Mark Smith is Emeritus Professor of Egyptology at Oxford University and Emeritus Lady Wallis Budge Fellow in Egyptology at University College, Oxford.

He specialises in Ptolemaic and Roman Egypt, as well as Coptic Christianity. His particular interest is in Egyptian religion, especially Egyptian conceptions of the afterlife.  During his tenure at Oxford, Professor Smith’s lectures covered all aspects of ancient Egypt: history, civilization, archaeology, art, literature, religion, and society, and he teaches all phases of the Egyptian language, from Old Egyptian through to Coptic, and all ancient Egyptian scripts.  Professor Smith has written many books and countless articles on his subject, and his own research focused on ancient Egyptian religion, in particular conceptions of the afterlife and how these changed and developed over time. His research into the demotic graffiti at the stone quarries of Gebel es- Silsila is particularly pertinent to the tour, which will visit the site.  

He has led previous Temple World tours to Egypt with great success.