New discoveries to be announced soon: Antiquities Minister

Minister of Antiquities Khaled Al-Anany announced that the next period will witness substantial discoveries and openings.

In his first statement since being reinstated in Mustafa Madbouly’s government, Anany told press that the new government is very keen on revolutionizing historical areas and providing the correct advertising for them abroad, to show Egypt as a safe and attractive country to the world.

He added that several important historical sites will be opened or partially opened by the end of the year including: The Baron’s Palace, Mohamed Ali Palace and Al-Kebash Road. Anany also announced the engineering plan for renovating the Pyramids area will be done by July, except for cables. As for the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) logo he admitted: “I am not totally satisfied with the current logo. However, this is only a temporary logo to announced the opening of the first phase. On the other hand, why didn’t anyone notice that all except two museums in Egypt have no logos to begin with?” The minister then announced that a series of international competitions will be launched to design logos for all the museums.

Back to GEM, the minister declared that the museum’s first phase will be over by the end of 2018. The museum will receive its first display window, which is being transported from Germany, within the next few days,he added. He also announced that President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi ordered the museum to be funded directly through the state budget, giving it a LE100 million/month budget.

Finally, Anany announced that Egypt is about to construct its first antique reproduction factory, with a LE one million budget, to cover productions to be sold locally and internationally. All samples will have the Supreme Council of Antiquities’ stamp.

Minister of Tourism Rania Al-Mashat announced that the number of tourists visiting Egypt has jumped by 30 percent during the first quarter of 2018 compared to last year. But Egypt is still on its way to fully revive its toruism. The country has also taken steps to try and advertise itself abroad, Most notably by inviting soccer superstars Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo to visit Egypt in 2017, as well as Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema in 2018.

The idea to establish GEM began in the late 1990s, when Al-Minya’s former Governor Hassan Hemeida chose 25 feddans (area units) for construction, while the museum is German-designed the logistical planning was done by Egyptians.

The first and second phases of the museum cost LE 130 million, but the building was paused after the January 25 revolution in 2011, and resumed after President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi came into presidency in 2014.It is expected to be the world’s largest museum upon completion.