The Valley of the Kings

In Short

Set in late Ottoman Palestine, this satire follows Iskender, a young Syrian Christian educated by English missionaries who feels caught between Eastern and Western worlds. When a wealthy English tourist arrives, Iskender believes he has found a true friend and patron who will help him uncover a legendary buried treasure in the Valley of the Kings. Driven by dreams of fame and wealth, Iskender abandons his community to serve the Englishman's whims. The journey collapses under lies and cultural misunderstandings, ultimately forcing Iskender to reclaim his identity, craft, and roots within his own heritage.

The Story

In a small coastal town, Iskender lives with his mother in a state of social isolation. Though raised by Protestant missionaries, his Western education leaves him estranged from both the local Muslim populace and the native Orthodox Christians. Harassed by neighborhood youths and mocked by local dragomans, Iskender longs for prestige and artistic recognition in England. His life changes dramatically when a young Englishman—whom Iskender reveres as his "Emîr"—arrives at the local hotel. Eager to win the traveler's favor, Iskender boasts that his late father left a map to a hidden hoard of gold in a mysterious location known as the Valley of the Kings.

To Iskender's surprise, the Englishman takes the treasure tale seriously and agrees to finance an expedition. Iskender’s rival, the flamboyant dragoman Elias, attempts to muskle in on the venture with tall tales of his own, but Iskender secures his place at the traveler's side. With high hopes and hired mules, the party sets off into the arid hinterlands. Yet the journey is doomed from the start. Iskender’s map is nonexistent, his directions are based on fantasy, and the grueling heat wears down the party's patience.

When the expedition descends into confusion, the Englishman realizes he has been deceived. Furious, he turns on Iskender, denouncing him and riding off into the desert. Iskender’s desperate pleas for forgiveness are met with cold disdain and the lash of a whip. Shortly after, the traveler falls gravely ill with fever in his tent. Setting aside his disgrace, Iskender tends to his former patron, plying him with milk and praying for his recovery. When the local missionaries arrive to rescue the invalid, they drive Iskender away, leaving him alone amidst the ashes of their campsite.

Penniless and humiliated, Iskender returns home, only to be beaten when he tries to offer the Englishman one last service involving a local girl. Broken in spirit, he realizes the gulf between Eastern and Western sensibilities can never be bridged by subservience. Embracing his heritage, Iskender turns to the Orthodox faith under the guidance of Father Mîtri. He travels to the city to apprentice under an old icon painter, mastering the traditional art of sacred portraiture. Reunited with his community, Iskender marries the priest’s daughter, Nesîbeh. When his old rival Asad—now an ordained Protestant minister married to an elderly European lady—drives past in a fine carriage, Iskender meets his condescending gaze without shame, fully content with his place among his own people.

How It Unfolds

A house divided Iskender's mother curses the Protestant ladies from her doorway, resentful that local converts are treated unequally by the mission. Iskender, educated in English, finds himself mocked by local touts and pelted by town boys while sketching in the streets.

The grand illusion A wealthy young English tourist checks into the hotel, and Iskender immediately seeks his favor to escape his social isolation. To secure the Englishman's interest, Iskender lies about a buried fortune left by his late father in the Valley of the Kings.

Competition and departure The boastful dragoman Elias attempts to hijack the expedition with his own wild stories, but Iskender manages to secure his position as sole guide. After delays caused by torrential rains and sulky muleteers, the small party finally sets off into the desert.

Collapse in the sands The journey disintegrates when Iskender's lack of a real map becomes obvious amidst the blinding desert heat. The Englishman realizes the treasure is a myth, beats Iskender off with a whip, and abandons him in anger.

Abandonment at the camp When the Englishman falls dangerously ill with a fever, Iskender attempts to nurse him with fresh milk until the missionaries arrive to carry the sick man away. Iskender is cast out by the mission ladies and left alone by the extinguished campfire.

Return to the roots After a final brutal rejection by the Englishman in town, Iskender gives up his Western ambitions and turns to Father Mîtri. He converts to the Orthodox church and travels to a dark city workshop to learn the traditional craft of painting sacred icons.

A joyous procession Now a respected icon maker, Iskender marries Nesîbeh and leads a festive church procession around the village to the tune of a concertina. When his old Protestant rival passes by in a carriage with a foreign bride, Iskender smiles back, fully reconciled with his community.

The People

• Iskender: An idealistic, English-educated Syrian youth whose artistic ambitions and desire for social standing lead him into a web of foolish lies about a hidden valley of gold.
• The Emîr (The Englishman): A wealthy, naive foreign traveler who easily succumbs to exotic fantasies of treasure, only to display ruthless coldness once his expectations are shattered.
• Elias Abdul Messîh: A charmingly dramatic dragoman known as the "Liar and the Boaster," who lives in a world of romance novels and competes with Iskender for foreign favor.
• Mîtri: The jovial, practical Orthodox priest who offers Iskender an alternative path, guiding him toward a traditional vocation and a grounded life within his native church.
• Iskender's Mother: A fiercely protective woman who rails continuously against the missionaries, constantly worrying over her son's lack of discretion and financial prospects.
• Nesîbeh: Father Mîtri's spirited, cheerful daughter who captures Iskender's heart, eventually becoming his wife and anchoring him to his home village.
• Asad: The son of Costantîn, a shrewd convert who plays the missionaries' game successfully, rising to become an ordained clergyman married to a wealthy, older European lady.

In Its Own Voice

"Did love of our Blessed Saviour and the Sacred Book bring the pair of you to this land? By Allah, not so; well I know it! It was the love of change, of adventure; and what is that in a virgin save the hope of men?"

Iskender's mother hurls this bitter rebuke from her doorway after three white-clad missionary ladies leave her house.

"The Father of Ice--curse his father!--has done what I told thee he would do, has ruined thee with thy Emîr. He made thee out the lowest of the low, and told his Honour of thy boast..."

Asad greets Iskender in the street with news that the head missionary has exposed Iskender's posturing to the wealthy tourist.

"Tell me, I beseech thee, in what sense the others of your kind serve Allah by building palaces in the land, displaying a luxury unknown among us, and so tempting the weak and worthless of the Church..."

Father Mîtri presses a visiting English clergyman to explain the true impact of foreign wealth on local faith communities.

What It's Really About

At its core, the novel explores the cultural dissonance caused by Western religious and cultural imperialism in the late Ottoman Levant. It interrogates the absurdity of imposing foreign ideals onto native populations, illustrating how Western education can leave local youths displaced from their own heritage without ever truly admitting them into European society. Iskender's imaginary "Valley of the Kings" serves as an allegory for the exoticized fantasies that both Westerners and native dragomans construct for mutual exploitation. Ultimately, the story argues for self-acceptance and cultural integrity, demonstrating that genuine dignity lies in embracing one's local roots, community, and traditional heritage rather than chasing the fickle favors of foreign patrons.

Why Read It Today

The Valley of the Kings offers a exceptionally sharp, authentic satire of cultural conflict that feels surprisingly modern. Readers who appreciate sly humor, rich regional detail, and nuanced character studies will find much to admire in Pickthall's vivid depiction of late Ottoman Syria and Palestine. Unlike many contemporary Edwardian novels set in the Middle East, this book places local Syrian characters firmly at the center of the narrative, treating their world with warmth, insider understanding, and unsparing observational accuracy.

The novel presents a few stylistic hurdles for modern readers, including period dialect spellings, casual religious slurs spoken by characters, and an unhurried early pace that takes time to establish the local social hierarchy. However, these elements reflect the authentic atmosphere of the era. What stays with you long after reading is the story's gentle wisdom and satisfying arc—a memorable reminder of how easily enthusiasm can be exploited, and how satisfying it is when a displaced hero finally finds his true home.