Mémoires sur l'Égypte facts for kids

Mémoires sur l'Égypte (which means Memoirs About Egypt) was a special set of four books. They were published by the Institut d'Égypte between 1798 and 1801. These books were a collection of writings and research. They shared discoveries made during Napoleon's campaign in Egypt. This was a very important time for learning about the Middle East, especially for the new field of Egyptology, which is the study of ancient Egypt. A new version of the books came out in Paris from 1799 to 1803. The first book was even translated into English in London in 1800.

Discoveries in Egypt

The Savants' Mission

About 160 smart people, called "savants" (which means learned people), joined Napoleon's trip to Egypt. Many of them were from the Institut de France. In 1798, some of these savants started the Institut d'Égypte. This institute was set up in a palace in Cairo. Gaspard Monge was its first president.

What the Institute Did

The Institute had a library, labs, and workshops. It also held many Egyptian items the savants collected. One main goal of the Institute was to share knowledge. To do this, the savants published the Mémoires. They also published a journal called La Decade Egyptienne and a newspaper, Courier de L'Egypte.

How the Books Were Organized

The Mémoires books were not like typical books with neat chapters. Instead, they were a collection of different research papers. Each paper was about a specific discovery or experience. They were like a diary of what it was like to be a researcher during Napoleon's journey.

Not many experts have written about how these books were put together. However, a British historian named George John Singer did. In 1816, he praised the Mémoires for their amazing new ideas. But he also said he was confused about how the research was arranged. He wondered why certain topics were chosen to be studied so deeply.

Main Topics in the Books

The Mémoires covered a few main themes. The authors didn't officially organize them this way. Sometimes, a writing might even fit into more than one theme. These themes include military reports, geographical discoveries, and descriptions of the people in Egypt.

Military Reports

Military reports in these books were about things like weapons and how the campaign was going. They also included medical findings and stories from army members. For example, one writing was "A Report Relative to the Manufacture of the Saltpeter and Gunpowder of Egypt". Another was "Account of the Prevailing Ophthalmia of Egypt" (about an eye disease). The writing style changed a lot between different pieces. This probably means some people on the trip were better at writing about arts, while others were better at science or military topics.

Geographical Discoveries

Geographical discoveries were about directions, the shape of the land, and other things related to places. Some examples in the books are "Observations on the Arabian Horses of the Desert". Another is "Plan of an Agricultural Establishment in Egypt". Many of these writings were not written in the scientific way we use today. For instance, "Description of the Route from Cairo to Isalehhyeh" starts with praise for Egypt's history. It talks about Egypt being a center for literature in Africa and the Middle East. This is very different from the plain, formal writing often used in science today.

Descriptions of People

The last main theme was about describing the people of Egypt. These were the people France was trying to control. Examples include "An Arabian Ode on the Conquest of Egypt" and "Concerning the Coptic Monasteries". It's important to remember that French scholars wrote these descriptions. The Egyptian people themselves did not write them. This brings up a discussion about how accurate these descriptions were. This debate, called "Orientalism", has been going on since the late 1970s. It questions how Westerners have described Eastern cultures.

Other Related Writings

The information from the Mémoires was later included in a much larger work. This work was called Description de l'Égypte (Description of Egypt). It was a huge collection of research from Napoleon's campaign. It was published in 37 volumes from 1809 to about 1829. This massive work, along with other research, was eventually given to the French government in two large books.