Egypt: Land of legendary pharaohs and monuments whose majesty has never ceased to amaze us. And yet for centuries this extraordinary civilisation was completely forgotten, buried beneath the sands of the desert. But in 1798 the French general Napoleon Bonaparte lands in Egypt with his army. This military conquest, accompanied by a scientific expedition on an unprecendented scale, ignites a powerful fascination for Ancient Egypt across Europe. Raiders of the Lost Pharaohs I: Napoleon’s Egyptian Expedition, History 2026
One of the greatest adventures in human history. ibid.
The famous Battle of the Pyramids pits the newly landed French forces against Mamluk warriors who rule Egypt. In less than two hours the outcome is decided. ibid.
He has therefore arrived with 167 scholars in tow. ibid.
On 1st August 1798 the Royal Navy catches the French off guard near Alexandria and destroys it completely … The French are now trapped in Egypt. ibid.
‘Egypt at that time had not seen many foreigners.’ ibid. Salima
The division continues on its route southwards still pursuing the Mamluks. And a few days later, 200 kilometres further on, Denon and his soldiers finally get to explore a temple that’s still complete, the Dandera Temple. ibid.
Gurnah: The inhabitants have made their homes inside the tombs. ibid.
A crazy race to seek out hidden treasures. For Egypt has become a battleground on which the empires of Europe will come head to head. Raiders of the Lost Pharaohs II: The Treasure Hunt
It’s increasingly seen as a shortcut to India by the British. ibid.
Abandoned by their leader, his troops are still in Egypt … British forces are expected to arrive immediately. ibid.
There’s one artefact the British are desperate to get – the Rosetta Stone. ibid.
In 1803 the French send a new man to Egypt – he’s Bernardino Drovetti. ibid.
Muhammad Ali has now become the new Pasha of Egypt. ibid.
Henry Salt: His mission is to secure as many antiquities as possible for the British Museum. ibid.
And in June 1815 a new figure enters the fray: his name is Giovanni Battista Belzoni. He’s an Italian, aged 37. ibid.
The rivalry between the Europeans also plays out on a deadlier battle field – the race to decipher heiroglyths. Raiders of the Lost Pharaohs III: The Battle of the Hieroglyphs
Abu Simbel, 1817: Belzoni has hired some Egyptian farmers from the temple … Even the boldest men decide to throw in the towel … He replaces the Egyptian workforce with his own travelling companions. ibid.
In France all hopes rest on a young linguistic genius: Jean-Francois Champollion. ibid.
Valley of the Kings: ‘I knew that we were at the entrace to a magnificent tomb.’ ibid. Belzoni
Giovanni Battista Caviglia: Interested in the Sphinx of Giza but at this point, only the head can be seen sticking out of the sand. ibid.
Champollion’s theories are hotly debated, even in Paris where many scholars are still expressing doubts. Raiders of the Lost Pharaohs IV: Champollion in the Land of the Pharaohs
But Egypt does not surrender its secrets so easily. ibid.
His mission is to visit every site in Egypt and Nubia and copy every single inscription. ibid.
There are no texts inside of the pyramids. ibid.
In 1822 Jean-Paul Champollion cracks the secret of the heiroglyphs … He died before publishing all of his work. Raiders of the Lost Pharaohs V: The War of the Pyramids 1837-1846
Across the country monuments of the pharaohs are disappearing before they can be studied. ibid.
Berlin, June 1882: Ten years later Lepsius takes up the torch … He masters them like a living language. ibid.
In the middle of the nineteenth century Egyptology enters a new era. Excavations will become more rigorous and regulated. Raiders of the Lost Pharaohs VI: The Custodian of the Treasure
Saqqara: Soon he [Auguste Mariette] has uncovered an avenue of 141 Squinxes. ibid.
The Serapeum is unquestionably one of the major discoveries in the history of Egyptian archaeology. ibid.
Most of the objects Mariette removered from Egypt, mostly illegally, have become part of the collection in the Louvre. ibid.