A review of the first episode of the BBC's docudrama Egypt. The review doesn't read as being that positive but is not entirely negative either. Having been in Copenhagen at the weekend, I haven't seen it myself so cannot comment. I set the video on Friday, and even remembered to adjust for the British Summer Time change, so I hope I managed to video it correctly! I also videoed the Dan Cruikshank Egypt program that followed it on BBC2 and, ahem, Stargate SG1. So that gives me two-and-a-half hours worth of TV to find time to catch-up on.

Real pharaoh's curse is that we have to hear story again, The Scotsman, UK, October 31, 2005.

Amid displays about Antebellum Nashville and how the state Capitol was built, the Tennessee State Museum features a haunting exhibit: A 3,600-year-old Egyptian mummy.

Visitors strolling through the museum might find the mummy jarring, or at least out of place. Enclosed in a glass case, the mummy is unwrapped; the skin of his entire body is exposed. That skin appears leathery and taut against his skeleton. In a word, after being lulled by the heroic history of Daniel Boone and Andrew Jackson, it's downright scary.

And the mummy is here to stay, even if it has little to do with Tennessee history other than the fact it was brought here by a prominent Nashville resident in 1859 after he acquired it during a trip to Egypt...

He's no Tennessean, but state museum holds mummy dear, The Tennessean, Tennessee, USA, October 30, 2005.

by Zahi Hawass

On March 2, 1996, Mansour Boriak, my most experienced and trusted archaeological assistant burst in to my office, yelling "Doctor! Doctor! Ashry Shaker is here. Something important has been discovered in Bahariya Oasis! Mansour is a prankster and often tries to fool me. However, he kept insisting that there was exciting news from Bahariya. I refused to believe him until Ashry Shaker, the director for the Antiquities Department of the Oasis, came into my office.

Ashry informed me that an amazing tomb had been found.

The afternoon of March 1, guard, Abdel Maugoud, was working at the temple of Alexander the Great. While standing there, Maugoud noticed a donkey running with his lead rope in his mouth. This was unusual because donkeys don't run; they don't like the lead ropes, and they never voluntarily take them into their mouth.

Maugoud could not leave his post to chase the donkey. The donkey stopped about a mile away and then came back to the temple with the rope in his mouth. Finally, a replacement guard appeared and Maugoud took the donkey and started home.

The stubborn donkey refused to go and took Maugoud back out into the desert to the exact spot where he had ran away earlier. The donkey then dropped the rope near a hole in the ground. Maugoud dismounted and peered into the hole, and he saw gold shining deep within the sand.

Immediately, he ran off and told Ashry Shaker.

Ashry invested the hole and as he peered in he saw part of a mummy's face looking up at him. Even more surprising was that the face was shinning and appeared to be made of gold.

I drove to Bahariya a week after receiving the news. After preliminary work was done, we reburied the tombs to prevent tomb robbers from plundering the site, because there were no funds to launch a full-scale excavation. My first priory is always conservation and restoration.

In June 1999, when we were able to resume excavations, we announced this fantastic find.

Virtually overnight the Valley of the Golden Mummies attained international fame.

The first golden discovery, The Egyptian Gazette, Egypt, October 31, 2005.

By Hassan Sadallah

After its many problems last year, the Supreme Council for Antiquities (SCA) has started to develop the basement of the Egyptian Museum in the light of the anxiety about the artefacts that have gone missing from the basement.

The development project will cost LE12 million, after the committee registering the 600,000 or so artefacts has finished its work.

"There will be modern lighting, as well as new digital lockers for storing artefacts. We will also register all the data about these artefacts and their history.

"A file will be made for each antiquity. Each file will include the history of the artefact, the material which it is made from, its description, how and when it was discovered, the era it belongs to, its size, and who found it and where.

"In addition to this, the position of each antiquity in the basement will be registered and a photo of it will be enclosed in its file. The basement will also be prepared to allow archaeologists to do research on these antiquities.

"There will also be facilities for postgraduate students, as well a database of the basement's contents," says Dr Zahi Hawass, the SCA Secretary-General.

"We became concerned about the basement of the Egyptian Museum when a painting by Gay disappeared. It turned up after a committee was instructed to search for it.

"After that incident, we had to think about a project to protect the antiquities in the basement and get the utmost benefit from them, after finishing the registration of its contents, which started 18 months ago," Mahmoud Mabrouk, head of the Museums Sector explains.

Mabrouk stresses that there are two stages to the development project. "Firstly, it's necessary to make the basement more secure, as well as improving the lighting in all its halls, galleries and corridors.

"Secondly, a third of the basement area should be cleaned and vacated for the company, which we have hired for the development project," he says.

Mabrouk adds many of the artefacts in the basement have been gathering dust in boxes for over a century. These boxes haven't been opened since the Egyptian Museum was built.

They include statues, pieces of masonry, thousands of pieces of pottery from different ages, the skulls and skeletons of Nubian men, and wooden biers.

"There are boxes of antiquities that were confiscated by the Anti-smuggling Squad, affiliated to the Interior Ministry, which considers the Egyptian Museum as the only place that's safe and secure enough for storing antiquities.

"The contents of some of these boxes were confiscated by police more than 30 years ago, but we aren't allowed to open them as they have been sealed by the judicial authorities," Mabrouk declares.

"We also started to register all the artefacts displayed in the Museum 18 months ago, simultaneously with the basement project. The registration of the artefacts is being thoroughly and scientifically executed for the first time in every department.

"We are updating the descriptions on the displayed exhibits, giving more accurate information about the artefacts," says Wafaa el-Sedik, the general manager of the Egyptian Museum.

"We are also setting up a state-of-the-art database, using new techniques, that are used by the great international museums, in order to update the information on antiquities and to make it more interesting to read."

Into the basement of Egyptian Museum, The Egyptian Mail, Egypt, October 29, 2005.

By Hassan Saadallah

Two years of hard, serious and careful work and LE20 million have been lavished on the restoration of one of the most important palaces dating to the Mamelukes. This is Prince Taz Palace which was reopened last week by Mrs Suzanne Mubarak as part of the huge project for restoring Islamic Cairo. Mrs Mubarak has often supported such cultural projects.

The palace was built in the 14th century AD by the well-known Mameluke Prince, Seifuldin Abdullah Taz ben Katghaj.

The location of the palace was very carefully chosen, as it lies in the heart of Islamic Cairo, in the popular district of Khalifa. It's located in el-Siufia Street, off el-Saliba Street, which was one of the most important roads in Mameluke Cairo.

Egypt's Sultan at the time generously opened the palace after it was built, something which rarely happened.

Prince Taz, a prominent figure in Mameluke Egypt, is described in the history books as being brave, very generous and a patron of scientists.

He emerged in the reign of Mameluke Sultan Al-Saleh Ismail ben el-Nasser Mohammed (1343-1345 AD), who was succeeded by his brother al-Mozfer Haji.

During Haji's reign, Taz acquired much power and was very influential at the official level. Later on, he lost all influence and power, defying Sultan al-Nasser Hassan ben al-Nasser Mohammed (1347-1351).

He was caught and blinded, imprisoned in Alexandria, then moved to Damascus and, later on, to Jerusalem where he died in 1361.

It is said the location of the palace allowed it to be at the heart of political life in Egypt. It was used for some time in the 18th century as a residence of ousted Pasha rulers.

Over the decades, Taz Palace which had a large garden, with a fountain surrounded by halls, rooms, haramlek (halls where females only were allowed in) and stables, witnessed various events that took their toll on the building and its architecture.

The 14th century architecture of the palace has almost disappeared, after concrete ceilings were introduced, new walls were built and WCs added. The palace was also used for long years as a storage depot by the Ministry of Education.

As part of its ambitious plan for restoring Islamic Cairo, the Ministry of Culture retrieved Taz Palace from the Ministry of Education. Soon, the project to restore the old architecture of the palace was started. The project was divided into four stages, the first of which was the most urgent: shoring up leaning walls and mending the cracks.

The second stage included unearthing the palace's sewerage network, the tank that supplied the palace with water and a well over which there was a wheel that lifted the water to feed the animals kept there. The baths of the palace, laying to the east of haramlek, were almost worn out.

As for the third stage of restoration, it focused on strengthening the foundations and walls of the palace.

The fourth stage involved repairing the latticed woodwork and windows, while the pottery, glasswork and ornaments belonging to the palace were also restored.

Islamic Cairo enters the 21st century, The Egyptian Mail, Egypt, October 22, 2005.

By Demetre Kiayas

Anyone who wants to describe the history of Alexandria and its famous Library cannot dispense with recounting at least certain aspects of the life of a gifted individual who was Alexander the Great.

How it all started

Alexander was born in the first year of the 106th Olympiad corresponding to 356 before our era. At that time the years were counted according to the Olympiads (Olympic Games), starting from the first Olympiad in the year 776 before our era.

His father was Philip II, king of Macedonia, Northern Greece, and his mother Olympias, daughter of Neoptolemus, king of Epirus, northwest Greece. Alexander inherited his father's intelligence, countries and bravery and his mother's lack of sense of modesty. However, when as a teenager, his father appointed the 40-year old philosopher Aristotle to educate his son, Alexander, under the influence of his illustrious teacher, became more intellectual and an avid reader.

Alexander's reign

Alexander was barely 20 years when in 336 before our era, he succeeded his assassinated father. Alexander remained on the throne for 12 years until his own death. Before setting off to conquer Asia he went to Delphi wishing to have the support of the Delphic Oracle for the campaign he was preparing. Pythia, the Priestess, refused to deliver an oracle considering the day as one of ill omen. But the hot-tempered young Alexander would not take "no" as an answer. He entered the Temple and pulled the Priestess down from her tripod demanding an oracle. The Priestess was terrified and simply muttered:

"Alexander, you are invincible." This was enough for Alexander who immediately went out and announced the "oracle" to his army. Indeed, Alexander was never beaten in the dozens of battles he fought, an achievement never equalled until today.

Another event showing, this time, his boastful side and at the same time the magnanimity of his character was when he went to Corinth, in southern Greece, where he met the famous cynic philosopher Diogenes. It was a chilly day and the 80-year old philosopher was enjoying the warmth of the sun. Alexander stood in front of him and said he was ready to offer him anything he would desire. Diogenes replied: "Before you offer anything, please do not deprive me of something you cannot offer me" and added: "You are standing in my sunlight. move over a bit." Alexander was so much impressed by his reply that he said: "Had I not been Alexander, I would have liked to be Diogenes."

Alexandria and its library

Alexandria acquired immeasurable wealth and treasures and enjoyed a long era of prosperity, productivity and luxury.

When, after Alexander's death, his empire was dismembered by his Generals who became kings of a multitude of independent kingdoms, a strong rivalry commenced among them. Everyone wanted his kingdom to be the best, to excel in military strength and shine in culture. The most remarkable kingdoms were those of Seleukides in Syria, Attalides in Pergamus and above all the kingdom of Ptolemies in Egypt.

The first king of the Ptolemies dynasty was Ptolemy I, named Soter (323-284) who was succeeded by his son Ptolemy II, named Philadelphus (285-246).

There is contradictory information about the time of the foundation of the Library, but the majority of the historians tend to accept that it was founded during the reign of Ptolemy I, Soter. It was Demetrius of Phalerum, an Athenian politician and a prolific author, who inspired the king to establish "a big Centre of Scientific Researches".

The Centre became well-known under the name "Mouseion" (Museum). This word means a "Cult Centre for the worship of the Muses". The Muses were nine divinities who protected and encouraged the arts, sciences, literature and music. Demetrius of Phalerum also suggested to set up a universal Library affiliated to the "Mouseion". This idea was welcomed by Ptolemy I who wanted Alexandria to become not only the Capital of a strong Kingdom but also the cradle of new sciences and culture.

Initially only the "Mouseion" became famous attracting scientists and philosophers from all the parts of the world. It was the first State Research Centre for Theoretical and Applied Sciences that the world had known. It combined teaching and research and was imitated by the universities which came into existence during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. The achievements were tremendous. The list of those who taught or worked in the "Mouseion" is long but it is worth mentioning at least the name of Euclid, the father of Geometry, who wrote the first book on geometry around the year 300 before our era.

The Library was located near the "Mouseion", inside the royal quarters next to the port. Later on, when the number of the books (actually "rolls") increased considerably, a second Library was built in the south of the town quite far from the royal palace. This second Library was never mentioned as a separate Library until the 15th century of our era. Everybody used to speak and write about "The Big Library", "The Royal Library" or simply "The Libraries" (In this article "Library" means both of them).

At that time, the Library of Alexandria was not the only one. There were many libraries in various cities outside Egypt but the Library of Alexandria was the best organized and had the biggest number of books or "rolls". The reason of this immense success was the zealous efforts of the Ptolemies to collect the "books" which were "published" in every part of the world. At a certain moment the Library contained 532.800 "books" according to Tzetzes, a medieval author, who based this information on an ancient source.

Gallimacus, a contemporary historian, explained the main method of the "books" classification: Rhetoric, Law, Epic Poetry, Tragedy, Comedy, Lyric Poetry, History, Mathematics, Medicine, Natural Sciences and Various. Under each topic the authors were listed in alphabetical order and every name was followed by a short biography and a critical text of the author's writings. This system was followed by all subsequent libraries up to the Middle Ages. This is confirmed by the Arab "Al Fihrist" or Index of Ibn Al-Nadim of 10th century.

The establishment of the "Mouseion" and the Library rang in a new era for the mankind. Surely, in the domains of literature, theatre and philosophy, the peaks had already been attained and it was difficult to surpass them. But in other fields such as medicine, geometry, mathematics, physics, and geography impressive progress was made. It was at that time that the scientific research really commenced.

Access to the "Big Library" had only been for the members of the "Mouseion" and high Officers of the State. The second Library, much smaller than the main Library and known also as "Serapeum", was open for all.

The Scholars of the Library decided how to divide an Author's work into "books". Long "books" were parcelled out into shorter rolls and the lines were numbered. The length of each line was 16 or 17 syllables or 36 characters. The "rolls" were made of papyrus or parchment and put into cylindrical case which were kept on wooden shelves.

The Director of the Library was a royal appointment known as "Bibliothekarios" (Librarian). It was a very important position and this can be seen from the fact that the Director of the Library had to educate the children of the royal family.

It was the Library of Alexandria together with the "Mouseion" which developed the science of Scholarship, made the book a tool to advance research and documentation and above all reproduce and disseminate knowledge.

Unfortunately, the fantastic, almost mythical wealth of Alexandria, led to a softness and vulnerability that sapped people's morale. They became obsequious and fawned upon a new conqueror, the Romans.

The destruction of the library

The worst thing happened in the year 48 before our era. The Romans were fighting to conquer Alexandria in Cleopatra's reign. Julius Caesar set fire to the Egyptian fleet and the strong northerly winds spread the fire to the Great Palace, the nearby "Mouseion" and its legendary Library. Both were burnt to the ground. The loss for the mankind was indescribable.

However, the "books" in the second Library, the Serapeum, were saved. They were about 42.800 volumes but this number, plus the 200.000 "books" which the Roman Emperor Anthony transferred from Pergamus to Alexandria 7 years later, would never amend the losses of Alexandria Library.

The subsequent events, rebellions, wars, and new occupations destroyed what had remained thus closing the chapter of an illustrious human achievement.

Will the new Library resuscitate the Glory of its ancestor?

Alexander and Egypt

Alexander reached Egypt towards the end of 332. He sailed by boat to Memphis where he offered sacrifices to god Apis in the temple of Pytha and later to god Ammon. It is said that Alexander chose the location to build Alexandria following the "advice" of his spiritual mentor Homer. According to Plutarch, Homer appeared to Alexander in his dreams and recited the extract of "Odyssey" where king Menelaos searched for a refuge on the island of Pharos. Next day, Alexander visited the place near Canopus and he immediately decided to build a city. In December 332, Alexander laid the foundation stone of Alexandria. He was 24 years old. He also laid out the boundaries of the new city on the soil with his lance giving to the city the shape of the Greek military cloak (Chlamys). At the same time, he gave orders to Dinocrates, a planner of cities from Rhodos, to begin sitting the market, the city walls, and the sanctuaries of the Egyptian and Greek gods.

However, escape from destiny is no easy matter. Alexander was only 32 years and eight months when, Babylon in Mesopotamia, died on June 13, 323 before our era. The cause of his death was a high fever, the result of his indifference towards his own perishable flesh.

After his death, his huge empire broke up, thus proving once more that History is written by Leaders and not by the masses.

The beginning of the military campaign

In the spring of 334, Alexander, excellently trained in fighting and morale, at the head of 30,000 infantry, 5000 cavalry and one month's supplies, crossed the Hellespont landing on the Dardanian shore and rushed forward to conquer Asia. It will be too long to narrate details. Only two battles will be mentioned . Late October in 333 at the river Issus at Cilicia, defeated the Persians and opened the way to Syria and Egypt. Another decisive battle was at Gaugamela, in Assyria, where he crushed the main part pf the Persian army allowing him to reach India and Uzbekistan.

The military campaign lasted 10 years. He covered 120,000 kilometres and was severely wounded five times. He was welcomed as Liberator. In fact, he liberated enslaved peoples, and gave justice to the weak. With his indomitable energy he built more than 70 cities, 20 of which were named after him. The most famous was Alexandria in Egypt. He built roads, bridges, factories and harbours. He made the world a safer place allowing trade to flourish and giving it, for the first time in the History of the mankind, an international character. The highly erudite Professor Mostafa El-Abadi of Alexandria University says in his excellent book "Life and Destiny of the Ancient Library of Alexandria" (UNESCO edition 1990):

"The horizons of the human knowledge were enlarged as it happened later in the 15th century of our era by the discoveries of new countries and by the exploration of Space nowadays...One would feel a new spirit, a renaissance, of the human culture. It was in this spiritual atmosphere that the Library and the Museum were founded.

Bibliotheca Alexandrina revisited, The Egyptian Mail, Egypt, October 22, 2005.

BBC1's lavish docudrama Egypt, telling the story of the archaeologists who discovered Tutankhamun's tomb, launched strongly last night with 7 million viewers.

Egypt featured the first part of the story of archaeologist Howard Carter and his patron Lord Carnarvon, interwoven with the boy king's tale — all narrated by Andrew Sachs.

The docudrama attracted a 29% audience share between 9pm and 10pm on BBC1, according to unofficial overnights...

BBC's tomb raiders win ratings game, The Guardian, UK, October 31, 2005.

Apologies for the lack of posts recently, I've just got back from Copenhagen this morning — more on this later — and was quite busy last week so I'll attempt to catch-up on things.

Photos seized from a Swiss warehouse paint a story of global skulduggery, Rome prosecutor Paolo Ferri says. The thousands of Polaroids depict how Greek pottery and Roman statues looted from 2,000-year-old tombs in Italy made their way to the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

...

“The problem of Western museums is, they buy stolen artefacts,” says Hawass, 58, sporting an Indiana Jones-style hat that shades his forehead. “That is very bad.”

Hawass is battling looters at Saqqara, in the desert 12 miles (19 kilometres) south of Cairo...

Many of Saqqara's tombs are unexplored, making them prizes for archaeologists and looters alike...

Tomb-Robbing Trials Name Getty, Metropolitan, Princeton Museums, Bloomberg, USA, October 31, 2005.

Serene Assir travels through the Upper Egyptian governorate of Sohag to find that her understanding of the town was defied to its very core.

... Sohag is also, in and of itself, intensely beautiful, both in terms of its impressive, varied natural and historical scenery and in terms of the warmth, genuine hospitality, frankness and cultural integrity of its inhabitants, who genuinely wanted us to be there and to talk and write about their region when we returned home. Most Egyptian tourism websites and guidebooks catering to the global traveller tend to skip Sohag altogether, while the few that do include it only do so insofar as mentioning two or three of its historical sites, while failing to mention places to stay and less frequented and obvious sites of great artistic and cultural interest to anyone with a taste for beauty, politics, history or culture...

It's not what you think, Al-Ahram, Egypt, Issue No. 766, 27 October - 2 November 2005.

Traveller's notes, Al-Ahram, Egypt, Issue No. 766, 27 October - 2 November 2005.

This weekend sees the start of two new BBC TV series on Egyptology. The first, Egypt, has been getting quite a bit of press due to filming difficulties and budget overruns, whilst the second has snuck in without the slightest mention!

Egypt

Sun 30 Oct 2005, 9:00 pm - 10:00 pm 60mins

The Search for Tutankhamun

Part 1 of 6

Six-part dramatised documentary about the discovery of Ancient Egypt. Carter was an irascible Englishman who travelled to Egypt to work as a painter but soon became an archaeologist, being fascinated by Ancient Egypt and determined to make an important discovery. When evidence for Tutankhamun's tomb came to light, he became obsessed with finding it and after years of searching with his patron, Lord Carnarvon, eventually gazed at a sight not seen for thousands of years. Interwoven with Carter's adventure is the mysterious story of the boy king Tutankhamun who, aged eight, became king and married his sister.

And the second...

Egyptian Journeys with Dan Cruickshank

Sun 30 Oct 2005, 10:00 pm - 10:30 pm 30mins

First in a new six-part series in which Dan Cruickshank explores some of the most intriguing stories from Ancient Egypt.

In this programme, Dan visits the magnificent underground tombs in the Valley of the Kings in search of clues about the unsung heroes of this ancient world - the mysterious community of craftsmen who spent their lives building lavish burial chambers for the Pharaohs.

The tombs are wonderful feats of art and engineering and Dan finds a wealth of intriguing evidence about the lives of the supposedly anonymous people who built them. Given rare access to the most complex tomb of all - the 150-room necropolis built for the sons of Rameses II - Dan speculates on the skill of the men who designed and excavated this tomb thousands of years ago.

By Zahi Hawass

People say I live dangerously because they have seen my exciting adventures in many documentary films. They see me entering shafts and tombs, and also pyramids. In one section of a live show I did few years ago with FOX TV I entered one of the queens' pyramids located south of the Menkaure Pyramid at Giza.

The interior of this pyramid is unique. The width is about 20 to 30cm. and it slopes down about 20m. After that you reach the entrance of the burial chamber, which is secured by a granite door. Only about 15cm. lies between the bottom edge of the door and the ground.

I entered the pyramid on live TV with Suzie, a TV presenter. She was very slim and could easily enter the pyramid. She had a camera on her head so that the audience could see me. They had put the camera batteries on my back, and that made it much more difficult for me to move. I managed to enter the 20m opening and proceed down the shaft, but when I reached the entrance of the burial chamber and began to enter the 15cm shaft I got stuck...

Dig days: Adventures in the Step Pyramid, Al-Ahram, Egypt, Issue No. 766, 27 October - 2 November 2005.

Can the new antiquities law put an end to the antiquities trafficking business? Nevine El-Aref looks at the issues.

Grave robbing has thrived in Egypt from the days of the ancients. The tombs of royals and the elite were most at risk, since they contained great riches in the form of valuable funerary objects including gold jewellery and domestic objects inlaid with precious stones, alabaster and faience. Even the graves of the poor, however, were prey to robbery for the sake of the meagre offerings and adornments entombed with the deceased.

Despite the curse-invoking texts engraved on tomb walls, certain architectural steps taken to prevent theft, severe punishments and warnings that robbers would be judged by the gods in the afterlife, grave robbers continued to plunder tombs.

Robberies reached a peak in Roman times. Many ancient Egyptian monuments and other objects were smuggled from their original location to Europe, especially to Rome...

New law on the way, Al-Ahram, Egypt, Issue No. 766, 27 October - 2 November 2005.

Egyptian antiquities were often the price paid for building modern Egypt, writes Jill Kamil.

Muhammad Ali used antiquities as a diplomatic lever. His ambitious plan to modernise Egypt required foreign expertise, and sensitive as he was to Western fascination with the country's ancient monuments, he charmed professionals to Egypt by offering them a free hand to collect whatever they wished. It was no difficult task to gather beautiful objects in those days -- statues or parts of statues, painted reliefs from collapsed walls of tombs and temples lay all over the place, and the desert winds revealed burial grounds that could be dug up for mummies, sarcophagi and funerary objects.

This uncultured Albanian, who rose to powerful command in the Ottoman army in Egypt through sheer ability, had no interest in "blocks of stone". He assembled a small personal collection of antiquities, not because he appreciated them but in order to have a supply at hand to pay for foreign expertise or hand out bribes. He ordered one of his officials, Youssef Diya, to find a suitable location in which to store the treasures, and when they outgrew the space afforded them in a small building in Ezbekieh, they were transferred to a hall at the Citadel...

Treasures for the taking, Al-Ahram, Egypt, Issue No. 766, 27 October - 2 November 2005.

By Hassan Saadallah

An urgent project will start soon to preserve the el-Deir el-Bahari Temple of Queen Hatshepsut in Luxor, on the instructions of Minister of Culture Farouk Hosni.

The project will cost LE7 million[*], as part of a grant from the US Research Centre to preserve and develop the Valley of the Kings. The total grant is estimated at US$10 million[*].

Supreme Council for Antiquities Secretary-General Zahi Hawass said that the project includes providing the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut with close circuit cameras to monitor visitors inside the temple for security purposes.

He explained that visitors will only be allowed in through one entrance, which will be an electronic gate for checking visitors' personal belongings.

Hawass added that lighting round the temple will be upgraded to allow visitors entry at night, especially in the summer.

Upgrading Queen Hatshepsut's Temple, The Egyptian Gazette, Egypt, October 26, 2005.

Sherwood Baker and Evan Cornelissen hope a vegetarian crocodile can teach students about ancient Egypt.

Sherwood, 13, and Evan, 12, both seventh-graders at Memphis Junior High School, read their children's book, which had facts about Egypt woven throughout the story, Oct. 17 to groups of fourth-graders in Penny Samp's class at Memphis Elementary School.

"We gave it a twist," Evan said. "The other crocodiles make fun of him, and his friends tell him it doesn't matter what people think..."

On the Nile, Port Huron Times-Herald, Michigan, USA, October 26, 2005.

Tutankhamen, the Egyptian boy king whose tomb was opened in 1922, was buried along with pitchers filled with red wine, according to Spanish scientists.

Tests on three jars housed in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo and another three in the British Museum in London revealed traces of a compound found in red wine, said Maria Rosa Guasch-Jane, a member of a team of scientists from the University of Barcelona.

Egyptologists had previously been unable to determine what sort of wine was contained in the pitchers. Wine was a luxury drink in ancient Egypt and its production and consumption was often depicted in tomb paintings, Guasch-Jane said today...

I'm sure this is old news although it is all over the press?

Tutankhamen's Tomb Contained Pitchers of Red Wine, Study Finds, Bloomberg, UK, October 26, 2005.

The basement of the Egyptian Museum will be opened to visitors. Zahi Hawass, head of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, declared that a contract has been signed with a state-owned company to insure and reorganize the Egyptian Museum’s basement before making it accessible to visitors. The decision comes after several items from the basement storage area have been “lost” or stolen in the past year, to the embarrassment of those responsible.

Culture in brief: The basement of the Egyptian Museum will be opened to visitors, Cairo Magazine, Egypt, October 20, 2005.

Leila Elwi will act in an Egyptian-Swedish movie called Al Ahramat bi Laun Al Mafia (The Pyramids in Mafia Colours). The movie is about the destruction of historical monuments in Egypt.

Culture in brief: The Pyramids in Mafia Colors, Cairo Magazine, Egypt, October 20, 2005.

Aswan experienced one of the most flourishing days this week, when thousands of tourists gathered at the Rameses II Temple in Abu Simbel to follow up with the entrance of the sun rays into the temple and how they became perpendicular on the face statue of Rameses II, which is placed inside the temple. Tourists often gather to attend this occasion twice every year. The first time on February 22nd, which marks the birth anniversary of Rameses II; while the second time is on October 22nd, which marks the anniversary of his crowning.

The two dates are fixed every year and the sun is never late. It always rises and its rays move directly on the face of Rameses II alone, then it moves without being spotted on any other part of the temple or on any other statue inside the temple. It is actually an engineering miracle by all means, especially when it takes place in a temple that was carved in the rocks. It is really a miracle that reflects how the Egyptian creator was great.

Some people believe that the two dates refer to other things than the birthday and the crowning. They refer to the beginning of the summer and winter seasons, according to the Pharaonic calendar. Nevertheless, this would not change anything, as the sun still enters and spots on Rameses II's face on those two days only along the whole year.

Aswan this week hosted 5,000 tourists, who came specially to mark that unique astrological phenomenon, accomplished and created by the ancient Egyptians. Aswan actually is the main topic of our speech today.

Aswan did not take its right...

Aswan actually did not take its deserved right in the promotion witnessed by the Egyptian tourism industry along the past few years. It is by all means qualified to become an international tourist destination. It is a complete and independent tourist site that contains all types of tourism including entertainment, cure, fishing, safari and antiquities as well as river tourism. Aswan is very rich in its tourist product; yet it lacks the attention of its people, its cities, the travel companies and the Ministry of Tourism itself – how!! This is also the theme of our speech today. We have actually tackled this issue plenty of times before, but we will tackle it again and again until we give that region it due right.

Tourists head specifically for Aswan to enjoy the wonderful natural scenery and to enjoy its great atmosphere, or else to get cured from various diseases. They head to Aswan to enjoy the safari trips in its desert side by side with the deer. They head to Aswan to sail in boats in the Nasser Lake so as to enjoy fishing. They head to Aswan to enjoy its antiquities and to tour its temples in Abu Simbel, as well as view the Sound and Light show. They head to Aswan to enjoy the marvellous Nile cruise to Luxor. Some other tourists prefer to head afterwards to the Red Sea, specially to Marsa Alam, so as to get the entertainment and the rest on the Red Sea beaches, where they could enjoy diving and windsurfing.

Where is the role of travel companies?!

Aswan is an integrated tourist destination that should be promoted in this regard. This is exactly what the Egyptian travel companies do not do. Travel companies prefer the easier destinations as Sharm El Sheikh and Hurghada. They prefer the Red Sea in general, then Cairo, then the Nile cruise between Luxor and Aswan. The same things that we said about Aswan could apply to Luxor as well.

Where are the efforts that should be exerted by the travel companies in creating non-traditional programmes?! Where are the efforts of the people of Aswan and Aswan Governorate?! Aswan is in need of an intensified effort that should fill its empty hotels.

I believe the first thing we could do to promote Aswan is by creating numerous occasions on its land. We should also try to present that unique destination in all international events and exhibitions in London, Madrid, Milan, Berlin, Moscow and Dubai.

International conference

Why don't we consider holding an international conference in Aswan?! We could extend this invitation in the autumn of 2006 right before the start of Aswan's wonderful winter. We could extend the invitation to 100 top international travel companies, on the expenses of the Ministry of Tourism, so that the top 100 would get acquainted with Aswan. Such a conference, which I suggest could be held in the early September 2006 and should be prepared very well and should be held either before or after the Mediterranean Travel Fair (MTF). It means that there is still one whole year; which is enough to promote Aswan in the international events, including the preparation of brochures, videos and CDs.

The conference should cope with another conference that we – as journalists and travel writers of the three international, Mediterranean and Arab federations, should call for as a non-paid press campaign to promote that promising region.

I hereby call for a campaign that should be adopted by the Ministry of Tourism for creating a new and integrated tourist destination that we already have, but we waste it for nothing, although we want to enhance tourism, create thousands of new jobs and boost investments. Why don't we open the door to the south, exactly as we did when we opened the doors to the east of the Red Sea and Sinai and most recently to the north at the Egyptian Riviera on the Mediterranean?

Quick movement urged

Could we hope for a quick movement, starting now until we reach the organization of a tourism conference in Aswan in the early December 2006? Some might see it as a dream, but I find it a kind of determination. I am quite optimistic and I feel that everybody wants to move. I sense that the start should take part by the Ministry of Tourism and its Minister Ahmed El Maghraby and from the Egyptian Federation for Tourism associations and its Chairman Elhami El Zayat. El Gomhouria newspaper could also adopt the issue and collaborate to it, for the sake of quick movements towards the targeted goal.

Aswan - integrated tourist destination, The Egyptian Gazette, Egypt, October 24, 2005.

by Zahi Hawass

In 1987, I was appointed Director General of Giza, Saqqara, and Bahariya Oasis and set to work dealing with many problems facing these sites. I began setting up controls to collect fees from visitors and limited the number of people entering the pyramids. Furthermore, I fought off a ring road that would have run near Giza and threatened the monuments; and set up a site management plan that included excavation and preservation.

The last great Egyptian archaeologist Selim Hassan, the last to excavate Giza before I came, stated that the plateau held no more secrets and that everything had been found. But, the last fifteen years have proved him wrong and have made many important discoveries.

During the last few years, I have received national and global recognition for my work. The foreign press in Cairo gave me the Pride of Egypt Award, and Mansoura University, honoured me for my contributions to Egyptian society and the archaeological community worldwide.

In 2000, I received the Distinguished Scholar of the Year from the Association of the Egyptian-American Scholars, and was presented with the Silver Medal from the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences. Recently, I was chosen by the National Geographic Society as their eighth Explorer-in-Residence.

Two of the most important honours I have received are, the First Class Award for Art and Science, presented to me by President Hosni Mubarak in recognition of my achievement and conservation of the Great Sphinx. The other special award was given to me by my home village and held in the courtyard of my primary school. It was wonderful to see all the smiling faces of my family and friends and I could not keep back my tears.

The American Academy of Achievement awarded me a Golden Plate, placing me in the company of several Nobel Prize winners. Recently (2005), I was given an honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters from the American University in Cairo.

In 2002 I was promoted by Egypt's Minister of Culture, Farouk Hosni, to Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, the top antiquities job in Egypt.

Discoveries, recognition and promotion, The Egyptian Gazette, Egypt, October 24, 2005.