Egypt Protests Sees Cairo Museum Looted as Artefacts and Mummies Are Damaged
As the protests in Egypt gained momentum over the weekend, reports came out that the ruling National Democratic Party headquarters were ablaze, a building which is next door to the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, where looters damaged several priceless artefacts and mummies, including contents of King Tutankhamun's Tomb.
When a curfew was declared at 6pm in Cairo, all but three police officers abandoned their posts at the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir Square, the heart of the capital where protesters are focussing their anger against President Hosni Mubarak.
Like many famous Egyptian attractions such as the Pyramids of Giza, the Egyptian Museum had been closed all day because of the violent demonstrations, but as the Director of the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities Dr Zahi Hawass explained, once the police had left their positions guarding the museum, “people began to enter the museum”. Bound indoors by the strict curfew, Dr Hawass spent the night at his home fretting about the fate of his nation's treasures.
“Of course I was worried”, he said. “I have been protecting antiquities all my life. I felt if the Cairo museum is robbed, Egypt will never be able to get up again.” Dr Hawass shared his love for the artefacts in the Egyptian Museum in a video with Heritage Key (Watch the video).
It was only by sheer luck that the looters who climbed over the walls and forced their way via a skylight into one of the world's greatest museums did not realise that they were, in fact, raiding the gift shop.
Though looters also ransacked the ticket office, ten of the intruders forced access into the museum itself. “They were looking for gold,” Dr Hawass told TIME magazine, but not finding what they were looking for in the museum's vast expanses, they instead damaged priceless artefacts in 13 glass display cases, as well as a statues of King Tutankhamun on a Panther and King Tut hunting a Hippopotamus in the King Tut gallery. Also, as indentified on the Eloquent Peasant, one of King Tut's golden fans was spotted damaged. King Tutankhamun's tomb is famous for being the only intact tomb found in the Valley of the Kings (Watch the Video). Al-Jazeera, who have now been banned from reporting within Egypt, broadcasted video footage of some of the destruction in the Cairo Museum.
Though not officially identified, one of the damaged mummies briefly shown in the Al-Jazeera footage shot inside the museum appears to be of the Mummy of Queen Tuya.
Reports began to break on Twitter on Saturday evening that hundreds of protesters outside the museum had linked arms together to form a human barrier around the building until the military arrived at 10pm to take over security duties. One man pleaded outside the museum gates to people, shouting “We are not like Baghdad”, referencing the raiding of the National Museum in Baghdad as the 2003 invasion of Iraq began.
The alleged looters who broke into the museum were apprehended and caught with two mummy skulls and a statue of Isis. Crowds chanted “Thief, Thief!” as troops hit a man with the butt of their rifles and then sat him down with others apparently caught inside. Dr Hawass insisted nothing was missing from the museum though about 100 artefacts had been damaged, adding that “They're easy to restore”.
The Former Director of the Egyptian Museum, Wafaa el-Saddik told German newspaper Die Zeit that some of the looters were the museum's own guards, who she blamed their low wages to account for their actions.
"I have been protecting antiquities all my life. I felt if the Cairo museum is robbed, Egypt will never be able to get up again."
Dr Hawass paid tribute to the citizens who took stand in Tahrir Square to protect the Cairo Museum and its many treasures, saying "They stood beside me. They know this museum is their cultural heritage...Thank God, we are protecting the sites".
However, not all museums across Egypt were as lucky as the Cairo Museum. The Memphis Museum had been completely robbed on Saturday morning, as well as heavy looting reported across Saqqara. The storage of the Port Said Museum was raided by a large armed group, raiding boxes of their priceless artefacts. Additionally, the stores at Abusir were also looted.
Other groups attempted to enter the Coptic Museum, the National Museum of Alexandria and the El Manial Museum. An attempt to raid the Royal Jewellery Museum proved fruitless as foresighted museum staff moved all of the objects into the sealed basement before leaving. El-Saddik also noted that none of the museums in Egypt are insured.
Video: Al-Jazeera's Report on Looting in the Cairo Museum, Egypt.
Security of key cultural points across Egypt has now been taken over by the military, who are safeguarding Egypt's history. Summarising the situation, Dr Hawass told reporters "My heart is broken and my blood is boiling. I feel that everything I have done in the last nine years has been destroyed in one day."
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hello this is a real interesting article on forgeries
excellent article !
Museum looks really great.
ediscovery
There are really lots of secrets in Egypt. I'm sure this is going to cost millions in auction.
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That's one scary mummy. Thanks for letting us know this. I find it really informational.
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Focus on
King Tut –
Stonehenge
Terracotta Warriors
Pyramids –
Archaeology
Britain –
China –
Egypt
Greece –
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Heritage Key Words
ancient london, british museum, roman, art, zahi hawass, london, ancient egypt, religion, burial, valley of the kings
Next major 'ancient' exhibition in London:
Journey Through the Afterlife: The Ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead
at the British Museum
November 2010 - March 2011
(learn more)
Comments
An update from AP says about 50 people are detained, with snipers posted on the roof of the Cairo Museum, as well as patrols inside to protect it from further looting. Also, soldiers guarding Karnak temple.
This has to stop! Dont the people of egypt realise that wanten destruction like this will perminately dammage their tourism. These priceless artifacts are irreplaceable. SORT IT OUT PEOPLE :( sorry to shout but what sort of mind set can these people have to justify this sort of vandalism? Siurely the army should be securing the museum?
This orchestrated (by the World Banks and Corporatocracy) uprising is getting people killed ~ it would be better for these concerned and oppressed people to organize a peaceful sit-down ~ the sheer size of the many millions there could easily prevent the police and military from removing them without great expense and troubles ~ peacefully bringing about the desired change as Mahatma Ghandi showed as an example of the Peaceful Warrior ~
Mahatma Gandhi: Satyagraha
http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=414140786882
What arousal do these looters gain from the destruction of precious artifacts from their own culture...? This is just as subversive as extorting Canadians at the airport. Protesters should not advocate democracy while displaying such pervasive behavior. It totally makes their purpose unjustifiable.
HM, do keep in mind that this is only a minority, a VERY small percentage... all the other on the street did not want to damage anything, and many even tried to protect the museum and its contents?
Hi
Tried to post this many times but the servers are busy for obvius reasons
Its so important (as this escalates) that the normal people on the street understand that this is truly of paramount importance. Egypt’s ancient history makes up most of the tourism revenue.. this pans out as more than 12.8 million tourists visited in 2008, providing revenues of nearly $11 billion. The sector employs about 12 percent of Egypt's workforce. This is down to the history and artefacts .. If the people manage to destroy these treasures .. (even by accident) it will forever affect the future income of the country.. The clashes on the streets with so called supporters of the current régime are provocative.. mostly police.. this is being driven.. its escalating on purpose.. and so does the risk of permanent damage to priceless irreplaceable artefacts..
I appreciate the people who are trying to protect the cairo museum. Maybe when they are done with this protesting they will realize just what they have done to these artifacts, and realize this is their heritage they are destroying. I pray people do not go to the Valley of the Kings and attack the tombs directly.
I want to cry at the images of the Tut statues being broken. I hope people continue to guard and protect these things.
This really is serious because these artefacts belong to mankind as a whole not just Egypt. This is where the army should step in.
Chris
Absolutely Chris where are the army? I have reports today from a friend in Alexandria that some army officers have been offerinmg very specific items on the black market. I am trying to get a list now. This would mean that Cairo's Egyptian Museum has been looted (not reported on the news) as soon as i am told whats supposidly on offer i will post it hear.. this would be big news if the army are selling the countrys heritage throuygh the back door for person gain.. i am shocked and sickend :(
"The west does not understand that one of the greatest antiquity collections on Earth is in danger" .. it may already bee to late
update: Dr Hawass states no royal mummies were harmed, and restoration works on Tut's artefacts have started
i´d like to receive your news. Jorge Dulitzky, egyptologist, Argentina
I really don't understand what people can possibly gain by destroying something. What's worse, something that's THEIRS! Come on, that's really stupid! If the looters wanted to sell everything, I'd understand that. But not this...they are doing more damage to their country and to them than to anyone else.
Perhaps this tragic episode will strengthen the idea that antiquities kept in Museums around the world should stay where they are. I wonder if a government dominated or significantly influenced by the Islamic Brotherhood will a lot money diverted to maintaining preislamic antiquities and archeological sites. For staunch and militant muslims anything before Islam is not important. Look at Saudi Arabia and how the government there tells archaeologists to keep quiet about pre-islamic sites. It is best the Egyptian request for the return of the Bust of Queen Nefertiti be scrapped and Zahi Hawass should altogether forget about asking the British Museum to return the Rosetta Stone, which go back to being used a grindstone which originally was.
Io sono Italiana,ma amo l'Egitto e la sua storia.Spero che qualcuno mi capisca,che capisca la mia lingua xchè non conosco bene l'inglese e preferisco scrivere in Italiano.Volevo solo dire che il mio cuore sanguina nel vedere il tesoro egiziano messo in pericolo,se potessi andare la,mi metterei davanti al museo e lo difenderei con la mia vita.Non posso pensare che sia in pericolo,che tutto quello che c'è dentro....anni e anni di scoperte e studi,vengano distrutti in un attimo,non riesco a farmene una ragione.Ti amo Egitto e ti amerò per sempre.Antonella.
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