In summer 1889 Carl Wuttke traveled to Egypt for the first time. The artist mentioned in his travel memoires from 1925 that the crossing from Brindisi to Alexandria took three days. Over the following years Wuttke went to Egypt another eight times. He was deeply impressed by the historical and breathtaking landscapes. Landmarks like the Pyramid of Cheops or the Great Mosque Bab Zuwayla in Cairo, which he captured in red-hot light of the setting sun in this painting, were among his preferred motifs. [FS]