Sunday 12 August 2012

Zahi Hawass to Return?

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An article in the Huffington Post which we all overlooked seems worth noting (Andrew Burmon, 'Golden Mummies: What Happened To The Indiana Jones Of Egypt?', Huffington Post 07/16/2012 - don't be put off by the cliche filled title).

Kate Phizackerley (on whose blog I found the link, thanks) thinks it important because 'Further Details of Museum Break-in Emerge'. For the record after going there, I too am sure there were two robberies, one an inside job (though I thought the other one was, perhaps we should allow the possibility that both were). I am saddened to learn from this text that the excellent world-class gift shop is no more. Is that true?

I think the text is far more interesting for another reason. It is useful because of the analysis of the events which followed the departure of Mubarak and the current status quo. The article suggest that Zahi Hawass may return to his former positions. Personally I think this is entirely possible, and even (for the reasons given in the article, and which I have said all along) whatever else one may say about the man, would benefit the state of the sites and monuments. Surely that is the most important thing at the moment. I also quite strongly suspect that Dr Hawass still has one other important card up his sleeve...

3 comments:

Thutmose said...

When I was at the museum in March, there was no gift shop at all. I made a point of looking up at the windows where the robbers were supposed to have entered, and there appeared to still be multiple windows missing up there. It looks to me like the stories that I have heard at least about the robberies don't seem to match what can be seen.

Thutmose said...

Oh, by the way, I was referring to the official stories about what happened not matching what could be seen.

Paul Barford said...

There are STILL missing windows? I believe they took down the fire-escape for good appearances. The one window which is not broken is above the smashed case in Room 42 - and if they'd replaced it after the alleged "break-in" why did they leave the rest?

No, the stories of the robbery make no sense at all in terms of the traces that could still be seen when I was there a year earlier (but then there still was a very nice gift shop). It seems to me that the Egyptian Museum is very slow to get their act together.

 
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