Egypt: A Lonely Planet Guidebook (2008)

The ninth edition of Lonely Planet’s guidebook to Egypt was published in 2008. It gives you practical information about how to get from A to B when you are travelling in Egypt. It also gives you information about hotels and restaurants. All the major sites in the country are presented here, and sometimes the presentation of a site is supported by a map.

I had it with me on a trip to Egypt during which I was able to check some of the facts presented in the book. Using my personal experience as a yardstick, I must say it is, in many ways, a good book, but there are some flaws which should not be found in the ninth edition of a book. Let me explain.

In some cases, it seems, the text was not quite up to date at the time of publication. Here is one example:

On page 204 the authors mention the Serapeum in Sakkara. But when I arrived there, it was closed. My guide told me it was closed for renovation several years ago. If it was closed in 2005, why is this not mentioned in a book that is published in 2008?

In some cases, the text is not quite accurate:

(1) On page 188 the authors say “The Illustrated Guide to the Egyptian Museum in Cairo is written by Zahi Hawass … and published by the excellent American University in Cairo Press.”

This excellent book is not written by Zahi Hawass. It is edited by Alessandro Bongioanni and Maria Croce Sole. The text is written by the editors and other Italian scholars. Zahi Hawass has written the preface.

This book has been published by VMB Publishers, an imprint of White Star Books, with a slightly different title: The Treasures of Ancient Egypt: The Collection of the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.

(2) On page 282 the authors mention a hotel in Luxor: “At the end of 2008 the name of the hotel will change to Meretem Jolie Ville…” The correct name is Maritim Jolie Ville.

(3) On page 326 the authors mention a hotel in Abu Simbel: “Seti Abu Simbel … is Abu Simbel’s only five-star hotel.” In fact, it is a four-star hotel.

(4) The authors are not quite sure how to spell the name of the pharaoh who succeeded Ramses II. On page 190 they call him Merenptah, which I prefer. But when they mention his temple (page 257) and his tomb (page 261) they call him Merneptah, which I do not like.

Some cross references are incorrect, maybe they refer to an older edition of the book, and the page number was not updated:

(1) On page 191 the authors say “see boxed text p. 261.” But there is no box on page 261. There is a box on page 260, and there is another one on page 263. But which one is it?

(2) On page 207 the authors say “see boxed text (210) for more details.” But there is no box on page 210. The relevant box is found on page 198.

In some cases, the information given is incomplete:

(1) On page 288 the authors mention the night train from Luxor to Cairo. They say it departs at 8.30 and 9.30 p.m. and the duration is nine hours. But when we took this train, it departed at 10.30 p.m. and the duration was ten hours. The train does not go to the main railway station in Cairo (Ramses). It goes to Giza Station on the west bank. But this fact only emerges in the chapter about Cairo. Giza Station is mentioned in the text on page 180 and shown on the map on page 110.

(2) On page 516 the authors say you can buy prepaid phone cards from Vodafone. But they do not explain that in order to use a prepaid card you must first buy an Egyptian SIM card from Vodafone, which is quite expensive: 150 Egyptian pounds. The stored value in the SIM card is less than one Egyptian pound, which is just enough to make a call to refill the account with a prepaid card.

I have to mention two more things which bother me:

(1) In the beginning of the book the authors present 15 Egyptian highlights: “The very best of Egypt.” Number 14 on this list is Petra, which is located in Jordan! It is OK to mention the ferry that sails between Egypt and Jordan (page 526), but placing Petra on a list of great Egyptian sites is absurd.

(2) On pp. 293-294 the authors present the temple of Edfu with these words:

“The temple’s well-preserved reliefs have provided archaeologists with much valuable information about the temple rituals and the power of the priesthood. Walking through the large gloomy chambers, visitors are sometimes overwhelmed by a sense of awe at the mysteries of ancient Egypt.”

This passage is borrowed - almost word for word - from Kent Weeks, The Treasures of Luxor and the Valley of the Kings, page 540, although the source is not revealed.

There are two statements here. The first one (about the reliefs) is fine, but the second one (about visitors being overwhelmed) is silly. I do not understand why a scholar such as Kent Weeks would want to say something like that, and I do not understand why anyone would want to copy his statement.

I sent a message to Lonely Planet to tell them about these flaws, hoping they would not be found in the next edition. Unfortunately, I was too late!

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Matthew Firestone,

Egypt Lonely Planet,

9th edition, 2008, 572 pages

 

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