BIA

MARS 2015
Tahrîr Square to the planned Grand Egyptian
Museum (GEM) overlooking Gîza plateau.
Almost two months ago news broke about
the flawed restoration work on Tutankhamun’s
golden mask at the Egyptian museum. It was
reported that three other artifacts of
Tutankhamun’s collection were also damaged
during their transportation. These objects,
according to reports, are the top of the
sarcophagus, a round offering table, and a
marble vessel. The reports also accused the
Ministry of Antiquities of negligence.
“What has been published in newspapers
are unfounded claims,” GEM’s director general
Târiq Tawfîq told Ahram Online. He continued
to say that the objects that were transported
to the GEM were not broken and do not even
belong to the boy king’s funerary collection,
despite photos in the media which suggest this
to be the case. “They are non-royal objects
from the Old and Middle Kingdoms discovered
in Dahshûr necropolis and were dismantled at
the Egyptian Museum in Tahrîr, and not broken
as claimed,” confirmed Tawfîq. The objects
which were identified in the media as
Tutankhamun’s chair, he asserted, is instead a
non-royal table from the Middle Kingdom. The
sarcophagus, the vessel and the offering table
have been in two pieces since they were
discovered last century and were not broken
during transportation.
‘Îsa Zaydân, the head of restoration at the
GEM, told Ahram Online that what was thought
to be a sarcophagus, was in fact an Old
Kingdom alabaster plaque that was discovered
last century in two pieces. All the newly
transported objects, Zaydân continued, are safe
and none of them were broken. They came to
the museum in their current condition and were
subjected to normal restoration procedures like
any other transported objects.
An archaeologist at the GEM, who spoke to
Ahram Online on condition of anonymity, said
that the person behind the publishing of the
false news is a former restorer at the GEM. The
administration terminated his contract and
transferred him to his original job as a restorer
in the al-Manyal Palace restoration department.
The official said that the former restorer at the
GEM made up the rumours as revenge for his
demotion. (Nevine El-Aref, “Tutankhamun’s chair
is ‘safe and sound’, says museum official”,
Ahram Online, March 26, 2015. Voir également
Ahmad Mansûr, « Grosse catastrophe : 4
pièces antiques dont le siège de Toutankhamon
brisées au cours de leur transfert vers le
GEM », al-Yawm al-Sâbi‘, 27 mars ; ‘Alâ’ al-Dîn
al-Zâhir, « Un haut responsable du GEM nie la
détérioration du siège de Toutankhamon lors
de son transfert », Ruz al-Yûsuf, 27 mars ;
Dînâ ‘Abd al-‘Alîm, « Les caméras d’al-Masrî al-
Yawm confirment que le siège de
Toutankhamon est en bon état », al-Yawm al-
Sâbi‘, 28 mars ; Nada al-Khûlî, « Les directeurs
du Musée Égyptien et du GEM nient la
détérioration de toutes pièces antiques lors de
leur transfert », al-Shurûq, 29 mars ; Radwa
Hâshim, « Le superviseur du GEM : la
détérioration du siège de Toutankhamon lors
de son transfert est mensongère », al-Watan,
29 mars ; Fâdî Francis, « Le directeur du
Musée Égyptien : le siège de Toutankhamon est
intact », al-Masrî al-Yawm, 30 mars ; Ahmad
Mansûr, « al-Damâtî tente de réparer le siège
de Toutankhamon avant de le présenter aux
journalistes », al-Yawm al-Sâbi‘, 9 avril).
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Senebkay’s tomb
The Pharaoh Senebkay was one of the first
kings of the 13 th Dynasty, known as the “lost
BIA LI — Janvier/Juin 2015 69