Institut d'Égypte
Encyclopedia
The Institut d’Égypte was a learned academy formed by Napoleon Bonaparte
to carry out research during his Egyptian campaign.
as president, Bonaparte himself as vice-president and Joseph Fourier
and Costaz
as secretaries. It had 48 scholars and as with the Institut de France
these were organised into sections, divided up as follows:
The Institut capitalised on the work of scholars and technical experts of the Commission des Sciences et des Arts and fostered the development of Egypt so as to support the French expeditionary force. On 22 November 1799 the Institut took the decision to collect and publish its scholarly work as the Description de l'Égypte
. The Institut lasted until its 47th and final meeting on 21 March 1801.
in 1859, and its name was again changed, this time to Institut Égyptien. The new Institut functioned under the auspices of Egypt's viceroy Sa'id Pasha
, and had several prominent members, notably the German botanist Georg August Schweinfurth
, as well as Egyptologists Auguste Mariette
and Gaston Maspero
. Later members included Ahmed Kamal
, Egypt's first native Egyptologist, as well as Ahmad Zaki Pasha
, a pioneering philologist.
The Institut returned to Cairo in 1880. Its previous name was restored by a royal decree in 1918. Henceforth, it was directly under the Royal Palace's auspices. Some of the Institut's more recent members include famed scholar Taha Hussein.
Napoleon I of France
Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815...
to carry out research during his Egyptian campaign.
Early work
It first met on 24 August 1798, with Gaspard MongeGaspard Monge
Gaspard Monge, Comte de Péluse was a French mathematician, revolutionary, and was inventor of descriptive geometry. During the French Revolution, he was involved in the complete reorganization of the educational system, founding the École Polytechnique...
as president, Bonaparte himself as vice-president and Joseph Fourier
Joseph Fourier
Jean Baptiste Joseph Fourier was a French mathematician and physicist best known for initiating the investigation of Fourier series and their applications to problems of heat transfer and vibrations. The Fourier transform and Fourier's Law are also named in his honour...
and Costaz
Louis Costaz
Louis, baron Costaz Louis, baron Costaz Louis, baron Costaz (17 March 1767, Champagne-en-Valromey (Bugey – 15 February 1842, Paris was a French scientist and administrator.His brother Gastroass was bishop of Nancy. After studying maths, he taught at the military school at Thiron until 1793,...
as secretaries. It had 48 scholars and as with the Institut de France
Institut de France
The Institut de France is a French learned society, grouping five académies, the most famous of which is the Académie française.The institute, located in Paris, manages approximately 1,000 foundations, as well as museums and chateaux open for visit. It also awards prizes and subsidies, which...
these were organised into sections, divided up as follows:
- 12 members - mathematics section, including Bonaparte himself, Costaz, Fourier, MalusÉtienne-Louis Malus- External links :...
, Monge. - 10 members - physics and natural history section, including BertholletClaude Louis BertholletClaude Louis Berthollet was a Savoyard-French chemist who became vice president of the French Senate in 1804.-Biography:...
, DesgenettesRené-Nicolas Dufriche DesgenettesRené-Nicolas Dufriche, baron Desgenettes was a French military doctor. He was chief doctor to the French army in Egypt and at Waterloo.-Early life:...
, DolomieuDéodat Gratet de DolomieuDieudonné Sylvain Guy Tancrède de Dolomieu usually known as Déodat de Dolomieu was a French geologist; the rock dolomite and the largest summital crater on the Piton de la Fournaise volcano were named after him.Déodat de Dolomieu was born in Dauphiné, France, one of 11 children of the Marquis de...
, Geoffroy Saint-HilaireÉtienne Geoffroy Saint-HilaireÉtienne Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire was a French naturalist who established the principle of "unity of composition". He was a colleague of Jean-Baptiste Lamarck and expanded and defended Lamarck's evolutionary theories...
. - 6 members - political economy section, including CafarelliLouis-Marie-Joseph Maximilian Caffarelli du FalgaLouis-Marie-Joseph-Maximilian Caffarelli du Falga was a French commander and scholar...
, TallienJean-Lambert TallienJean-Lambert Tallien , was a French political figure of the revolutionary period.-Clerk and journalist:He was the son of the maître d'hôtel of the Marquis de Bercy, and was born in Paris. The marquis, noticing his ability, had him educated, and got him a place as a lawyer's clerk...
. - 8 members - literature and arts section, including DenonDominique VivantDominique Vivant, Baron de Denon was a French artist, writer, diplomat, author, and archaeologist. He was appointed first director of the Louvre Museum by Napoleon after the Egyptian campaign of 1798-1801.-Biography:...
.
The Institut capitalised on the work of scholars and technical experts of the Commission des Sciences et des Arts and fostered the development of Egypt so as to support the French expeditionary force. On 22 November 1799 the Institut took the decision to collect and publish its scholarly work as the Description de l'Égypte
Description de l'Egypte
Description de l'Égypte is the title of several books.* Description de l'Égypte - Description de l'Égypte ou Recueil des observations et des recherches qui ont été faites en Égypte pendant l'expédition de l'armée française Pub; First Edition , L'Imprimerie Imperiale, 1809-1813; l'Imprimerie...
. The Institut lasted until its 47th and final meeting on 21 March 1801.
Resumption of activities
The Institut d'Égypte's activities resumed in 1836 under the name of The Egyptian Society. The work was carried out by French, German and English scholars. It was transferred to AlexandriaAlexandria
Alexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...
in 1859, and its name was again changed, this time to Institut Égyptien. The new Institut functioned under the auspices of Egypt's viceroy Sa'id Pasha
Sa'id of Egypt
Muhammad Sa'id Pasha was the Wāli self-declared Khedive of Egypt and Sudan from 1854 until 1863, officially owing fealty to the Ottoman Sultan but in practice exercising virtual independence. He was the fourth son of Muhammad Ali Pasha. Sa'id was a Francophone, educated in Paris.Under Sa'id's rule...
, and had several prominent members, notably the German botanist Georg August Schweinfurth
Georg August Schweinfurth
Georg August Schweinfurth was a Baltic German botanist, traveller in East Central Africa and ethnologist....
, as well as Egyptologists Auguste Mariette
Auguste Mariette
François Auguste Ferdinand Mariette was a French scholar, archaeologist and Egyptologist, the designer of the rebuilt Egyptian Museum under Maximilian of Austria orders when the later had gained control of the artifacts collected to that point.-Early career:Born at Boulogne-sur-Mer, Mariette...
and Gaston Maspero
Gaston Maspero
Gaston Camille Charles Maspero was a French Egyptologist.-Life:Gaston Maspero was born in Paris to parents of Lombard origin. While at school he showed a special taste for history, and by the age of fourteen he was already interested in hieroglyphic writing...
. Later members included Ahmed Kamal
Ahmed Kamal (Egyptologist)
- Research :He trained under the German Egyptologist Heinrich Brugsch.He was a curator at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo and a staff member of the Supreme Council of Antiquities...
, Egypt's first native Egyptologist, as well as Ahmad Zaki Pasha
Ahmad Zaki Pasha
Ahmad Zaki Pasha was an Egyptian philologist, sometimes called the Dean of Arabism , and longtime secretary of the Egyptian Cabinet.-Civil service:...
, a pioneering philologist.
The Institut returned to Cairo in 1880. Its previous name was restored by a royal decree in 1918. Henceforth, it was directly under the Royal Palace's auspices. Some of the Institut's more recent members include famed scholar Taha Hussein.