The Last Mummy: Representations of Colonialism in Czechoslovak Travelogues about Egypt in the 1950s and 1960s

Abstract

This paper analyses travelogues published in the 1950s and 1960s by travellers visiting Egypt during this period, focusing on their role in shaping representations of colonialism, capitalism, and socialism. The narratives used in the travelogues served as a power instrument to depict the socialist regime as the “true path to development” and, in turn, to criticize the “exploitative” nature of colonial regimes and the capitalist system. The study shows the power that travellers’ narratives had in shaping the views of Czechoslovak citizens about events beyond their country’s borders, along with their influence on shaping colonial discourse, even though Czechoslovakia was never an active participant in colonial events.