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OverviewThe extraordinary story of how an obelisk from the banks of Luxor was transferred to the Place de la Concorde in Paris in the early 19th century Transporting the Luxor obelisk from Egypt to Paris was one of the great engineering triumphs of the early nineteenth century. No obelisk this size (two hundred and fifty tons) had left Egypt in nearly two thousand years, and the task of bringing it fell to a young engineer, Apollinaire Lebas, a man of extraordinary resolve and ability. His is a tale of adventure, excitement, and drama, but one hardly known to the English-speaking world. Lebas' team was struck by the plague; they ran out of wood; they had to wait four months for the Nile to rise to free their beached ship. But in the end, The Luxor, with its precious cargo on board, sailed down the Nile. On October 25, 1836 before two hundred thousand cheering Parisians, Lebas raised his obelisk. He was rewarded handsomely by his king, a medal with his name on it was struck, and his body lies in the famous Pere Lachaise Cemetery in Paris along with French luminaries. Now this first-ever translation of Lebas's account, including digitally enhanced copies of his beautiful drawings, makes his remarkable story available to a wide audience. Full Product DetailsAuthor: Jean-Baptiste Apollinaire Lebas , Bob Brier , Colette Fossez SumnerPublisher: American University in Cairo Press Imprint: American University in Cairo Press Weight: 0.900kg ISBN: 9781617979958ISBN 10: 1617979953 Pages: 256 Publication Date: 09 March 2021 Audience: General/trade , General Format: Hardback Publisher's Status: Active Availability: In stock  We have confirmation that this item is in stock with the supplier. It will be ordered in for you and dispatched immediately. Table of ContentsTranslators’ Acknowledgments Translators’ Introduction Introduction PART 1 Departure — Crossing of the Vessel Luxor — Lowering of the Monument Chapter 1 First negotiations about one of the Egyptian obelisks — The opinion of Mr. Champollion the Younger on the obelisks of Luxor — The mission of Mr. Taylor in Egypt — The giving to France of one of the obelisks of Luxor by the viceroy — Construction of the vessel Luxor — Preparations for departure Chapter 2 Departure from Toulon and arrival at Alexandria — Interview with Muhammad Ali — Departure from Alexandria — Rosetta — Aspects of the Nile and its banks — Arrival at Cairo — Krali Effendi — Departure from Bulaq for Upper Egypt — The Pyramids, Memphis — Sherif Bey — Dendara — The flotilla arrives in sight of Thebes Chapter 3 Arrival in Thebes — First examination of the obelisk; the stone is cracked — Demolition of the homes encircling the monolith on the right — General aspect of Luxor — A description of all the monuments — Reconnoitering the localities — Some historical details Chapter 4 Preparatory work for lowering the obelisk — Description of equipment — Outbreak of cholera — Continuation of the work — Uncovering the base of the obelisk — History of the obelisks of Luxor; text of the inscription on the Paris one Chapter 5 Lowering the obelisk and loading it onto the Luxor PART 2 Excursion in Nubia Chapter 1 Esna — Funerary rites — Ancient tombs of al-Ka‘b — Merriment and thoughtlessness of the Arab — Temple of Edfu — Night thieves — Gebel Silsila — Kom Ombo — Aswan — The Arab Baraka — Cleverness of the Arab — Mosque of the holy man — The cataract — Philae — Temple of Girga — Sebua — Amada — Derr — Ibrahim — Whirling sandstorms — Caravans in the desert — Abu Simbel — Colossal statues of Ramesses — Maharraqa — Dakka — Dendur — Kalabsha — Qertasi — Debod — Return to Philae, to Luxor Chapter 2 Thoughts on the formation of the land of Lower Egypt — The Nile in ancient times did not irrigate the Valley of Egypt — Opinion of Herodotus on the subject — Geographical and political divisions of Egypt — Taxes levied with blows of the whip — Conscription for the army — The tendency of the Arabs to steal — Floodings of the Nile — Fertility of the land of Egypt — Happiness and skill of the Arabs — Their sobriety — Muhammad Ali — His preoccupation with war keeps him from organizing the country — Habits, character, and clothing of Arab women — Marriage ceremonies — Almees — Dance of the Bee — North Africans and the Agows — Costumes — Unchanging climate and atmospheric phenomena in Egypt — Its influence on man and animals — The khamasin— Imposing grandeur of the Egyptian monuments — Voyage to Rosetta — New meeting with Muhammad — Rising of the Nile and launching of the Luxor — Its departure for Alexandria; return to France — Arrival at Toulon PART 3 Work in Paris Departure of Mr. Lebas for Paris — He is charged by Mr. Thiers with the erection of the obelisk — Construction of the docking cradle — Putting the apparatus in place and hauling over land — First moving of the obelisk: passage on the bridge ramp — Second moving: hauling to the Place de la Concorde — Third moving: hauling up to the viaduct — Fourth moving: the obelisk arrives at the level of its pedestal — Setting up the erection equipment — Erection of the obelisk PART 4 Fontana “Water on the ropes!” Evaluation of the tradition of this phrase — Examination of Fontana’s work — Details of the erection of the obelisk of Rome, and a description of Fontana’s Castle Appendix Overview of the mechanical arts of ancient and modern people — Calculations relative to lowering and erecting the Luxor obelisk IndexReviewsA delightful work, outlining the story of an obelisk's journey in the nineteenth century from Egypt to Paris, replete with technical details and endearing insights into the travails and tribulations endured by the team that moved this massive monument. Brier and Sumner's translation and notes also provides historical insights into the adventure of the obelisk. --Salima Ikram This narrative is full of passion, thrill and adventure regarding one of the most iconic monuments of Egyptomania in the world. --Zahi Hawass A delightful work, outlining the story of an obelisk's journey in the nineteenth century from Egypt to Paris, replete with technical details and endearing insights into the travails and tribulations endured by the team that moved this massive monument. Brier and Sumner's translation and notes also provides historical insights into the adventure of the obelisk. --Salima Ikram This narrative is full of passion, thrill and adventure regarding one of the most iconic monuments of Egyptomania in the world. --Zahi Hawass Highly recommended. --CHOICE This translation is to be welcomed. --Chris Elliott, Egyptian Archaeology A delightful work, outlining the story of an obelisk's journey in the nineteenth century from Egypt to Paris, replete with technical details and endearing insights into the travails and tribulations endured by the team that moved this massive monument. Brier and Sumner's translation and notes also provides historical insights into the adventure of the obelisk. --Salima Ikram Author InformationJean-Baptiste Apollinaire Lebas, born 1797, was a French engineer who in 1830 was charged with transferring an obelisk from Luxor to France. He was widely celebrated for this achievement. Bob Brier is a world-famous Egyptologist who has conducted research on pyramids, obelisks, and mummies in fifteen countries. A senior research fellow at the C.W. Post campus of Long Island University, he is the author of seven books, including The Murder of Tutankhamen, and hosted The Great Egyptians which aired on TLC. Colette Fossez Sumner is adjunct instructor of Romance Languages and Literatures at Hofstra University. Tab Content 6Author Website:Countries AvailableAll regions |
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