Egyptian Civilization Lover

If the ancient Egyptian civilization has always been a polestar for the humanity that follows all the discoveries of treasures and secrets, then, thanks are due to ancient Egyptians who were keen on registering their history. Thus, they left behind great heritage of tangible, intellectual and scientific marks.

Thanks are also due to archaeologists who loved ancient Egyptian civilization. Their discoveries helped humanity learn about this civilization and get closer to its secrets that are being discovered day after day. Among those archaeologists is Dr. Selim Hassan whose references and writings have become indispensable for any researcher in the ancient Egyptian history. There is no wonder, as he is the auther of the Ancient Egypt Encyclopedial; a 16-volume-encyclopedia that exceeds 12 thousand pages.

Over a long journey of giving (1893-1961), Dr. Hassan obtained his high school certificate in 1909, then the teacher diploma. His infatuation with the ancient Egyptian civilization led him to join the high school for archaeology and ancient Egyptian language, established by Ahmed Kamal Pasha, the first pioneer of archaeology and Hieroglyphics. In 1919, he worked as a teacher for Assiut secondary school, then for An-Nasserya School in Cairo. Later, he was chosen by the Ministry of Education to compile books of history for all stages of education.

The remarkable turning point in Dr. Hassan's life was in 1921 when he was appointed an assistant guardian at the Cairo Egyptian Museum, then he was granted a scholarship to study in Austria in 1923. Later, he obtained his Ph.D from Vienna University in 1934.

During his stay in Austria, he joined the Faculty of Post Graduate Studies, Sorbon University. When Dr. Hassan came back to Egypt, he was appointed professor in the Faculty of Archaeology in 1935. He excavated the pyramids plateau where he managed to unearth great collections of graveyards, temples and monumental pieces.

Such discoveries shed scientific lights on the development of the regime, social system and religious beliefs in the ancient Egyptian state. Moreover, he had the chance of making expeditions; where as he made a number of important archaeological discoveries.

It was normal with all what Dr. Hassan showed of enthusiasm and what he achieved of important monumental discoveries that he becomes a deputy of the Egyptian Archaeology Department, to be the first Egyptian to occupy this post, which was, then, restricted to foreign scientists, who got jealous and stood against him.

One of the important reasons that led Dr. Hassan to surrender his post as a deputy of the Egyptian Museum, is his insistence on restoring a collection of monumental pieces that were in the possession of the royal palace. Actually, King Fouad I handed over those pieces to the Egyptian Museum however, when King Farouq came to the throne, he asked Dr. Hassan to give him back those pieces considering them private possessions of his father.

Dr. Hassan, however, refused confirming that Egyptian monuments are a possession of Egypt and humanity. Hence, came the decree to place him on pension at the peak of his success and youth. 

Furthermore, he recorded his thanks to those who were behind his pension, as they enabled him to dedicate his time for the sake of enriching archeology.

Actually, Dr Hassan became completely free to fathom the ancient Egyptian civilization and be acquainted with the system of ethics, arts, literature and regimes in ancient Egypt since 4241 BC. He succeeded in completing one of the greatest scientific encyclopedias all over the world that has been complied by the strenuous efforts and creativity of one person.

Dr. Hassan opens his encyclopedia as follows: "This is an attempt by which I tried to compile in one group of volumes the history of an ancient deep-rooted people that has its own creed and philosophy in life, culture and ways of living. I did not take the history of the pharaoh as a pattern to show his people's history, as used to be in previous books. I did not take his life, traditions, systems, wealth or beliefs as a measurement for the status of his subjects. I took the status of ordinrary people as a basis for what I wrote, and this draws us close to the truth and makes us avoid slipping into misreadings."

Dr. Hassan underscored the succession of civilizations and the importance of understanding ancient Egyptian civilization as a basis of understanding other civilizations.

Achievements and Contributions

Undoubtedly, Dr. Hassan's writings conributed to enriching archaeology and anthropology. In addition to his encyclopedia on Ancient Egypt, he compiled a valuable two-volume book on Pharaonic literature, a book on the history and secrets of the Sphinx. In addition, he issued two books on the history of Europe and Turkey. He translated the, "Dawn of Conscience" by Brestid into Arabic, let alone, the tens of research papers and scientific articles.

Egyptian and world Honour
The Late President Gamal Abd el-Nasser issued a decree to send Dr. Hassan on a tour to visit the world museums that exhibit pieces of Egyptian monuments, in addition to a decree by virtue of which he became a counseller of the Cairo Egyptian Museum in 1959 in appreciation to his scientific givings and contributions. In 1960, the New York Academy that includes over 1500 scientists from 75 countries expressed respect to the great scientist by unanimously electing him as a member of the Academy.

The only thing left to say is that Dr. Selim Hassan is the second of three Egyptian scientists who laid down the foundations of archaeology. The first is Ahmed Kamal Pasha and the third is archaeologist Sami Gabra. They are the pioneers who opened the gates wide for Egyptian archaeologist generations that have always been taking the lead towards secrets and treasures of the ancient Egyptian civilization.