Travellers' graffiti in Egypt and the Sudan: Graffito

Roger O. De Keersmaecker (Antwerp, Belgium) became captivated by the names of the earliest travellers on the ancient monuments of Egypt and the Sudan. In fact, most of them carved their name on the temple walls as proud proof of their visit. Those graffiti, scorn by many at the time, became his own private field of photography and research. During many journeys, between 1965 en 1989, he carefully noted, photographed, transcribed and classified hundreds of mostly forgotten names. With his own means he published 'Travellers' Graffiti from Egypt and the Sudan', of which a total of sixteen volumes have appeared, mostly focused on one particular temple. In 'The Bulletin of The Association for the Study of Travel in Egypt and the Near East' (ASTENE), as well as on his website, he identified many of the visitors by giving more biographical information and their eventual travelogues. This publication brings the content of his website which was closed after his death in 2020. The Graffiti Collection Roger O. De Keersmaecker went to The Griffith Institute, University of Oxford, where his work and legacy will be maintained. All his publications are now digitized on their website.