The future of culture in Egypt

Author's name: Taha Hussein

When Egypt signed the Treaty of Honor and Independence in 1936, Egyptians believed their country was firmly on the path to building a modern state, and they began to draw up plans for its advancement. As a writer, thinker, and nationalist, Taha Hussein saw the need to contribute to a vision for the future of culture in Egypt. He tinged his vision with a Western tinge, denying Egypt's continued connection to its Eastern origins and asserting that it was closer to the countries of the Mediterranean basin than to those of the East. Consequently, the book sparked a wave of criticism no less fierce than that faced by the dean when he published his book *On Pre-Islamic Poetry*. Some criticized him for neglecting the relationship between Egypt and the East, asserting that while Egyptians were not connected to the countries of the Far East, there was an undeniable cultural affinity between them and the Near East, particularly the Arabs.