Institut français d'archéologie orientale
The double lion logo of the Institut Français d'Archéologie Orientale
Founder Jules Ferry
Established 1880
Director Laurent Bavay
Location
Egypt Egypt
Coordinates 30°02′00″N 31°14′06″E / 30.033293°N 31.234993°E / 30.033293; 31.234993
Map
Interactive map of Institut français d'archéologie orientale
Website www.ifao.egnet.net

The Institut français d'archéologie orientale (or IFAO), also known as the French Institute for Oriental Archaeology in Cairo, is a French research institute based in Cairo, Egypt, dedicated to the study of the archaeology, history and languages of the various periods of Egypt's civilisation.

The IFAO is under the authority of the French Ministry for National Education.

The Institute conducts archaeological excavations and also publishes a number of books and journals most notably Bulletin de l'Institut Français d'Archéologie Orientale or BIFAO which this French institution has published annually since 1901.

The Institute houses a library with over 80 000 volumes, including a copy of the Description de l'Égypte. It also maintains an archives department, established in 1972, which preserves administrative, material, and scientific records from all of the Institute’s projects, as well as a vast collection of historical photographs.

History

The IFAO was created on 28 December 1880 by a signed decree of the French Minister of Public Instruction and Fine Arts Jules Ferry, which created a permanent Mission in Cairo, intended as a counterpart in Egypt of the French School at Athens (Ecole française d'Athènes) and French School of Rome (Ecole française de Rome), under the name of French School of Cairo (École française du Caire).

The School adopted its current name of Institut Français d’Archéologie Orientale in 1898.[1] In 1907, the IFAO moved into Mounira Palace.[2] In 1929, a restoration of the building is undertaken, which includes the replacement of the art nouveau decoration on the façade with neo-classical.[2]

Since February 2011, the IFAO has been a part of the network, Écoles françaises à l’étranger (EFE), made of five higher education and research establishments.[3] The other four establishments are École française d'Athènes (French School in Athens), École française de Rome (French School in Rome), École française d’Extrême-Orient (French School of the Far East), and Casa de Velázquez, Madrid.[3]

Administration

Directors

  • 1880–1881: Gaston Maspero
  • 1881–1883: Eugène Lefébure
  • 1883–1886: Eugène Grébaut
  • 1886–1898: Urbain Bouriant
  • 1898–1912: Émile Chassinat
  • 1912 Mgr Louis Duchesne
  • 1912–1914: Pierre Lacau
  • 1914–1928: Georges Foucart
  • 1928–1940: Pierre Jouguet
  • 1940–1953: Charles Kuentz
  • 1953–1959: Jean Sainte-Fare Garnot
  • 1959–1969: François Daumas
  • 1969–1976: Serge Sauneron
  • 1977–1981: Jean Vercoutter
  • 1981–1989: Paule Posener-Kriéger
  • 1989–1999: Nicolas Grimal
  • 1999–2005: Bernard Mathieu
  • 2005–2010: Laure Pantalacci
  • 2010–2015: Béatrix Midant-Reynes
  • 2015–2019: Laurent Bavay
  • 2019-2023: Laurent Coulon
  • Since 2023:Pierre Tallet

[4] [5]

Head of Scientific and Technical Relations

  • Jean-Pierre Corteggiani

Recent IFAO archaeological excavations

This section originally from French Wikipedia article: Fouille archéologique en Égypte
  • Abu Roash, directed by Michel Baud
25 March - 28 April 2004 (10th expedition)
  • Adaima
1 November - 15 December 2003 (15th expedition)
  • 'Ayn-Manawir (Kharga Oasis)
4 October - 28 December 2003
7 October 2005 - 7 January 2006
  • 'Ayn Soukhna, in collaboration with the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities
4 January - 8 February 2004
  • Bahariya Oasis, directed by Frederic Hake
27 March - 18 May 2004
  • Balat ('Ayn-Asil, Dakhla Oasis)
20 December 2003 - 4 May 2004
  • Baouit
11–29 September 2003
  • Cairo, on the Ayyoubide Wall (mediaeval)
12 April - 12 June 2003
7 October - 22 November 2003
26 April - 15 June 2004
  • Deir el-Bahri, with Nathalie Beaux-Grimal
  • Deir el-Medina
  • Dendera, conducted by Sylvie Cauville
27 September - 25 October 2003
  • Ermant (temple of Montu), by Christophe Tiers
12–15 December 2003
  • Karnak-North (Treasury of Thutmose I)
November 2003 - February 2004
2014 to present[6]
  • Qal' At Al-Guindi
17 February-6 March 2004
  • the temple of Qasr Al-Aguz
April 2001, carried out by Pr Claude Traunecker (1st expedition)
10 April 2004 - 29 April 2004 (4th expedition)
  • Saqqara-South, directed by Vassil Dobrev
8 October 2003 - 30 December 2003
  • Tebtunis (in the Fayum), joint mission with the University of Milan
1994 (1st expedition)
25 August - 30 October 2003
  • in the area of Aïn Soukhna, joint with the University Paris IV-Sorbonne
  • Tanis
  • Tinnîs, in collaboration with the British expedition of the University of Cambridge
5–17 April 2004
  • El Tôd, carried out by Christophe Thiers (6th expedition)
15 November - 11 December 2003
  • Tuna el-Gebel (Tomb of Petosiris), by Jean-Pierre Corteggiani

Publications

Cover of Le Bulletin de l'Institut Français d'Archéologie Orientale (BIFAO), Vol.103 (2003).

The Institute has a library containing more than 80,000 volumes, and also publishes a variety of books and journals. The IFAO's scientific members belong to two sections: the first studies ancient Egyptian and papyrological matters, while the second studies the Coptic and Islamic periods.

Journals and book series of the IFAO include:

References

  1. ^ "Institut français d'archéologie orientale - IFAO". Écoles françaises à l'étranger. Retrieved 2022-12-22.
  2. ^ a b "IFAO - Institut français d'archéologie orientale". www.ifao.egnet.net. Retrieved 2022-12-22.
  3. ^ a b "The Réseau des Écoles françaises à l'étranger". Écoles françaises à l'étranger. Retrieved 2022-12-22.
  4. ^ Directeurs de l’IFAO depuis sa fondation
  5. ^ Nomination du directeur de l'IFAO
  6. ^ "Ouadi Sannour". Institut français d’archéologie orientale (in French). Retrieved 2022-12-22.