Sharm El Sheikh Museum work progress, Phase one is completed

Dr. Mohamed Ibrahim (Minister State of Antiquities) visited the site of undergoing establishing Sharm El Sheikh Museum to check the workflow.

Sharm El Sheikh Museum which is designed to occupy 52 acres on which buildings will be only on 14% of the total area and the rest will be green areas and open display area. The museum is planned to host 7000 objects covering the history of Egypt from Pharaonic ages to modern ages (Mohamed Ali family).

The Museum will also include a theatre and 7 cinema displays plus a conference hall and library.

Adel Abd El Satar (Head of the Museums department) said “The First phase which is completed included the museum building and the administrative buildings and 9 bazaars to show the production of the Sinai handcrafted products.”

General Mohamed Sheikha (Projects department director) said that the work is going on the second phase at the moment which includes the interior finishing and the general layout of the museum and the open display area.

Qalawun complex is re-opened for visitors

 

After completion of the cleaning and disinfecting work required because of a sewage pipe in the site, Sultan Qalawun complex is re-opened. The complex located in Gamalia district of Islamic Cairo and consents of a mosque, school and hospital (dated to 1294 A.D). 

According to Mohsen Said (Head of the Islamic and Coptic department) the buildings were not affected by the sewage problem.

The latest photos of the working process in the Sphinx Avenue (26th January)

After our report of the state of the Sphinx Avenue and how it was used as a rubbish dump (Read Here) and the follow up in the last printed issue of Luxor Times (Here) and the latest announcements concerning the Avenue and the partial opening in March 2012 (More details Here), There was a slow work has been going on lately in one section of the avenue which the Minister State of Antiquities, Dr. Mohammed Ibrahim said it will be excavated and not included in the opening ceremony in March. 

Luxor Times shows the area as it is on January 26^th 2012.

 We hope to see more progress soon.

The Minister State of Antiquities visits the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir

On his visit to check on the security procedures at the Egyptian Museum, Minister State of Antiquities said “We trust the Egyptian youth who led this revolution to protect the museum and we also trust the Police and appreciate their efforts to protect our heritage.”

Dr. Mohamed Ibrahim says during his visit to the Egyptian Museum that the museum may be re-opened for visitors tomorrow (Thursday),as it was closed for the third day on Wednesday 25th,  if the situation was stable in Tahrir Square. The minister is following the current status in the sites all over Egypt and he is reassured that all museums, storages or sites are totally safe.

U.S. Ambassador Visits the National Archives of Egypt on response to Institut d’Egypte Call for Support to Salvage Damaged Books

The U.S. Ambassador to Egypt, Anne W. Patterson and Mr. Walter North, Director of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) along with Mr. William Kopycky, Director of the Library of Congress in Egypt and Jane Smyth from the American Center for Research in Egypt (ARCE) visited the National Archives of Egypt, where they were welcomed by Dar el Kutob’s chairman Dr. Zain Abdel Hady.  

Dr. Abdel Hady led the delegation on a tour of the conservation labs where the books salvaged from the recent tragic fire at the Institut d’Egypte are being restored.  The tour also featured a visit to the Digital Archives Center which was established through assistance provided by the U.S. Library of Congress.

“The fire caused a tragic loss to Egypt’s and the world’s intellectual heritage,” said U.S. Ambassador Anne Patterson.   “The United States is gratified to be able to support the effort to recover this incredible collection.”

The U.S. Agency for International Development and the American Center for Research in Egypt promptly responded to urgent needs expressed by the Egyptian Ministry of Culture’s Dar el Kutob for assistance.  USAID provided the funding for critical equipment and supplies to carry out this critical conservation mission. The U.S. Library of Congress will be offering technical assistance to help preserve the books and catalogue them once they have been salvaged.  The Library of Congress has also been working closely with Dar el Kutob on the World Digital Library project to make rare cultural treasures more accessible to a global audience via the Internet.

The Institut d’Egypte was founded by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1798 and became a center for research and scholarship about Egypt, producing the well-known “Description of Egypt.”  It was recognized as the oldest functioning academy of sciences and arts outside Europe.  The collection consists of rare books and manuscripts, some of which date back to the 14th century.