Egyptian museums host flurry of activities on World Museum Day

CAIRO – 1 May 2017: On the occasion of the World Museums Day, which falls each year on May 18, the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities will organize a number of events in Egyptian museums.

"The events will include a series of workshops and lectures, as well as the establishment of a number of temporary exhibitions in more than one museum," said Elham Saladin, Head of the Museums Department at the Ministry of Antiques.

She explained that the International Council of Museums (ICOM) has adopted this year the slogan “What is Not Being Said in Museums” to correct to the public some ideas that many are afraid to discuss such as "zar" (frowned upon ritual to get rid of bad spirits.)
The target of the lectures and workshops is to raise people’s awareness about the importance of museums and the cultural heritage they offer to different people.

Saladin added that the National Civilization Museum in Fustat will host on 18 May a series of lectures by a number of Egyptian universities’ professors and museum specialists.

The Alexandria National Museum will also hold a number of workshops from May 17-19 to train the youth on a wide range of traditional arts such as leather, textile printing and jewellery making.

The Museum of Islamic Art and the Coptic Museum will select the theme “Prophets Stories" to shed light on the history of prophets and their stories. The Suez Museum will also launch a dialogue on Suez Canal excavation and the governorate’s history.