The Oases of Egypt

Egypt, 1982

The Oases of Egypt, March 2019. RM Publishers, in collaboration with the Egyptian Museum of Barcelona, ??has released a revised edition of the book originally published by Lunwerg, featuring a new design, some previously unpublished images, and newly developed photographs.

Siwa, Bahariya, Farafra, Dahla, and Kharga are the names of the five great oases of Egypt, small worlds that for centuries remained frozen in an almost mythical time and maintained their own distinct culture, giving rise to countless legends.

Before these islands in the desert succumbed to paved roads, electricity, and television, Jordi Esteva decided to capture the spirit of these places, the unique microcosm of these ancient villages on the verge of collapse, through his own personal experiences.

“I wasn’t interested in capturing the dunes or mirages, nor the ruined pharaonic temples in landscapes that would have delighted romantic travelers… My approach was that of a patient hunter. I sought the right time, pursued the shadows, and waited for the moment. I wanted to capture the spirit of the place.”

The passage of time has endowed the collection of photographs in *The Oasis of Egypt* with the value of something that speaks to us of a world that has vanished and of which few traces remain.