This major battle, during the French Invasion of Egypt, saw the French army under Napoleon Bonaparte win a decisive victory against the Egyptian army.
Overall situation
After disembarking near Alexandria, on July 1, 1798, Napoleon Bonaparte quickly took the city and then almost immediately set off for Cairo, the key city of Egypt, whose possession would give him control of the country. On the way, on the 14th, he inflicted on the Mamelukes a first defeat during the Chebreiss fight. The vanquished retreated to their capital, where they chose to wait for the invader and confront him with all their forces in a decisive battle.
Enemy’s positions
Mourad Bey had approximately 40,000 men, including 12,000 Mamelukes, 8,000 Arabian horsemen and an infantry of some 20,000 janissaries. Present at Chébreis where he saw his troops outclassed by the French, the Egyptian general this time overcame his contempt for the enemy and made serious preparations: the left bank of the Nile, where the enemy would be presenting, got fortified; the village of Embabeh, located between the river and the Pyramids of Gizeh and on which rested the right of his camp, got surrounded by a trench protected by 30 guns on fixed carriages. Thus transformed into a redoubt, the village was defended by his infantry; the cavalry covered the desert from there to the pyramids. Plus, a reserve, commanded by Ibrahim Bey, remained on the right bank, near Cairo.
