Battle of the Pyramids
On the 2nd of July 1798, French troops landed in Ottoman-controlled Egypt and seized Alexandria. General Bonaparte marched his army across the scorching desert toward Cairo with a clear goal. He intended to break the power of the Mamluk beys who ruled the region. Murad Bey and Ibrahim Bey commanded the country's military forces as Georgian Mamluks. Their army included elite cavalry supported by fellahin militia serving as infantry. On the 13th of July, French scouts located Murad's encampment near Shubra Khit. Bonaparte ordered an immediate advance that led to a skirmish at Shubra Khit. French artillery destroyed the Mamluk flagship on the Nile and forced a retreat. This engagement gave Bonaparte his first victory and demonstrated concentrated firepower against cavalry charges.
Napoleon ordered his five divisions into hollow rectangles on the morning of the 21st of July 1798. Cavalry and baggage occupied the center while cannon sat at each corner of these formations. Louis Desaix, Jean-Louis-Ébénézer Reynier, Charles-François-Joseph Dugua, Honoré Vial, and Louis André Bon commanded the divisions from right to left. The French advanced south in echelon with the right flank leading and the left secured by the Nile. Murad anchored his right on the Nile at Embabeh where infantry and artillery fortified the position. His left rested on Biktil with additional guns while Mamluk cavalry deployed in the center. Repeated cavalry charges targeted the French squares but failed to break their lines. One armoured rider advanced within steps of the French lines and demanded a duel before being shot down by musket fire.
At about 15:30 on the 21st of July 1798, Murad ordered his defterdar Ayyub Bey to lead a mass assault. The divisions of Desaix, Reynier, and Dugua held firm against the horsemen using musketry and artillery. Some Mamluks attempted to attack Desaix's detached force without success. Near the river, Bon's division deployed into attack columns and stormed Embabeh. The garrison broke with many fleeing into the Nile where hundreds drowned. French reports listed 29 killed and 260 wounded during the fighting. Murad's losses were far heavier with thousands killed or wounded including Ayyub Bey. Perhaps 3,000 elite Mamluk cavalry fell in the battle. Murad himself was wounded in the cheek by a saber but escaped with several thousand cavalry to Upper Egypt. He waged a guerrilla campaign there until defeated by Desaix in late 1799.
Upon hearing news of the defeat of their legendary cavalry, waiting Mamluk armies in Cairo dispersed to Syria. Bonaparte entered the conquered capital of Egypt on the 24th of July 1798. On the 11th of August French forces caught up with Ibrahim Bey and inflicted a crushing defeat at Salalieh. The Battle of the Pyramids signaled the beginning of the end of seven centuries of Mamluk dominance in Egypt. Napoleon instituted French administration in Cairo and suppressed subsequent rebellions with force. Although he tried to co-opt local ulama scholars poured scorn on cultural claims of the French. Despite official proclamations of goodwill instances of French soldiers converting to Islam to marry locally occurred. Clerics like Abdullah al-Sharqawi who headed Napoleon's Cairo divan later described occupiers as materialist libertine philosophers. They denied resurrection and the afterlife and prophets according to these clerical accounts.
Napoleon established a new administration in Cairo after entering the capital on the 24th of July 1798. Local uprisings soon followed the initial occupation of the city. Scholars such as Al-Jabarti poured scorn on cultural claims of the French invaders. Despite official proclamations of goodwill instances of French soldiers converting to Islam to marry locally occurred. Clerics like Abdullah al-Sharqawi who headed Napoleon's Cairo divan later described occupiers as materialist libertine philosophers. They denied resurrection and the afterlife and prophets according to these clerical accounts. Mathematician Joseph Fourier lamented that the Muslim religion would on no account permit development of the mind. These tensions created deep friction between the occupying forces and local religious scholars throughout the occupation period.
The battle has been a frequent subject in art since its occurrence in 1798. François-André Vincent created a preparatory sketch and painting depicting the events. Later artists including Antoine-Jean Gros, Carle Vernet, and François-Louis-Joseph Watteau also portrayed the scene. In popular culture the battle appears in Ridley Scott's 2023 historical drama Napoleon. The film's depiction has been criticized for historical inaccuracies such as showing French troops firing on the pyramids. Historical paintings often romanticize the conflict while modern films sometimes ignore key facts about the engagement. Critics point out these errors when analyzing how the public remembers this pivotal moment in history.
Up Next
Continue Browsing
Common questions
When did the Battle of the Pyramids take place?
The Battle of the Pyramids took place on the 21st of July 1798. French troops landed in Ottoman-controlled Egypt on the 2nd of July 1798 and seized Alexandria before marching toward Cairo.
Who commanded the Mamluk forces at the Battle of the Pyramids?
Murad Bey and Ibrahim Bey commanded the country's military forces as Georgian Mamluks during the battle. Murad Bey anchored his right flank on the Nile at Embabeh while his left rested on Biktil with additional guns.
What was the result of the Battle of the Pyramids for Napoleon Bonaparte?
Napoleon entered the conquered capital of Egypt on the 24th of July 1798 after winning the battle. The victory signaled the beginning of the end of seven centuries of Mamluk dominance in Egypt.
How many casualties occurred during the Battle of the Pyramids?
French reports listed 29 killed and 260 wounded during the fighting. Perhaps 3,000 elite Mamluk cavalry fell in the battle along with thousands more killed or wounded including Ayyub Bey.
Why did Admiral Horatio Nelson destroy the French fleet after the Battle of the Pyramids?
Admiral Horatio Nelson destroyed the French fleet at the Battle of the Nile ten days after the land victory to cut Napoleon's army off from France. This action curtailed his ambitions in the region and nullified the gains made by the French on land.