1959 Kaniel Pictorial Tourist Map of Egypt

Egypt is world-renowned for its ancient heritage and this 1959 Khalil Kamel pictorial tourist map published during the United Arab Republic emphasizes that strength. Ancient sites, illustrated in profile, line the banks of the Nile River, with the Pyramids at Giza, the Luxor Temple, the Ramesseum, Karnak, and the Temple of Dakka among them. Sites also line both banks of the Red Sea, many of which are economic, including mines, oil fields, and refineries. Major roads and railroads are illustrated as well. Palestine is labeled along the right border, even though Israel had existed since 1948. This map appeared just one year after the founding of the UAR and can be best understood as a statement of optimism for a prosperous pan-Arab future.

The United Arab Republic

The United Arab Republic (UAR), founded in 1958, was a political union between Egypt (which included the occupied Gaza Strip) and Syria. Led by Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nassar, the union lasted until 1961, when a coup d'état in Syria led to its secession. Egypt continued to be known as the UAR until 1971.

Publication History and Census

This map was created by Khalil Kamel and published by the Tourist Administration of the United Arab Republic in 1959. Six examples are catalogued in the OCLC and are part of the institutional collections at the Library of Congress, Harvard College, Pennsylvania State University, Western Illinois University, the University of Minnesota-Minneapolis, and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.