Khedive Abbas Helmy the second who ruled Egypt between the years "January 8, 1892 - 1914", the seventh to rule Egypt from the family of Muhammad Ali, and the last Khedive of Egypt and Sudan to succeed Khedive Tawfiq's mother, and today the anniversary of his birth passes as he was born on this day July 14 of 1874 During his reign, he was keen to pay attention to Egyptian heritage and antiquities, to the point that he was called the "Father of Egyptian Museums", so what did he offer to Egyptian civilization.
Islamic art museum
The idea of establishing a museum of Islamic art and antiquities began during the era of Khedive Ismail in 1869 AD, and this was implemented during the era of Khedive “Tawfiq” in 1881 AD when “Frantz Pasha” collected archaeological artifacts dating back to the Islamic era in the eastern iwan of the Al-Hakim Mosque, by the command of God. The construction of a small building in the courtyard of the Governor’s Mosque called the “Arab Museum” under the administration of Frantz Pasha, who left the service in 1892 AD, and the current building was inaugurated during the reign of Khedive “Abbas Helmy II” on December 28, 1903.
Its name was changed from the Arab Museum to the Museum of Islamic Art in 1951, and it has art collections expressing the various Islamic arts through the ages, thus contributing to the enrichment of the study of Islamic art.
The Museum of Islamic Art has two entrances, one on the northeastern side and the other on the southeastern side. The facade of the museum overlooking Port Said Street is characterized by its Islamic decorations inspired by Islamic architecture in Egypt in its various eras. The museum consists of two floors, the first with museum exhibition halls, which includes 4400 pieces. There is also an archaeological site, and there is a hall dedicated to the holdings of the era of Muhammad Ali, and the second contains stores and a basement used as a storehouse and for the Department of Antiquities Restoration, and contains 100,000 pieces.
The new route was implemented after the museum bombing incident in 2014, as on January 24, 2014, the Egyptian people woke up to an accident of a car bomb attack targeting the Cairo Security Directorate opposite the museum. The bombing led to the destruction of the museum’s facade opposite the directorate, and the destruction of a large number of artifacts. The hands of the banned terrorist group, and the losses of the museum, which includes rare holdings from different Islamic eras, were heavy.
The museum needed a large amount of money to restore it to work again, as the cost of restoration amounted to about 57 million pounds
Indeed, the new development work began, and the new show included 4,400 artifacts, of which 400 are being displayed for the first time, as the old show included only 475 pieces, with the addition of 16 more than the old show, and the expansion of the halls, as the number of open halls reached 25 halls, to The application of a new presentation scenario and the preparation of explanation cards, after the formation of a committee by university professors.
After 3 years of work, specifically on January 18, 2017, President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, President of the Republic, inaugurated the Museum of Islamic Art after completing its restoration and rehabilitation project. The project is in the unveiling ceremony, for the museum to return with its new dress to prove to the world that terrorism will never win.
The Egyptian Museum in Tahrir
The Egyptian Museum is located in the heart of Cairo (downtown) and overlooks Tahrir Square. It is one of the largest and most famous international museums. It was opened in its current location during the reign of Khedive Abbas Helmy II during 1902 AD, after moving the museum’s antiquities more than once in several locations until it ended end up in the current building. The museum consists of two main floors, the first floor contains heavy relics of coffins, paintings and statues displayed according to the historical sequence, while the upper floor contains various archaeological collections, the most important of which are the collection of King Tutankhamun and the treasures of Tanis. The statue of King Khufu, the mask of King Tutankhamun, in addition to a large number of royal treasures.
Currently, it is being developed in cooperation with the European Union, and the World Heritage Committee of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) recently included the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir on the preliminary list of World Heritage sites, to which the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities uploaded its preliminary file. In February 2021, according to the criteria established for the registration of World Heritage sites.
The Greco-Roman Museum, one of the most important landmarks of the city of Alexandria, was officially opened in 1892 during the reign of Khedive Abbas Helmy II. The purpose of its construction was to preserve the antiquities discovered in Alexandria. It initially included 11 halls, then other halls were added until their number reached after the development that was carried out. In 1984 AD, there were 27 halls in addition to the museum garden. Most of the museum’s holdings date back to the period between the third century BC until the third century AD, and it includes the Ptolemaic and Roman periods as well as the Coptic era.
In 1983, the museum was registered among the Islamic, Coptic and Jewish antiquities in the Alexandria and North Coast antiquities area, and a decision was taken to close the museum to restore, develop and update the museum display scenario in it completely more than 15 years ago, as all its holdings were transferred to the various museum stores in the governorate, such as: Maria, Marina, Matrouh store, the National Museum’s garden, and the archaeological area of Kom El Shoqafa. The museum’s library was also transferred to the Maritime Museum.
The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, in cooperation with the Engineering Authority of the Armed Forces, is restoring and developing the Greco-Roman Museum in Alexandria. The project to restore and develop the Greco-Roman Museum aims to enhance the scientific and cultural enlightening message of the museum, which is one of the most important and greatest museums in the entire Mediterranean region. The main archaeological streets of Alexandria, the bride of the Mediterranean and the link between ancient Greece and Egypt.
Wed, Jul. 14, 2021
