28 March - 3 April 2002
Issue No.579
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Al-Ahram Weekly Online 28 March - 3 April 2002 Issue No.579 |
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Overseer of an antique
Zahi Hawass, whose appointment as head of the Supreme Council for Antiquities was announced last week, spoke to Nevine El-Aref of his determination "to guard, protect and preserve for eternity" Egypt's ancient heritage.
After a month of speculation as to who would succeed Gaballa Ali Gaballa as secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA), Zahi Hawass, general director of the Giza plateau and the Bahariya oasis, as well as a columnist and prolific author, was appointed to the post last week.
(photo: Khaled El-Fiqi)
Al-Ahram Weekly spoke to Hawass at the Giza plateau inspectorate, in his small office, lined floor-to-ceiling with books. He was packing up his possessions in anticipation of his departure from what for him has been a much-loved place -- in which he has spent a decade -- for his new office in Zamalek.
Having just been officially named for his new post, the 54- year-old archaeolgoist was still sporting his usual blue jeans, rather than the suit and tie one would have expected.
Zahi Hawass's passion for Egyptology is already legendary. His face is familiar from TV appearances, magazine and newspaper articles, and he has appeared in a Fox production covering the so- called Solar Boat and the Workmens' Cemetery at Giza, not to mention Bahariya and the Valley of the Golden Mummies.
Hawass, while clearly delighted at the new appointment, recognises that being secretary-general of the SCA will also be a substantial burden. "I am now responsible for Egypt's treasured antiquities. Preserving this priceless heritage is no easy task. My job will be, as always, to guard, protect and preserve them for eternity, but I must now be an astute administrator as well as a politician," Hawass said.
He explained that his first goal is "to sweep out the dusty corners, both literally and metaphorically, and open the windows to let in some fresh air, new thoughts, and innovative ideas."
He visualises a new strategy for the four main SCA departments -- comprising the Pharaonic, Islamic and Coptic departments, as well as the section relating to museums and projects. "If some of the present employees cannot handle change, they will be replaced by others who can."
Over many years as the Giza plateau director, Hawass has increasingly concerned about conservation, preservation and site management. "I plan to protect Egypt's tombs and temples by applying a strict rotation system. That is to say, some temples will be opened to tourists, while others will be closed for R and R, as well as for restoration and cleaning."
Hawass says he will build bridges between the SCA and the Egyptian Tourism Authority to promote greater cohesion and cooperation between the two administrations. "They [the Egyptian Tourism Authority] will be provided with comprehensive information on all newly opened sites," he added.
"I would like to shift the focus of the SCA's activities and concentrate on conserving and restoring the existing monuments, as well as mapping, photographing, publishing, and recording their inscriptions. There will be a halt to new excavations for the next ten years, in Giza, Saqqara and Upper Egypt, and more attention will be devoted to the Delta."
Hawass wants to launch a national campaign to save the Delta's heritage. Foreign missions and university teams will be encouraged to excavate there, alongside Egyptian specialists, with a view to saving the Delta's legacy before it decays beyond repair. "Today, it is suffering from salination of the soil, subsoil water, and urban and agricultural expansion," Hawass says.
Under his supervision, archaeological and restoration teams will soon plunge into Egypt's western and eastern deserts on an exploration tour to document and guard neglected sites and little known temples. He will also move fast to enforce the 20-year-old decree, issued by the SCA's permanent committee, that forbids foreign missions from excavating in Giza and Saqqara, with a view to retaining the areas exclusively for Egyptian teams. "Recent excavations, executed by foreign missions at both sites, will be given a five-year grace period to complete their work. New licenses will not be given. They may, instead, restore monuments there," he said.
As for museums, a committee, including museologists, restorers, architects and artists, will be assigned to provide plans to upgrade museums and build new ones.
To protect our heritage from antiquities thieves, he pledges to carry out a periodical inspection of antiquities that are currently in storage, "and every object will be inventoried and restored."
Within the framework of the SCA strategy, two new departments will be created. The first will be charged with following up cases of archaeological theft and tracing any artefact that is illegally smuggled out of the country. The second aims to supervise site management and will be applied in every archaeological area; it will also follow up on cleaning and development projects.
Hawass does not plan to completely cut his links with the Giza plateau in which he has spent so many fruitful years. He has a loyalty and devotion to the pyramids that makes abandoning them impossible. The Pyramid Plateau development project will go ahead as originally scheduled.
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