Middle Eastern history: Book of the Dead, atlases and illustrated books on ancient Egypt, the Ottoman Empire and the Arab peoples. 5,000 years explained.
Our Middle Eastern history books span 5,000 years, from the Egypt of the pharaohs to the end of the Ottoman Empire. They tell of kings, cities, religions, wars and everyday life. Some are written for enthusiasts, others for curious beginners.
Ancient Egypt has pride of place. The Book of the Dead is a collection of spells written on papyrus and placed in tombs to guide the deceased into the afterlife. Its most famous scene shows the weighing of the heart: the dead person’s heart is set on a scale against the feather of Maat, goddess of truth. These texts can be read today thanks to Champollion, who deciphered the hieroglyphs in 1822. The Egyptians called this text the “Book of Coming Forth by Day”.
An atlas such as the “Grand Atlas de l’Égypte ancienne” shows the sites on maps: Giza, Karnak, the Valley of the Kings. Coffee-table books, such as “Trésors d’Égypte”, show objects found in the tombs in large photographs. You follow the Nile from the delta all the way to Aswan.
Our section also covers the Ottoman Empire, which emerged around 1300 in Anatolia and vanished in 1922. Its sultans took Constantinople in 1453, which became Istanbul. Titles such as “Le divan d’Istanbul” are devoted to it. “Histoire des peuples arabes”, by Albert Hourani, recounts the story of the Arab world from the arrival of Islam to the twentieth century.
Start by choosing the period. A book on the Egypt of the pharaohs talks about hieroglyphs, pyramids and mummies. A book on the Ottoman Empire talks about sultans, janissaries and palaces. A history of the Arab peoples tends to follow the great dynasties, such as the Umayyads of Damascus and the Abbasids of Baghdad.
Then look at the type of book. A historical atlas relies on maps and plans: it shows where the temples stand and how borders have shifted. A coffee-table book favours large-format photographs. An essay relies on narrative and explanation, with few images.
For ancient texts, go for an annotated edition. The Book of the Dead is easier to read with notes that explain the names of the gods and the meaning of the spells. A good edition also reproduces the drawings from the papyrus, known as vignettes.
Finally, think about the reader. An eight-year-old will understand a heavily illustrated book with short texts better. A teenager can already read an atlas. A keen adult will appreciate a book with a timeline, index and bibliography, for checking a date or a name.
An archaeology enthusiast will be delighted to receive a large atlas or a coffee-table book on the treasures of the pharaohs. These books stay on the coffee table and can be consulted for years. They go well with a trip to Egypt, before or after you leave. An atlas places the temples and tombs on a map of the Nile, which helps you plan your visits.
A reader who likes to understand the present will choose Albert Hourani’s “Histoire des peuples arabes”. In it they will find the caliphates, the Crusades, Ottoman rule and then colonisation. To see the Crusades from another point of view, “Les Croisades vues par les Arabes”, by Amin Maalouf, can be found in our oriental novels and poetry section.
For a gift for food lovers, pair a book on the Ottoman Empire with a title from our oriental cookbooks section. The Topkapı Palace in Istanbul had huge kitchens that fed thousands of people every day.
Store these books upright, away from sunlight, to keep the colours of the photographs. A heavy large-format book is best stored flat on the bottom shelf, so as not to warp its binding. You can also browse all our oriental books.
