Christine el-Mahdy Has Died
Friday, February 15th, 2008The director and staff of the Tutankhamun Exhibition were very saddened to hear the news of the death of Christine el -Mahdy (nee Hobson). Christine was a passionate free thinking Egyptologist who has done much to bring the wonders and mystery of ancient Egypt to many, who, without her enthusiasm would never had experienced it. Through her many books and as chair of the Egyptian Society (Taunton) she brought the world of ancient Egypt to a wide audience. Her many books, included Mummies, Myths and Magic , Exploring the World of the Pharaohs, and perhaps the most popular, Tutankhamen – the life and death of a boy king.
Christine’s fascination with Egypt started at an early age. By the age of nine she had taught herself to read hieroglyphs. She liked communicating and saw teaching as a way to express this. She studied education at Manchester and Liverpool, obtaining a degree and diploma in Egyptology. She has worked in the Egyptian departments of Bolton Museum and Liverpool University Museum. In 1988 she founded the Egyptian Society based in Taunton.
Christine often brought her students to the Tutankhamun Exhibition in Dorchester and is remembered with affection by all she came in contact with.
