As Egypt struggles to lay the foundations of a new government in the wake of its revolution, archaeologists around the world are closely watching the fate of the nation’s prized antiquities—as well as the fortunes of Zahi Hawass, long the face and voice of the country’s ancient monuments. Hawass, who under Hosni Mubarak was recently named minister of antiquities, has been confronting an unusual uprising among his own staff as well as questions about his political future. And today, he reported a theft at a cemetery south of Cairo, as well as eight missing artifacts from the Egyptian Museum, located on Tahrir Square itself. Archaeologists are left wondering about the effects of the revolution on the dozens of excavations in the country, as well as on the next generation of homegrown researchers.

sciencemag.org

According to a statement by the Egyptian Culture Ministry, the Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA) Zahi Hawass said “it is allowed to take pictures for the open monuments area,” it is not allowed to take pictures only inside the ancient tombs in order to save paintings from the bad effects of cameras’ flash.

He added that any official who halts tourists from taking pictures at the open historic areas, like Pyramids or Temples of Luxor, would be charged, as these photos are part of their memories during visiting Egypt.

xinhuanet.com

Soon the the most popular tombs in the west bank of ancient Thebes will be visited only by the rich and famous. There will be a “Replica Valley” for the rest of us.

The valleys of the Kings and Queens lure thousands of tourists to the Theban west bank every day, bringing valuable revenue for Egypt and an unforgettable experience for them. But it has a downside. The hot, stale air they exhale with every breath they take is causing serious damage to the walls, especially painted surface. The breath increases the humidity, and in some cases creates fungus on the tombs’ inner walls.

Zahi Hawass, secretary-general of the SCA, told Al-Ahram Weekly that this means some tombs needed added protection, while others needed to be closed completely in order to save their paintings.

As a first step, the SCA is currently installing a cool lighting system in the Valley of the Kings so that people can visit the tombs in the evening. This will help protect the paintings as it will spread the number of visits over the course of the day.

As for the tombs of Tutankhamun, Seti I and Nefertari, Hawass said a plan to protect them was now being implemented in collaboration with the British organisation Adam Lowe of Factun Arte. The plan is to create identical replicas of these tombs by making detailed high-resolution copies of the burial chambers, paintings and sarcophagi using laser scanners. After the replicas have been constructed they will be installed on the cliff side of the Valley of the Kings, which will be called “The Replica Valley” where visitors can experience their beauty with the knowledge that the ancient paintings are being preserved. Hawass pointed out that missing fragments from these tombs now held in foreign museum, would also be scanned and added to the overall reconstruction to give a complete picture of the tombs.

Hawass says 13 royal tombs in the Valley of the Kings were open but no one visits them. Once the most popular tombs are closed tourists will be more encouraged to visit the others. The original tombs can still be entered, but at a price. “Whoever wants to visit the original tombs of Tutankhamun, Seti I and Nefertari must pay a huge amount of money,” Hawass says.

Excerpted from an article by Nevine El-Aref for Al Ahram

Private Tour: Luxor East Bank, Karnak and Luxor Temples

The Getty Conservation Institute (GCI) has been a part of the J. Paul Getty Trust since 1985. Its staff worked with Egyptian colleagues and an international team from 1986 to 1992 on the conservation of the wall paintings within the tomb of powerful Queen Nefertari (ca. 1290-1254 B.C.).

The GCI’s current six-year partnership with Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA) is focused on the conservation and management of some 80 ancient tombs in the Valley of the Queens. The threats of flooding and mass tourism are being addressed. And SCA conservators are being trained.

All of the preparatory work for the conservation of the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun (r. 1332-1323 B.C.) was previously conducted by the GCI.

Art Museum Journal