L'Orient, once the flagship of the French navy, has rested undisturbed on the seabed of the Bay of Aboukir since the late 18th century, buried under 12 meters of sediment, about seven kilometers from an Egyptian beach. The ship was destroyed during the 1798 Battle of the Nile, where it faced Admiral Horatio Nelson's British fleet. The explosion scattered its remains over more than 300 meters. Though much has been recovered from the wreck, the most valuable parts of its treasure still remain hidden beneath layers of silt. L'Orient was an enormous vessel, weighing over 2,700 tons and armed with more than 120 cannons across three decks. It was commanded by Vice Admiral Brueys d'Aigalliers during the battle. Recent analysis of the wreck has revealed that the ship did not sink due to a single explosion, as previously believed, but rather due to two explosions occurring almost at the same time. This explains the wide dispersal of its debris, including many cannons, found across a large area around the wreck. In the summer of 1798, Napoleon Bonaparte had just invaded Egypt with the goal of cutting off Britain's trade routes to the East. While he focused on capturing Alexandria on land, his fleet anchored in the Bay of Aboukir was caught off guard by Nelson's forces. The battle, known as the Battle of the Nile, was a disaster for the French. Although Napoleon escaped unscathed, his dream of a triumphant return to France was effectively destroyed along with his flagship. The wreck of L'Orient carried the treasure of the Order of Malta, including the iconic Cross of the Order, which has never been recovered. A few weeks before the battle, Napoleon had seized this treasure during the conquest of the island of Malta. The treasure, consisting of gold coins, precious objects, and ceremonial dishes, was estimated to be worth millions of francs at the time. However, the explosion scattered the treasure across the seabed, making its recovery extremely difficult. The rediscovery of L'Orient began almost by chance in 1983 when researcher Jacques Dumas identified the site, though he could not confirm which ship it was. It wasn't until 1998, on the bicentenary of the Battle of the Nile, that underwater archaeologist Franck Goddio and his team, supported by the IEASM, resumed excavations using more advanced techniques. A key discovery was a 12-meter-high copper-plated rudder, still bearing the name "Dauphin Royal," the ship's original name before it was renamed during the French Revolution. Since then, numerous diving campaigns have uncovered hundreds of artifacts, now displayed in Egyptian museums, including coins, tableware, and rigging elements. Seven anchors from different ships involved in the battle have also been found around the wreck, helping to reconstruct the positions of the vessels before the explosion. Despite these discoveries, the main part of the treasure remains elusive, buried under layers of sediment and mixed with debris from other ships that sank in the same battle.