From Napoleon and Muhammad Ali to the Cairo fire

From Napoleon and Muhammad Ali to the Fire of Cairo by Ahmed Abdel Rabea ... There are two ways of narrating historical stories; a comprehensive narrative, concerned with counting numbers and documenting material achievements, not caring about people as much as caring about stone! According to these narratives, our lives as humans do not matter to anyone except our families and loved ones! Whether we like it or not, we are just parenthetical phrases in history, our selves and dreams crushed for the sake of giant national projects, sacred religious narratives, human-established myths, and abstract symbolic imaginings! But in contrast, there are deconstructive stories that delve into details and explain the human stories behind the statistics, stories that do not settle for what is written in the records but seek what actually happened on the ground. These narratives are not concerned with the results of exercising power, but often focus on the deep symbolic meanings of this power and its indications on humans. They do not care about building stone, but are more passionate about reading the lives of the people who lined up to build this stone, sacrificing their lives and dreams, whether willingly or by force, knowingly or unknowingly. Between these two narratives, this book attempts to read the modern history of Egypt from Muhammad Ali to the Fire of Cairo! Ahmed Abdel Rabea Pages: 198 Dar Al-Shorouk for Publishing and Distribution