Rare Books Burn in Egytp

A fire broke out in Cairo’s Institute d’Egypte on Saturday as a result of a misfired Molotov cocktail launched by a protester in Egypt’s latest round of violence. The Institute d’Egypte was a research center founded by Napoleon Bonaparte during the French invasion in the 18th century, and housed many of Egypt’s oldest and most important documents.

The fire raged for 12 hours before subsiding, leaving little more than cinders behind for volunteers to salvage. Firefighters flooded the building with water in attempts to put the fire out, which added to the overall damage. The most devastating loss is a handwritten 24-volume document known as the Description l’Egypte, a multi-generational document which began during the French occupation.

The Hindustan Times reports: “The Description of Egypt is likely burned beyond repair. Its home, the two-story historic institute near Tahrir Square, is now in danger of collapsing after the roof caved in.”

“The violence erupted in Cairo Friday, when military forces guarding the Cabinet building, near the institute, cracked down on a 3-week-old sit-in to demand the country’s ruling generals hand power to a civilian authority. At least 14 people have been killed.”

Along with the Description l’Egypte, other documents believed to have been destroyed include a precious map of Egypt and Ethiopia dating from 1753 and other documents important to scholars of Egyptian history, Arabic studies and Egyptology.

Zein Abdel-Hady, an important librarian, said to television reporters, “This is equal to the burning of Galileo’s books.”

The continued loss of life due to civil unrest in Egypt is truly heartbreaking. And the latest news of all the historical treasures that have been lost adds to the country’s grief.

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Read more: books, cairo, documents, education, egypt, historical, loss, protest

Photo credit: Learning Lark

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Kathy P.

9:20AM PDT on Mar 16, 2012

oh my god. my gut actually clenched reading this

send a green star

Rana M.

4:00PM PST on Jan 2, 2012

To Berny, I'm an Egyptian and I live in Egypt and have been witnessing all these events happening and trust me this has NOTHING to do with Islam!! Islam is feared by many because this is what the media wants you to think, and why do you mix Islam with the burning of the books. To correct the article, the molotov thrown was not thrown by a protester, this was planned by the army and an army official dressed as a citizen ignited the fire in the building, we have clear photographs of the army official setting the building on fire!! It is a devastating event for ALL of us Egyptians, educated and non-educated people!

roxane c.

5:36AM PST on Dec 29, 2011

A bit of history erased .

patricia a.

4:47AM PST on Dec 29, 2011

not surprised.

Meta R.

5:28PM PST on Dec 27, 2011

How terrible to lose one's history.

Jennifer C.

5:15PM PST on Dec 27, 2011

Thanks for the information.