After Napoleon's invasion of Egypt in 1798, and Palestine in the following year, the West rediscovered Egypt and the Holy Land. Painters and artists, travelers and archaeologists flocked to the region during the nineteenth century and produced some of the most interesting and valuable records of the cities and villages, topography, buildings, and customs--much of which has since disappeared or changed beyond recognition. The items featured in this work record this vanished world in fine detail. Palestine and Egypt under the Ottomans is based on Hisham Khatib's unique collection of art and printed works covering the 400-year period of Ottoman rule in the region. The core of the material here are the paintings--mainly nineteenth-century watercolours, many of them by renowned artists such as Frederick Goodall, Edward Lear, Carl Warner, and Carl Haag--which concentrate on a realistic portrayal of the Holy Land (in particular Jerusalem) and Egypt, rather than basking in romantic 'Orientalism.' The section on travel books includes works by Berna...