The "golden age fallacy," or as it more commonly referred to by the term "good old days," is a unique form of nostalgia that makes one think that a different era was better than the present one.
This type of nostalgia is ever so present with the fans of the popular Egyptian Facebook page "The Official Page for the site of King Farouk the First, Farouk of Egypt" which has gotten more than 2.5 million likes so far.
The page's website documents the history of the Egyptian monarchy and the members of the Muhammed Ali dynasty that ruled the country from the 19th to the mid-20th Century, with a special focus on its last monarch.
The page itself on the other hand, posts old and rare photos of Egypt during Farouk's reign, and often the phrase "the beautiful era" is present somewhere in the post.
While the original creator may or may not have merely intended to share some history knowledge and his admiration for a historical figure, it is this "beautiful" era that the page's fans gravitate toward.
They like and widely share beautiful vintage photos of beautifully dressed elites, manicured gardens, spotless streets and jaw-dropping crown jewels.
The popularity of the page doesn't necessarily reflect Egyptians' fascination with history, it reflects more their fascination with the royalty that once reigned and their nostalgic longing for a time period they might not have actually experienced but believe to have been better.
They enjoy reminiscing about a time when the streets were flawlessly clean and quiet, people elegantly walked the streets in tailored dresses and suits and cities weren't overcrowded and polluted.
These photos represent a highly romanticized version of royalty and its "beautiful era," which is understandable considering it is a page dedicated to monarch so it must present life from his perspective.
But the problem with the "golden age fallacy" is just that, it's a fallacy, an error in logic. The era might have been beautiful for the royals of its time, but that shouldn't lead us to conclude that it was perfect for everyone else.
It also shouldn't lead us to selectively choose which version of history suits us best. History is a lot more complex than royal parades and perfectly polished palaces.