Mohammed Ali pasha ( 1805 -1848 ) Vali of Egypt established the first National Archives in Al-qalaa ( the citadel ) in 1828 with the view to collect and keep the product of the state activities that become, in the course of time, a national reritage - Establishing the national archives was not only anoteworthy addition to the history of Egypt but also one of the sources of information in the long run.


 

	The National Archives was not the only authority that cares for archives and collection them, but there were also several other authorities concerned with this national duty such as: Endowment divan, Al-Azhar , the ministry of justice, the foreign office that keep all their archives.
	When fouad  was crowned as the king of Egypt in 1917, he formed a committee to enumerate, classify and translate the archives available at Abidin Royal palace and he entrusted the orientalist Jan Donee with the task of scrutinizing and organising the Turkish archives.
	In his report, Donnee recommends adding the Turkish, Arab and foreign archives coming from the National Archives in Al-qalaa ( the citadel ) to the Turkish archives in Abdin palace.
	In 1932 king Fouad established the ristorical archives department in Abdin palace in complaince with the recommendation mentioned in the French orienatatist's report.
	King Fouad directed great attention to archives and he could achieve the following : 1- collecting the firmans issued by sultan in Turkey. The number of these firmans is estimated at 1064 firmans ( the first of which was issued in 1597 ) 2- coping the firmans mention above in the Egyptian survey department in seven volumes. 3- Analysing and organising the foreign archives related to the era of khedive Ismail ( about 90000 cards ) besides summarizing and translating some of them. 4- Making indexing cards for alarge number of the Turkish and Arab archives.
	Archives gained more attention and care with outbreak of 23rd of July 1952 revolution and the Historical National Archives was established by the law no. 356 for the year of 1954 which reads that the National Archives should collect the archives kept in the General Archives and the risterical archives department in Abdin palace and the Egyptian ministries archives and the archives of organisations, departments and individuals.
	The Egyptian national Archives passed through Rardships throughout its ristory. It moved from Abdin palace to qalaa ( the citadel ) in June 1969, and later on it moved to its current read quarters in the building next to the Egyptian National Library in kornich El-Nil to accommodate our national reritage down ages.
	By the law no. 352 for the year of 1954, the National Archives collect the archives related to the history of Egypt down ages, making them available for Arab and foreign scholars and researchers to take copies of the National Archives against taken charges.