Robert Solé's new account of Napoleon's Egyptian expedition seems set to become the standard history of Egypt's short-lived French occupation, writes David Tresilian.

The involvement of Napoleon Bonaparte, at the time only an army general, in the French conquest of Egypt between 1798 and 1801 was in some respects unique. It was unique, first, because Napoleon's ambitions were otherwise restricted to Europe, and the Egyptian expedition was the only occasion on which France attempted to extend its long struggle for mastery of Europe beyond European shores. And it was unique, too, because Napoleon, known for his empire-building within Europe but not beyond, laid the foundations while in Egypt for the subsequent transformation of the country under Mohamed Ali, largely putting paid through his campaigns in Egypt, Syria and Palestine to Mameluke power and weakening that of the Ottomans.

How all this came about and its effects on both France and Egypt is the subject of Bonaparte à la conquête de l'Egypte (Bonaparte and the Conquest of Egypt) by the Egyptian-born French journalist Robert Solé. Written with the general reader in mind like Solé's many other works on Egyptian themes, the book provides a perfect introduction to its subject and draws on the most recent research.

"This book does not claim to contain any revelations," Solé writes, "aiming only to write the history of the Egyptian expedition in all its aspects — political, military, cultural and scientific — and relying on statements made by witnesses, as well as the work of specialists to which the general public does not generally have access. The aim has been to tell the story from beginning to end, knowing that this adventure, with its incalculable consequences, did not end [with the withdrawal of French troops] in September 1801..."

Adieu Bonaparte, Al-Ahram, Egypt, Issue No. 796, May 25 - 31, 2006.

An attractive publication with a somewhat formidable title draws Jill Kamil's attention to a worthy source on textiles, one of the finest of all Coptic arts.

The Coptic Tapestry Albums and the Archaeologist of Antino', Albert Gayet, is the lengthy title of a new book by Nancy Arthur Hoskins, who has researched Coptic collections in more than 50 museums around the world and who has produced a book that is a delight to handle and read. Here, at last, is a publication on Coptic textiles that is well-researched and illustrated with photographs in vibrant colour, along with detailed line drawings of weaving techniques and ancient weavers at the loom.

Thanks to Egypt's dry climate and sandy soil, textiles have survived in vast numbers and in an unrivalled state of preservation. Tens of thousands of coloured fragments found their way into the museums of the world, especially after 1889 when the French archaeologist Albert Gayet published a catalogue of Coptic art and, in the Bulaq Museum, staged the first exhibition of Coptic monuments.

"The first time I saw a Coptic tapestry portrait with its soul-searching gaze I was completely captivated," Hoskins writes in her introduction...

A tapestry of Coptic history, Al-Ahram, Egypt, Issue No. 796, May 25 - 31, 2006.

By Zahi Hawass.

With few exceptions, weaving methods are the same all over Egypt today. The weaver at Kerdassa sits at a loom which has changed little since Pharaonic times. Indeed, a weaver's studio from the late 18th century (as depicted in Description de l'Egypte ) shows weavers playing their looms with the same fervour and patience.

The embroiders of Akhmim often adopted a motif of enclosing figures in a circle like old Coptic tapestries, using an overlapping backstitch to resemble the relief effects of old Coptic tapestries, while young weavers of Harraniya, inspired by nature, produced a tapestry of birds which combines skill with inventiveness. The latter, the Harraniya tapestries, are now famous worldwide. They emerged from an experiment directed by the architect Ramses Wissa Wassef which demonstrates technical skill combined with naive freshness and vigorous inventiveness.

Today weavers are active, to a greater or lesser degree, in cities and villages throughout Egypt, and one can even find a solitary weaver who adheres to his own regional style of production.

Crafts of Egypt by Denise Ammoun, published by the American University in Cairo Press, provides a compendium of information about the diverse crafts of Egypt which include weaving and embroidery, basketry, pottery, leather work, metalwork and woodwork.

Dig Days: The Valley of the Kings: treasure without end III, Al-Ahram, Egypt, Issue No. 796, May 25 - 31, 2006.

The Egyptian Galleries at Cambridge’s Fitzwilliam Museum have re-opened to applause, with stunning new displays and exhibits never seen before.

The popular section of the museum hosts a world-class collection of more than 1,000 objects. A two-year, £1.5 million project of refurbishment, conservation and research has now been completed to enrich the experience of the museum’s 300,000 annual visitors.

“We are delighted that the latest stage in our ongoing programme of gallery improvements has reached a successful conclusion,” said Museum Director Duncan Robinson, “and that the Museum is now able to offer visitors an enhanced experience of one of the most popular areas of its collections...”

Ancient Egypt galleries open at Fitzwilliam museum Cambridge, 24-Hour Museum, UK, May 29, 2006.

[Jill Kamil's] last article discussed the remarkable tomb that was recently found in the Valley of the Kings. This tomb, or cache, was given the name KV 63. It contained five anthropoid coffins with mummification materials stored inside. Also found in the tomb were numerous vessels.

Before the investigation of KV 63, many people dreamed that it would contain the mummies of the Pharaohs that are believed to be buried in the Valley of the Kings but have not yet been found, such as the mummy of Tuthmosis I. Other missing mummies include the Pharaohs Ay and Horemheb. Some scholars hypothesise that the bone remains found in the tomb of Horemheb might be part of the mummies of these Pharaohs. Other scholars speculate that the mummy found in KV 55 might be that of Akhenaten. The mummy of Queen Nefertiti has never been found. Mummies of the Ramesside Pharaohs have also not been found, such as the those of Ramses VII, Ramses VIII, Ramses X and Ramses XI.

The dream of finding one of the missing royal mummies has been alive for a very long time, and so when this cache was discovered people thought it could perhaps be a tomb of one of the Pharaohs like Tuthmosis I whose tombs have not been found. Previously people thought — wrongly — that Tuthmosis I was originally buried in tomb KV 20 and that Queen Hatshepsut re-used the tomb for herself. Some scholars believe that the tomb of Tuthmosis I has never been found and that he is not buried in the Valley of the Kings. This would make Queen Hatshepsut the first Queen-Pharaoh to choose the Valley of the Kings for burial. Some scholars also think that the tomb of Tuthmosis II, which is thought to be tomb KV 42, belonged to him, while others believe that KV 42 is not a royal tomb and that the Pharaoh is buried in tomb number 258 at Deir Al-Bahari near the temple of Queen Hatshepsut...

A tapestry of Coptic history, Jill Kamil, Al-Ahram, Egypt, Issue No. 796, May 25 - 31, 2006.

By Lubna Abdel-Aziz.

Is the desert the forbidden, burning, wasteland we all shun and fear? This vast and empty wilderness, parched and dry, boundless and bare, has lured countless men of profound religious faith to its warm throbbing heart, making the desert their paradise on earth. Deserts, "those lone and level sands that stretch far away," cover about one seventh of the Earth's land surface. While they cannot support abundant plant and animal life because of their dry soil and insufficient rainfall, there is always a running stream or oasis nearby that nurtures certain plants and animals adept at adjusting to the hot dry climate. It has therefore, been a welcoming spot for men seeking its purity and power, to feel a union with their creator. Like the vast and endless sea, deserts seem to unite with the heavens in their strength and majesty. Unlike the sea though, men are able to spend their whole lives in the comforting warmth of its murmuring sands. And so they have — dedicated to serving their faith and glorifying their God. They separate themselves from the ways of ordinary men, for the peace and solitude the gentle desert affords. Wrapped in long cloth robes for protection against the scorching sun and blowing sands, they adopt a monastic lifestyle calling themselves monks, from the Greek monos, meaning "alone". "The ones who live alone" built the earliest Christian monasteries in the deserts of Egypt.

The first monk in history was St Anthony of Thebes. About 271 AD, St Anthony left the bustling towns to wander alone in the Egyptian desert and lead a solitary life. He became the world's first Christian monk. That marks the birth date of the monasteries. Others soon followed. Monasteries continued to rise from the desert sands, amidst striking green palm trees: "It is easy to feel a divine spirit where water suddenly rises from the desert floor". These monks were dubbed, "the desert fathers" and their desolate desert, the "monks' garden", bustan al-rohban. Living a Spartan life away from the amenities and distractions of civilisation, they were known as "those who did without"...

Limelight: Desert fathers, Al-Ahram, Egypt, Issue No. 796, May 25 - 31, 2006.

The date when Ramses II will bid a last good-bye to the traffic, fumes and noise of Cairo's busy Ramses Square has at last been set, reports Nevine El-Aref.

On Friday 25 August, at 6am [2006], when Cairo traffic is at its quietest, the colossus of the 19th Dynasty Pharaoh Ramses II will begin its journey from outside Bab Al-Hadid train station to its new home at the site of the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) overlooking the Giza Plateau.

The decision was announced two days ago by Culture Minister Farouk Hosni. Delaying the move until the completion of the museum's first phase would, he said, leave the statue exposed to unacceptable levels of threat given that the square is scheduled for massive redevelopment by the Cairo Governorate.

Hosni added that archaeological, geological, architectural and geophysical studies have now been completed and a special storehouse is under construction to house the statue until the GEM's first phase is complete.

Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA) Secretary-General Zahi Hawass said the red granite statue would be transferred in one piece, supported by an iron cage on two vehicles specially adapted to carry the 83-tonne statue on its 30-kilometre journey...

Farewell to Ramses, Al-Ahram, Egypt, Issue No. 796, May 25 - 31, 2006.