Egypt: Preserving the Past
Preserving Egypt’s Endangered Monuments
“No flash! Who flash?” was the exasperated cry of the temple keeper at Abu Simbel as he did what he must do dozens of times a day: chastise snap-happy tourists who, despite warnings, choose to help in the destruction the very monuments they’ve travelled thousands of miles to see.
Egypt had 6 million visitors in 2003. King Tut’s tomb alone received 5000 to 10,000 tourists…daily. With these sorts of numbers it has become imperative that visitors understand that every time they sneak a flash photo of a temple painting or pop a pebble from the Pyramids in their pockets, they are, at an ever-increasing rate, stripping Egypt of its heritage. Combine insensitive, over-tourism with pollution, urban sprawl, problems with funding and under-management of the sites, and its is easy to understand fears that Egypt’s monuments will not make it into the next century.
But not if Dr. Zahi Hawass, Egypt’s chief archaeologist, can help it. “If we disregard our duty to protect our monuments,” said Dr. Hawass, “they will be completely destroyed and the history will disappear within 50 years. We cannot allow this to happen.” As Director of the Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities, Dr. Hawass has introduced an extensive reorganization plan with the primary goal of preserving Egypt’s heritage for further generations.
He has begun a “Site Management” program for all monuments visited by tourists. Sites are being re-organised to created directed visits (to better control those who still think the Pyramids are for climbing), on-site museums and information centres to better inform visitors of the significance of what they are seeing and necessary practicalities, like parking lots and bathroom facilities. Programs are being implemented to better train guards and guides and to educate the public, both Egyptian and foreign. Admission prices, which are now ridiculously low, especially for western visitors (for instance, entrance into Philae is 20 Egyptian pounds or $4), will rise by 50% every year to help pay for preservation efforts. And particularly delicate sites such as tombs will be open on a rotation system, with certain tombs closing for a period of conservation and then reopening. At the moment, 10 of the 62 tombs in the Valley of the Kings in Luxor are open for visitors. Next year, 10 different ones will be open. Photography of tombs and wall reliefs (which are damaged by flash photography) is forbidden. The necessity of these measures was made clear when the tomb of Seti I, one of the finest and most visited in the Valley, recently began to crack. It is now closed indefinitely.
Some of Dr. Hawass’ ambitious plans have created a bit of controversy, such as his aim to have some of the many Egyptian artefacts found in Western museums returned to Egypt. Debates are ongoing over such items as the famous bust of Nefertiti in Berlin and the Rosetta Stone in London.
He is also revamping the entire museum system, re-organising old and creating new. Anyone who has walked through the wonderfully atmospheric, but cluttered and dusty halls of the Egyptian Museum in Cairo knows this is very necessary. Amazingly, according to Dr. Hawass, “the basement [of the Egyptian Museum] is filled with artefacts, some of which have been in storage for more than 80 years…The boxes were never opened, the objects were never examined, and no one has recorded or even registered the artefacts. How can this be?” (So for any budding Egyptologists out there, here’s your chance!) A few museums have already been reorganized - such as the excellent Nubian Museum in Aswan - and new ones have been begun - including a massive, US$500 million “Grand Museum of Egypt” at Giza, due to open in 2009. Some of the funds for these projects will hopefully be raised through a touring blockbuster exhibition of the treasures of King Tut, which is presently in Europe, and coming to the USA in June 2005.
The overall goal is the preservation of Egypt’s Pharaonic heritage. “All the rules and regulations that we are establishing, after long discussions, are for the benefit of the monuments,” said Dr. Hawass, “… [for] if we lose our past we will lose our future.”
For more information on Dr. Hawass’ projects visit his website (www.guardians.net/hawass) or that of the Supreme Council of Antiquities (www.sca.gov.eg).
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Written in Stone: Travellers’ Graffiti on Egypt’s Monuments
Etched into the calf of a statue of Ramses II at Abu Simbel are several very un-Egyptian names: “L. Santoni 1874,” “Lecaros 1875,” among others. Nearby on Nefertari’s thigh is “Hant. 1879.” A Mr. Cerruti even scrambled up and left “Cerruti 21 Feb 1845” on Ramses’ cheek. It is a surprise for the first time visitor to find Egypt’s greatest monuments covered with historic graffiti. Inscribed besides or sometimes over hieroglyphic cartouches and images of ancient gods and kings are found the names and dates of visitors from 6th-century BC Greek mercenaries to 19th-century tourists on a Thomas Cook tour.
The desire to add one’s own name to something so historic, perhaps with the idea that hundreds of years from now their name would be found by a future visitor, is a very human impulse. On the other hand, it could simply be described as vandalism. These scribbles have nevertheless become part of the layers of Egypt’s history, recording the generations of visitors drawn to Pharaonic wonders.
Egyptian tourism started early. “There is no country that possesses so many wonders, nor any that has such a number of works that defy description,” wrote Greek historian Herodotus about his own travels in 460-455BC (although he seems to be one of the few travellers who didn’t leave his name in stone). Europeans only “discovered” Egypt after Napoleon’s 1798 Egyptian campaign, which brought back details of the wonders of Ancient Egypt (and who also left their own mark, accidentally blowing off the Sphinx’s nose). Egyptomania gripped Europe, first in fashion and design and later, after the end of the Napoleonic Wars, Egypt became a popular destination for wealthy travellers and early Egyptologists. Their tales and images of Egypt were published and helped flame the passion for all things Egyptian. By 1869, Thomas Cook was leading package tours down the Nile and modern tourism was born.
Through time, many visitors have left their mark. At Abu Simbel, near the names of 19th-century tourists, 6th-century BC Greek mercenaries left graffiti that has provided important evidence of the early history of the Greek alphabet. At the Temple of Amada in Nubia there are etched pictures of camels made by medieval Bedouins. At Philae, Coptic Christians inserted crosses and holy symbols between images of Isis and Osiris. The initials of 19th-century European lovers can be found inscribed in the upper stones of the Giza pyramids.
Graffiti became a part of the experience of a visit to Egypt. 19th-century French travellers often recorded their emotions at reading the cartouche left by Napoleon’s soldiers in 1799 on in the Temple of Isis at Philae. They speak of removing their hats in respect, or reading the inscription aloud. One even records his irritation at dismissive comments by some English travellers. Clearly travellers weren’t just coming for ancient history but also for some sense of their connection to it.
Not all travellers thought so highly of these personal mementos. An Englishman named George Alexander Hoskins wrote of his annoyance at such “vandalism”; “I can easily suppose such travellers would write their names on the frescos of Raphael in the Vatican, if there were no custody to prevent them.” Although he himself was equally guilty; “With the thoughtlessness of a young traveller, I confess, on my first visit to the Nile, (1832-1833) I wrote my name on one of the colossal statues in the interior of Aboo Simbel, and was [later, upon reflection] greatly annoyed at what I had done…”.
“No flash! Who flash?” was the exasperated cry of the temple keeper at Abu Simbel as he did what he must do dozens of times a day: chastise snap-happy tourists who, despite warnings, choose to help in the destruction the very monuments they’ve travelled thousands of miles to see.
Egypt had 6 million visitors in 2003. King Tut’s tomb alone received 5000 to 10,000 tourists…daily. With these sorts of numbers it has become imperative that visitors understand that every time they sneak a flash photo of a temple painting or pop a pebble from the Pyramids in their pockets, they are, at an ever-increasing rate, stripping Egypt of its heritage. Combine insensitive, over-tourism with pollution, urban sprawl, problems with funding and under-management of the sites, and its is easy to understand fears that Egypt’s monuments will not make it into the next century.
But not if Dr. Zahi Hawass, Egypt’s chief archaeologist, can help it. “If we disregard our duty to protect our monuments,” said Dr. Hawass, “they will be completely destroyed and the history will disappear within 50 years. We cannot allow this to happen.” As Director of the Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities, Dr. Hawass has introduced an extensive reorganization plan with the primary goal of preserving Egypt’s heritage for further generations.
He has begun a “Site Management” program for all monuments visited by tourists. Sites are being re-organised to created directed visits (to better control those who still think the Pyramids are for climbing), on-site museums and information centres to better inform visitors of the significance of what they are seeing and necessary practicalities, like parking lots and bathroom facilities. Programs are being implemented to better train guards and guides and to educate the public, both Egyptian and foreign. Admission prices, which are now ridiculously low, especially for western visitors (for instance, entrance into Philae is 20 Egyptian pounds or $4), will rise by 50% every year to help pay for preservation efforts. And particularly delicate sites such as tombs will be open on a rotation system, with certain tombs closing for a period of conservation and then reopening. At the moment, 10 of the 62 tombs in the Valley of the Kings in Luxor are open for visitors. Next year, 10 different ones will be open. Photography of tombs and wall reliefs (which are damaged by flash photography) is forbidden. The necessity of these measures was made clear when the tomb of Seti I, one of the finest and most visited in the Valley, recently began to crack. It is now closed indefinitely.
Some of Dr. Hawass’ ambitious plans have created a bit of controversy, such as his aim to have some of the many Egyptian artefacts found in Western museums returned to Egypt. Debates are ongoing over such items as the famous bust of Nefertiti in Berlin and the Rosetta Stone in London.
He is also revamping the entire museum system, re-organising old and creating new. Anyone who has walked through the wonderfully atmospheric, but cluttered and dusty halls of the Egyptian Museum in Cairo knows this is very necessary. Amazingly, according to Dr. Hawass, “the basement [of the Egyptian Museum] is filled with artefacts, some of which have been in storage for more than 80 years…The boxes were never opened, the objects were never examined, and no one has recorded or even registered the artefacts. How can this be?” (So for any budding Egyptologists out there, here’s your chance!) A few museums have already been reorganized - such as the excellent Nubian Museum in Aswan - and new ones have been begun - including a massive, US$500 million “Grand Museum of Egypt” at Giza, due to open in 2009. Some of the funds for these projects will hopefully be raised through a touring blockbuster exhibition of the treasures of King Tut, which is presently in Europe, and coming to the USA in June 2005.
The overall goal is the preservation of Egypt’s Pharaonic heritage. “All the rules and regulations that we are establishing, after long discussions, are for the benefit of the monuments,” said Dr. Hawass, “… [for] if we lose our past we will lose our future.”
For more information on Dr. Hawass’ projects visit his website (www.guardians.net/hawass) or that of the Supreme Council of Antiquities (www.sca.gov.eg).
-----------------
Written in Stone: Travellers’ Graffiti on Egypt’s Monuments
Etched into the calf of a statue of Ramses II at Abu Simbel are several very un-Egyptian names: “L. Santoni 1874,” “Lecaros 1875,” among others. Nearby on Nefertari’s thigh is “Hant. 1879.” A Mr. Cerruti even scrambled up and left “Cerruti 21 Feb 1845” on Ramses’ cheek. It is a surprise for the first time visitor to find Egypt’s greatest monuments covered with historic graffiti. Inscribed besides or sometimes over hieroglyphic cartouches and images of ancient gods and kings are found the names and dates of visitors from 6th-century BC Greek mercenaries to 19th-century tourists on a Thomas Cook tour.
The desire to add one’s own name to something so historic, perhaps with the idea that hundreds of years from now their name would be found by a future visitor, is a very human impulse. On the other hand, it could simply be described as vandalism. These scribbles have nevertheless become part of the layers of Egypt’s history, recording the generations of visitors drawn to Pharaonic wonders.
Egyptian tourism started early. “There is no country that possesses so many wonders, nor any that has such a number of works that defy description,” wrote Greek historian Herodotus about his own travels in 460-455BC (although he seems to be one of the few travellers who didn’t leave his name in stone). Europeans only “discovered” Egypt after Napoleon’s 1798 Egyptian campaign, which brought back details of the wonders of Ancient Egypt (and who also left their own mark, accidentally blowing off the Sphinx’s nose). Egyptomania gripped Europe, first in fashion and design and later, after the end of the Napoleonic Wars, Egypt became a popular destination for wealthy travellers and early Egyptologists. Their tales and images of Egypt were published and helped flame the passion for all things Egyptian. By 1869, Thomas Cook was leading package tours down the Nile and modern tourism was born.
Through time, many visitors have left their mark. At Abu Simbel, near the names of 19th-century tourists, 6th-century BC Greek mercenaries left graffiti that has provided important evidence of the early history of the Greek alphabet. At the Temple of Amada in Nubia there are etched pictures of camels made by medieval Bedouins. At Philae, Coptic Christians inserted crosses and holy symbols between images of Isis and Osiris. The initials of 19th-century European lovers can be found inscribed in the upper stones of the Giza pyramids.
Graffiti became a part of the experience of a visit to Egypt. 19th-century French travellers often recorded their emotions at reading the cartouche left by Napoleon’s soldiers in 1799 on in the Temple of Isis at Philae. They speak of removing their hats in respect, or reading the inscription aloud. One even records his irritation at dismissive comments by some English travellers. Clearly travellers weren’t just coming for ancient history but also for some sense of their connection to it.
Not all travellers thought so highly of these personal mementos. An Englishman named George Alexander Hoskins wrote of his annoyance at such “vandalism”; “I can easily suppose such travellers would write their names on the frescos of Raphael in the Vatican, if there were no custody to prevent them.” Although he himself was equally guilty; “With the thoughtlessness of a young traveller, I confess, on my first visit to the Nile, (1832-1833) I wrote my name on one of the colossal statues in the interior of Aboo Simbel, and was [later, upon reflection] greatly annoyed at what I had done…”.
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