Egypt’s museums must be defended | Jonathan Jones
Attacks on Cairo museums remind us that whatever happens in Egypt now, the key to its future lies in respecting its past In such tumultuous days for modern Egypt , does it matter what happens to the legacy of ancient Egypt? The answer surely has to be yes. There is no defence for the criminal acts of whoever damaged artefacts in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo , nor should it be seen as somehow detracting from the democratic cause to stress the world importance of these relics. I will confine myself to pointing out why this museum matters so much. This central Cairo museum houses the greatest collection of ancient Egyptian art and antiquities in the world. This is something of a miracle, given that from the time of Napoleon onwards Europeans tried to get hold of as much Egyptian treasure as possible. Colossal statues were dragged on to ships, mummy cases became must-have curios. The reason so many great objects stayed in Egypt is that idealists fought to keep them in the country – and modern Egypt maintains its heritage supremely well. An attack on the Cairo collection is therefore an attack on today’s Egypt, as well as that of Rameses the Great. The museum in Cairo holds innumerable masterpieces including the death mask and tomb treasures of Tutankhamun , the mannerist experimental art of the age of Akhenaten , and many profoundly moving sculpted portraits, wall paintings, and mummies. According to reports, two mummies have been ruined. The worrying question is which mummies, for at the heart of this museum is a collection of resin-coated bodies removed from the tombs in the Valley of the Kings. These are, as they say in Sicily, excellent cadavers – the mummies of some of ancient Egypt’s greatest rulers. In a fuller – and very personal – account that Egypt’s great archaeologist Zahi Hawass posted on his website yesterday, he says the 10 looters even damaged one of the fabulous objects from Tutankhamun’s tomb. He also says he has had worrying reports from other sites, but also that young archaeologists and others are volunteering to give their lives to protect their country’s unrivalled heritage of beauty and history. But the fact is that nothing in the Egyptian Museum is ordinary or dull. It is one of the most magical collections on Earth. No damage to its collections can be considered slight, or dismissed as trivial – even when compared with the great events happening outside. Whatever happens in Egypt now, the precious human inheritance of its ancient past must be defended. Rationalise the destruction of history and you will be amazed at what you rationalise next. Museums Egypt Middle East Protest Jonathan Jones guardian.co.uk
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on January 31, 2011. Filed under News, Politics, World News.
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Egypt’s museums must be defended | Jonathan Jones
Attacks on Cairo museums remind us that whatever happens in Egypt now, the key to its future lies in respecting its past In such tumultuous days for modern Egypt , does it matter what happens to the legacy of ancient Egypt? The answer surely has to be yes. There is no defence for the criminal acts of whoever damaged artefacts in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo , nor should it be seen as somehow detracting from the democratic cause to stress the world importance of these relics. I will confine myself to pointing out why this museum matters so much. This central Cairo museum houses the greatest collection of ancient Egyptian art and antiquities in the world. This is something of a miracle, given that from the time of Napoleon onwards Europeans tried to get hold of as much Egyptian treasure as possible. Colossal statues were dragged on to ships, mummy cases became must-have curios. The reason so many great objects stayed in Egypt is that idealists fought to keep them in the country – and modern Egypt maintains its heritage supremely well. An attack on the Cairo collection is therefore an attack on today’s Egypt, as well as that of Rameses the Great. The museum in Cairo holds innumerable masterpieces including the death mask and tomb treasures of Tutankhamun , the mannerist experimental art of the age of Akhenaten , and many profoundly moving sculpted portraits, wall paintings, and mummies. According to reports, two mummies have been ruined. The worrying question is which mummies, for at the heart of this museum is a collection of resin-coated bodies removed from the tombs in the Valley of the Kings. These are, as they say in Sicily, excellent cadavers – the mummies of some of ancient Egypt’s greatest rulers. In a fuller – and very personal – account that Egypt’s great archaeologist Zahi Hawass posted on his website yesterday, he says the 10 looters even damaged one of the fabulous objects from Tutankhamun’s tomb. He also says he has had worrying reports from other sites, but also that young archaeologists and others are volunteering to give their lives to protect their country’s unrivalled heritage of beauty and history. But the fact is that nothing in the Egyptian Museum is ordinary or dull. It is one of the most magical collections on Earth. No damage to its collections can be considered slight, or dismissed as trivial – even when compared with the great events happening outside. Whatever happens in Egypt now, the precious human inheritance of its ancient past must be defended. Rationalise the destruction of history and you will be amazed at what you rationalise next. Museums Egypt Middle East Protest Jonathan Jones guardian.co.uk
Posted by
on January 31, 2011. Filed under News, Politics, World News.
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