Giovanni Battista Belzoni

author

Giovanni Battista Belzoni

1778–1823

A circus strongman turned explorer, he became one of the most colorful figures in the early hunt for ancient Egyptian antiquities. His journeys combined daring, showmanship, and discoveries that helped spark lasting European fascination with Egypt.

1 Audiobook

Narrative of the operations and recent discoveries within the pyramids, temples, tombs and excavations in Egypt and Nubia; vol. 1 : and of a journey to the coast of the Red Sea, in search of the ancient Berenice; and another to the Oasis of Jupiter Ammon

Narrative of the operations and recent discoveries within the pyramids, temples, tombs and excavations in Egypt and Nubia; vol. 1 : and of a journey to the coast of the Red Sea, in search of the ancient Berenice; and another to the Oasis of Jupiter Ammon

by Giovanni Battista Belzoni

About the author

Born in Padua in 1778, Giovanni Battista Belzoni first aimed for a religious life, but political upheaval changed his path. After moving to England, his remarkable height and strength helped him earn a living on the stage, where he performed as a strongman before turning his attention to engineering and travel.

Belzoni is best remembered for his work in Egypt in the 1810s. He was involved in moving the colossal bust of Ramesses II known as the “Younger Memnon,” helped clear the entrance to the great temple of Abu Simbel, entered the pyramid of Khafre, and discovered the richly decorated tomb of Seti I in the Valley of the Kings. He later published an account of his travels that brought these adventures to a wide audience.

His reputation is mixed today. Belzoni was an energetic and important early explorer of Egyptian sites, but he worked before modern archaeology had developed its present standards, so some of his methods are now seen as rough and damaging. He died in West Africa in 1823 while seeking the source of the Niger River.