A major early novel by the Egyptian Nobel Laureate, published for the first time in EnglishThe completion ofKhan alKhaliliin 1945 marked a turning point in Naguib Mahfouzs career. Departing from the traditional themes drawn from Egyptian antiquity that characterize the authors earlier works,Khan alKhalilireflects instead a deep concern with the lives and problems of contemporary Egyptians.The time is 1942, the Second World War is at its height, and the Africa Campaign is raging along the northern coast of Egypt as far as El Alamein. Against this backdrop of international upheaval, the novel tells the story of the Akifs, a middleclass family that has taken refuge in Cairos historic and bustling Khan alKhalili neighborhood. Believing that the German forces will never bomb such a famously religious part of the city, they seek safety among the crowded alleyways, busy cafeacutes, and ancient mosques of the Khan, adjacent to the area where Mahfouz himself spent much of his young life. Through the eyes of Ahmad, the eldest Akif son and the novels central character, Mahfouz presents a richly textured vision of the Khan, drawing on his own memories to assemble a lively cast of characters whose world is framed by the sights, smells, and flavors of his childhood home. As Ahmad, a minor civil servant who has sacrificed both education and personal ambition in order to support his family, interacts with the people and traditions of Khan alKhalili, a debate emerges that pits old against...

Binding: Hardback;312 pages; Publisher: The American University in Cairo Press; Classification: FA; Weight: 804 g; Dimensions: 235 x 154 x 28

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