Proven interest of Polish people in Egypt and its ancient past reach back as far as to the 16th century. In 1583 magnate Mikolaj Krzysztof Radziwill (Radvila) nicknamed as "Orphan" made a journey to Egypt, using the opportunity of a pilgrimage to Holy Land; he visited the Delta, reaching the Pyramids in Gizeh and the necropolis of Memphis. He bought there two mummies and a chest with some ancient objects; however, he did not manage to bring them to Poland, because he threw them away when coming back, during a storm on the sea, following a priest's advice. He described his journey in a journal Hierosolymitana Pegrinatio (Latin edition and translations) that used to be popular in Europe and many times reprinted. Many his notes within the context of that period's knowledge on ancient Egypt are astonishing because of observing precision, and colourful descriptions allow for faultless recognition of not only particular monuments, but also types of minor relics, such as shabti figurines or canopic jars. (See: Thomas Schneider, Der Ägyptenbesuch des Mikolaj Krzysztof Radziwill Sierotka von 1583, "Zeitschrift für Ägyptische Sprache und Altertumskunde", t.117/1990);

However, some Egyptian relics must have reached Poland, as before the 17th century we encounter records of keeping them (chiefly mummies and coffins) in "collections of peculiarities" and other assemblages amongst relics of Greece and Italy. A person worth mentioning is also Tito Livio Burattini, a polonized Italian residing in Warsaw, who used to stay in Egypt for many years as a cartographer and geodesist. He was a friend and correspondent of an "Egyptomaniac", a German Jesuit, Athanasius Kircher, who, among others, used Burattini's drawings and sketches in his famous Oedipus Aegyptiacus and Pyramidographia. Among Poles significant for Egyptology before the 19th century one should also mention Jan Potocki, a writer and historiosopher, the author of well-know A Manuscript Found in Saragossa, whose trip to Egypt is of little significance, but his attempts to explain the secrets of chronology (he studied very precisely Manetho and ancient authors) are extremely precise - from contemporary knowledge's point of view. It is a pity that his works (written in French) are almost unknown to researchers in Egyptology's history.

Another page in the research of Egypt was written by Poles taking part in Napoleon's Bonaparte expedition. Unfortunately officer Józef Sulkowski, the closest aide-de-camp to Napoleon, died as early as in 1798; being a member of Institut d'Égypte, he was intensely interested in antiquities, attempting even (not a popular thing those days) to preserve them and to transfer to the Institute's site.Probably one of the first truly ancient Egyptological publications in the world was a brochure by Marcin Poczobutt, Professor of the University of Vilna, on dating Denderah Zodiac.

Józef Sekowski, an orientalist, during his journey to Egypt in 1821, was one of the first Europeans to go as far as Abu Simbel (4 years after the temple's discovery by Belzoni), digging up its interior from sand and leaving its excellent description. One of the things he brought from this journey was a well-preserved papyrus, the scientific edition of which was one of the first such publications in world's science; till nowadays, one can study this object using this work only.

The collectors who made foundations for Polish collections of Egyptian art were aristocrats - Wladyslaw Czartoryski and his sister Izabela Dzialynska, purchasing (mainly at auctions in Paris, as well as through agents - directly in Egypt) large quantities of ancient relics; then there were Zdzislaw Zamojski and Michal Tyszkiewicz, who even obtained a license for excavations and conducted works by himself. Unfortunately his first-rate and huge collection is currently scattered and its relics are the pride of museums in Paris, London, Copenhagen, Berlin, Boston and Rome. Only its minor portions are preserved in Polish and Lithuanian museums. Obviously many Polish people visited Egypt, making "a trip to the Orient", so fashionable in the Romanticism; many of them left excellent poetic and narrative descriptions behind them (Juliusz Slowacki, Wladyslaw Wezyk, Maurycy Mann, Ignacy Zagiell). Anyway, Poles gained an excellent opinion at Egyptian government at that time - they used to be physicians in ordinary, military officers, Edmund Chojecki was delegated by the Egyptian viceroy to be the an official of the Egyptian exposition at the World Exhibition in Paris (1827).

The first Polish Egyptologist par excellence was Gaston Maspero's student, Tadeusz Samuel Smolenski, who carried numerous excavations within Austro-Hungarian expedition. At present relics excavated during this exhibition can be found in museums of Vienna, Budapest and Cracow. Unfortunately he died as a very young person. (See: Krystyna Stachowska, Zu den Anfangen des Interesses an Ägypten in Polen. Tadeusz Smolenski (1884-1909) und seine Nachfolger, Zur Geschichte der klassischen Altertumswissenschaft, Jena-Budapest-Kraków 1990). In turn, the archaeologists: Piotr Bienkowski and Karol Hadaczek participated in excavation works, e.g. in Gizeh, together with Herman Junker. A linguist-Egyptologist was Antoni Smieszek, Professor of the University of Warsaw. Also Jan Gasiorowski, a researcher of Egypt's material culture and art, had his share in Polish Egyptology's development.

In 1934 the most famous Egyptologist, Professor Kazimierz Michalowski became active in excavations; he took part in Polish-French campaigns in Deir el-Medina and Edfu. The outbreak of World War II put an end to Polish Egyptology's development. Its restoration after the war was very difficult, as the communist government treated this science as "bourgeois" and revealed unfavourable feelings toward it. Many publications of this period are contaminated with Marxists-communist ideology and unfortunately they are useless for science. As late as in 1957 could Kazimierz Michalowski start excavations in Tell-Atrib and in 1960 and establish a permanent Polish Mediterranean Archaeological Station in Cairo. Nonetheless pro-soviet stream of this period's Egyptian government (Nasser) was favourable for Egyptologist from the former "eastern block".

One of the grandest achievements of contemporary Polish Egyptology are: sensational discoveries in Nubia - early Christian paintings in Faras, research on Kom el-Dikka in Alexandria, comprehensive restoration works in Hatshepsut temple in Deir el-Bahari, for many years carried by the Polish expedition, excavations in Quasr Ibrim, Michalowski being a Chairman of UNESCO International Committee at unprecedented transfer of Abu Simbel temple, research over the most ancient history of Egypt, and the most recent discoveries in Old Kingdom necropolis in Sakkara and excavations in Delta: Tell el-Farkha (Predynastic and Archaic period).

See also: Biographical Notes and Egypt in Polish Museums

Appendix:

Faras (Pachoras) in north Sudan near Wadi Halfa was important town in Nubia (XVI-XI century BC). In III century BC - III century AD Faras was one of the most important centres of Meroe kingdom, from VIII century it was capital city of Christians bishops in Nubia.
In 1960-1964 Polish expedition, leaded by prof. K.Michalowski co-operated with UNESCO in protecting Nubian relics, that were in danger because of construction on the Nile in the region of Assouan. Polish excavations in Faras revealed remains of temple of Tuthmosis III, (XVI century BC) and ruins of Christians basilica (VII-XII century) with over 120 paintings in tempera on dry plaster in bizantic-coptic style, ruins of bishops' palace, monastery, kings' palace, houses and necropolis. The findings were divided between the Polish and the Sudanese side, as a result of which, the National Museum in Warsaw has acquired a unique collection.

In 1962 the mission of the Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology in Cairo, directed in the field by Professor Jadwiga Lipinska, started the works at the area between the Hatshepsut and Mentuhotep temples at Deir el-Bahari. The excavations resulted in discovery of the long destroyed and forgotten temple built by Tuthmosis III. The bulk of the objects found were thousands of fragments of wall reliefs, statues, stelae, pottery and and many other. The unique in the Tuthmosis temple decoration is its almost fully preserved colour. At present the Polish mission activity is the restoration of the whole Deir el-Bahari complex; also the famous temple of Queen Hatshepsut.

Polish archaeological site is to the west from big wall surrounding complex of king Neterichet Zoser (III dynasty) obituary cult buildings (including the Zoser's Step Pyramid). Polish archaeologists went through necropolis from Alexander the Great time, under which necropolis from III th millennium BC was found. Over twenty wells leading to underground grave chambers were found so far. To the west of the Pyramid of Zoser at Saqqara the Polish-Egyptian Archaeological mission has discovered a tomb of vizier Unis-Ankh alias Meref-Nebef (or Fefi). He lived at the time of the reign of Teti (VI th dynasty). The decoration of the cult chamber contains well preserved, unique scenes from the Old kingdom. The shaft may be lead to a funerary chamber containing a mummy of the nobleman. It is one of the greatest discoveries in this area made in recent years. The exploration of the shaft, hewn in rock, will be continued. [more >>]

The Archaeological Museum in Cracow, the oldest museum of this kind in Poland, will celebrate its great anniversary. It has been 150 years since the Cracow Scientific Society established the Archaeological Committee, with the aim of setting up an museum. The jubilee celebrations is marked by the opening of a new permanent display of Egyptological collection. Representing the core of the collection are the artifacts discovered during excavations led by Cracow-based Egyptologist Tadeusz Smolenski in el-Gamhud and Herman Junker-Piotr Bienkowski excavation works in Gizeh. The Museum's Egyptological collection was considerably enriched after the Second World War, when the Independent Brigade of Carpathian Fusiliers brought back with them from their battles in the Middle East and Egypt over 3000 items. The heroes of the battle of Tobruk bought objects of ancient Egyptian art at their own expense just to enrich museum in their homeland. The collection features also, for example, wide collection of painted shrouds, polychromed mummy masks, murals, sculptures, stelae, small artifacts; four so-called corn mummies in the shape of the Osiris, wearing silver masks, are the only items of this kind in Poland, and rare in the worldwide collections.