From the Pyramids of Giza to the River Nile, Egypt has captured the imagination of countless creatives and scholars alike.
in particular, egypt continues to inspire and amaze authors. Whether it’s a sociopolitical commentary, a forbidden love story, or a chilling murder mystery, Egypt has been the backdrop to some of our best stories.
You are reading: Books set in egypt
Without further ado, here is our curated list of five great books set in Egypt, and we hope that at least one of these great works of fiction will serve as your holiday inspiration. feel free to check out our range of egypt literary tours if you want to stop dreaming about your next great adventure and start planning it.
death on the nile – agatha christie
“love can be a very scary thing”. “That’s why most of the great love stories are tragedies.” – agatha christie, death on the nile
Join everyone’s favorite detective, Hercule Poirot, in Christie’s classic Death on the Nile. This much-loved murder mystery has recently been adapted for the big screen starring Gal Gadot and Kenneth Brannagh.
poirot is hired by socialite linnet ridgeway, who wants him to stop her old friend from stalking her. Just as Poirot is unraveling the truth about these estranged women, the young socialite is found dead. Suddenly, every passenger on this once-quiet boat trip is now a murder suspect.
Will Poirot find out who the killer is?
Death on the Nile was written in 1937. Agatha Christie spent time in Egypt writing the classic novel at the Old Cataract Hotel in Aswan. It is rumored that her inspiration for Death on the Nile came from her love of archaeology, as she often accompanied her husband on archaeological digs.
See Also: Audiobooks written by John Gottman | Audible.com
why not see egypt through the eyes of the mistress of mystery herself? take part in our agatha christie death on the nile literary tour.
beer in the pool club – waguih ghali
This novel by waguih ghali follows two young Egyptian anglophiles, ram and font. The couple spend hours reminiscing about their time in the UK.
The youngsters dream of escaping the oncoming revolution and riots, and their conversations are fueled by a heady mix of beers, vodka, and whiskey. The pair must choose between dangerous political opposition and reluctant obedience in a politically tense Cairo.
Beer in the pool club of the late Egyptian writer Waguih Ghali has garnered considerable critical acclaim. published in 1964, this tragicomic novel is loosely based on the writer’s life. Do not stop reading this novel, considered by many to be one of the great Egyptian literature.
palace walk – naguib mahfouz
a family and a country headed for dramatic change. Set during the British occupation of Egypt after World War I, we meet the Al Jawad family.
The head of the family is Ahmed, a middle-class merchant who keeps his wife and daughter’s world as small as possible and whose three children are afraid of him.
every night, ahmed explores the pleasures of cairo while being a tyrant at home.
The namesake of this novel is palace walk, a real place you can visit. a beautiful place, with paved streets, towers and a 1000-year-old gate.
a woman from cairo – noel barber
See Also: 11 Books You’ll Love If You Love John Green
Jump into the privileged world of British expats in Cairo set on the eve of World War II.
here comes serena pasha and mark holt. the couple is attractive, privileged and have experienced a life many can only dream of: champagne breakfasts, midnight picnics at the pyramids and more.
The couple grew up together and grew closer as they reached adulthood. however, serena is engaged to marry mark’s brother greg…
A terrible accident gives Serena and Mark a chance to be together, but this is fraught with danger. Egypt is threatened by the German army, but also the nationalist forces want to end the British occupation by any means necessary.
Serena and Mark’s love is put to the test during a period of great turmoil and social unrest…will they make it out of this in one piece? Have you fallen in love with these characters? would you like to learn more about them? why not consider our city tour of a woman from cairo, immerse yourself in egypt’s struggle for independence and see the places where these two characters fell most deeply in love…
iris and ruby - rosie thomas
This novel follows the life of grandmother-granddaughter duo Iris and Ruby. the granddaughter leaves her strained relationship with her mother in england and runs away to cairo, bringing chaos and excitement into the life of her grandmother’s ruby de ella.
The pair form a strong bond and Ruby learns of her grandmother’s lost love, Captain Xan Molyneux, and her past life in glittering Cairo during World War II.
iris’s life has been shaped by the loss she has experienced and this lost love will change ruby’s life in ways they can’t even imagine.
want to experience cairo like iris and ruby did? Our Cairo Iris and Ruby Tour offers you the opportunity to do just that!
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