The National Museum of Egyptian Civilization: A Narrative Analysis of Nationalism

Sammanfattning

This thesis explores the narrative of the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization in Cairo and seeks to expose the underlying nationalist ideology of the Egyptian state. Through observations of the museums curated content, the thesis employes the tools of narrative analysis to uncover the specific conception of the nation that the state seeks to promote. Understanding the museum as an ideological state apparatus, the research seeks to demonstrate how museums utilize narratives of the past in order to achieve political goals of legitimacy and nation-building in the present. The research found that through the use of architecture, strategic locating of the museum, and deliberate curation of cultural and historical artifacts, the museum constructs a narrative of historical continuity, enduring sovereignty, and civilization glory. In addition, the museum constructs the nation of Egypt as Islamic, with origins in a glorious ancient past and the modern state as both the heir and steward to this history.