Giovanni Belzoni

Connected Sites: 5

Definition
WHS connected with Giovanni Belzoni (1778-1823). Pioneering figure in Egyptology, born in Italy, emigrated to Britain (via the Netherlands) and first visited Egypt in 1815. Spent much of his time collecting artifacts for his patron Henry Salt, the British Consul General in Cairo. Operated before the age of scientific archaeology and often caused irreparable damage. Despite his "tomb robbing" reputation many of his discoveries were groundbreaking.

Map

Connected Sites

  • Timbuktu
    Timbuktu
    Mali
    Inscribed: 1988
    3.45
    27
    2
    died of dysentery in Benin (modern Nigeria) trying to reach Timbuktou in 1823
  • Pyramids (Memphis)
    Pyramids (Memphis)
    Egypt
    Inscribed: 1979
    4.51
    317
    12
    first person in modern times to penetrate to the interior of the Pyramid of Khaefre whose entrance he had discovered on the north face. Inscribed a message of the date (2 March 1818) on the internal wall.
  • Paris, Banks of the Seine
    Paris, Banks of the Seine
    France
    Inscribed: 1991
    4.19
    683
    20
    The Louvre Egyptian Collection contains a large number of items collected by Belzoni. e.g the Sarcophagus Box of Ramesses III. Champollion was a curator there and advised Charles X to buy Salt's second collection which the British Museum considered too expensive!
  • Nubian Monuments
    Nubian Monuments
    Egypt
    Inscribed: 1979
    4.21
    206
    12
    Feb 1817 - discovered the Great Temple of Abu Simbel and cleared it of sand.
  • Ancient Thebes
    Ancient Thebes
    Egypt
    Inscribed: 1979
    4.38
    258
    11
    in 1815 he removed the enormous bust of Ramesses II from the Ramesseum and had it shipped to England. Henry Salt presented it to the British Museum where it is still on display. On a return trip in 1817 he made a string of finds including the tombs of Ramesses I and Seti I