BIA

MAI 2015
“Photographic documentation needs to be
provided to assess the current state of the
objects, and a master plan to monitor, map,
treat, pack, transport and reinstall the objects
must start immediately,” he said.
To guarantee the best treatment of the
objects, Tawfîq said that scholars have
recommended that the Egyptian Museum
consider giving the documentation and
conservation teams the option to work after
opening hours.
Minor material samples from the objects
that are already detached and unrestorable will
be made available for analysis to promote
research and enrich the information available
about technology in the time of Tutankhamun,
he said. “This is one of the themes which will
be addressed in the new display,” he added.
He also suggested carrying out the
transportation in batches and making special
transport arrangements with experienced
international art handling companies for the
fragile pieces.
Museum in Tahrîr Square last week.
The exhibition, entitled “One God, Three
Religions,” covers the history of religious coexistence
from the earliest times to the present
day. Included is a collection of 48 artefacts
carefully chosen from five museums in Egypt,
including the Graeco-Roman Museum in
Alexandria, Islamic Museum, Alexandria National
Museum, Coptic Museum and Egyptian Museum
in Cairo.
al-Damâtî told the Weekly that the artefacts
highlight the principle of religious tolerance that
has characterised life in Egypt since the
earliest times, showing how in every era,
Egyptians of different faiths have believed in
living together in peace.
“This exhibition sends a very important
message to the world: that Ibrâhîm is the
father of all the prophets and a messenger of
the three religions. There is one God, even if
faiths, places and peoples are different,” al-
Damâtî said.
Once the GEM has opened, a special
exhibition space will be provided where visitors
will be informed about the progress of the
investigation and treatment of the objects. The
study room will be connected to the scientific
centre for Tutankhamun studies and all
information will be made available online.
Tawfîq said that the Tutankhamun galleries
will be finished gradually and each new
addition to the collection will be presented as
a special event at the GEM for national and
international audiences. “Additional plans for
museum education, as well as public relations,
will be established with their own working
groups,” Tawfîq said. (Nevine El-Aref, “Risky
moves?”, Al-Ahram Weekly, May 21, 2015. Voir
également MENA, « Une équipe égyptienne
participera à la restauration du masque de
Toutankhamon », al-Yawm al-Sâbi‘, 8 mai ;
Ahmad Mansûr, « al-Damâtî : inauguration
partielle du GEM en 2018 », al-Yawm al-Sâbi‘,
10 mai).
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Minister of Antiquities Mamdûh al-Damâtî
and representatives from al-Azhar and the
Coptic Church opened a three-month exhibition
on religious tolerance in Egypt at the Egyptian
Painted relief depicting Jesus
Ilhâm Salâh, head of the Museums
Department at the ministry, said the exhibition
is a message to the nation to stand together
against attempts to damage Arab identity and
harm the Arab cultural and ethnic heritage.
All the objects in the exhibition show the
relationship between the three religions of
Judaism, Christianity and Islam through specific
topics, among them architectural and
decorative elements, symbols and religious
texts, showing the strong connections between
the three religions.
The director-general of the Egyptian
Museum, Mahmûd al-Halwagî, said that among
the most important artefacts on display are
reliefs depicting Ibrâhîm, the father of all the
prophets, and those showing religious tolerance
BIA LI — Janvier/Juin 2015 136