Christiane Desroches Noblecourt facts for kids
Christiane Desroches Noblecourt (born November 17, 1913 – died June 23, 2011) was a famous French Egyptologist. An Egyptologist is someone who studies ancient Egypt. She wrote many books about Egyptian art and history. She is also well-known for helping to save ancient Nubian temples. These temples were in danger of being flooded by the Aswan Dam.
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Christiane's Early Life and Work
Christiane Desroches was born in Paris, France, on November 17, 1913. When she was nine years old, in 1922, she was amazed by the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb. This discovery was made by Howard Carter.
Her interest in ancient Egypt grew. A priest named Étienne Drioton encouraged her. She then joined the Egyptian Antiquities department at the Louvre Museum. She was the first woman to be a fellow at the French Institute of Oriental Archaeology. In 1938, she also became the first woman to lead an archaeological dig.
During World War II, Christiane joined the French Resistance. This was a group that fought against the occupation of France. She bravely hid valuable Egyptian treasures from the Louvre Museum. She kept them safe in parts of France that were not occupied. Christiane Desroches Noblecourt passed away on June 23, 2011, at the age of 97.
Saving Ancient Temples from the Aswan Dam
Christiane Noblecourt's biggest achievement was saving ancient Nubian temples. These temples were at risk of being flooded by the new Aswan High Dam. The first dam was built in 1902. It was made bigger in 1912 and again in 1934.
However, Egypt's population was growing. The dam still wasn't big enough. So, in 1954, the government decided to build a much larger dam. This new dam would create a huge lake. It would be 500 kilometers long and stretch into Sudan. This project was so big, people compared it to the work of the ancient pharaohs.
The problem was that many ancient monuments in Nubia would be lost forever. They would be covered by the new lake. This included the famous Abu Simbel temples. A writer named Pierre Loti had visited the area earlier. He noted that many temples would go underwater. But, he added, the cotton fields would be very productive.
UNESCO is a part of the United Nations. It works to protect important cultural sites. UNESCO asked Noblecourt to list all the historical places that were in danger. At that time, she was in charge of Egyptian antiquities at the Louvre. UNESCO then started a huge effort to find money to save these sites.
UNESCO's Big Plan to Save the Temples
On March 8, 1960, Christiane Desroches Noblecourt made an important request. She asked for help from countries all over the world. She did this with Sarwat Okasha, Egypt's Minister of Culture. More than fourteen temples needed to be moved. Also, urgent digs were needed at sites that would soon be deep underwater.
André Malraux, who was France's Minister of Cultural Affairs, also spoke out. He said that the power that built these huge monuments was like the power that built great cathedrals. He called the appeal "historic." He said it was important because it showed that the world's art belongs to everyone. He believed that saving these temples was an act of humanity.
Fifty countries gave money to help save these monuments. They are now seen as part of everyone's shared history. Temples like Philae, Kalabsha, Wadi al-Sabua, Dakka, and Derr were moved. The Abu Simbel temples got the most attention from the news.
The temple of Amada was especially difficult. It had small, beautiful paintings that would be ruined if cut into blocks. Everyone thought the temple would be flooded. But Christiane Desroches Noblecourt announced that France would save it. She asked two architects to find a way to move the temple in one piece. Their idea was to put the temple on rails. Then, they would use water power to move it to a higher spot. This new spot was more than 60 meters higher.
More money was needed for this big project. Christiane Desroches Noblecourt asked to meet with Charles de Gaulle. He was the leader of France. He didn't know she had promised France would save the temple. When he found out, he asked her how she dared to make such a promise without his government's permission. Noblecourt bravely replied by asking him how he dared to make a radio appeal without permission from a past leader. De Gaulle agreed to keep her promise.
In the end, the project to rescue and rebuild the temples took twenty years.
What Happened After the Rescue
Saving the Nubian monuments had good results. First, it made relations between France and Egypt much better. They had been difficult since the Suez Canal crisis in 1956.
This improved friendship led to exciting Egyptian art shows. A Tutankhamun exhibition was held at the Louvre in 1967. It attracted a record number of visitors. Later, there were exhibitions for Ramses II in 1976 and Amenophis III in 1993. To thank France for its help, the Egyptian government gave the Louvre a bust of Amenhotep IV, also known as Akhenaton.
Awards and Honors
Christiane Desroches Noblecourt received many important awards. In 1975, she won the gold medal from the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS). This is a very respected award. In January 2008, she received the Grand Cross of the Légion d'honneur. This is the highest award in France.
Here are some of her other awards:
- Grand Cross of the Légion d'honneur
- Officer of the Ordre national du Mérite
- Médaille de la Résistance (Resistance Medal)
- Commander of the Ordre des Palmes Académiques
- Commander of Ordre des Arts et des Lettres
- Grand Officer of the Order of the Liberation of Egypt
- Gold Medal of the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) (1975)
- Great Silver Medal of UNESCO
- Vermeil Medal of the City of Paris
- Great Gold Medal of the Society for Encouraging Progress
- Silver Medal of the Academy of Architecture
See also
In Spanish: Christiane Desroches Noblecourt para niños
