Taha Hussein
Taha Hussein was one of the most influential 20th-century Egyptian writers and intellectuals. A figurehead for the Arab Renaissance and the modernist movement in the Arab world. His sobriquet was “The Dean of Arabic Literature” He was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature twenty-one times.
Taha Hussein was born in Izbet el Kilo, a village in the Minya Governorate in central Upper Egypt. He was the seventh of thirteen children of lower-middle-class parents. He contracted ophthalmia at the age of two, and, as the result of faulty treatment by an unskilled practitioner, he became blind. After attending a kuttab, he studied religion and Arabic literature at El Azhar University; but from an early age, he was dissatisfied with the traditional education system.
When the secular Cairo University founded in 1908, he was keen to go there. Despite being poor and blind, he won a place. In 1914, he received a PhD for his thesis on the sceptic poet and philosopher Abu al-ʿAlaʾ al-Maʿarri.
Museum
Taha Hussein Museum is a historic house museum and biographical museum in Cairo, Egypt.
It is about the life, teaching, and residence of Taha Hussein, who was one of the most influential 20th-century Egyptian writers and intellectuals and a figurehead for the Al-Nahda—Arab Renaissance and the modernist movement in the Arab World.
The museum is located in Hussein’s former home, where he lived from 1955 to 1973.
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The museum was founded in 1996, and it features a vast collection of books, manuscripts, photographs, and personal belongings belonging to Taha Hussein.
One of the highlights of the museum is its extensive collection of Hussein’s personal library. It includes over 10,000 books and manuscripts, many of which are rare and unique. The museum also has a vast collection of photographs, including some of Hussein himself. As well as various personal belongings, such as his writing desk, typewriter. In addition to other items that he used throughout his life.
In fact, visitors to the museum can explore the different exhibits and learn about the life and works of Taha Hussein. As well as the cultural and intellectual history of Egypt during his time. In fact, the museum is a great place to learn about Egyptian literature and culture. It is a must-visit destination for anyone interested in the life and works of one of Egypt’s most important authors and intellectuals.
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