Minister of Culture Farouk Hosni said on Monday that Egypt paid no heed to the New Seven Wonders of the World list, which removed the Giza Pyramids and gave them an honorary status.

Hosni said Egypt had rejected the new list and its choices, noting that UNESCO had backed Egypt's stance. He further said that the matter of choosing the seven wonders should be the responsibility of top architects and astrologists not amateurs.

He added that his personal opinion on the pyramids is the same as that of every fonder of the Egyptian monuments. He said he received a letter from the founder of the so-called New Seven Wonders of the World Society in which he said an online competition had removed the Giza Pyramids from the list of modern-age wonders.

The Minister said the society's contest is profit-seeking and has nothing to do with culture...

Egypt pays no heed to list of New Seven Wonders of the World, Egypt State Information Service, Egypt, May 08, 2007.

The Upper Egyptian city of Luxor was ranked second on a list of the Muslim world's most civilized and picturesque Islamic cities that have unique architecture.

Chairman of Luxor Supreme Council Samir Farag will collect an award at a ceremony in the Turkish capital Ankara on June 20 [2007]...

Luxor ranked second on most civilized, picturesque Islamic cities, Egypt State Information Service, Egypt, May 08, 2007.

Farouk Hosni, Minister of Culture agreed on implementing an integrated project for providing the show halls in the Egyptian Museum with transparent filters. This is to protect the monuments from the damages resulting from light and sun ray for the first time in Egypt. The project is expected to be implemented all over Egypt's museums as well.

Dr. Zahi Hawass, Secretary General of the Supreme Council for Antiquities said that the project aims to protect more than 70, 000 monuments including the Royal Mummies, Tutankhamun's collection and jewellery halls in the museum.

Transparent filters to protect monuments, Egypt State Information Service, Egypt, May 02, 2007.

The 58th ARCE meeting in Toledo on April 20-22nd was quite eventful with yours truly giving a lecture entitled “Valley of the Kings Tomb KV-63”, Earl Ertman lecturing on “Use of the Eye with Descending Canthi” and Dr. giving the Keynote Address.

In attendance from our KV-63 / KV-10 staff: Archie Chubb, Earl Ertman, Betty Schneider, Elaine Taylor, Bill Wilson, Roxanne Wilson, and myself along with consultant .

Readers will note that there is now New Donor Information under the ‘Contributions’ Tab. Bill and Nancy Petty have graciously offered to use their 501K resources to administer KV-63 & KV-10 donation funds.

Soon ... we will have some very exciting news regarding our 2007 Season and impending events.

Otto's Dig Diary, Dr. Otto Schaden, Amenmesse Project, University of Memphis, Tennessee, April 30, 2007.

The international committee established to choose the Seven Wonders of the World chose Pyramids to be on the top of old and modern wonders. In a letter which Minister of Culture Farouk Hosni received yesterday May 6, 2007, Bernar Veber, Chief of the committee entitled to choose the new seven wonders said the international committee which includes world experts chose Giza Pyramids to be on the top of the wonders given that it is the only wonder left after the disappearance of the other six. The choice of the committee confirms that Pyramids are the most important wonder all the time.

Pyramids top modern and ancient wonders of the world, Egypt State Information Service, Egypt, May 07, 2007.

Egyptian archaeologists have uncovered a 2200-year old port in the Red Sea city of Dahab, the Culture Ministry announced on Friday 04/05/2007.

The findings, located 140 kilometres [87 miles] from Taba, include a space of about 38 metres long and 40 metres wide, the Ministry said.

At another section of the port, archaeologists found what looks to have been 24 storage rooms, it added.

Further digging will be carried out to better identify the monument, the Ministry said.

Important archaeological find in southern Sinai, Egypt State Information Service, Egypt, May 05, 2007.

Minister of Culture, Farouk Hosni, delivered a message to Head of UNESCO, Koïchiro Matsuura, on the propaganda made to the selection of new world wonders.

In the message, Hosni said that as the world witnesses the beginning of the new millennium, an international committee must be formed to prepare the list of world wonders whether in old or modern world. The committee should include at least 300 prominent figures of world scientists, intellectuals and writers.

Culture Minister asks UNESCO to form a committee for preparing a list of world wonders, Egypt State Information Service, Egypt, May 05, 2007.

An archaeological team from Belgium, working in the Upper Egyptian town of Kom Ombo, near Aswan, have unearthed three stones engraved with inscriptions 15,000 years ago.

"There are engravings of cows, hippopotami, giraffes and fish on the stones, as well as other symbolic and abstract inscriptions," said Culture Minister Farouk Hosni.

He said the artistry of the stones differs from that normally found in the Stone Age.

Pilot studies showed that the stones were subject to adverse weather conditions over the passage of time.

Despite being heavily engraved with inscriptions, the three stones reflect a unique artistic school differing from the Stone Age.

Prehistoric stones unearthed in Aswan, Egypt State Information Service, Egypt, May 04, 2007.