For centuries they were an impenetrable mystery. Hieroglyphs, pictorial writing found on ancient monuments, represented the lost language of the Egyptian pharaohs.
The code was finally cracked 200 years ago with the presentation on September 27, 1822, to a Paris academy by Jean-Francois Champollion, a gifted linguist with a passion for ancient Egypt.
Five days earlier, Champollion had made the final breakthrough, a moment so exciting that after shouting “I’ve got it,” he fainted and had to spend the next few days in bed to recover.
At the heart of the mystery was the Rosetta Stone, a 720 kilgram slab of granodiorite, a rock similar to granite, and now housed in the British Museum in London.
The story of the Rosetta Stone is almost as complex as the decoding of the hieroglyphs inscribed on its surface.
It was discovered in July 1799 during renovations to a fort at Rosetta, now called Rasheed, on the Nile Delta. Napoleon had invaded Egypt the previous year, bringing not just an army of troops but also scholars of Egyptian history, with which Napoleon had become obsessed.
The significance of the Rosetta Stone was almost instantly recognised. It carried three panels of text, one in hieroglyphs and another in a then-unknown language.
The third was ancient Greek, a language well known and understood by 19th-century classical scholars. That revealed the stone — or stele — was a proclamation to establish the authority of the then child-pharaoh Ptolemy V, and was carved around 186BC.
It also became clear that the other two panels carried exactly the same text. Suddenly the door opened to understanding hieroglyphs by comparing them with Greek.
Copies of the text began to circulate widely among scholars in Europe and even the US, but the actual stone was on a different path. Napoleon’s fleet had been destroyed by Admiral Horatio Nelson at the Battle of the Nile in 1798, and his demoralised army finally surrendered to the British in 1801.
Despite French protests, the Rosetta Stone was taken as a spoil of war and presented to King George III, who gave it to the British Museum where it has been displayed ever since.
The hieroglyphs, though, remained a mystery. Much of the text was damaged or missing, and so little was known, it was not clear if they should be read left to right, or the reverse or even up and down.
One popular theory was that they were not even a written language but instead expressed spiritual ideas.
The first breakthrough came from an English doctor, Thomas Young, who began studying the stone in 1814. Young, known as the “Phenomenon” for his scientific discoveries, eventually deduced that the hieroglyphs were phonetic when they involved names, including Ptolemy.
Young’s work was then taken up by Champollion in 1820. Working on the theory of phonetics, he eventually realised that all hieroglyphs were phonetic and that they could also be pictorial. Several hieroglyphs could also represent one word, breaking it into consonants.
It was an extraordinary achievement. Hieroglyphs had developed as a written form of ancient Egyptian from around 3,300 BCE and had become extinct by the 4th century AD.
They were designed to be read only by the most educated, including priests, at a time when most people were virtually illiterate. This was where the second panel on the Rosetta Stone came in. It was in Demotic, a script based on alphabet symbols rather than hieroglyphs and far easier to read and write. Over time it replaced hieroglyphs in everything but religious texts and evolved eventually into Coptic, the language of Egypt's indigenous Christians.
The first Demotic words on the stone were also translated by a French man, Silvestre de Sacy. An expert in Arab languages, he taught and encouraged Champollion in his early work, but eventually fell out with him, calling his rival a fraud.
Likewise, Champollion and Young were initially complimentary about each other's work, but relations cooled over who should take credit for the discovery — the English or the French?
Neither lived long enough to appreciate their fame. Champollion died in 1832 aged 41 and Young in 1829 at 55. Only de Sacy, his contribution largely forgotten, enjoyed old age, dying at 79 in 1838.
The Rosetta Stone can be found today in Room 4 of the British Museum, part of its collection of Egyptian sculptures, of which it is the greatest treasure.
Now displayed behind protective glass, it has been there for 220 years, except for a period in the First World War when it was moved to a tunnel 50 feet underground as protection against air raids.
Egypt, though, excluded from decisions about the stone’s future since the end of the 18th century, would like to have it back.
As reported in The National last month, the renowned Egyptian archaeologist Dr Zahi Hawass has launched a petition for the return of three of his country's most prized artefacts including the Rosetta Stone, a Zodiac ceiling in the Louvre in Paris, and a bust of Queen Nefertiti held by Berlin’s Neuse Museum.
“The Rosetta Stone is the icon of Egyptian identity”, he said in an exclusive interview. “The British Museum has no right to show this artefact to the public.”
For its part, the British Museum says no official request has been made for the stone’s return. The subtext, as with the Elgin Marbles demanded by Greece, is that millions more people from around the world have been able to see the stone in London than if it was in its original home.
Later this year the new Grand Egyptian Museum is due to open in the shadow of the pyramids in Cairo. Although there is no place yet for the Rosetta Stone, among other artefacts are the contents of Tutankhamun’s tomb.
The archaeologists who found the tomb In November 1922 first knew it was Tutankhamun because they could read his name on the door seals — all thanks to the work of Champollion a century earlier.
Result
2.15pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,950m; Winner: Majestic Thunder, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Satish Seemar (trainer).
2.45pm: Handicap Dh80,000 1,800m; Winner: Tailor’s Row, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer.
3.15pm: Handicap Dh85,000 1,600m; Winner: Native Appeal, Adam McLean, Doug Watson.
3.45pm: Handicap Dh115,000 1,950m; Winner: Conclusion, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi.
4.15pm: Handicap Dh100,000 1,400m; Winner: Pilgrim’s Treasure, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar.
4.45pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,400m; Winner: Sanad Libya, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
5.15pm: Handicap Dh90,000 1,000m; Winner: Midlander, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
The Saudi Cup race card
1 The Jockey Club Local Handicap (TB) 1,800m (Dirt) $500,000
2 The Riyadh Dirt Sprint (TB) 1,200m (D) $1.500,000
3 The 1351 Turf Sprint 1,351m (Turf) $1,000,000
4 The Saudi Derby (TB) 1600m (D) $800,000
5 The Neom Turf Cup (TB) 2,100m (T) $1,000,000
6 The Obaiya Arabian Classic (PB) 2,000m (D) $1,900,000
7 The Red Sea Turf Handicap (TB) 3,000m (T) $2,500,000
8 The Saudi Cup (TB) 1,800m (D) $20,000,000
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The story in numbers
18
This is how many recognised sects Lebanon is home to, along with about four million citizens
450,000
More than this many Palestinian refugees are registered with UNRWA in Lebanon, with about 45 per cent of them living in the country’s 12 refugee camps
1.5 million
There are just under 1 million Syrian refugees registered with the UN, although the government puts the figure upwards of 1.5m
73
The percentage of stateless people in Lebanon, who are not of Palestinian origin, born to a Lebanese mother, according to a 2012-2013 study by human rights organisation Frontiers Ruwad Association
18,000
The number of marriages recorded between Lebanese women and foreigners between the years 1995 and 2008, according to a 2009 study backed by the UN Development Programme
77,400
The number of people believed to be affected by the current nationality law, according to the 2009 UN study
4,926
This is how many Lebanese-Palestinian households there were in Lebanon in 2016, according to a census by the Lebanese-Palestinian dialogue committee
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company profile
Name: One Good Thing
Founders: Bridgett Lau and Micheal Cooke
Based in: Dubai
Sector: e-commerce
Size: 5 employees
Stage: Looking for seed funding
Investors: Self-funded and seeking external investors
THE BIO:
Sabri Razouk, 74
Athlete and fitness trainer
Married, father of six
Favourite exercise: Bench press
Must-eat weekly meal: Steak with beans, carrots, broccoli, crust and corn
Power drink: A glass of yoghurt
Role model: Any good man
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10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Read more about the coronavirus
Pakistan Super League
Previous winners
2016 Islamabad United
2017 Peshawar Zalmi
2018 Islamabad United
2019 Quetta Gladiators
Most runs Kamran Akmal – 1,286
Most wickets Wahab Riaz –65
MATCH INFO
Champions League last 16, first leg
Tottenham v RB Leipzig, Wednesday, midnight (UAE)
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
Global institutions: BlackRock and KKR
US-based BlackRock is the world's largest asset manager, with $5.98 trillion of assets under management as of the end of last year. The New York firm run by Larry Fink provides investment management services to institutional clients and retail investors including governments, sovereign wealth funds, corporations, banks and charitable foundations around the world, through a variety of investment vehicles.
KKR & Co, or Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, is a global private equity and investment firm with around $195 billion of assets as of the end of last year. The New York-based firm, founded by Henry Kravis and George Roberts, invests in multiple alternative asset classes through direct or fund-to-fund investments with a particular focus on infrastructure, technology, healthcare, real estate and energy.
Western Region Asia Cup T20 Qualifier
Sun Feb 23 – Thu Feb 27, Al Amerat, Oman
The two finalists advance to the Asia qualifier in Malaysia in August
Group A
Bahrain, Maldives, Oman, Qatar
Group B
UAE, Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia
BOSH!'s pantry essentials
Nutritional yeast
This is Firth's pick and an ingredient he says, "gives you an instant cheesy flavour". He advises making your own cream cheese with it or simply using it to whip up a mac and cheese or wholesome lasagne. It's available in organic and specialist grocery stores across the UAE.
Seeds
"We've got a big jar of mixed seeds in our kitchen," Theasby explains. "That's what you use to make a bolognese or pie or salad: just grab a handful of seeds and sprinkle them over the top. It's a really good way to make sure you're getting your omegas."
Umami flavours
"I could say soya sauce, but I'll say all umami-makers and have them in the same batch," says Firth. He suggests having items such as Marmite, balsamic vinegar and other general, dark, umami-tasting products in your cupboard "to make your bolognese a little bit more 'umptious'".
Onions and garlic
"If you've got them, you can cook basically anything from that base," says Theasby. "These ingredients are so prevalent in every world cuisine and if you've got them in your cupboard, then you know you've got the foundation of a really nice meal."
Your grain of choice
Whether rice, quinoa, pasta or buckwheat, Firth advises always having a stock of your favourite grains in the cupboard. "That you, you have an instant meal and all you have to do is just chuck a bit of veg in."
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