culture brought during the Late Republic. This is often mentioned by the ancient writers, but the results of different excavations did not brought such aspects to life. One can considered that through the cult of the goddess Isis, many Egyptian objects can be found. The similarities and differences between the appropriated Greek and Egyptian material culture have been also discussed. As an example, most of the valuable statues and goods were used to adorn the city and to please the Senate, reassuring in the same time the generals position and privileges, but this was not the case for the Egyptian material culture.Show less
Ramesses II, the third pharaoh of the 19th dynasty, fought a major battle near the ancient town Kadesh against the Hittite army. While he won the battle, he lost the war and had to surrender a...Show moreRamesses II, the third pharaoh of the 19th dynasty, fought a major battle near the ancient town Kadesh against the Hittite army. While he won the battle, he lost the war and had to surrender a large part to the Levant to the Hittites. Despite this long-term defeat, Ramesses decided to use the battle of Kadesh as an inspiration for inscriptions, including both texts and reliefs, on several temples in Egypt. The purpose of the inscriptions has not been very clear, since the texts are usually studied by Egyptologists, who focus on the content of the text rather than its function. Most explanations of these texts either describe the texts as a piece of propaganda or as apotropaic (i.e. warding off evil forces), but neither of these completely fit the inscriptions themselves. This thesis focuses on another possible way to understand the purpose of the Kadesh inscriptions. This will use two different theoretical concepts, the first being visibility studies and the second being linguistic landscapes. These concepts, often used in archaeology and linguistics respectively, can shed additional light on the purpose of the inscriptions, trying to find out for whom the texts were meant. With the data gathered with these theories will show that another interpretation can be given of these texts. Rather than being meant for people or evil forces outside the temple, they were meant for the god residing inside the temple. These were supposed to show the god that the pharaoh was attempting to reaffirm their relationship with the deities by keeping the order in Egypt.Show less
Militaries have played significant roles in the transition from authoritarian regimes to more democratic political systems. Most of these transitions took place during the seventies and eighties in...Show moreMilitaries have played significant roles in the transition from authoritarian regimes to more democratic political systems. Most of these transitions took place during the seventies and eighties in South Europe and Latin America. They often started with cracks within the ruling party, which ultimately led to a gradual transition towards the installation of another regime and in most cases to some form of democratization. Based on those empirical examples a few key indicators predicting the behaviour of a military in transitions can be distinguished. An institutionalised military, which is not directly involved in the administration apparatus and which position has been backed by a legal framework have been found willing to shape the transition period to a more democratic system. During the transition the civilian authorities should guarantee the military certain prerogatives in order to keep it satisfied. An end of the transition period is reached when an effective and strong civilian government is installed which is able to execute civilian oversight over the military. The recent popular uprisings in North Africa and the Middle East were not gradual and caused an abrupt regime change in several Arab countries. Only in Egypt the military took a leading role in the transition. This thesis shows that also in the case of Egypt the nature of the military as an institutionalized military, not directly involved in the day to day governing, made it very resistant to any form of democratization. In the three proposed constitutions since the 25 January revolution the military has demanded and granted itself extensive prerogatives and annulled any form of civilian oversight. This will make it very difficult for any future civilian leader to execute civilian oversight over the Egyptian military.Show less
