Transformation of the Egyptian Museum of Cairo announced, supported with European Union funding

The European Union has just launched the project Transforming the Egyptian Museum of Cairo that will provide a unique collaboration between the Egyptian Museum of Cairo and the Ministry of Antiquities (Egypt) that brings together European excellence in the field of museology, Egyptology, archaeology, archaeometry and cultural heritage management. The partners will collaborate in order to embody the ambitions of the European Union, bringing together their excellence and working as an encompassing actor for the fulfilment of one inclusive and inspiring purpose. This will ensure promotion of culture, the preservation of cultural heritage, and the broadening of intellectual and cultural boundaries and international cooperation, contributing towards building a sense of community and strengthening civil society.

For a period of 36 months, a consortium of European Museums, namely: the Museo Egizio , together with the Louvre, the British Museum, the Ägyptisches Museum und Papyrussammlung Berlin, the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden (Leiden), the BBR – Bundesamt für Bauwesen und Raumordnung, the IFAO – Institut Français d’Archéologie Orientale and the ICA – Istituto Centrale per l’Archeologia will assist the Egyptian Museum in the adoption of significant new display areas and the outlining of a detailed strategic vision (Masterplan) for the future. Each museum partner will bring specific experience and skills to the project, ensuring the EMC benefits from best-practise approaches in global museology. This project will also advise on new approaches to the collection’s exhibition, and it will provide the platform for an application to UNESCO to recognise the EMC as a World Heritage Site.

The action will focus on the redisplay of entrance galleries on the ground floor, the drafting of the museum’s masterplan, and the redisplay of the treasures from the Royal Tombs of Tanis.

This three-year project is the first phase of a larger project that would see significant upgrades to the Egyptian Museum. The main goal of the project is to support Egyptian colleagues in creating a strategic vision for the museum, addressing collection management and conservation, audience engagement, public programming and communication, income generation and facilities management. Defining these strategies will make it possible to improve visitors’ experience, to attract more national and international visitors and to foster the economic impact of the museum. Further economic benefit would be derived from the implementation of income generation programmes by the Ministry of Antiquities.

An important expected outcome of the project will be a significant increase in management and technical capacity of the EMC. This will also result in a long-term and sustainable impact beyond the EMC, by training staff in the Ministry of Antiquities to deliver other projects to transform the museum landscape in the country.

The European Union is funding the project with EURO 3.1 million.