The Battle of the Pyramids

The Battle of the Pyramids took place on 21 July 1798 between the French Army of the Orient, commanded by Bonaparte, and the Mamluk forces commanded by Mourad Bey, during the Egyptian campaign.
For propaganda purposes, Bonaparte decided to call this victory the ‘Battle of the Pyramids’ – a name more glorious than ‘Battle of Cairo’ or ‘Battle of Embabech’ (where Mourad Bey’s camp was situated and where the fighting actually took place) – thereby giving the impression that it had taken place at the very foot of the famous monuments. This is, in fact, how it is often depicted in the collective imagination, particularly in paintings. In reality, the pyramids were only visible from where the soldiers were stationed.