A new vision for our ancient past
By
Zahi Hawass
Several years ago, I met Mrs Suzanne Mubarak at the Pyramids of Giza during the official visit of Hillary Clinton, the then first lady of the United States. It was Hillary's birthday and a celebration was held in front of the immortal Sphinx. I immediately perceived that Mrs Mubarak's modesty belied her profound knowledge of the history of the monuments on the pyramid plateau, and the steps that have being taken in modern times to conserve them. A chunk of limestone had fallen from the right shoulder of the Sphinx in 1988 and for over two years, news of its plight made headlines around the world. On that occasion, I outlined the steps already taken to conserve the Sphinx. I explained that the recumbent lion with the head of a Pharaoh had developed a "cancer" because harmful cement had been used in earlier restoration efforts. I said that this cement had now been removed and that limestone and sand -- the same mortar ingredients used by the ancient Egyptians -- was now being applied. Our First Lady was obviously happy to learn that the Sphinx -- the symbol of kingship in ancient Egypt that remains as a symbol of Egypt today -- was now safe.
Mrs Mubarak takes a keen interest in all archaeological activities and I am thus proud to relate new developments from our ongoing museum projects here in Cairo. Several recent cultural events have focussed attention on these developments. The first was the Centennial Celebration at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, a grand occasion which transported us back in time. The costumes of the participants, as well as the food and décor, returned us to a magical period in Egyptian history. That evening, the opening of the "Hidden Treasure Exhibit" in the newly refurbished basement of the museum especially impressed the First Lady.
The Egyptian Museum today houses many more artefacts and monuments than it did in the time of Gaston Maspero, the first director of the present building, which was built at the beginning of the 20th century. New discoveries have since been made and monuments -- including the Tutankhamun collection -- have continually been added, meaning the display cabinets and floor space are now filled beyond capacity. There is an obvious need to find a better way to display the magnificent objects of the museum, and some reorganisation of the galleries is needed to ensure that our visitors can move around in an orderly fashion. To this end, we are currently developing a plan to move about one-third of the artefacts in the museum to other locations for display purposes. This available space will allow us to upgrade the display area in the museum. The interior will be redesigned to ensure the smooth flow of visitors, and an annex will be constructed to the west which will be used as an exit. Also, since Mrs Mubarak firmly believes in the important role museums have to play in the cultural and educational life of the public, we are happy to announce that the Egyptian Museum has instituted special programmes and activities aimed at attracting children of different ages. These programmes will provide opportunities to fashion statues and other objects with clay.
The other event was the recent launching of the Grand Museum Project, aimed at building a new state- of-the-art museum in the shadow of the Giza Pyramids. Mrs Mubarak visited the headquarters and examined the projects submitted for the architectural competition. She believes museums should be institutes of cultural learning and said that the new grand museum, with its technology and planned I-Max cinema, will undoubtedly attract people from all over the world. The design selected for the new museum was submitted by an architect from Ireland.
In addition, the construction of a National Museum at the site of Fustat in Old Cairo to be built under the auspices of UNESCO is planned to house a unique collection of artefacts that will span the breadth of Egyptian history, from prehistoric times to the present. In her speech at the launching of the architectural competition, Mrs Mubarak stressed that each of the new museums would convey a special message and that the National Museum would focus on ancient Egyptian art, architecture and technology.
Incidentally, the Tutankhamun treasures now on display in the Egyptian Museum in Al- Tahrir Square will be transferred to the new museum at Giza, while the Royal Mummies will move to the National Museum in Fustat.
