The Institut français d'archéologie orientale (or IFAO), also known as the French Institute for Oriental Archaeology in Cairo is a French research institute based in Cairo, Egypt, dedicated to the study of the archaeology, history and languages of the various periods of Egypt's civilisation.
The IFAO is under the authority of the French Ministry for National Education, Advanced Instruction, and Research.
The Institute conducts archaeological excavations and also publishes a number of books and journals.
The IFAO was created on 28 December 1880 by a signed decree of the French Minister of Public Instruction and Fine Arts Jules Ferry, which created a permanent Mission in Cairo, intended as a counterpart in Egypt of the French Schools of Athens (Ecole française d'Athènes) and of Rome (Ecole française de Rome), under the name of the "French School of Cairo" (École française du Caire).
The School adopted its current name of "Institut Français d’Archéologie Orientale" in 1898.
1880-1881 Gaston Maspero
1881-1883 Eugène Lefébure
1883-1886 Eugène Grébaut
1886-1898 Urbain Bouriant
1898-1912 Émile Chassinat
1912 Mgr Louis Duchesne
1912-1914 Pierre Lacau
1914-1928 Georges Foucart
1928-1940 Pierre Jouguet
1940-1953 Charles Kuentz
1953-1959 Jean Sainte-Fare Garnot
1959-1969 François Daumas
1969–1976: Serge Sauneron
1977–1981: Jean Vercoutter
1981–1989: Paule Posener-Kriéger
1989–1999: Nicolas Grimal
1999–2005: Bernard Mathieu
2005-2010: Laure Pantalacci
2010-2015: Béatrix Midant-Reynes
Since 2015: Laurent Bavay
Head of Scientific and Technical Relations
Jean-Pierre Corteggiani
This section originally from French Wikipedia article: Fouille archéologique en Égypte
Abu Roash, directed by Michel Baud
Adaima
'Ayn-Manawir (Kharga Oasis)
'Ayn Soukhna, in collaboration with the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities
Bahariya Oasis, directed by Frederic Hake
Balat ('Ayn-Asil, Dakhla Oasis)
Baouit
Cairo, on the Ayyoubide Wall (mediaeval)
Deir el-Bahri, with Nathalie Beaux-Grimal
Deir el-Medina
Dendera, conducted by Sylvie Cauville
Ermant (temple of Montu), by Christophe Tiers
Karnak-North (Treasury of Thutmose I)
Qal' At Al-Guindi
the temple of Qasr Al-Aguz
Saqqara-South, directed by Vassil Dobrev
Tebtunis (in the Fayum), joint mission with the University of Milan
in the area of Aïn Soukhna, joint with the University Paris IV-Sorbonne
Tanis
Tinnîs, in collaboration with the British expedition of the University of Cambridge
El Tôd, carried out by Christophe Thiers (6th expedition)
Tuna el-Gebel (Tomb of Petosiris), by Jean-Pierre Corteggiani
The Institute has a library containing more than 80,000 volumes, and also publishes a variety of books and journals. The IFAO's scientific members belong to two sections: the first studies ancient Egyptian and papyrological matters, while the second studies the Coptic and Islamic periods.
Journals and book series of the IFAO include:
Annales islamologiques (AnIsl)
Bibliothèque d'études
Bulletin critique des Annales islamologiques (BCAI)
Bulletin de la céramique égyptienne (BCE)
Bulletin de l’Institut Français d’Archéologie Orientale (BIFAO)
Cahiers des Annales islamologiques (CAI)
Cahiers de la céramique égyptienne (CCE)
Documents de fouilles de l'Institut français d'archéologie orientale (DFIFAO)
Études alexandrines
Études urbaines
Fouilles de l'Institut français d'archéologie orientale (FIFAO)
Mémoires publiés par les membres de l'Institut français d'archéologie orientale (MIFAO)
Mémoires publiés par les membres de la Mission archéologique française du Caire (MMAF)
Paléographie hiéroglyphique
Publications du Service des antiquités de l'Égypte et de l'Ifao (PIFAO)
Recherches d'archéologie, de philologie et d'histoire (RAPH)
Répertoire chronologique d'épigraphie arabe (RCEA)
Textes arabes et études islamiques
Temples ptolémaïques
Textes et traductions d'auteurs orientaux (TTA)
Voyageurs occidentaux en Égypte
