‘Views of an Antique Land’, a project led by Cardiff University and funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, aims to shine a light on the often overlooked First World War campaign in Egypt and Palestine.
Professor of Archaeology and one of the leaders of the project at Cardiff University, Paul Nicholson said: “The histories of Britain and Egypt have long been intertwined. However, the place of Egypt during the First World War is often overlooked because of the focus on the Western Front.
“Egypt was a transit point for troops en route for the Dardanelles, an intelligence base for campaigns against the Ottoman Empire, and in particular the base from which the Palestine Campaign was launched. Up until now access to images relating to this theatre of conflict have been limited and information on how the region was seen by those who visited it, and who lived there, has often seemed inaccessible.”
The project is calling on relatives and descendents of soldiers who served in these areas to send in photographs, memorailia and postcards taken during the war. These will then by displayed in an online interactive website, as well as a travelling exhibition.
The project has developed a series of roadshows, school workshops and conferences to allow public participation and interaction. The project also aims to create “a perpetual online learning resource offering new views of archaeological sites, military installations and cities as they appeared during the war.”
Image credit: Imperial War Museum © IWM Q 58838
Posted by: Éadaoin Hegarty, Centenary News