"The Tunisian Genius"
It's not a propaganda formula or an empty slogan. The Tunisian genius is a reality that imposes itself in every Tunisian success, here and elsewhere. It doesn't recognize borders. This time, it imposes itself where no one expects it!
The Writings, Matrices of Civilizations
When we talk about Tunisian genius, we rarely think of hieroglyphs. And yet, Taoufik Ilaoui, the only Tunisian and Maghrebi Egyptologist, reminds us that Tunisia continues to produce minds capable of dialoguing with History, imposing themselves alongside international references. We couldn't let his summer stay in Tunisia pass without meeting him...
Taoufik Ilaoui has currently devoted all his energy to a new book: "De geschiedenis van de wereld" (The History of the World). Between field research, linguistic analysis, and library shelves, he patiently shapes an ambitious work of around 400 pages, which aims to revisit universal history through the prism of ancient languages, making inscriptions and manuscripts dialogue. A goldsmith's work where erudition is nourished by archaeological excavations, where the memory of civilizations unfolds in all its depth.
From Le Kef to Leiden: The Journey of a Master of Hieroglyphs
If "De geschiedenis van de wereld" promises to captivate readers and researchers, it also invites us to look at the unique trajectory of Taoufik Ilaoui, the only Tunisian and Maghrebi Egyptologist recognized internationally, whose passion for ancient civilizations knows no bounds.
Taoufik Ilaoui was born in El Kalaa el Khessba in 1963. He completed his schooling in Terjerouine and then in Le Kef. After obtaining his baccalaureate, he flew to the Netherlands. Upon arrival, he undertook an advanced course in Dutch, which later allowed him to enroll at Leiden University to pursue studies in Ancient History.
Fascinated by pyramids and the mysteries surrounding them since childhood, he naturally oriented his research towards Egyptology and specialized in hieroglyphic writing at the Huub Pragt Egyptoloog (Dr. Praagt Center). After six years of study, he developed his mastery of Greek and Latin with Professor Schroeuder at Leiden University.
Today, Taoufik Ilaoui presents himself as an Egyptologist, teaching Egyptian hieroglyphs in Leiden and Hilversum, a lecturer, author, and member of the Museum Het Spinozahuis (Spinoza House Museum) and the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden (National Museum of Antiquities).
A Cultural Figure and Linguistic Mastery
He is also an active cultural figure in the Netherlands and a well-introduced personality in cultural and even political circles. Taoufik Ilaoui masters Arabic, Dutch, French, English, and Italian, not to mention classical and ancient languages. This plurilingualism is a considerable asset for him in the field of contemporary Egyptology and confers on him an undeniable power of communication.
From School Benches to the World's Libraries
As an author, he has signed "Hiërogliefen" (2012), "The Language of Pharaohs" (2014, co-written with Corneilus Pragt), "The Civilization of Egypt" (2016), and "Hospital of the Soul" (2017). His books are mainly available in the major libraries of the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Tunisia, and Egypt, have been presented in prestigious museum and academic institutions, and their publication has had a significant impact in specialist circles, as well as among the general public.
But our passionate Egyptologist is particularly proud of his latest work, "Hospital of the Soul" (L'hôpital de l'âme), written in Latin, Greek, hieroglyphs, and translated into English. A work of philosophy and ancient wisdom that preaches peace, love, and living together.
Recognition and Distinctions
Through his exceptional journey, great discipline, rigor, dedication, commitment, and sense of ethics, Taoufik Ilaoui has managed to establish a great reputation in the West and in the Gulf countries in particular. In 2024, he received distinctions from His Excellency Prince Sayyed Mohamed Ben Hareb Ben Abdallah Al Said, Ambassador of the Sultanate of Oman to the Netherlands at the time, as well as from H.E. Khaled Fahad Al-Hajri, Ambassador of Qatar to Belgium.
The latter will pay him another tribute at the end of September, just before the end of his mandate in Brussels, because he considers the Tunisian Egyptologist as "the pride of the entire Arab world!"
A Memory Under Construction
Faithful to his roots and deeply attached to his country, Taoufik Ilaoui has never forgotten the land that saw him born, and each encounter with him reminds us of how alive and inspiring his attachment to Tunisia remains. He has presented, free of charge and with great intellectual generosity, several conferences and offered his books to numerous Tunisian libraries and institutions.
Acclaimed and distinguished internationally, Taoufik Ilaoui does not hide a certain disappointment at never having been honored in his own country. Although he was received by Mr. Mohamed Salah Ben Aissa, Director of the Center of the Arab League, as well as by successive Ministers of Cultural Affairs, Mrs. Hayet Ketat Guermazi and Mrs. Amina Srarfi, he has yet to receive any official distinction... "I feel like a stranger at home," he confides in us, not without bitterness.
This bitterness does not prevent him from looking to the future. Taoufik Ilaoui is already nurturing a new project: writing his autobiography, while his son Haydar is planning to tell the story of his father's life, a sign that his journey continues to inspire even those closest to him.
This dual testimony promises to deliver an intimate and plural look at an extraordinary journey. For Ilaoui is not only a passionate Egyptologist and hieroglyph enthusiast: he also imposes himself as a transmitter of knowledge, a translator of ancient legacies into our present, and a vigilant witness to the place of languages and civilizations in universal history. A role that confers on his work, beyond research and the popularization of a specific field, a truly humanist and universal scope.
