Cairo Restaurants (Vol. 01): 9 Pyramids Lounge - the First Restaurant at the Great Pyramids

Dinner with a view? It doesn’t get more spectacular than the newly unveiled 9 Pyramids Lounge at the historic Great Pyramids of Giza and Great Sphinx site close to Cairo, Egypt.

There's an Instagrammable view, having one of the Seven Wonders of the World as your view for a spectacular sunrise breakfast, exquisite lunch or a majestic dinner -- especially when you have all of the above after exploring the incredible plateau. We're talking about 9 Pyramids Lounge.

To combat the fall in tourist revenue since the beginning of the coronavirus crisis, Egypt has launched a massive restaurant complex with stunning views of the Great Pyramids of Giza, and a fleet of 30 electric buses that will ferry tourists from the city to the site.

9 Pyramids Lounge and Restaurant, which is managed and supervised by the Orascom Investment Holding Company, is located on the southern side of the pyramids plateau and overlooks nine pyramids in a unique and picturesque view.

9 Pyramids Lounge and Restaurant provides its various services of unique meals and drinks, which possess the highest quality, in addition to the capacity of holding a number of special events, in the arms of the great Egyptian civilization.

9 Pyramids Lounge located on the southern side of the Giza Plateau and overlooking nine pyramids, guests are sure to enjoy a unique dining experience. The restaurant and lounge take up a total 1,341 square meters divided into indoor and outdoor seating, , in addition to a private car park attached to the restaurant.

The restaurant is a simple wooden building. Visitors can choose to sit at tables or on pillows spread on the ground, Bedouin-style.

Serving Egyptian food, 9 Pyramids Lounge is open from 8 am to 6 pm, but last entry is 4 pm. 

The trial operation of the first environmentally friendly electric bus will begin through six main stations, starting from the Visitor Center station, passing through Panorama station, then the Menkaure station, Khufu station, then the Khafre station, ending at the Sphinx station before returning to the Visitor Center. 

The company is presenting the first model of an approved sales outlet for holders of licenses issued by the competent authorities only, as part of the development of the vendor system within the pyramids plateau in a distinct and upscale manner befitting the greatness and splendor of the ancient Egyptian civilization represented by all the antiquities contained in the region.

Furthermore, Dr. Khaled Al-Anani, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, stated in the opening Ceremony that in light of the engineering completion of 100 percent of the project to develop the antiquities area of ​​the pyramids and raise the efficiency of services in it, which was implemented by the Armed Forces Engineering Authority with government funding, preparations are underway to continue operating the project and that there will be a visitation from the visitors' entrance from the Fayoum Road before mid-2021.

He said: "Today we announce the opening of the first tourist restaurant in the Panorama area of ​​the Pyramids Plateau - without any heavy building or construction in accordance with the requirements of the archaeological area - as the first fruits of the protocol for providing and operating services in the area between the Supreme Council of Antiquities and the Egyptian company, Orascom Investment Holding, which was signed in December 2018."

The Minister of Tourism and Antiquities added: “The restaurant is a simple wooden building with pillows spread on the ground, like the Bedouin style, in a unique location that sees all the pyramids of Giza.”

He also indicated the arrival of the first environmentally friendly electric tourist bus that will be used during the visit in the region after preventing the entry of vehicles and buses inside the archaeological area in order to preserve the antiquities, when the development project is completed and raising the efficiency of tourism services is opened before mid-2021. 

 

The development project guarantees the provision of transportation within the archaeological area, including buses and vehicles powered by electricity and environmentally friendly energy, and the provision of mobile and self-cleaning toilets, while introducing fast food, food and beverage services in the area in the places specified and approved by the Supreme Council of Antiquities, and other agreed tourism services. 

 

This is in the context of the ministry’s keenness to improve the quality of services provided to visitors in the region, which is one of the most important tourist destinations in the world.

Also, Enany stressed the Egyptian state’s keenness to have a tourist and archaeological infrastructure, which has a positive impact on the incoming tourism movement to Egypt, explaining that in conjunction with the completion of the project to develop the antiquities of the pyramid, increasing the capacity of Sphinx International Airport to double its capacity and opening it in 2021, the Grand Egyptian Museum will change the touristic map of Cairo.

Sawiris, chairman and CEO of Orascom Investment, said that the main goal that was set in mind since the first day of our entry into the project to manage and operate visitor services in the Giza pyramids area is to upgrade the services provided to a level befitting the civilization of Egypt and the greatness of this archaeological area while protecting it from pollution with all its kinds, maintaining the cleanliness and prestige of the place, and providing a unique and distinctive experience for tourists.

News: Egyptian Expert Believes He Has Found Out How the Great Pyramid Was Built Without Modern Technology.

An archaeologist has stated that he has finally solved the mystery regarding the Great Pyramid's peculiar alignment after he spotted a 'flaw'.

The expert from Egypt believes that he has got the answer to how the ancient civilization was able to make such a complex structure without the help of modern technology, as per reports.

Researchers from the US-based Glen Dash Research Foundation and the Ancient Egypt Research Associates (AERA) had earlier identified the flaw in the alignment. 

A well-known theory suggests that the 4,500-year-old structure that is estimated to weigh more than six million tonnes got built after huge stones were moved from a nearby quarry, dragged, and also lifted into the place.

The researchers found that three sides of the base of the pyramid were once between 230.295 meters and 230.373 meters long, but the west side came in between 230.378 meters and also 230.436 meters, which means it was off by around 14.1 cm, as reported by the Express.

But, the sides fit properly despite the measurements along with the cardinal points of north, east, south, and west with all three of the largest pyramids of Egypt, two in Giza and one at the Dahshur, which are remarkably aligned.

Archaeologist and engineer Glen Dash stated, "All three pyramids exhibit the same manner of error, they are rotated slightly counterclockwise from the cardinal points," as reported by the Daily Star.

Many hypotheses exist as to how the workers from ancient times did this, which include using the pole star to align the pyramids or the shadow of the Sun, but Dash stated he had cracked the mystery.

His study that was published in The Journal of Ancient Egyptian Architecture, suggested that the people from Egypt made use of the autumnal equinox for achieving perfect alignment.

The Earth is tilted on the axis, which means that as it orbits the Sun, the star illuminates the northern or southern hemisphere more depending on the orbit.

However, at two points in the year, the Sun illuminates the northern and also the southern hemispheres equally, which is known as the equinox.

The researcher also showed the chances of error were similar to those discovered in the alignment of the Khufu and Khafre pyramids at Giza and the Red pyramid at Dahshur.

Despite the convincing argument, there is no proper evidence that it was the case. "The Egyptians, unfortunately, left us a few clues.

No engineering documents or architectural plans have been found that give technical explanations demonstrating how the ancient Egyptians aligned any of their temples or pyramids," Dash's report concluded. 

Source:ibtimes

News, Giza : Giza Plateau massive development: tourism, mass transportation, and housing.

In the midst of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Egypt’s Giza Plateau development project is showing no signs of slowing. The country is pushing forward to improve the area within a number of sectors, including tourism, transportation, and real estate.
The state-backed project aims to develop the area and restore it to its original splendor, as it is one of if not the most important archaeological sites in the country.
Egypt’s Saib Bank signed in October a long-term, LE230 million financing contract with Orascom Pyramids, a subsidiary of the multinational corporation Orascom, to develop the plateau.
Egypt’s Tourism and Antiquities Minister, Khaled al-Anani recently announced a large number of projects currently underway in the archaeological area.
With help from a Orascom, the formerly sparse area will soon be home to an electric bus station, luxury restaurants and cafes, hotels, a helipad for VIPs, expanded bazaars, cinemas, and an information center.
Anani inaugurated in October the “Nine Pyramids Lounge,” the first restaurant and lounge within the Giza pyramids area.
The lounge overlooks nine pyramids, providing a unique, scenic view. The restaurant and lounge total 1,341 square meters divided into several covered and uncovered seating areas.

The area is also home to the new Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM), which is slated to open in 2021, and the Sphinx International Airport.
The dream of transforming West Giza into the African capital of tourism does not stop here, as the government has undertaken a number of transportation and accessibility projects to benefit tourism in the area.
Among these projects are a cable car and pedestrian walkway connecting the new museum with the pyramids, a new 40 km-long metro line connecting New Cairo to the plateau, and a high-speed train running from the Red Sea’s Ain Sokhna to the Mediterranean’s Alamein City, passing through Cairo’s New Administrative Capital and 6th of October City.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Housing is racing against time to complete a residential neighborhood that includes 2,500 housing units, in preparation for the demolition of the informal settlements built around the pyramids. Residents living in the illegal units will be transferred to the new units.

Source:egyptindependent

News: Egyptian PM’s visit to archaeological site set to boost tourism.

Egypt is gearing up to open the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization later this year and the Grand Egyptian Museum in early 2021.

To promote these important events, Egyptian Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouly made a historic visit to the archaeological site of Saqqara, located south of Cairo.

Madbouly inspected Oct. 19 the excavation works carried out by the Egyptian archaeological mission working in the Saqqara antiquities area. He visited the archaeological site and participated in the inspection works along with the members of the archaeological mission — a first in the history of the country. 

The visit boosted the morale of workers and led them to expedite the discovery of antiquities, artifacts and mummies dating back more than 2,500 years. 

Madbouly went down one of the three new burial wells that were found to inspect for himself the coffins that were discovered inside.

Zahi Hawass, an Egyptian archaeologist and former minister of antiquities, told Al-Monitor that Egypt is conveying a message to the world that it is interested in antiquities, culture and civilization.

President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi is to receive the royal mummies that will be transferred in a majestic procession to the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization in the ancient city of Fustat, now part of Cairo. The museum is set to display antiquities discovered in the Saqqara necropolis, home to thousands of mummies, statues and historical artifacts.

Starting next month, Egypt is set to inaugurate several archaeological museums. Chief among these is the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization in the capital Cairo, the Sharm Museum in the southern Sinai Peninsula, the Royal Chariots Museum in Bulaq, the Kafr El-Sheikh Museum in the Nile Delta region and the Grand Egyptian Museum in Cairo.

Hawass said that for the first time in the history of Egyptian antiquities, a prime minister has visited an archaeological site and went down an 11-meter (36-feet) deep well to see such a discovery for himself.

This came after international agencies had reported the discovery in an area containing thousands of coffins with mummies and statues.

In early October, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Khaled al-Anani announced at a widely publicized event in the presence of local and international reporters that a huge archaeological discovery was made in the Saqqara area near the pyramids, containing wells with coffins of mummies, artifacts and statues dating back more than 2,500 years. 

Hawass stressed that Egypt is announcing to the world its interest in antiquities and culture.

The cost of the Grand Egyptian Museum has thus far exceeded $1 billion, he stated, adding that Egypt has spent millions of pounds to develop the Pyramids area, the Sohag National Museum, the Baron Palace and the Sharm Museum.

Yaman al-Hamaki, a professor of economics at the Faculty of Commerce at Ain Shams University, told Al-Monitor that Egypt is making great efforts to overcome the repercussions of the coronavirus pandemic on the tourism sector, which was generating about $1 billion per month. Cairo, she said, has resumed in July the flights to Sharm el-Sheikh, Hurghada and Marsa Alam on the northern coast, thus giving a boost to the tourism sector. These destinations are open areas where the necessary measures to stem the spread of the coronavirus are implemented.

Hamaki noted that Egypt is seeking to promote archaeological tourism through the large inauguration events that are scheduled in the coming period.

Egypt, she continued, is encouraging tourists to spend more time in Cairo by opening coffee shops, restaurants and hotels in the Pyramids area.

These projects, according to Hamaki, will play a major role in increasing the revenues generated by the tourism sector.

She said that Madbouly’s historic visit to the Saqqara necropolis was organized to promote to the world Egyptian archaeological tourism, as the country seeks to generate tourism revenues to the national economy as soon as the pandemic ends and the global situation stabilizes.

Amr Sidky, head of the parliamentary Tourism and Antiquities Commission, said that Egypt is putting itself on the global map of culture and civilization with the upcoming openings of the Grand Egyptian Museum and the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization and the development of the Baron Palace.

Add to this, she continued, other important archaeological discoveries, all of which are set to attract tourists to Cairo as soon as the coronavirus pandemic is over.

Sidky told Al-Monitor that Egypt is currently showing great interest in workers in the tourism and antiquities sector, which explains Madbouly’s visit to the Saqqara archaeological site, which encouraged Egyptian archaeologists to speed up new discoveries and promote them to various international media outlets so as to convey to the world a positive image of the country.

This will play an important role in reviving the tourism sector in the future and will be of great benefit to the Egyptian economy.

He stressed that while Egypt is currently boosting domestic tourism due to the decline of foreign tourism, the ongoing pandemic and the lockdowns in a number of countries, it is also working on improving infrastructure through the inauguration of these large museums.

Source:al-monitor

New Restaurant , Giza : Egypt launches first tourist restaurant at Giza pyramid

The long-awaited project to develop the tourist services and facilities on the Giza Plateau is to begin operations in 2021.
This week saw the trial operations of the plateau’s first environmentally friendly electric bus and restaurant within the framework of the joint cooperation protocol signed in 2018 between the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA) and Orascom Pyramids Entertainment to develop services on the Pyramids Plateau.
Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Khaled El-Enany and Naguib Sawiris, chairman and CEO of Orascom, witnessed the trial operation of the bus service that eventually will replace all other cars and buses on the site.
They announced the opening of “Nine Pyramids”, the first restaurant and lounge to be located within the Pyramids area, specifically on the southern side of the plateau that overlooks nine royal tombs and has a superb view.
The architectural part of the Giza Plateau Development Project was implemented by the Armed Forces Engineering Authority and is supported by funds from the government.
Preparations are underway to start operating the project, with the inauguration scheduled before mid-2021, El-Enany said.
Today, we announce the opening of the first touristic restaurant in the Panorama area of the Pyramids Plateau, without any major construction work in accordance with the requirements of the archaeological area.
This project is the first fruit of the protocol signed between the Supreme Council of Antiquities and Orascom Investment Holding that entails providing and operating services in this area and which was signed in December 2018,” he added.
The restaurant is built in a subtle wooden setting, with pillows scattered on the ground to emulate a Bedouin style.
Its unique location offers a view of the Pyramids. The project has mobile and self-cleaning toilets, and food and beverage services will be available in specified areas, as approved by the SCA.
The project is part of the ministry’s keenness to improve the quality of services provided to visitors to the area, one of the most important touristic destinations in the world.

El-Enany said that Egypt was developing its touristic and archaeological infrastructure, and that this would have a positive impact on Egyptian tourism.
With the completion of this development project, the increase in the capacity of

the Sphinx International Airport, and the inauguration of the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) next year, the tourism map of Egypt would be transformed, he said.
“Our main objective, from the moment we embarked on the project of managing and operating visitors’ services at the Giza Plateau, was to upgrade the services provided such that they were up to the greatness of Egyptian civilisation and the magnificence of this historical site, while preserving the area from all forms of pollution and creating a fascinating experience for its visitors,” Sawiris said.
“We are happy to introduce these initial amenities and look forward to launching all the new services and features that will completely transform the visitor experience at the Giza Pyramids.”
Ashraf Halim, CEO of Orascom Pyramids Entertainment, said that to achieve the vision of transforming this unique site into a global archaeological tourist destination, robust cooperation has been undertaken with Egyptian and international consulting firms with expertise in similar projects.
These had developed engineering designs and architectural drawings in accordance with the international specifications commensurate with the archaeological site, he added.
He also said that in addition to the company’s commitment to providing all basic services at the highest level, electronic services would also be provided to visitors, including applications for prior reservations and to provide information about the archaeological site and its services.
He stressed that construction was underway in order to finalise the implementation of the project.

Source:ahramonline.

News, Giza: Prime Minister inspects progress of Grand Egyptian Museum.

Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly on Saturday conducted an inspection tour of the Grand Egyptian Museum project at Giza.

He was briefed on the project’s recent construction work and the development of the surrounding areas.
Madbouly then addressed the workers, saying “You contribute towards building a scientific, cultural, and tourist monument, and the state is not only buildiing a museum, but also a grand compound of Egyptian civilization.”
The prime minister stressed that all preemptive measures against the coronavirus must be applied in all sites of the project, with full adherence to sterilization measures  so that workers are protected.
Minister of Tourism Khaled al-Anany presented a brief on the museum, set to be located on an area of 500,000 square meters.
He explained that the visitor path will begin by entering from the Cairo-Alexandria desert road to the museum’s main entrance in front of the Egyptian Obelisk Square. There, visitors will be greeted with the museum’s majestic façade and the “wall of the pyramids”  600 meters wide and 45 meters high.
The museum itself is made up of two main blocks, Anany said, namely the museum building on the left on an area of 92,623 square meters and the conference center on the right on an area of 40,609 square meters,connected by the entrance hall where the statue of King Ramses II is located.
The conference center will consist of a large multi-use hall for conferences and theater, and a 3D film theater with a capacity of 500 individuals, in addition to rest areas and a garden for VIP visitors, a cultural center containing ten classes, two halls for lectures and another hall for computers.
The project’s supervisor Atef Moftah said that engineering  work is over 97 percent complete, and construction has been completed at 100 percent.

Source:egyptindependent

News, Giza: GEM receives 2,000 ancient artefacts from across Egypt.

The Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) in Giza has, amid tight security provided by Egypt’s Tourism and Antiquities Police, received 2,000 artefacts for display in its various halls.
The artefacts were previously located at the Egyptian Museum in central Cairo’s Tahrir Square, the Museum Store in Tell El-Yahudiyeh in the Nile Delta, and at the Giza Pyramids antiquities area.
GEM General Supervisor Atef Moftah said that, following the arrival of the new collection, the museum is now home to about 54,000 artefacts. 

“Among the most important pieces received on Saturday are two columns of pink granite from the reign of King Ramses II, each measuring 6 metres high and each weighing 13 tonnes,” Moftah said, “They will be displayed in the Great Staircase following the museum’s opening.”
Issa Zaidan, Director General of Executive Affairs for the Restoration and Transfer of Antiquities at GEM, said that the process of transporting and receiving antiquities is proceeding according to the specified schedule. The museum’s opening has been delayed to 2021, due to the emergence of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

He added that 47 wooden pieces have also been transferred from the second Khufu boat located at the Giza Pyramids Plateau. A total of 1,053 wooden pieces from the boat now call the GEM home.

Source:dailynewsegypt 

News: Egypt's Antiquities Council Signs Contract with Orascom to Update Tourist Facilities at Giza Pyramids

The company will provide buses and golf carts for transport inside the plateau, will train horse and camel drivers and give them a uniform, and will create WiFi services, signs, maps and other facilities. Written By/ Nevine El-Aref.

The Supreme Council of Antiquities has signed a contract with Orascom Investment to allow the latter to provide and operate the facilities at the Giza Plateau, under the supervision of the council.

The signing of contract came after almost a year of negotiations, and after the approval of the cabinet, and aims to upgrade the services available to visitors to the pyramids.

Mustafa Waziri, the general-secretary of the council, told Ahram Online that the facilities and services include a promotional campaign for the site, and operating the parking area located outside the archaeological site just in front of entrance on the Fayoum Road.

Vehicles will be prohibited from entering the site, and the company will instead provide 20 golf carts and 30 buses for visitors, operated with renewable energy, to circulate inside the site. It will also run the services at the site visitor centre, which consists of a collection of shops, cafeterias and a cinema.

“The films on display at this cinema will be revised and have the approval of the Supreme Council of Antiquities before they are shown,” Waziri said. He added that Orascom will also install 20 mobile toilets and a medical centre for first aid facilities in different areas in the plateau which would be selected and approved by the council.

It will also provide new services such as mobile application for the site, free Wi-Fi services, signage, visitor maps, and kiosks for photographs and paintings of visitors. A cleaning company will be provided, as well as a security one to safeguard the services area.

“The Tourism and Antiquities Police and the Supreme Council of Antiquities guards are the only ones to secure the general site, the visitors and the archaeological site,” said Waziri, adding that the security provided by the company is only to safeguard the places where services are provided.

He explained that according to the signed contract the company will train craftsmen, camel and horse owners, peddlers, and photographers in order to upgrade their skills to deal with tourists and visitors, and will buy them new horse carts to replace the out-dated ones. A special place will be allocated for them, as well as a uniform.

Waziri said that it is the first time such services to visitors are provided through a specialised Egyptian company in order to facilitate a visiting route inside the plateau within a complete system that respects the archaeological environment and antiquities laws and regulations.

He underlined that the contract allots half the revenue from the services provided to the council. “If the company does not succeed to make any benefits, it has to pay an agreed minimum amount to the Supreme Council of Antiquities.

“The Supreme Council of Antiquities has the authority to select and hire any authority to review the financial account of the company and supervise the execution of all articles in the contracts, in order to guarantee the Supreme Council of Antiquities’ rights,” Waziri said, adding that the council also has the right to end the contract at any time should the company breach any of its obligations stipulated in the contract.

He added that the council is the only body that received the revenues from the tickets and bus services inside the plateau which will be part of the ticket price. The Supreme Council of Antiquities is the authority with full responsibility for the archaeological site.

Source: Ahram Online

News, Giza: Japan's New Ambassador to Egypt Pays Visit to Khufu's Second Solar Boat

The newly appointed Japanese ambassador to Egypt visits the restoration project of Khufu’s second solar boat as the first archaeological site in his long tour list. Written By/ Nevine El-Aref.

Masaki Noke, the newly appointed Japanese ambassador to Egypt, visited on Thursday the restoration project of Khufu’s second solar boat in Giza Plateau.

Ambassador Noke viewed the techninque which the Egyptian and Japanese archaeologists are using to lift up the boat’s wooden beams from its original location inside the pit to the surface, before transporting it to the site laboratory for restoration and consolidation.

Eissa Zidan, the head of the Restoration Department of the project, told Ahram Online that the Japanese archaelogist Sakuji Yoshimura, the head of the restoration team, explained to Ambassador Noke that "restoring the second solar boat of king Khufu was his dream to come true.'

Yoshimura said "the Japanese government, through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), had helped him realise his dream by supporting and financing the project."

The JICA will continue its support of the project until the restoration and reconstruction of the boat is completed and the boat is readied to be on show at the Grand Egyptian Museum, which is scheduled to open in 2020.

Zidan told Ahram Online that the restoration team has so far succeeded in removing 866 pieces from the pit, and restored 840 pieces and transported around 700 pieces to the GEM’s restoration centre.

The first phase of the project began over 20 years ago. In 1992, a Japanese scientific and archaeological team from Waseda University, in collaboration with the Japanese government, provided a grant of $10 million to remove the boat from its original pit, restore and reassemble it, and put it on show to the public.

The team first cleaned the pit of insects then Japanese technicians inserted a camera through a hole in the chamber's limestone to assess the boat's condition inside the pit and the possibility of its restoration.

The team’s inspection showed that the second boat was in a much better state of preservation than the first one discovered in 1954. Khufu's first solar boat was discovered by the late architect and archaeologist Kamal El-Malakh, together with Zaki Nour, during routine cleaning on the south side of the Great Pyramid.

The first boat was removed piece by piece under the supervision of master restorer Ahmed Youssef, who spent more than 20 years restoring and reassembling the boat. The second boat remained sealed in its pit until 1987, when it was examined by the American National Geographic Society via remote camera.

After the space inside the pit was photographed and air measurements were taken, the pit was resealed. It was initially believed that the pit had been so well sealed thus the air inside must have been preserved since ancient Egyptian times. Sadly, though, Yoshimura pointed out that this was not the case, explaining that air had leaked into the pit from outside and mixed with the air inside and this had allowed insects to thrive and negatively affect some wooden beams.

 Source: Ahram Online

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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. 

Source: Ahram Online 

For Grand Egyptian Museum Click Here

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.

Source: Ahram Online

 For Grand Egyptian Museum Click Here