23 May 2005
Digitization of Description de l’Egypte
The preservation of the valuable collection of Description de l’Egypte has been completed by the International School of Information Science (ISIS) at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina (BA). The 11 plate volumes, owned by the BA, and nine text volumes, owned by l’Institut d’Egypte, have been fully digitized, integrated on a virtual browser and are available in DVD format to the public through this pioneering endeavor.
Dr. Ismail Serageldin, Director of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, stated that the importance of this project stems from this collection being considered a rich reference for researchers and scholars. He added that digitizing such a collection is an achievement toward the preservation of heritage.
Description de l’Egypte was the result of the collaboration of more than 150 prominent scholars and scientists who accompanied Napoleon Bonaparte to Egypt in 1798, and some 2000 talented artists and technicians. Through more than 20 years, they systematically examined almost every aspect of contemporary and ancient Egyptian civilization producing 20 volumes of text and plates of unmatched accuracy and detail. Historically those engravings became the most comprehensive record and inventory of Egypt’s land and monuments.
The Description de l’Egypte DVD is available at the BA Shop for EGP 120.