The holidays are nearing and many of us are finishing up our gift shopping for friends and family. With the pandemic this year still front and centre, many of us may choose to shop online to avoid any crowds. Here are five gift ideas to facilitate your last-minute shopping for the Egyptophile in your friend and family circle.

[1] Membership to an Egyptological Organisation

Getting a membership to Egyptological organisations is an excellent gift idea to get your Egyptophile friends and family more involved in current developments in Egypt. The Egypt Exploration Society (EES) has made their lecture programme accessible to people across the world via Zoom. They also organise study days and send out a colourful magazine Egyptian Archaeology (EA) several times a year – they also have magazine back issues available for free! For us on the other side of the pond, the American Research Center in Egypt (ARCE) has recently launched a new podcast and also presents many lectures from its chapters virtually.

Egypt Exploration Society

• Memberships starting at £ 55 (C$ 93) UK/£ 65 (C$ 110)  Abroad
• Membership benefits available here

American Research Center in Egypt

• Memberships starting at US$ 75 (C$ 95)
• Membership benefits available here

Both organisations also feature sweet student discounts on their memberships.

[2] Ancient Egypt in popular magazines

Magazines are a great, accessible way to stay up-to-date and current with Egyptology. Featuring articles written by professional and amateur Egyptologists from all around, they are also beautifully illustrated. It is, surely, one way of “travelling” to Egypt this year! Subscriptions can be purchased for your friend to receive hard copies, but many magazine publishers also feature electronic versions. Here is a break-down of some very popular ones:

• Ancient Egypt (UK): the magazine is published about six times a year and provides an overview of what is happening in ancient Egypt societies within the UK.
• KMT: a Modern Journal of Ancient Egypt (USA): founded in 1990, KMT is published four times a year. It features For the Record which presents a thorough round-up of the latest news, happenings, film/TV programmes, and lectures across the world.
• Nile Magazine (UK/Australia): published every other month, it also features beautifully illustrated articles on many diverse subjects on ancient Egypt. A highlight is the inclusions of maps, diagrams, and the many visual aids to put the topics into context. You can also get a taste for it by exploring some free samples of the magazine.

[3] Egypt-inspired jewellery, games, and gifts

Many museums may be closed for attendance because of the pandemic. Yet, you can still explore their Egypt offerings available in their gift shop. The Metropolitan Museum of Art (1) features a wealth of Egypt-inspired jewellery, games, and gifts – we have previously highlighted their Fun with Hieroglyphs stamp set (see #7). Spoil your loved one with a necklace with beads of carnelian and lapis-lazuli modelled after an example in their collection. For our younger audience, count to 10 along with William, the Egyptian hippo. You may also want to consider supporting artists who make some fine Egypt-inspired goods. For example, Australia-based Aakheperure features Egyptian designs on phone cases, face masks, and t-shirts, to name some – they also ship world-wide.

1. The Met Store features currently 25% off site-wide, if you use the code SNOW20.

[4] Support local Egyptian or Middle Eastern/African eateries

Getting together with friends during these pandemic times may be challenging, but you can still make your friend’s (holi)day by treating them to a meal from an Egyptian eatery in your area. It’s also a great way to support restaurants which struggle so heavily these days. In Toronto, Ontario, for example, we have Maha’s Egyptian Brunch which offers delightful brunch options such as the Cairo Classic (see above) or their amazing lentil soup. In similar fashion, Papyrus Restaurant offers popular Egyptian dishes such as tameya, koshary, etc. As an added bonus, their dishes are optimised for the vegetarian/vegan in your friend/family circle. Paramount Foods, another Toronto institution, has many locations across Canada and in England and Pakistan. Their platters and desserts are delicious. Order gift cards or surprise your friends with a delicious delivery!

[5] Cook Egyptian recipes with Pharaoh’s Kitchen

Is there a cook in your family who also happens to love Egypt? I highly recommend Magda Mehdawy and Amr Hussein’s The Pharaoh’s Kitchen: Recipes from Ancient Egypt’s Enduring Food Traditions as a gift idea. They present tasty recipes from different parts of Egypt and also guide you through the historical background and context – a very scrumptious adventure! Available as an eBook for your Kindle via Amazon or Kobo, you may also find it in paperback with hopeful delivery prior to Christmas. Try your hand at making some delicious ful medammes (see above) for breakfast or a tiger nut dessert perfect to snack on during the holidays.

Check out also our 12 Holiday Gift Ideas for Egyptophiles  blog for additional gift ideas.