Although his military objective failed, his second objective was a stunning success. He had also brought a small army of scholars, surveyors, and artists with him to study the ruins of Egypt. The excitement of their work produced in Europe inspired still more research and exploration. The ability to read what the ancient Egyptians had to say about themselves provided the most accurate view of ancient Egyptian society that anyone had seen for many centuries. Today ancient Egyptian culture continues to fascinate us.
Scholars studying the ruins still make worldwide headlines with every major discovery.
Countless books, television documentaries, and even a number of blockbuster films have featured ancient Egypt. The sheer size of the pyramids alone was enough to attract attention and inspire wonder. For much of its history the largest of them, the Great Pyramid of Giza, was the tallest structure in the world. In the ancient world only the legendary lighthouse at Alexandria was said to have been taller. It was not until 4,5000 years later in 1889, with the invention of steel beam construction, that the Eiffel tower of Paris, France, rose higher.