Description de l'Egypte

The Description de l'Egypte is now available online in digital format.

The Description de l'Egypte was the outcome of 150 prominent scholars and scientists who accompanied Napoleon Bonaparte in 1798 with 2000 artists and technicians.

Twenty volumes of text and picture plates depicting aspects of contemporary and ancient Egypt civilisation went down in history as the most comprehensive record of Egypt's land and monuments.

In the first project of its kind, they have been fully digitized and integrated on a virtual browser for the world to view at http://descegy.bibalex.org/

"The Description of Egypt" was typical of European attempts to understand and unravel the mystery of the orient in anticipation of occupying its lands and draining its wealth. "The Description of Egypt" comprises materials that belong more to science than to letters. It is composed of 12 large-size volumes of maps, lists and drawings, and 24 volumes of texts. It is noteworthy that the birth of "Egyptology" owes much to "The Description of Egypt" and was complemented by Champollion's eventual translation of the Rosetta Stone.

Read more about the Description de l'Egypte at Tour Egypt.