US Embassy launches conservation project at Jewish Bassatine Cemetery

CAIRO- 23 January 2020: The US Embassy in Cairo announced launching a project for the conservation of the Bassatine Cemetery in Cairo, one of the oldest Jewish cemeteries in the world.

This is the latest project funded under the Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP).

"Preservation of this important heritage site will showcase Egypt’s historical pluralism and highlight the country’s cultural diversity," the embassy said in press release published on its website on Thursday.

As part of the longstanding strategic partnership between the US and Egypt, since 2001 the American people have funded the conservation and restoration of over a dozen Egyptian cultural heritage sites under the AFCP, according to the statement.

At the inauguration of the project, US Ambassador to Egypt Jonathan Cohen said, "We are proud to partner in preserving and protecting Egypt’s heritage sites."

"This Ambassadors Fund project at Bassatine Cemetery is an investment in Egypt’s diverse cultural history, and an opportunity to raise awareness of Egypt’s diversity," he added.

The American Research Center in Egypt, in collaboration with Drop of Milk Foundation, will implement the project at Bassatine Cemetery to conserve graveyards and architecture, as well as ensure long-term sustainability of the site.

The AFCP supports the preservation of cultural sites, objects, and forms of traditional cultural expression around the world. The previously funded projects in Egypt include archaeological and cultural heritage sites from Pharaonic, Islamic, Coptic, and Jewish civilizations throughout Egypt’s history.