Since the days of the pharaohs, priceless artefacts from Egypt have been falling into the wrong hands.

But Zahi Hawass, head of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities, is on a mission to protect the relics of his country's storied past.

"I believe that the return of stolen artefacts is important not only to Egypt but also to everyone all over the world," Hawass said.

"These artefacts belong to everyone, and their return is of the utmost importance, because the past is important to our future."

Hawass wields strong influence over archaeological work in Egypt and over travelling exhibits of Egyptian objects that are ultimately in his charge.

Such clout — combined with a passionate and highly vocal presence — has aided his quest...

Egypt's Antiquities Chief Combines Passion, Clout to Protect Artefacts, Brian Handwerk, National Geographic News, District of Columbia, USA, October 24, 2006.

Twenty-five historical sites in the Mediterranean partner countries have been selected for restoration through the program. Chief among its aims is increasing contact between endangered heritage sites and international investors — public and private — interested in financing restoration and conservation in order to support a responsible public/private partnership for cultural heritage to achieve social development and preserve educational value.

Among the seven Egyptian sites selected for this program is the Villa Antoniadis in Alexandria including the restoration of antique furniture and objects of art. In old Cairo, the mausoleum of Yunes El-Dawadar in Bab Al-Wadaa (Gate of Farewell), which boasts the narrowest dome, has been long neglected. Hama Al-Tanbali, near Bab Al-Shariya, is also earmarked for restoration after being neglected over the years since its construction during the Ottoman period in the 18th century.

Also chosen for restoration is the Geographical Society, which dates back to Khedive Ismail’s efforts to modernize Egypt in the late 1800s. The khedive was well aware of the European exploration expeditions to discover the source of the Nile in the late 19th century, and subsequently the Geographical Society acted as a staging post for explorers who came to Africa. The society houses an extensive library, cartography collection, and geographical maps. The Euromed Heritage Program is also sponsoring a project to “revive the memory” of the Egyptian museum by digitizing glass negatives.

One of the more ambitious projects is rescuing the site of Qasr Ibrim (ancient Primis), which has been surrounded by the waters of Lake Nasser since 1967...

Egypt earmarks seven national landmarks for renovation, African News Dimension, South Africa, October 26, 2006.

Two days ago, Egyptian antiquities authorities revealed that after they caught ancient grave raiders red-handed, they were led to bigger and better things — ancient remains. The 4000-year-old tombs of three royal dentists belonging to the 5th Dynasty were protected by a curse in the Pharaonic era. They have never been opened in the past.

"The local robbers launched their dig one summer night two months ago but were apprehended," said Dr. Zahi Hawass, chief of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities. "Archaeologists were led to the tombs, one of which included an inscription warning that anyone who violated the sanctity of the grave would be eaten by a crocodile and a snake," Hawass added. The antiquities chief detailed the towering, painted profile of the chief dentist staring down at passers-by from the wall opposite the inscription.

The graves are located near the Step Pyramid of King Djoser [at Saqqara]...

Hawass claimed the first tomb that was discovered belonged to the priest Haw Nefer, who performed official duties at the funerary temple of King Pepi I of the VI Dynasty. The priest, his wife and thirteen children are depicted in bas-relief carvings, of which the colours are as bright as on the day they were applied on the temple walls. Twelve complete statues have been found near the tomb of Haw Nefer, representing the priest Khnum Hotep in various positions. The French team had worked on the south Sakkara site since September 2000 to map the area. Excavations southwest of Sakkara began in October 2002.

The last dig of October 2006, by the tomb robbers, was an inexpensive operation turned interesting discovery — by accident. The thieves, now thrown behind bars, will never get to see what lies beneath Sakkara's sacred ground.

Raiders of the lost ‘tomb’ lead authorities to Egyptian treasures, Hazel Heyer, TravelVideo.TV, Ontario, Canada, October 26, 2006.

Historians at the Linda Hall Library wanted to celebrate the library’s expansion in a big way.

So, they are preparing a display of giant books that describe Napoleon’s 1798 military invasion of Egypt that became better known as a scientific and cultural expedition. Napoleon, the emperor of France, took scientists, engineers and artists along with his soldiers.

The library, near the University of Missouri-Kansas City campus, has owned an original 23-volume set of illustrations and text since 1970 but has never publicly displayed the set because of lack of room, said Bruce Bradley, librarian for history of science at Linda Hall...

Napoleon’s days in Egypt inspire display, Kevin Murphy, The Kansas City Star, Missouri, USA, October 26, 2006.

Considered an extinct language, the Coptic language is believed to exist only in the liturgical language of the Coptic Church in Egypt. The ancient language that lost in prominence thanks largely to the Arab incursion into Egypt over 1300 years ago remains the spoken language of the church and only two families in Egypt.

Coptic is a combination of the ancient Egyptian languages Demotic, Hieroglyphic and Hieratic, and was the language used by the Ptolemaic rulers of Egypt following the spread of Greek culture throughout much of the Near East. In essence, it is the language of the ancient Egyptians themselves.

Mona Zaki is one of only a handful of people that continue to use the language in everyday conversation. She speaks a colloquial form of Coptic with her parents and a few relatives that dates back 2,000 years...

Coptic Language's Last Survivors, Joseph Mayton, The Daily Star, Egypt, December 10, 2005.

Egypt will witness the annual celebration of the perpendicular sun fall on the face of Pharaoh Ramses II statue in Abu Simbel Temple in Luxor on Sunday October 22 [2006].

"The celebrations will kick off with parades moving from Luxor's entrance to the Abu Simbel Temple," said Saber Sanad, the head of the Abu Simbel municipality.

"Presents will also be offered to tourists whose dates of birth or marriage coincide with the occasion," he added...

Abu Simbel to witness perpendicular sun fall on Ramses II's face, Egypt State Information Service, Egypt, October 21, 2006.

The World's Longest River?

In theory, yes. And staggeringly big it is, too. The Nile pips the Amazon to the post in world league tables, measuring some 6,695km (4,160 miles), as opposed to the South American river's 6,516km (4,049 miles). The valley covers more than five times the surface area of France. Of course, such statistics depend on where you actually deem this mighty African river to start. The measurement above is taken from the Kyaka river, a headstream in Burundi. However, opinions vary as to the exact source of the Nile; indeed the subject became something of an obsession for Victorian explorers.

Matters are somewhat complicated by the way the river begins as two substantial branches: the White Nile and the Blue Nile. The former is the longer (and arguably rises in Burundi), although the latter contributes substantially more water to the Nile proper into which it flows from Ethiopia. The White Nile turns a whiteish grey from clay suspended in its waters as it flows through southern Sudan, hence its name; the Blue Nile is so-called because it is purer and, well, bluer. These rivers merge near Khartoum in Sudan, and the Nile then continues northwards into Egypt, where its fertile flood plains have supported centuries of civilisation (indeed, the name Nile comes from the Greek nelios meaning "river valley").

At Egypt's wide Nile delta beyond Cairo, the river divides into a mass of waterways which drain into the Mediterranean, the principal two being the Rosetta and the Damietta...

The Complete Guide To: The Nile, Harriet O'Brien, The Belfast Telegraph, Northern Ireland, UK, October 24, 2006.

An important archaeological dig in southern Syria found evidence of extensive trade between ancient Egypt and Syria during the middle and old Bronze Age. An excavation team at Tel al-Dibbeh in Sweida, southern Syria, discovered clay pots with hieroglyphs used for burying children.

Most of the items date to the middle to old Bronze Age and show a link between Egypt and Syria during this period, most obvious in the use of Egyptian hieroglyphs.

Tell al-Dibbeh kept watch over trade routes from the second millennium B.C. until the Nabatean and Ghassanid ages.

At the time, Tel al-Dibbeh was an administrative unit on equal footing with Bosra in the south. It is believed that the archaeologists are uncovering what is an ancient temple.

Excavation work will continue at the Salkhad citadel and other sites near the city of Sweida. Sweida is one of Syria's most notorious archaeological sites in the southern part of the country.

New Archaeological Find Links Syria And Egypt, Joseph S. Mayton, All Headline News, Florida, USA, October 23, 2006.