Subtitled `Orientalism and Egyptomania in Czech lands', this study
looks at Egyptian revival in the second half of the 19th century within
Czech society. Asking who these Egyptomaniacs were and why they chose
Egypt, Hana Navrátilová looks at the historical and cultural background
of the period, arguing that Egyptian revivalism was important for both
Czech cultural development and the formation of national identity.
Greater accessibility to the ancient Orient through study and travel
meant that Egypt became the focus for people's desire for knowledge and
escapism.