Rate My Professor Naguib Kanawati

Naguib Kanawati, an Egyptian-Australian Egyptologist, serves as Emeritus Distinguished Professor of Egyptology in the School of Humanities within the Faculty of Arts at Macquarie University, Sydney. He obtained his BA in History and Archaeology and MA in Egyptology from the University of Alexandria in Egypt, followed by a PhD in Egyptology from Macquarie University. Arriving in Australia in 1968, Kanawati began his academic career at Macquarie in 1970 on a scholarship, dedicating over 50 years to teaching and research. He established the Egyptology program in what was then the School of Ancient History, now the Department of History and Archaeology, and served as Director of the Australian Centre for Egyptology. Under his leadership, Macquarie University became a premier global center for Egyptology, producing more PhD graduates in the field than many universities in Egypt itself. Kanawati pioneered Australian archaeological expeditions in Egypt, leading the first at the Teti Cemetery in Saqqara, and subsequent projects at sites including Meir, Beni Hassan, El-Hagarsa, and Deir el-Gebrawi. His fieldwork involved excavation, conservation, and epigraphic recording of Old Kingdom tombs.

Kanawati's scholarly work centers on the Old Kingdom period, with special emphasis on the iconography and architecture of private tombs, the administration of Egypt, the roles of royal women, nepotism in the Sixth Dynasty, and burial customs of officials. He is the author of 62 books and numerous peer-reviewed articles. Notable publications include "The Tombs of El-Hagarsa: Volume I" (1993), "The Administration of Egypt in the Old Kingdom: The Highest Titles and Their Holders" (1995), "The Tomb and Beyond: Burial Customs of Egyptian Officials" (2001), "The Cemetery of Meir Volume II: The Tomb of Pepyankh the Black" (2014), "Beni Hassan: Volume III The Tomb of Amenemhat" (2016), and "Egypt in the Sixth Dynasty: Challenges and Responses" (2018). In recognition of his profound influence, a two-volume festschrift titled "Egyptian Culture and Society: Studies in Honour of Naguib Kanawati" was published in 2010. His accolades include appointment as a Member of the Order of Australia (AM), election as a Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities (FAHA), and Fellowship of the Royal Society of New South Wales.