First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton and her daughter Chelsea paid a visit to Egypt from March 21-25 and spent much of their time visiting antiquities sites where work is being conducted under ARCE's USAID- funded conservation grants. Throughout their stay they were accompanied by Dr. Gaballah A. Gaballah, Secretary General to the Supreme Council of Antiquities.

        The first evening, the First Lady and her daughter arrived at the Bab Zweila area and proceeded to the mosque of El Saleh Talae'. There Dr. Gaballah and Chip Vincent led them through a visit of the newly conserved fourteenth century minbar (pulpit) starting with a review of the fine exhibit created by Agniezka Dobrowolska, Jarik Dobrowolski and Patick Godeau. After introductory remarks praising the SCA, USAID and ARCE's role in conservation, she presented certificates to the five Egyptian trainees who worked  on the project. They next visited the sabil-kuttab Nefissa El Beida before departing for the Egyptian Museum where they saw the royal jewelry rooms that ARCE helped renovate last year. Earlier that afternoon, she had toured the Mohamed Ali mosque at the citadel with Dr. Gaballah, assisted by William Lester, who is involved in the conservation projects at the monasteries of St. Anthony and St. Paul.

        The next day they visited Old Cairo, where they received a briefing from Chip Vincent on the Master Plan for the area. After they saw the Ben Ezra synagogue, they went to the Church of Abu Sirgua, where the Holy Family took refuge during their stay in Egypt. That evening, Mr. Farouk Hosni, Minister of Culture, held a splendid reception in the newly conserved El Menesterly Palace overlooking the Nile. 

       On March 23, the First Lady and her staff went to Luxor where they visited Luxor temple and the stone fragment conservation project. The next day in the Valley of the Kings, Chip Vincent explained the flood protection study and conducted them to the tomb of Seti I. Before a fine lunch at Chicago House, Mrs.Clinton visited other sites in the west bank. The splendid dinner hosted by Farouk Hosni was the climax of the fruitful cultural visit.