Digitize This: The Theban Necropolis Preservation Initiative Training Centre Opens Its Doors Today!

By Sara Ahmed

Buzzing excitement filled the air on Friday as the Factum Foundation, the Ministry of Antiquities and the University of Basel came together for the opening of the Theban Necropolis Preservation Initiative Training Centre in Luxor.

Minister of Antiquities Khaled El-Enany, the Director General of UNESCO Irina Bokova and the Swiss Ambassador Markus Leitner opened the house amidst a throng of impressed visitors studying the equipment and fully restored Stoppelaëre house.

The latter, which is a mere walk uphill form the Carter house and which was originally built in 1950 by the one of Egypt’s pioneer architect Hassan Fathy for the French conservator Alexander Stoppelaëre, was restored by the Tarek Waly Center of Conservation and Heritage along with a team of local craftsmen.

This restoration is part of the Theban Necropolis Preservation Initiative which is a collaboration between the Ministry of Antiquities, the University of Basel and Spain’s Factum Foundation.

Adam Lowe, Irina Bokova and Tarek Waly (left to right)

Known for their brilliant capacity of combining arts and digital technology in order to preserve heritage, Factum and the University of Basel have begun scanning of the tomb of Seti I in the same fashion as the tomb of King Tutankhamun using 3D digital technologies. Their aim is to ultimately scan the entire KV17 tomb, approximately 130 meters long and the longest of its royal kind.

 This type of high-resolution documentation technology is being used to create exact facsimiles of tombs in a bid to help the general public gain knowledge about tombs closed off for preservation reasons but also to document and monitor vulnerable sites.

 However, one cannot deny that that high-resolution recording and documentation do does more than simply study and monitor key culturage sites: indeed, one of Factum’s aims is to help local residents become speciailists in 3D digital technologies and composite photography.

So far, Factum Foundation began training local operators under the much-appreciated supervision of Aliaa Ismail, a previous Egyptology and Architecture student from the American University in Cairo who underwent training at Factum prior to her employment.

These local operators go by Mahmoud Salem and Abdel Raheem Ghaba (Abdo) and are both trained in data processing, 3D scanning, assembling the equipment and troubleshooting.

Abdel Raheem Ghaba

“It was like a dream, when I saw what they were able to do with the Tutankhamun facsimile,” says 37 year old Abdo who had been working with Factum since 2008. He explains that their training took a full 2-weeks but was on-going after all of Ismail’s daily work in the Seti tomb.

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“The program helps you see every little detail in the object,” enthuses Salem as well. Both contractors are clearly proud and keen to share the knowledge that they’ve acquired.

They are not the only ones optimistic about these skills. Indeed, many express what this sort of technology could mean for the local community and ultimately to the country when it comes to being sustainable. Is this technology truly, as AUC Egyptology professor Dr. Fayza Haikal says, the ‘future’?

“Within three months, the center will be fully operational, Mahmoud and Abdo will be training the others,” explains Adam Lowe, the founder of Factum Foundation for Digital Technology in Conservation.    

A great amount of overjoyed faces came to the opening of the center. From famed Egyptologists to the governor of Luxor and even to visiting figures such as the director of the Egyptian collection at the MET; many are eager to see this little riveting center, the potential it holds and one day, its expansion. 

#Luxor #Egypt #Egyptology #FactumArte #Universityof Basel 

Nefertari and Seti I tombs to open for public

For many years after specialised restoration and conservation projects in two of the most beautifully decorated tombs of ancient Egypt, Tomb of Seti I (KV17) in the valley of the Kings and tomb of Nefertari (QV66) in the valley of the Queens, were closed for public with exception for private visits for nearly 20 thousand Egyptian pounds (approx. 2000USD) for up to 10 persons.

The ministry of antiquities decided to open the two tombs of the father and wife of Ramses II to public for 1000 Egyptian pounds per person.

The decision is expected to be affective from 1st week of November 2016 as the tourism season usually starts.

#Egypt #Luxor #VoK #Nefertari #SetiFirst #Egyptology #ThisIsEgypt #VisitEgypt 

For the first time in 3500 years, Royal tombs are open at night

Minister of Antiquities, Dr Mamdouh El Damaty opened the Valley of the Kings for the first time in history at night for visitors.
 

The great Pharaohs ‘ burials were sure visited at night in the past 35 centuries but mainly in ancient time by tomb robbers, this time the visit will be possible for public till 9pm.

The tombs which are equipped by the new lighting system provided by “DEFEX”, a specialised company, through a Spanish loan of 6 million Euros, are KV2 (tomb of Ramses IV), KV9 (tomb of Ramses V and Ramses VI) and KV17 (tomb of Seti I) beside the tombs will be open at night too also include tombs of Ramses III, Ramses IV and TutAnkhAmon tomb too.

 Photo was taking during the new lighting system was being tested (August 2013)

The last person who had enjoyed this magical atmosphere at night in the Valley of the Kings could be Sgt. Richard Adamson, as he claimed that he was guarding KV62, the tomb of King Tutankhamon since the discovery in 1922 and for several years afterwards playing opera records of an old gramophone at night but this is another story.

Now, visitors to Luxor have an amazing chance to enjoy those masterpieces of ancient Egyptian art at night even during the summer, no more hot days if you can visit at night.

The sites which will be open till 9pm in Luxor include Luxor Temple, Ramesseum temple and Valley of the Kings and Hatshepsut temple. Later Habu temple and Seti I temple will be added to the list soon when the new lighting system is completely installed and tested.

#Egypt #Luxor #AncientEgypt #Egyptology #Antiquities #Archaeology

Happening Now: Minister of Antiquities "Valley of the Kings will beopen at night in July"

25th of July will be the date of the opening of the night visits of Valley of the Kings, The Ramesseum and Hatshepsut temple till 11pm.

Also Luxor temple visiting hours will be extended in summer from 1st of July till 11pm.

Luxor Museum visiting hours will be extended to the previous times before 2011.

#Luxor #Egypt #Antiquities #Egyptology