The master’s thesis of our graduate from İbn Haldun University’s Sociology MA Program, Rahime Seyit (Rahma Waleed), titled “The Archaeology of the Retreat from Democracy: Mobilizing the Pharaonic Past in Post-2013 Counter-Revolutionary Egypt,” supervised by Prof. Dr. İrfan Ahmad, is being published by İbn Haldun University Press. The thesis examines how the military regime in Egypt after 2013 has sought to reshape the collective memory of the 2011 revolution. The study critically analyzes the regime’s efforts to mobilize the legacy of the Pharaonic era on both material and symbolic levels to construct a new historical narrative. Through an in-depth analysis of significant symbolic events such as the reconstruction project of Tahrir Square and the Pharaohs’ Golden Parade, Seyit reveals how state-produced narratives rooted in the ancient past are employed to legitimize authoritarian rule and suppress democratic demands.
Grounded in a sociological theoretical framework and employing critical discourse analysis, the thesis stands out by linking fields such as nationalism, archaeology, urban space, historiography, and power relations. Through comprehensive case studies, the study reveals the symbolic mechanisms through which the retreat from democracy is enacted in contemporary Egypt, offering a critical perspective on how authoritarianism is reproduced through cultural and spatial state projects.
We congratulate our student on this work, which will soon be published under the İbn Haldun University Press label, and wish her continued success in her academic career.
