Google launches new tool to translate ancient Egyptian language

Egypt - Google has introduced a new machine learning tool, called Fabricius, to help the world discover Egyptian hieroglyphs and raise awareness about the heritage of the ancient Egyptian civilization.

Found on the free Google Arts & Culture app, the new tool will decode Egyptian hieroglyphs in Arabic and English to support the work of Egyptologists and allow the world to better understand Egyptian history, according to a recent press release.

Fabricius was formed in collaboration with the Australian Centre for Egyptology at the Macquarie University in Australia, Psycle Interactive, Ubisoft, and Egyptologists around the world.

The Google Arts & Culture app enables its users to have access to the art and cultural wonders of more than 2,000 cultural institutions across the world through technologies, including Virtual or Augmented Reality.

Besides the translation of Egyptian hieroglyphs, an online page is available on Google Arts & Culture to focus on the pharaonic culture, such as King Tutankhamun.

Since 2013, Google has added digital rich imagery of over 20 historical landmarks and sites, including the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt, Petra in Jordan, and Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in the UAE and digital exhibitions.

The Head of Preservation at Google Arts and Culture, Chance Coughenour, said: "For over a decade, Google has been capturing imagery of cultural and historical landmarks across the region, from Egypt, the UAE, Lebanon, Palestine, Tunisia, and more, while making it available on Maps, Street View, and Google Arts & Culture."