A fire that erupted at Cairo's Institute d'Egypte during clashes between protesters and the Egyptian military last weekend caused the destruction of thousands of rare books, journals and writings, including "the handwritten 24-volume Description de l’Egypte, which began during the 1798-1801 French occupation," the Associated Press reported (via the Hindustan Times).
Institute d'Egypte, which is near Tahrir Square, was built by Napoleon Bonaparte during France’s invasion in the late 18th century, is on the verge of collapsing. "The burning of such a rich building means a large part of Egyptian history has ended," said the institute's director Mohammed al-Sharbouni.
Zein Abdel-Hady, the head of Egypt's main library who is leading an effort to rescue what can be culled from the charred remains, said, "This is equal to the burning of Galileo’s books.... I haven't slept for two days, and I cried a lot yesterday. I do not like to see a book burned. The whole of Egypt is crying."
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Cairo's protests have also prompted the closing of the American University in Cairo Press offices and its Tahrir Bookstore, which are located on the corner of Tahrir Square, the Bookseller reported.
Trevor Naylor, associate director of sales, marketing and distribution, said the AUC Press had had "a difficult time trying to maintain normal operations" and had had to close several times since the start of the revolution last January. The publisher and bookseller were meeting "in other locations around Cairo in its efforts to continue trading and working with local and international partners."
Regarding the immolation of Institute d'Egypte, he said, "The loss of all these books is tragic, and the result of an ill-aimed Molotov cocktail."
