Dr Amira spent the month of August 2025 living at the Trust’s house in Kensington.

I recently had the opportunity to visit London for academic research. The main purpose of my visit was to study the administrative archive of King Seti I from Memphis, with a focus on the papyri preserved at the British Museum.

In the department of Ancient Egypt and Sudan at the British Museum

The archive of Seti I consists of 17 Hieratic papyri now preserved in four major institutions: five at the British Museum, ten at the Bibliothèque Nationale de France (BnF), one at the Cambridge University Library, and one at the Morgan Library & Museum. During my visit, I focused on examining the five papyri housed in the British Museum, as well as the papyrus preserved at the Cambridge University Library. At the British Museum, my study was divided into two parts: I spent three days in the library consulting books and secondary sources related to my research, and three days in the study room examining the papyri directly.

The staff at both the British Museum and the Cambridge University Library were extremely cooperative. When I requested to consult other papyri that had not been included in my original application, they kindly assisted me and made it possible. Their support facilitated my research. I also had the chance to attend an event with the participants of the 2025 International Training Programme at the British Museum. Additionally, my visit to Oxford University allowed me to engage with the Ashmolean Museum, which holds an important Egyptological collection. I also visited the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology in London, as well as the library of the Egypt Exploration Society (EES), where I had access to a wide range of scholarly resources that supported my research.

Furthermore, I had the chance to establish academic contact with Dr. Hratch Papazian, Associate Professor of Egyptology at the Department of Archaeology, University of Cambridge, via email. Since he was away from Cambridge during my visit, we agreed to arrange an online meeting in Egypt to discuss my research project.

In addition to my academic work, I explored several cultural landmarks in London. I visited the Victoria and Albert Museum, the National Gallery, and the Natural History Museum, where I enjoyed the collections and exhibitions that reflect the city’s rich heritage. These visits added a lot to my cultural experience.

This visit was a very valuable academic and cultural experience. I am thankful for the chance to study original papyri, to explore important Egyptological museums, and to make new academic connections that helped me both professionally and personally. I am also thankful for the comfortable stay at the Anderson House, which provided me with the necessary rest and support to accomplish all my tasks successfully.

For more information about the other students in the 2025 cohort please see here.