In a ruined temple along the Nile, Anthony Sattin came across a woman praying to the gods of ancient Egypt to bless her with a child. Later the same day, a policeman stopped his taxi to ask if he had a mobile phone - he wanted to call his mother. These encounters encapsulated the Egyptian experience: while undoubtedly forward-looking, Egyptians are obsessed with their long and well-documented past. Europeans, Turks, Mamelukes, Arabs, Greeks, Romans, Persians, Jews, Christians and Muslims have all left their mark; but older than them all are the surviving customs of Ancient Egypt, from fertility rituals and funerary rites to the cult of saints, snake-charmers and magicians.

About the Author

Anthony Sattin has been travelling in and writing about Egypt for 10 years and contributes frequently to the Sunday Times travel pages.

Prizes

A ground-breaking work - The Pharaoh's Shadow is a masterly synthesis of the best sort of travel writing and fascinating historical inquiry It brings to life a country of perennial fascination The pull of ancient Egypt draws travellers to the country in their millions Anthony Sattin is an articulate and promotable author, well connected in Egyptology circles and Fleet Street 'Anthony Sattin is the Robert Byron de nos jours, with an intimate knowledge of the strangest parts of the world, a beguilingly unpredictable personality and an enviable combination of rugged adventurousness and aesthetic sensitivity' William Dalrymple