News, Cairo: Royal Golden Ring Stored In Egyptian Museum Not Stolen As Claimed

The Ministry of Antiquities denies claims on social media about the disappearance of a royal golden ring stored in the Egyptian Museum. Written By/ Nevine El-Aref.

The Golden Ring

Elham Salah, head of the Museums Department at the Ministry of Antiquities, has told Ahram Online that claims published on social media that an ancient royal golden ring has been stolen from the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir Square are "unfounded." The ring remains in the store galleries of the museum.

Salah explained that the ring was among items selected to be on display in a special temporary exhibition in 2002 inside the museum, along with other objects from the museum's collection and artifacts from the store galleries of Saqqara and the Giza Plateau. Regretfully, Elham continued, the ring was not put on show and returned to the store galleries.

A few days ago, a researcher reportedly arrived to the museum and asked to examine the ring. The museum's curator asked the researcher to give them time to remove the ring from its wooden box in the store gallery, while most curators at time were busy filing an inventory of all the museum's treasured collection.

Rumors apparently started on social media saying that the ring had disappeared having been stolen. An archaeological committee was then formed to open the box and photograph the ring in order to prove that the ring is safe in the museum's galleries and is not stolen as claimed.

Source: Ahram Online

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New Discovery, Aswan: New discovery in Aswan Reveals Health of Gebel Al-Silsila Inhabitants in Ancient Times

New tombs discovered at Gebel Al-Silsila area in Aswan continue to change perceptions of the nature and role of this ancient Egyptian quarry. Written By/ Nevine El-Aref.

Skeletons found in the newly discovered tombs (Photo: Nevine El-Aref)

On the northern side of Gebel Al-Silsila in Aswan, the Egyptian-Swedish archaeological mission from Lund University has stumbled upon another group of rock-hewn tombs from the reign of New Kingdom pharoahs Amenhotep II and Thutmose III. Announced by Mahmoud Afifi, head of Ancient Egyptian Antiquities Department at the Ministry of Antiquities, the Swedish mission, led by Maria Nilsson and John Ward, in 2015 discovered a series of rock-hewn tombs located in the north of Gebel Al-Silsila's east bank, in the area immediately to the north of the famous stele of King Amenhotep IV and stretching westwards to the Nile.

"While the tombs had been described by previous visitors to the site, no comprehensive survey, nor any proper archaeological work, had been conducted until 2015," Nilsson said, adding that during the initial survey, 43 tombs were identified, and five tombs were chosen to be cleared of sand and a damaging layer of salt, in order to study their state of conservation. Returning to the site eight months later, Nilsson continued, the work proved successful as both external and interior walls, and to some extent also the ceiling, stabilised by exposing them to the sun, drying out prior dampness.

The tombs entrances

In the initial clearing process the team was successful in identifying various architectural markers, including two rock-cut chambers, external courtyards, and dressed portcullis – slot-cuts into the door jambs by the entry to the tombs, into which a stone slab would have been placed to seal the door after burial. During this season, Nilsson said, the team discovered another 12 rock cut tombs as well as three crypts cut into the rock, two niches possibly used for offerings, one tomb containing multiple animal burials, and three individual infant burials, along with other associated material.

The majority of the tombs excavated so far – with the main exception of two infant burials – had been plundered in antiquity and left neglected without further disturbance, covered by up to three metres of Nile silt, blown in sand, and fallen quarry spoil and debris.

"These readily identifiable stratifications have given a wealth of information with regards not only to the manner in which the spoil and silt have been deposited, but also provided a rudimentary chronological overview for the area," said Ward. He explained that the individual tombs excavated so far this season reveal multiple burials within the same chamber or crypt. A fact that suggests the tombs could belong to a complete family, and individuals of varying ages and sex.

"In addition, the newly discovered infant burials present another aspect to the cemetery, clearly indicating family life at Al-Silsila," Ward pointed out. He added that three different styles of burials have been documented so far, including a rock-hewn crypt, a shallow grave covered with stone, and one infant wrapped in textile placed within a wooden coffin. Two of the three children were placed secreted within the overhangs of the natural sandstone bluffs. They were placed on their side, oriented in either a north-south direction, face towards the east, or alternatively a east-west direction, and facing north.,,, READ MORE.

Source: Ahram Online

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News: Alexandria's Ibn Khaldoun Mosque Not A Protected Site - Antiquities Minister

Ibn Khaldoun Mosque

The collapsed minaret is not registered on Egypt’s antiquities list and is not affiliated with Egyptian law governing the protection of antiquities. Written By/ Nevine El-Aref.

Alexandria's Ibn Khaldoun mosque is not an archaeological monument, asserted Mostafa Amin, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities.

The secretary-general spoke in response to accusations of negligence from the press and social media, lobbed at the antiquities ministry after the mosque's minaret collapsed Sunday due to high wind and rain.

Amin said that the collapsed minaret is not registered on Egypt’s antiquities list and is not affiliated with Egyptian law governing the protection of antiquities.   

Amin told Ahram Online that the mosque, located in Alexandria's Al-Mansheya district, is not a monument as some have claimed and that the Ministry of Antiquities carries no responsibility for it. The mosque falls rather under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Religious Endowments, he said.

Source: Ahram Online

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Our Treasure Abroad, USA: Five Ancient Egyptian Artifacts Smuggled to US Repatriated

Cairo and Washington signed an MoU last month to impose tighter restrictions on the illicit importation of Egyptian antiquities. Written By/ Nevine El-Aref.

Shaaban(left) Inspecting The Newly Arrived Sarcophagus' Lid

Egypt's Ministry of Foreign Affairs repatriated on Monday five late pharaonic-era artifacts  which had been smuggled to, and recently recovered in the US, General Supervisor of the Antiquities Repatriation Department Shabaan Abdel-Gawad told Ahram Online. 

Minister of Antiquties Khaled El-Enany expressed his full appreciation for the efforts of the ministries of foreign affairs and the interior in collaboration with the Ministry of Antiquities and foreign authorities to repatriate the objects and protect Egypt's cultural and archaeological heritage.

Abdel-Gawad said that the objects recovered include a wizened mummified hand, a painted child's sarcophagus, a gilded mummy mask, the lid of a wooden sarcophagus decorated with religious scenes and a painted linen burial shroud.

In early December, Egypt signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the United States to impose tighter restrictions on the illicit importation of antiquities from Egypt.

According to the MoU, the US government must return to Egypt any material on a designated list of antiquities which are recovered and forwarded to Washington.

Abdel-Gawad said the US government will continue to provide technical assistance in cultural resource management and security to Egypt, as appropriate, under existing and new programmes.

Finally, Egypt should promote best practices in cultural resource management. It should encourage coordination among heritage, tourism and religious authorities, along with development agencies to enforce laws that protect heritage sites from encroachment, unlawful appropriation, looting, and damage.

Source: Ahram Online

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News, Cairo: Egyptian Museum in Tahrir Features Coptic Artifacts at Entrance for Coptic Christmas

The Six Artifacts on Display at the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir

The six Coptic artifacts are the Egyptian Museum’s January Pieces of the Month. Written By/ Nevine El-Aref.

The Egyptian Museum in Tahrir has put on display six Coptic-era artifacts at its entrance as the January Pieces of the Month in celebration of the Coptic Christmas on 7 January.

Sabah Abdel-Razak, director-general of the Egyptian Museum, explains that the artifacts were carefully selected from the Coptic Museum in Old Cairo and include two pieces of Coptic textiles and three wood carvings.

The first piece of textile has overlapping decorations colored in beige and brown with a cross in the middle.

The second is part of a Coptic robe with plants and geometric decorations, colored in black, dark beige and red. Its lower part ends with tassels colored with blue and gray.

The first of the three wood carvings is decorated with images of an angel, a saint holding a book, and the Virgin Mary carrying the baby Jesus.

The second carving is gilded and decorated with the image of two saints; Irene, whose name means peace, and Foteine, meaning the bright one. An image of Christ is depicted in the middle, with the names of all three written in Greek above each image. The third carving depicts the Virgin Mary carrying the baby Jesus and has a metal cover with ancient Russian writing.

Source: Ahram Online

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News, Giza: Ministries of Antiquities and Tourism Sign Cooperation Protocol to Develop Giza Plateau

Egypt's ministries of antiquities and tourism gear up for the development of archaeological sites to promote tourism. Written By/ Nevine El-Aref.

Egypt’s ministries of antiquities and tourism have signed a cooperation protocol to co-manage tourist services at archaeological sites all over the country in an attempt to promote tourism. Minister of Antiquities Khaled El-Enany said that the Giza Plateau will be the first site to be developed within the framework of the protocol.

Ashraf Mohi, the general-director of the Giza Plateau, told Ahram Online that the areas to be managed at the Giza Plateau are to include the Giza pyramids, the visitor's centre, bazaars, cafeterias, sports area, as well as musical performances.

Mohi added that the first phase of the Giza Plateau Development Project, which started in 2010, is about to be completed. The first phase is financed by the Ministry of Tourism and includes the construction of several edifices including the visitor's centre, administrative offices, and tourism and antiquities police centres.

Paving all the roads around the plateau and those connecting the entrance gate to the exit is also part of the first phase. The second phase, Mohi said, will begin immediately after the completion of the first one and includes the development of the services area.

Source: Ahran Online

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News: Tight Security Measures Needed to Protect Artifacts in Egypt's Historic Mosques - Antiquities Ministry

Egypt's Minister of Antiquities Khaled El-Enany headed on Monday an inspection tour of the mausoleums of King Fouad and Princess Feria at central Cairo's Al-Refai mosque, following the robbery on Sunday of six Islamic lamps that decorated the sites. Written By/ Nevine El-Aref.

During the inspection, El-Enany said that the Ministry of Antiquities would be collaborating closely with the Ministry of Religious Endowments to ensure the highest level of protection for artifacts in Egypt's historical mosques.

El-Enany told Ahram Online that the mausoleums where the lamps were stolen are not used for prayers and are home to a number of historical artifacts. He said they should therefore be managed by the Ministry of Antiquities rather than the religious endowments ministry.

The Prosecutor-General's office is currently investigating the theft and questioning employees from the ministries of antiquities and religious endowments.

Alsaeid Helmy, head of Islamic and Coptic Antiquities at the ministry, said that a committee assigned Sunday to conduct an inventory of the mosque's artifacts has begun its work.

Helmy added that one of the stolen lamps has been replaced with a replica until the real ones can be recovered.

The stolen lamps date to 1911 (1328 Hegira), and are made of thick glass decorated with a Quranic verse from the Surah An-Nur written in Mameluke raised script.

The verse says: “Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The example of His light is like a niche within which is a lamp.”

Source: Ahram Online

News, Cairo: Six Islamic lamps Stolen from Al-Refai Mosque Near Cairo Citadel

The lamps date to 1910, constructed out of glass with Quranic verse from the Surah An-Nur written in Mameluke raised script. Written By/ Nevine El-Aref.

The Lamps Decorating The Mosque

Six Islamic lamps that decorate the ceilings of the mausoleums of Egypt’s King Fouad and Princess Ferial at Al-Refai mosque in Cairo were stolen Sunday, an official at the Supreme Council of Antiquities said.

Secretary General of the council Mostafa Amin told Ahram Online the Ministry of Antiquities "learned of the theft today and has begun a full investigation to find the lamps and the person(s) responsible for their theft."

Alsaeed Helmy, Head of Islamic and Coptic Antiquities at the ministry, said that six out of 15 lamps were stolen from the mausoleums. The lamps date to 1910, and are made of glass decorated with a Quranic verse from the Surah An-Nur written in Mameluke raised script.

The verse says: “Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The example of His light is like a niche within which is a lamp.”. Minister of Antiquities Khaled El-Enany has referred the case to the General Prosecution for investigation, Amin said.

The case has also been referred to the Tourism and Antiquities Police as well as the Ministry of Endowments, which is responsible for both mausoleums, for assistance in recovering the lamps. Amin added that El-Enany ordered the formation of a committee to carry out an inventory of all the artefacts that reside in the mosque.

The Al-Refai mosque is the resting place of many members of the Egyptian Royal Family, including the last monarch, King Farouk. The last Shah of Iran was also buried in the mosque in 1980.

Source: Ahram Online

News, Cairo: Ancient Egyptian Goddess of Protection to Greet Arriving Travelers at Cairo Airport

A replica statue of the deity Serquet will be erected in Terminal 2. Written By/ Nevine El-Aref.

The Replica Statue of Serqet

The Egyptian goddess of protection, Serqet, is to welcome Egypt’s visitors at Cairo International Airport starting Thursday, when a replica statue of the deity will be erected in Terminal 2.

Amr El-Tibi, the executive director of the antiquities ministry's Antiquity Replicas Unit, told Ahram Online that the statue will be taken from the unit’s factory in Cairo’s Citadel to the airport on Thursday morning.

The statue is a gift from the antiquities ministry to the civil aviation ministry, El-Tibi said, in an attempt to encourage tourism as well as to highlight the ongoing cooperation between the two ministries, as well as the tourism ministry.

El-Tibi explained that the polyester statue is four metres tall, weighs 150kg, and took two months to make. It is made of polyester and depicts Serquet, one of the four protective ancient Egyptian deities who stretch their arms to protect Tutankhamun's golden shrine. She wears a scorpion on her head.

Last month the antiquities ministry offered Ecuador a replica statue of Ramses II, which is similar to the authentic one that was transported in 2006 from Ramses Square in downtown Cairo to the Grand Egyptian Museum overlooking Giza Plateau, which is yet to open.

The statue was erected in Quito's Condado Square which was subsequently renamed Egypt Square.

Source: Ahram Online