Showing posts with label Egyptian Museums. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Egyptian Museums. Show all posts

Friday, September 14, 2018

News, Giza: Ancient Egyptian Artifacts From Al-Bahnasa Arrives at the GEM

A collection of 71 artifacts were transferred to the Grand Egyptian Museum in preparation for its opening in 2020. Written By/ Nevine El-Aref.

The Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) received a collection of 71 artifacts today from Al-Bahnasa archaeological site in the Minya governorate in Upper Egypt.

Tarek Tawfiq, GEM Supervisor General, told Ahram Online that the collection includes several important ancient Egyptian pieces, such as the beautiful Nes-Ptah’s sarcophagus with an anthropoid lid. Nes-Ptah was a noble and son of Thebes’ and overseer Montumhat. The sarcophagus is inscribed with hieroglyphic texts and weighs a staggering five tons.

The collection also includes a red granite sarcophagus for a noble named User Montu, weighing three tonnes, as well as three colossi depicting the lioness goddess Sekhmet seated on the throne holding the symbol of life Ankh and the sun disk upon her head. 

Lastly, four canopic jars, with lids depicting the four sons of Horus, were also one of the artifacts transported to the GEM.

Eissa Zidan, Head of the First Aid Restoration Department at the GEM, explained that the collection was subjected to documentation and restoration before it was packed and transported.  The valuable collection was placed inside wooden boxes and covered with special foam layers which absorb the vibrations caused during transportation.

The GEM complex, located overlooking the Giza plateau, is a cultural institution located on an area of approximately 500,000 m2. Adjacent to the Pyramids of Giza, the complex includes one of the largest museums in the world, displaying the heritage of the Egyptian civilization. It will contain over 100,000 artifacts, reflecting Egypt's past from prehistory through the Greek and Roman periods in Egypt.

The museum is set to open in 2020. 

Monday, August 6, 2018

News, Giza: Red Granite Head of King Senusret I Arrives at the Grand Egyptian Museum


The head of a statue of King Senusret I arrived safely at the Grand Egyptian Museum for restoration. Written By/ Nevine El-Aref.
The Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) received a red granite head Friday from a statue of King Senusret I from the antiquities ministry storage galleries in the Cairo Citadel. The transportation came within the framework of the Ministry of Antiquities’ mission to prepare for the museum’s grand opening, which is scheduled for the first quarter of 2019.

GEM’s general supervisor, Tarek Tawfik, explained that the head is carved from red granite and has the common artistic features found in pieces attributed to the Middle Kingdom. 

The head, which was discovered in 2005 in Souq Al-Khamis at the Matriya archaeological site in 2005 by an Egyptian-German mission, portrays the facial features of King Senusret I wearing a partial headdress.

The statue’s royal beard, which was discovered separated 10 metres away from the corresponding head in 2008, was also transported to the museum. The head, according to Ayman Ashmawy, the head of the Ancient Egyptian Antiquities Section who discovered the artifact in 2005, measures 122 cm x 108cm x 75cm and weighs roughly two tons.

Eissa Zidan, general director of the First Aid Restoration Department at the GEM, said Friday that the restoration team and archaeologists used the latest technology in the packing and transportation of the head and beard, which required wooden beams to settle the objects onto a hydraulic crane for lifting.

The head and beard are now at the GEM conservation centre for restoration, study, examination, analysis and documentation, while a three-dimensional imaging technique will be used to illustrate the suggested methods to re-attach the head to the beard.

Sunday, March 18, 2018

News, Cairo: Exhibition of Artifacts from Deir al-Bersha to Open Thursday at Egyptian Museum in Tahrir

The exhibition celebrates 120 years of excavations at the Minya governorate site. Written By/ Nevine El-Aref.

A temporary exhibition highlighting 120 years of archaeological excavations in Deir el-Barsha in Minya will open Thursday evening at the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir Square. Under the title Life in Death: The Middle Kingdom at Deir el-Bersha, the exhibition will be officially inaugurated by Minister of Antiquities Khaled El-Enany, Belgiun Ambassador to Egypt Sibille de Cartier and German Ambassador Julius Georg Loew.

The exhibition is organized in collaboration with the Netherlands-Flemish Institute in Cairo, KU Leuven University in Belgium and Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz in Germany. The event will be attended by the head of the Belgium-Germany Archaeological Mission, a number of ambassadors to Egypt from foreign counties, Egyptian members of parliament and top officials at the antiquities ministry.

Elham Salah, Head of the Museums Sector at the ministry, told Ahram Online that the exhibition will be on display for 30 days and will showcase 70 artifacts from the discoveries at Deir Al-Bersha, which were previously spread throught the museum’s various galleries or concealed in its basement.

“The artefacts will for the first time be displayed together,” she pointed out, revealing that the objects include the distinguished funerary collection from the tomb of Sepi III.

Among Sepi III's artefacts are the rectangular box coffins, inscribed with religious funerary texts, known as coffin texts, which helped the deceased to travel through the afterlife. Also among the displaed items are wooden models found in the tomb, which often depicting activities from daily life such as making food and drink.

The aim of such models was so that the deceased could enjoy these activities in eternity. Trays found in the tombs of Sepi I, Sepi III and Nehri I will also be on display. These trays, Salah said, are unique as they are made of painted cartonnage, consisting of a layer of gypsum.

The individual offerings on these trays are also made of cartonnage, painted in intricate detail, allowing for the easy identification of objects.

Sabah Abdel-Razek, General-Director of the Egyptian Museum, said that the site at Deir Al-Bersha is located 280 km south of Cairo and is best known as the burial place of the Middle Kingdom governors of el-Ashmunein (c. 2055-1650 BCE).

The governors built elaborately decorated tombs high on the North Hill of the Eastern Desert cliffs, while important officials were buried in tomb shafts in the vicinity of their lords.

The earliest excavations at Deir el-Bersha began in 1897 when the French Egyptologist Georges Daressy began exploring the site on behalf of the Egyptian Antiquities Service. His most spectacular find was the intact burial chamber of Sepi III.

The first Egyptian Egyptologist, Ahmed Kamal, continued to work at Deir el-Bersha from 1900-1902. He excavated several of the elite shaft tombs on the North Hill, including those of Amenemhat and Nehri I.

During their expeditions, she explains, Daressy and Kamal discovered an impressive collection of exemplary Middle Kingdom funerary equipment, such as wooden tomb models and decorated coffins. The majority of these objects are kept in the Egyptian Museum and many will be on display in this exhibit.

In 1915, American Egyptologist George Andrew Reisner excavated for two months at Deir el-Bersha. His most important discovery was the nearly intact tomb of governor Djehutinakht IV or V. Since 2002 KU Leuven University has resumed excavations at this site, reinvestigating several of the areas where these prior excavations took place.

KU Leuven University has also collaborated with the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz since 2009 on excavations of five large tomb shafts in front of the tomb of governor Djehutihotep, most of the contents of which are now in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.

Monday, March 5, 2018

Re-Openning, Sharqiya: Tel Basta Museum Inaugurated in Egypt's Zagazig

After eight years in limbo, the site museum of Tel Basta in Zagazig, Sharqiya, was inaugurated Saturday. Written By/ Nevine El-Aref.

Egypt's Minister of Antiquities Khaled El-Enany and Sharqiya Governor Khaled Saeed inaugurated Saturday Tel Basta Museum in Sharqiya governorate after the completion of its restoration.

The inauguration of the museum comes within the framework of efforts by the Ministry of Antiquities to increase the archaeological and heritage awareness of Sharqiya inhabitants as well as creating more tourist attractions across Egypt.

During the ceremony, El-Enany announced that visits to the museum would be free this week to celebrate the museum’s long-awaited opening.

Waadalla Abu El-Ela, head of the Projects Sector at the Ministry of Antiquities, told Ahram Online that the ministry started construction work on the museum in 2006. In 2010, construction was completed but the project put on hold, resuming at the end of 2017.

Elham Salah, head of the Museums Sector at the Ministry of Antquities, explained that the second phase of the project, concerning the interior design of the museum, aimed to showcase the history of Sharqiya and the excavation work that has been carried out within its boundaries. New lighting and security systems were installed and new showcases fabricated to host the artifacts along with descriptive panels on the history of Sharqiya.

“The objects on display are the result of archaeological excavations in Sharqiya,” Salah told Ahram Online. She added that the collection includes canopic jars, terracotta statuettes, clay pots of different shapes and sizes, domestic instruments, coins, statuette deities, tombstones, offering tables, and jewellery.
One of the showcases is devoted to Sharqiya's main ancient Egyptian deity, the cat shaped goddess Bastet.

French Egyptologist Pierre Montei discovered the Temple of Amun in Tanis in 1939 as well as a group of royal tombs from the Late Period, such as those for the kings Psusennes I and Shosinenq II.

In 2009, the joint French-Egyptian mission discovered the location of the sacred lake of the goddess Mut’s temple, the second sacred lake to be revealed on the site. In 2013, in Tel-El-Yahudia area, a mission from the antiquities ministry uncovered a huge fortification of mud brick inside the Hyksos fortress, as well as a residential city on its northeastern corner. A collection of oil lamps and faience tiles once used to decorate the palace of the kings Meneptah and his father Ramses II was also unearthed.

In Tel-El-Pharaeen, British Egyptologist Flinders Petrie discovered the ruins of the ancient city, including residential areas and the ruins of the city’s temple devoted to the goddess Wadjet.

Thursday, December 21, 2017

News, Cairo: Egyptian Museum Displays Works of Deir Al-Medina Artisans

The month-long exhibition, which marks the centenary of French excavations at Deir Al-Medina, opens on Thursday night. Written By/ Nevine El-Aref.

The Egyptian Museum in Tahrir Square opens a temporary exhibition on Thursday night focused on the artisans of Luxor's Deir Al-Medina archaeological site.

Titled “The Artisans of the Pharaohs through their Artworks”, the month-long show also marks the centenary of French archaeological research, excavation and restoration at the site.

On show for the first time will be a collection of 52 artefacts discovered by the French mission at Deir Al-Medina, along with documents and photos from the archive of the Institut Français d’Archéologie Orientale (IFAO), Elham Salah, head of the museums sector at the Ministry of Antiquities, told Ahram Online.


The artifacts, she explains, reflect the daily life, the faith and the funerary rituals of the Deir Al-Medina artisans. Among the most important objects are a statue of Sanejem, lintels of kings Amenhotep I and II, as well as a painted limestone ostraca.

Tuesday, October 3, 2017

News: Antiquities Ministry Launches Initiative Promoting Museums, Sites at Egyptian Hotels

The ministry is hoping to promote Egypt's archaeological sites and museums via adverts and brochures in hotels. Written B/ Nevine El-Aref.

The ministry of antiquities is launching a new initiative in collaboration with hotels to promote museums and archaeological sites.

Elham Salah, head of the ministry’s Museum Department, told Ahram Online that the initiative started this week at one of Egypt's hotels, where a large advertisement was placed in the lobby.

The banner shows photos of the Museum of Islamic Art’s collection, its opening hours and a map of some of the country's archaeological sites. A collection of brochures about the museum will also be put in every room of the hotel.

"If the initiative proves success it will be extended to all hotels around Egypt," Salah said.

Friday, August 25, 2017

Re-Opening Museum, Marsa Matrouh: Rommel's Cave Museum in Egypt to Be Re-Opened Friday After Years of Restoration

The cave in Matrouh was used by Axis general Erwin Rommel during World War II as a makeshift base. Written Nevine El-Aref.

Rommel’s Cave Museum in Egypt's Matrouh will be re-inaugurated on Friday after being closed for seven years for restoration and development.

Minister of Antiquities Khaled El-Enany and Governor of Matrouh Major General Alaa Abu Zeid will reopen the site, which was used by Axis general Erwin Rommel during World War II as a makeshift base.

The restoration and development of the cave was carried out by the antiquities ministry in collaboration with Matrouh governorate.

“I really appreciates the collaboration as the governorate has provided the required budget to restore the museum, as well as offering the ministry a part of Misr Public Library to establish another museum for antiquities that would relate the history of Matrouh through displaying all the artefacts found within its sands,” El-Enany told Ahram Online.

He added that the library museum is scheduled to be inaugurated before the end of 2017.

El-Enany pointed out that the opening of Rommel’s Cave Museum highlights the aim of the ministry to promote tourism to Egypt through opening new attractions as well as increasing archaeological awareness among Egyptians in general.

There are also plans to implement evening opening hours at the site.

Elham Salah, head of the ministry’s Museums Department, told Ahram Online that Rommel’s Cave Museum contains a collection of weapons, shells and military equipment used during World War II, as well as military attire, maps showing battle plans, copies of a newspaper produced by Rommel’s troops in Africa during the war, and files on German soldiers.

She explains that the museum was closed for restoration and development in 2010, and early this year the ministry resumed restoration work at the cave. The conservation of its artefacts was carried out by a team of skilful restorers led by Sameh El-Masry.

Salah pointed out that the development work included changing the museum displays and installing new lighting and security systems.

“Rommel’s Cave is one of the area’sA natural caves in the rocky cliff, which has existed since Roman times, and has an entrance and exit on the Mediterranean,” Salah told Ahram Online.

In 1977, she said, the idea of transforming the cave into a museum was launched as a way of paying tribute to Rommel’s career. However, the plan was not put into effect until 1988, when it was opened to the public in order to display a collection of Rommel’s personal possessions, many of them donated by his son Manfred, as well as weapons, shells and military equipment used during World War II.

Tuesday, August 15, 2017

News, Cairo: Egyptian Museum Celebrates Flooding Of The Nile

Free Arabic and English guided tours at the Egyptian Museum are being organised to celebrate the ancient flooding of the Nile festival. Written By/ Nevine El-Aref.

The Ostrava Exhibited As The Piece Of The Month
To celebrate Flooding of the Nile Day, the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir Square is organising two free guided tours for evening visitors.

Elham Salah, head of the Museums Sector at the Ministry of Antiquities, revealed that the tours would be in Arabic and be held 18 and 24 August, during the museum’s evening open hours.

Salah said that guided tours in English would be provided on request during the same hours of the Arabic tours. Sabah Abdel Razak, director general of the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir Square, explained that the tours would go through all exhibited artifacts connected to the Nile, such as boats and the Nilometer.

The museum”s August piece of the month is a limestone Ostrava depicting the Nile god Hapi.

The flooding of the Nile is an important ancient Egyptian festival celebrating the natural cycle of the Nile flood. It was celebrated by ancient Egyptians as an annual holiday for two weeks starting 15 August, and known as Wafaa El-Nil.

Wednesday, August 2, 2017

News, Minya: Atun Museum Nears Completion After Six Years' Delay In Construction Work

Installing The Marble Floor At The Museum
Once completed, the museum will tell the story of Minya through history, including the rule of Pharaoh Akhenatun and his beloved wife Queen Nefertiti.  Written By/ Nevine El-Aref.

The final phase of construction of the new Atun Museum, overlooking the River Nile in Minya governorate, is finally in full swing after years of delay, according to officials at Egypt's antiquities ministry.

Engineers, archaeologists and builders are putting the finishing touches to the first hall, which will serve as a model for other diplay areas in the museum. In the next two weeks, the hall will be inspected by a project consultant to ensure it is up to standard.

Elham Salah, head of the ministry's museums section, said that work on the hall includes the polishing of the walls and ceiling, and installing the lighting and the air-condition systems.

"If the project consultant approves the interior design and all the work achieved in the sample hall, such as the colour of the polish, the location of the air-conditioning and the type of flooring, it will be applied in all display areas in the museum," Salah said.

Ahmed Hemeda, director of the Atun Museum, said that the current work on the museum is the final of three phases, now being completed several years behind schedule.

Work on the museum began in 2002, with the first two phases completed in 2010. These phases included construction of the main building and additional structures such as an administrative building. However, work halted after the January 2011 uprising due to a decline in tourism revenue and a lack of budget.

In 2015, work on the third phase began, which involves finishing walls, floors and ceilings, installing lighting and air-conditioning systems, and completing landscaping.

The Atun Museum covers 25 feddans and stretches 600 metres along the Nile Corniche. Its pyramid-shaped building contains 16 exhibition halls relating the history of Minya governorate through history.

Some halls will be dedicated to the history of the ancient captial city of Al-Amarna, its monotheistic Pharaoh Akhenatun, his beloved wife Queen Nefertiti, and other family members. There will also be a garden, theatre, conference hall, a cafeteria and 19 shops for arts and crafts.

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