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.
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.
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