Date of tip: May 2006

Source: John Dunn, jdunn@valdosta.edu

Location: Cairo, Egypt

Language: Arabic, French, English

How to get there: On the corner of Kasr al-Aini and Sheikh Rihan streets (across from American University of Cairo).

Getting started: Being a private organization, the Institut is very informal.  A letter of introduction is required, and approval usually instantaneous.  Friendly and courteous, the staff will offer assistance, or let you explore the treasures of this unique building.  

Opening Hours: Hours, Saturday through Thursday, are sporadic, at least 9:30 am to 1:30 pm, but sometimes as late as 4:00 pm.  

General working conditions: A card catalogue exists, but must be cross-indexed with a ledger system for the current numbers.  As books are shelved two stories high, one sometimes stands on a table, or ascends a decrepit looking ladder to reach the upper rows.  

Policy on technology: unknown

Photocopy policy:  Photocopies are possible; Mr. Anwar (head archivist) has been known to take scholars across to AUC for same day service.

Note on the Collections: The collection consists of both books and bound manuscripts.  These publications date back to the 1500's and come from prominent donors.  The writer noted several book plates of Yacub Artin Pasha, Nubar Artin Pasha, and stamped covers indicating the book had originally been a gift to Muhammad Ali or one of his successors.

As can be imagined, it is very strong in nineteenth century works.  An interesting feature is that letters and manuscripts have been bound and shelved like books.  Sometimes, these thin volumes have slipped behind the stack, and one must be diligent to find them.  Several are unpublished works related to the French 1798 invasion, and worthy of further study.

Several ARCE fellows working in Nineteenth and early Twentieth Century Egypt found the Institut's holdings invaluable.

[Editor’s note: Further information on the Institut d’Egypte is on the web, courtesy of the 

The International School of Information Science (ISIS), a research institute founded by the Bibliotheca Alexandrina (BA)]

Website: http://www.bibalex.org/ISIS/ProjectDetails.aspx?Status=ongoing&id=19

“The Bibliotheca Alexandrina is taking the initiative in reviving the organization of L’Institut d’Egypte built in Cairo by Napoleon Bonaparte over 200 years ago. The Institut’s first scholars were in charge of the research, study and publication of physical, industrial and historical facts about Egypt, publishing findings that stemmed from their activities as members of that body. They were later to produce the Description de l’Egypte. Eventually, the L’Institut d’Egypte became the focal point for scholarly work and intellectual pursuit in Egypt, and provided both actual space and structure for scholarly discourse. It is also recognized as the oldest functioning academy of sciences and arts outside Europe. 

L’Institut owns a huge collection (over 35,000 volumes) of rare and ancient references, books and periodicals in 5 languages (Arabic, French, English, German and Russian). BA has suggested nine projects for its revival, among which is a project of digitizing its entire collection, thereby preserving it and making it available to the public. The efforts began with the digitization of the 10 volumes of Description de l’Egypte. Other special collections were digitized such as the complete works of Voltaire (69 volumes), Des Mille Nuits et Une Nuit (16 volumes), and Geographie Universelle (15 volumes). Eventually, the whole library of the Institut will be digitized and made available to the public. This will be the first attempt to digitize and publish a collection of such rarity and value.”