Entrance of the Mosque of Mehemet Ali, Cairo, ca. 1870–1875
MediumAlbumen print
Image dimensions28 × 39,5 cm
About the workA studio in the garden of Esbekieh in the centre of Cairo – this was French photographer Henri Béchard’s dream come true. His enthusiasm for Egypt, ist history, architecture and customs was something he had in common with many other European photographers who travelled to the country in the 19th century. Their views of Egypt were not intended to be authentic portraits of the country. Rather, they were designed as attractive souvenirs for tourists. The choice of motifs was correspondingly clichéd: pyramids, mosques and palm trees formed the idea of the "exotic".
AccessionGift 2019
Provenance[...]; 2019 acquired as a gift from Kicken Berlin in memory of Rudolf Kicken
Inventory numberF.2019.229
