The Egyptian Museum: A hundred years of history

The Cairo museum, the most beautiful museum of Pharaonic antiquities in the world, painted and equipped with a new exposure system and lighting, will celebrate its hundred years Monday.

Located in Tahrir square, in the heart of Cairo, this prestigious rose building is ready to host the festivities which will last for four days.

The History of the museum dates back for over a hundred years. Champollion, during his only trip to Egypt from 1828 to 1830, discovered that a whole monuments described, some 30 years earlier as a result of the expedition of Bonaparte, in "Description of Egypt", there remained a few brikes. He wanted to draw the attention of Mohammad Ali, vice-king and founder of modern Egypt, to the danger posed to the monuments of the country.

Also, before leaving for France, he gave the Viceroy a memorandum calling for the establishment of a Conservation Department of Antiquities. This idea was the beginning of the creation of the museum five years later, on 15 August 1835.

The museum founded in Boulaq by  french Egyptologist, Auguste Mariette, then moved to Giza before taking place in Cairo since 1902. It houses about 100,000 pieces created between 3000 BC and AD 300 AD including the famous treasures of Tutankhamen and the royal mummies room.

The public can see 250 pieces that will be exposed to the ground floor for the first time. These monuments prove that Egypt has treasures that reflect its past.

The celebration of the centenary of the museum will be marked by several activities. A book comprising 115 scientific articles written by archaeologists across the world will be published. Among these articles, there are two in tribute to Ahmed Kamal Pasha and Ahmed Youssef, restorers master. Other publications on the history of the museum will also be developed. Lectures will also be given by experts at the museum.

Postage stamps will be issued in commemoration of the centenary of the museum. They emphasize the role of personalities who had contributed to its foundation as Mariette, Champollion, Gaston Maspero, Selim Hassan, Abu Bakr Abdel Moneem, Labib Bahour and Howard Carter. An exhibition of the museum documents which cover various phases of its establishment will also be organized.

Following the festivities, major projects will be implemented as the Cultural Center which will be annexed to the museum. The center will include modern restoration laboratory, a workshop for children, administration offices, shops, a museum for the blind people and bazaars.