Journeys to Italy Egypt Sinai Jerusalem and Cyprus

Description

The book, in terms of subject matter, consists of articles written by Kazantzakis about his visits to Jerusalem, Egypt, Italy, and Palestine between 1926 and 1927, when he was a journalist for a Greek newspaper. In both form and content, it belongs to the genre of travel literature. Nikos Kazantzakis blends reality with imagination, or more precisely, reality with myth, as he naturally prefers to discuss myths when presenting his ideas about a place. However, in a more objective sense, his observations in Egypt focus on the Nile, the pyramids, and Sinai. He describes what he saw in the Delta, recording his observations: “The itinerant vendors would lift their veils halfway up their faces and hawk their wares in hushed voices: black kohl for the eyes, henna for nail polish, perfume oil from Baghdad, rosewater, musk, and incense.” In the chapter on the Nile, he speaks of the great river and how Egyptians depend on it as a constant source of life, recording a collection of observations he made along its banks. In another section, he addresses the Sinai Peninsula, which he considers the Holy Land and the cradle of divine messages. This section includes many Jewish legends. In the chapter on Palestine, Nikos Kazantzakis focuses on describing places of worship in Palestine, moving between Christian, Muslim, and Jewish sites, and presenting his spiritual and poetic reflections on this part of the world.