The Cairo Guidebook
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The opening of the tomb of Tutankhamun in 1922 and the breathtaking beauty of the treasures within sparks a wave of Egyptomania that washes across the world. Dowagers and flappers alike wear Egyptian-style jewelry. Men wear tarbouches to work on Wall Street¸ and smoke hashish from nargeeleh water pipes. The animalistic motifs of ancient Egyptian art blend with the clean lines of Art Nouveau to create new styles of interior decorating.
Excavations in the Valley of the Kings make or break the careers of archaeologists. Some reap fortunes from copying tomb items and selling them as genuine artifacts. Others steal genuine artifacts and re-sell them to unscrupulous collectors.
Frequent riots and political assassinations challenge British rule¸ but Egypt is to be a protectorate of the British Empire for decades more. Westerners openly wear guns in the streets of Cairo¸ but sternly forbid firearms to the locals.
Visitors are thrown into a powder-keg of political intrigue and sordid motive¸ of anarchy and rich adventure as romantic and improbable as a tale from the Arabian Nights.
THE CAIRO GUIDEBOOK is set in the 1920s. With it¸ Keepers can easily base many adventures in and around this teeming city. Dozens of scenario hooks are highlighted in the text. Period maps of Cairo¸ Alexandria¸ and Port Said are included¸ and dozens of plans of ancient and modern-day structures are shown. Getting to Cairo is detailed. The sights of Cairo¸ and the important excursions possible from Cairo are discussed¸ as are the important people of the city and the culture of the nation. Though intended for roleplayers¸ all the information in this book is genuine and accurate for the period¸ and some is found nowhere else. Mythos influence is considered. There are also resources concerning the gods of ancient Egypt and an extensive timeline of events from Pre-Dynastic Egypt through the end of the 1920s. Indexed. Dozens of illustrations and more. Dozens of maps and plans.