Facts Concerning the French Mission in Egypt

Name: Cairo Top Tours
Address: Egypt - Giza - Al-Ahram St.5th Hassan Said St. from Ahram St Giza P.O. Box 6, Egypt, EG
Telephone: +201022772955
Price range: 40$

Latest Articles

Best Things to Do in Nile River

The Nile’s tourism potential is excessive; from southern Egypt and all the way to the northern regions, The Nile River makes some of the most pleasant tourist places in Cairo on the Nile, for Egyptian dwellers and even the visitors, who traveled to Egypt for the pleasures of the country and people.
The Monastery of El Suryan | Deir Al-Surian Cairo Attractions

The Monastery of the Virgin Mary the Syrian is considered one of the oldest monasteries in the history of the church, dating back to approximately the fifth century AD, as various sources indicate. The old fortress is located to the right of the entrance to the monastery, although it has been restored.
Traditional Egyptian food

Each Arab country has its own character, and Egypt is one of the most famous countries for food. Egyptians are known for their love of food, so they excelled in making dishes and inventing new things. The most famous Egyptian dishes are falafel, koshari, stuffed vegetables of all kinds, and molokhia.
Dolphin House Marsa Allam

Wadi El Gemal Nature Reserve in Marsa Alam is taking several measures to preserve the lives of Red Sea dolphins, which are a national treasure and a source of attraction and tourist income for diving and snorkeling, and to generate financial income for the state by collecting visit fees.
Tanis: The Lost City of the Pharaohs

In the northeast of the Nile Delta in the Sharqia Governorate, about 150 km from Cairo, lies the city of “Tanis”, which is currently known as the city of “San El-Hagar”, that historical city or unknown capital that was founded on the banks of the Nile thousands of years ago, and was also known as “Ga’net” and “Sa’an”.
Tell Basta Museum in Al-Sharqiyah

An ancient site called Tell Basta is located outside of Zagazig in the Sharqia Governorate. It was one of the ancient Egyptian capitals and a significant place of worship. In the Old Kingdom, it served as the capital of the 18th province. During the 22nd Dynasty, it was the capital of every province. In the past, it was referred to as "Per-Bastet" in honour of "Bastet," the god of comfort, joy, and happiness. Later, "Tell Basta" was used instead.

Facts Concerning the French Mission in Egypt

05 16, 2023

Facts Concerning the French Mission in Egypt

One could characterize Napoleon's Egyptian expedition (1798–1801) as a pharaonic endeavor of the contemporary day. The French forces, numbering close to 40,000 men and over 300 ships, are massively deployed. And there comes a loud roar of defeat for Napoleon's army, which was under siege by Nelson and the Mamluks. However, hundreds of French scientists arrived in Egypt as a result of Napoleon's invasion, transforming the country into a true cutting-edge laboratory. They are the source of artifacts that have been found and are currently on show in English and French museums.

Revolutionary France did not just want to dominate a region under the Ottoman Empire and block the eastern route from Britain to India. It also sought to repair the colonial setbacks suffered during the Seven Years' War. Napoleon aspired to emulate Alexander the Great in addition to extending his triumphs in Italy. Imbued with the spirit of the Enlightenment and its civilizing mission, the French also wanted to spread the Enlightenment among a people they considered backward, but who had been the «cradle of civilization».

Some 150 scientists accompanied Napoleon’s French troops. They were engineers, geographers, naturalists, doctors, architects, cartographers and astronomers. The figure of the academician of Ancien Régime gives way to a learned citizen, committed to the state and the progress of humanity.

Napoleon creates a Commission of Sciences and Arts, composed of the most eminent members of the Institut national de France, heir to the Royal Academy of Sciences, which was abolished by the Convention in 1793. In the image of this institute and with the researchers of this commission, he founded the Egyptian Institute in Cairo, a pioneering institution of Egyptology, remained in use and which sustained significant losses in a fire in 2011 during the Arab Spring.

During the military campaigns of Napoleon Bonaparte, Egypt became a laboratory, the theatre of important discoveries in various scientific disciplines. The possibility of building a passage through the Suez Canal is studied and maps are drawn up as far as Upper Egypt.

Share On Social Media:

Egypt Tours FAQ

Read top Egypt tours FAQs

The French Expedition in Egypt, led by Napoleon Bonaparte, was a pivotal event in both Egyptian and European history. It brought about significant cultural, scientific, and archaeological advancements through the establishment of the Institut d'Égypte and the discovery of the Rosetta Stone. It also had political and military ramifications, ultimately leading to the end of French rule in Egypt and contributing to Napoleon's downfall.

;