Egyptian antiquities remain at risk
A mix of ineptitude, mismanagement and corruption is leading to the damage, loss and theft of invaluable treasures from Egypt’s history.
CAIRO — The current crisis in Egypt in regard to the damage to King Tutankhamun’s mask, which is a one of a kind golden mask from the ancient pharaonic monuments, in a botched restoration at the Egyptian Museum brings to mind the series of incidents of negligence and laxity in protecting Egyptian artifacts. The mask has been visibly marred and the beard crooked as it was glued back on using epoxy, leaving the mask looking fake. The beard fell off the golden mask during an attempt to adjust the lighting in its case.
In addition to incidents of damage, the residents of the areas with archaeological sites are regularly digging up the pharaohs’ graves, stealing and smuggling their belongings. This has become more common since the January 25 Revolution, when the security situation in the country deteriorated.
The latest incident, the damage of Tutankhamun’s mask, took place in August 2014 and is still causing controversy, since Tutankhamun was one of the most famous pharaohs. He became king around 1334 B.C. when he was 9 years old. His tomb, which was discovered in 1922, is of great importance to Egyptology, since the treasures inside the tomb were intact and the famous golden mask accompanied Tutankhamun's mummified remains. The discovery of his tomb contributed significantly in finding out how a royal tomb was prepared for a king’s afterlife.
Monica Hanna, an Egyptian archeologist, told Al-Monitor that this was not the first time the officials responsible for ancient monuments acted with negligence. In 2006, the southern facade of the Saqqara pyramid was damaged and in 2007, damage was done to the city of Rosetta, which is also considered an important archaeological landmark, as well as to Al-Jayyousi Mosque.
