Egypt Unwraps Pharaonic Future

June 12, 2008

On the way back from the Greek island of Rhodes, where I attended the congress of Egyptologists, I traveled with Eleni Vassilika, director of the Egyptian Museum of Turin.

This is not just your ordinary museum. Opened in 1824, the Museo Egizio is the world's oldest and claims the most important Egyptian art collection outside of Egypt.

Dr. Vassilika told me that the museum, which has about 6,500 items on display, and more than 26,000 in storage, might double its spaces by 2012. Indeed, plans are being drawn to expand the exhibits onto other floors of the building.

Now this huge task might be nothing compared to the plans of Egypt' Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA) for the next four years.

Dr. Sabry Abd El Aziz, Head of the Egyptology Sector, told me that the SCA has many different strategies at the moment. They include more security for the sites -- 800 new guards have been hired-- plus new, spectacular excavations and museums.

To know more, just watch my interview with Dr. Abd El Aziz:

Comments

[Egyptian Papyrus]

Very nice Video