What the River Knows

Britain’s occupation of Egypt lasted from 1882 to 1956. In the 19th century, Egypt was a self-governing province of the Ottoman Empire, and its ruling dynasty borrowed heavily from European powers. When Egypt became unable to repay the loans, Britain and France seized control of its treasury. Britain’s desire to maintain access to the Suez Canal and to overland trade routes to India added to its financial interest in the province. Opposition to European influence in the region fueled protests and revolts. An officer named Ahmed ‘Urabi led resistance efforts by the Egyptian army in September 1881, which led to the Anglo-Egyptian War. The conflict began when British warships bombarded the city of Alexandria on July 11, 1882. Because France did not engage in the conflict, Britain’s victory in the war cemented its control over Egypt, essentially severing the province from the Ottoman Empire, and resolving “the rivalry of France and Britain for ascendancy in the country” (Marsot, Ataf. “The British Occupation and the Protectorate.” Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 Mar. 2024). Sir Evelyn Baring was appointed consul general of Egypt in 1883, a position he held until he resigned in 1907. Baring instituted a system of government known as the Veiled Protectorate in which “he ruled the rulers of Egypt, with the assistance of a group of English administrators trained in India” (Marsot, Ataf. “Evelyn Baring, 1st Earl of Cromer.” Encyclopedia Britannica, 26 Feb. 2024). The Anglo-Egyptian Treaty of 1936 required Britain to withdraw its forces, but the occupation continued for decades. The last troops left following the Suez Crisis in 1956.

The occupation bolstered a global fascination with Egypt and drew tens of thousands of visitors to the country, including archaeologists: “British Egyptomania and academic Egyptology also grew in tandem as popularizers brought their work to the Victorian public and British tourists flooded into Egypt producing travel accounts” (Gold, Meira. “British Egyptology (1822-1882).” UCLA Encyclopedia of Egyptology, 5 Oct. 2022). The novel touches on the growing tourism industry in Egypt, describing the luxurious hotels and cafes that cater to travelers’ needs in lavish detail. At the same time, the novel addresses the negative impacts of tourism, such as pollution and smuggling. Like Lourdes Olivera, some foreign visitors and archaeologists removed artifacts from dig sites.

Britain’s colonization of Egypt is essential to the novel’s plot and setting. When Ibañez’s protagonist arrives in Alexandria in 1884, she witnesses the lingering impact of the bombardment in the form of “the crumbled buildings, the piles of jagged stone, the builders trying to put the port back together after what Britain had done” (23). The devastation contributes to Inez’s initial distrust of Whit because she assumes that the young British man endorses his country’s policies. In addition, the fictional characters cross paths with historical figures. In Chapter 5, Ricardo Olivera upbraids Sir Evelyn Baring and Monsieur Gaston Maspero for limiting Egyptians’ educational and professional opportunities and for allowing artifacts to leave Egypt’s borders. Historically, Maspero served as the French government’s director general of excavations in Egypt, in which capacity he allowed foreign museums to acquire Egyptian antiquities, and even permitted tourists to purchase artifacts at the Egyptian Museum. Many of these priceless artifacts have yet to be returned. Ibañez’s novel celebrates Egypt’s beauty and history while drawing attention to the country’s exploitation under British colonial rule.