People have been fascinated by ancient Egypt for thousands of years. This interest has taken many different forms, and cast ancient Egypt in many different lights: as one of the oldest civilizations in the world, as a catalyst for Judaism and Christianity, and even as a land of secret knowledge.  

This second episode in our series History of Egyptology continues the story of western interest in Egypt from the European Middle Ages through the Enlightenment. This episode touches upon the collapse of the Roman Empire, the spread of Christianity, the Crusades, Egyptian hieroglyphs, pyramids, temples, and, of course, Napoleon; all the while charting a continuing desire to learn more about Egypt.

The demands of living in Cairo with roughly 20 million other people coupled with the complex labyrinth of permissions and clearances can baffle even veteran researchers.