Bonaparte Napóleon közel-keleti expedíciója a vágyak egzotikuma és a valóság tükrében, avagy Egyiptom három Savary olvasatában
The Exotic Expectations and The Reality of Napoleon Bonaparte’s Middle Eastern Expedition, or Egypt as Seen by Three Savarys

Summary/Abstract: The records of travellers greatly shaped the image of Egypt formed during the French expansion at the end of the 18th century. They were either intellectual or military travellers, who had their own attitudes and points of view that influenced their observations. The intellectual type was motivated by gathering scientific data, even though these travels often had political or diplomatic aspects. This is also true the other way around, a diplomatic mission in the early modern period always had intellectual and cultural results, partly due to the new knowledge acquired during these missions. The origins of this point of view date back to the 16th century, but it arguably reached its peak during Napoleon Bonaparte’s Egyptian campaign. In the eyes of Europe Egypt was synonymous with the wonder of secrets ready to be uncovered ever since the Renaissance. This study examines the changes in the image of Egypt through three works created in different eras and contexts. François Savary de Brèves (1560–1628) travelled the Middle East as a successful diplomat, and during these travels became a knowledgeable Orientalist, who devoted the last decades of this life to making the science and culture of the “Orient” more widely known. The writer and Egyptologist Claude-Etienne Savary (1750–1788) spoke perfect Arabic, and his 1776-1777 journey to Egypt can be considered one of the first literary journeys to Egypt, long before Chateaubriand and Lamartine. In his highly influential Letters, the man of the Enlightenment examines the monumental relics and the contemporary society of a non-European, but nonetheless ancient civilization, and creates the idyllic, desire-driven image of Egypt. The third author, Anne Jean Marie René Savary (1774–1833), who later became Napoleon’s Minister of Police, was an officer in the Egyptian campaign. As a member of the occupying force, he became the chronicler of the French regime in Egypt. However, his account of the French administration and modernization efforts fails to mention most of the problems (being one of the precursors of the later colonial “quest for civilisation”) and proves inadequate when contrasted with other sources.

• Details
• Contents