As violent clashes erupted between protesters and Egyptian security forces in Cairo earlier this week, a 213-year-old downtown library was set ablaze, destroying thousands of rare maps and books, including the original handwritten manuscript of the famous Description de l’Egypte. The 24-volume work, compiled by a host of scholars, scientists and soldiers during Napoleon’s 1798–1801 occupation of Egypt, is a comprehensive scientific study of both ancient and modern Egypt, together with a complete review of its natural history. Library officials, together with experts and concerned citizens, have been trying to salvage the remnants of the library’s collection, which includes some 192,000 books, journals and writings. “The burning of such a rich building means a large part of Egyptian history has ended,” said Mohammed al-Sharbouni, director of the library.
As violent clashes erupted between protesters and Egyptian security forces in Cairo earlier this week, a 213-year-old downtown library was set ablaze, destroying thousands of rare maps and books, including the original handwritten manuscript of the famous Description de l’Egypte.
Learn more about the lost collection.
Permalink: http://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/news/egyptian-violence-claims-%e2%80%9cirreplaceable%e2%80%9d-manuscript-collection/
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At least Nefertiti is safe in Berlin’s Neues Museum! Makes one think, doesn’t it…
A few years ago Maoists in Nepal burned down a library with rare Sanskrit manuscripts in Nepal. The librarians could have digitized their collection without cost, but chose not to. Learn from their hard lesson! Even Berlin is not all that ‘safe’, if you get meine meinung and if history teaches us anything at all. I wouldn’t even regard digitization as all that foolproof, so better save the books in any case.