Growing up in Egypt's Nile Delta, the author was fascinated by the magnificent pharaonic monuments from an early age, and as a student dreamed of conducting excavations and working in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. At a time when Egyptology was dominated by men, especially those with close connections to the regime, the author was determined to succeed, and secured grants to study in Boston, London, and Vienna, eventually becoming the first female general director of the country's most prestigious museum. The author launched the first general inventory of the museum's cellars in its more than 1 ... More

Growing up in Egypt's Nile Delta, the author was fascinated by the magnificent pharaonic monuments from an early age, and as a student dreamed of conducting excavations and working in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. At a time when Egyptology was dominated by men, especially those with close connections to the regime, the author was determined to succeed, and secured grants to study in Boston, London, and Vienna, eventually becoming the first female general director of the country's most prestigious museum. The author launched the first general inventory of the museum's cellars in its more than 100-year history, in the process discovering long-forgotten treasures, as well as confronting corruption and nepotism in the antiquities administration. In this very personal memoir, the author looks back at the history of Egypt and asks, what happened to the country? Where did Nasser's bright new beginning go wrong? Why did Sadat fail to bring peace? Why did the Egyptians allow themselves to be so corrupted by Mubarak? And why was the Muslim Brotherhood able to achieve power? But the author's first concern remains: How can the ancient legacy of Egypt truly be protected?