History of Geology in Egypt

Napoleon Bonaparte's expedition to Egypt in 1798 carried out the first multidisciplinary exploration mission and formed the Institute of Egypt, the first scientific organization in Egypt. A few decades later, the German geographer and ethnographer Gerhard Rohlfs (1831-1896) led another multidisciplinary expedition in the Western Desert of Egypt. Georg Schweinfurth (1836-1925) independently explored various parts of Egypt over a period of more than fifty years and made major contributions in geology, paleontology, and archeology. The establishment of the Geological Survey of Egypt by the British in 1896 was a turning point in the history of geology in Egypt. The pioneering work of the early staff of the Survey established the solid foundation of the geology of Egypt. Progress in our geological ideas in recent years is credited to the advance in technology, the introduction of new exploration methods, and active international cooperation. A few problems have to be overcome before a real progress in our geological ideas takes place in the future.