While a fascination with ancient Egyptian language, symbolism and society is a recurring phenomenon spanning thousands of years, the term Egyptomania describes renewed Western interest in ancient Egypt following Napoleon’s French campaign in Egypt in 1798. Architecture – as the mode of continually structuring the physical environment – provides a lens into the history of France’s complex fascination with Egypt regarding aestheticism, colonial dominance, and cultural diplomacy.

From Park Monceau’s masonic pyramid to the iconic Pyramid du Louvre, Fountain du Palmier’s esoteric symbolism to the flamboyant Louxor Palais du Cinema, and from Luxor Obelisk at Plaza de la Concorde to sphinxes scattered across the city, there is a plethora of ancient Egyptian inspired structures in Paris. These monuments reveal much about the city’s dynamic history and create a memorable legacy for the public gaze.

By Sumayyah Sheikh