An International Celebration of the Egyptian Museum Centenary

On the centenary of the Egyptian Museum, President Mubarak is to attend an international, cultural and artistic ceremony, organized by Ministry of Culture to be also attended by Minister of Culture, other ministers, dignitaries, major Egyptologists from Egypt and abroad as well as intellectuals and artists.

Accordingly, the Ministry of Culture exerted all efforts to ensure that the proposed ceremony would rise up to the level of the first national museum of antiquities ever built anywhere in the world. On the sidelines of the celebration, a scientific conference on museums in the 21st Century will be held in addition to a display of antiquities long stored in the museum basement and only recently unveiled, in addition to sets of memorial coins, posters and fireworks.

Furthermore, an artistic ceremony will be held at the Opera House to honour those pioneers who significantly contributed to the promotion of the Egyptian Museum over a century.

In an international press conference, Dr. Zahi Hawwas, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, stated that the celebration will mark the initiation of an ambitious project for upgrading the Egyptian Museum. This will involve the introduction of the state-of-the art technology including museum display, layout, lighting and central air-conditioning. Dr. Hawwas added that under this project, all administrative and service buildings within the museum compound will be removed and replaced by a 12-m-high building consisting of cafeterias coffee shops and gift shops that serve as a main source of income for international museums rather than tickets. The museum's 100-year-old facade will remain unchanged. In addition, child educational museum will be established.

In this respect, the Supreme Council of Antiquities has carried out a semi-exploratory process in search for almost forgotten antiquities stored in the museum basement. As a result, 115 pieces of antiquities were discovered and will be displayed in the first exhibition of its kind to be made in the basement already renovated so as to house upto about 300 pieces of antiquities. Moreover, the new display area will show one of the most wonderful statues ever found, i.e. that of the ancient Egyptian scribe the first copy of which rests in the Louvre.

In addition, the exhibition houses many antiquities recovered from abroad including a statue of god Monto from Holland, a painting recovered from the Amercian art smuggler Schultz, two Roman masks from Washington in addition to 24 statues from Italy. Furthermore, two wonderful mummies of two children found in the Valley of Golden Mummies in the Oases will be exhibited in addition to a gold collection found in the tomb of al-Baharia Oases ruler and his wife. Among the exhibits, about 40 pieces of antiquities from the Tut Ankh Amun collection will be displayed in addition to an intact model of a tomb from the 26th Dynasty and a 16-ton coffin, found in Tanta. Dr. Hawwas gave tribute to late Hamdi Shehata, former head of Museums Sector, who died, while working on preparations for the ceremony.

According to Director-General of the Egyptian Museum Dr. Mamdouh al-Damati,, exhibition halls are being prepared and lightened by hi-tech lighting systems. Dr. al-Damati added that one of the most wonderful exhibits discovered by Dr. Zahi Hawwas is the statue of "kay"; a man sitting surrounded by his son and daughter. He also pointed out that on the first day of the celebration, a documentary film, shot by National Geographic as a gift to the Egyptian Museum, will be shown. Within the celebration, Ahmad Pasha Kamal, the first curator of the Egyptian Museum and Haj Ahmad Youssef, the famous mender will be honoured.

The celebration programme includes a simulation of the early Century's traditions in terms of food and costume. In addition, the guests, with the traditional fez on, will be carried in horse carriages to the Opera House to watch the first Egyptian Opera. On this occasion, the museum will be floodlighted and fireworks will sparkle in the sky.

The Museum in brief
* The Egyptian Department of Antiquities was established in August 15, 1835.

* The first museum of Egyptian antiquities was housed in a small building within al-Azbakiya park. Then, antiquities were transferred to Saladin Citadel. Eventually, they were sent as a present to the Crown Prince of Austria from Khedive Abbaas in 1855.

* In 1858, Mariette , director of the Department of Antiquities had a small museum built on the Nile bank in Beaulac, but in 1891, antiquities were relocated in Giza.

* Work started in the present museum in 1897. In November 15, 1902, it was inaugurated during the reign of Khedive Abbaas Helmi II. It was designed in a neo-classical style by the French architect Marel d'Ornon. Unprecedenly, re-inforced concrete was used in the construction.

* The museum consists of two main floors that house about 160,000 pieces of antiquities dating back to different eras. On the first floor, colossal stone antiquities are chronologically displayed clockwise, starting from the entrance and to the left. Here also, there are other antiquities dating back to the early pre-Dynasty era, the old, middle and modern dynasties in addition to the Greek and Roman eras.

On the second floor, specific sets of statues, manuscripts, royal mummies, wooden coffins, jewellery and full sets from one grave are displayed, including antiquities of Tut Ankh Amun, Yosoya, Thoba, Tenniees , Valley of kings, Sengem grave and Magry Beni grave. In addition, the museum includes a large library that contains various books on antiquities, history, civilizations and religions in different languages. Visitors will find it so easy to trace down monument and hall numbers through many guiding maps.