BIA

MAI 2015
“The whole process of restoring and
dismantling Tutankhamun’s shrines could, for
example, be turned into an attraction, bringing
in more visitors and raising money that could
then be spent on financing further restoration.
And it could serve as invaluable publicity for
the new museum,” Silîm told the Weekly.
It is not as if restoration in situ has never
been done before, said Haykal. She cites one
episode in the Louvre when curators were
unable to remove a large relief and so worked
on it in the gallery where it is displayed.
“Despite the fame of the Tutankhamun
collection only 30 per cent of it has been
studied,” said GEM director Târiq Tawfîq. “Since
GEM is to be the new home of the collection I
am keen to establish an international forum
which will periodically assemble specialists
concerned with all aspects of the collection, to
discuss the latest research results, innovative
display techniques and new conservation
methods.
The 2,000 objects from the Tutankhamun
collection already transferred to their new
home are in a good state of conservation.
Restoration work has been conducted on items
that required it at the GEM before the objects
were placed in storage to await the opening of
the Tutankhamun galleries in 2018.
What’s left to be dome, said Tawfîq, is the
most difficult part of the task since many of
the remaining objects need to be stabilised
before they can be moved. (Nevine El-Aref,
“Pharaoh on the move”, Al-Ahram Weekly, May
14, 2015. Voir également Ahmad Mansûr,
« Après la destruction de son siège et la
déformation de sa barbe, le GEM organise un
colloque sur Toutankhamon », al-Yawm al-Sâbi‘,
6 mai ; Nevine El-Aref, “International GEM
conference Sunday on handling Tutankhamun
collection”, Ahram Online, May 9).
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“This will help underline the role of the
GEM. It is not intended solely as a venue for
display but as a leading research institute and
conservation centre. I expect one of the
conference recommendations will be to
establish an international institute of
Tutankhamun studies at the GEM,” Tawfîq said.
The aim of a display concept for the
Tutankhamun treasures is to be innovative yet
inclusive, giving visitors relevant historical
background information and making use of
innovative digital educational tools.
“The basic display will follow the actual
layout of the tomb of Tutankhamun and will
explain the significance of the way objects were
placed there,” Tawfîq said.
Funerary customs, ideas of rebirth and
eternal life will be reflected alongside
information pertaining to the king’s identity,
lifestyle and continuing legacy. The latter will
include a space for Tutmania, offering visitors
souvenirs of the king and his belongings.
In addition, some of the gallery space will
showcase the results of the latest examinations
conducted on the mummy of the pharaoh,
including CT scans to determine his linage and
identify the cause of his death.
When Minister of Antiquities Mamdûh al-
Damâtî began his tenure in Prime Minister
Ibrâhîm Mihlib’s second cabinet last June, the
country’s archaeologists and heritage
professionals were encouraged. They felt that
his track record would allow him to manage
Egypt’s antiquities portfolio efficiently, being
familiar with the ministry’s different sections
and its many hidden doors. They also thought
al-Damâtî’s relative youth would stand him in
good stead.
Over the ten months since his appointment,
al-Damâtî’s mission has been to embody a new
vision and carry out an action plan to properly
preserve the country’s antiquities, upgrade the
skills of ministry staff and work to resume
archaeological projects that are now on hold.
However, his management style has not
pleased everyone, and there have been
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