New Manager for the Cairo Museum
Dr. El Shimi from Zamalek to El Tahrir.

        Dr. Mohamed Abdel Hamid El Shimy, born 21/3/1945 in Cairo, was recently appointed on top of the most important building's personnel in the SCA. Graduate of Faculty of Archaeology, Cairo University in 1965, he got his Ph.D. from Université de Lyon, France 1969; his main studies were from the Old Kingdom to the end of the New Kingdom. He published two volumes out of seven dealing with carved graffiti in Luxor Mountains tombs; inscription workers had left behind from 1970 to 1982. Dr. El Shimy contributed with Dr. Abdel Aziz Saddek and Prof. Cherney to focus on the subject through the seven published volumes.

        Before his assignment as Director of the Cairo Museum, Dr. El Shimy was head of the Archaeologists in the Information Centre of studies in Zamalek. Later he was nominated as General Manager of the same Centre where he faced few problems to be resolved. He gained out of these situations a solid experience he needs during his actual position.

        Dr. El Shimy, appointed the first January 1999 as General Director of he Cairo Museum by Dr.Gaballah, the Secretary General to the Supreme Council, has many future plans he started to accomplish. He is overseeing the extension of the show rooms in order to transfer part of the objects hosted for long in the stores and display them to be admired by the public. The Cairo Museum in El Tahrir square, next to the Hilton Hotel, includes a very wide collection of monuments that denotes the changes occurred through the various dynasties. This Museum is unique as it displays relics from predynasties to the end of the
ancient Egyptian Civilization. In 1858, the first urge to exhibit the Egyptian Monuments led to the foundation of the Bulak Museum where the objects were displayed. These objects were removed in 1890 to El Gizeh Palace and finally, in 1902, Khedive Abbas Helmi inaugurated the actual Museum. The Supreme Council of Antiquities is foreseeing the erection of a new building to be used as a museum to exhibit the treasures of our heritage, this cultural heritage that attracts many visitors and interests many scholars.

     The Cairo Museum, seen from the outside is a beautiful building surrounded by a well protected garden where grows few papyri and where also lies at the furthest end the relics of the famous Champolion, the Frenchman who deciphered the hieroglyph letters after many attempts that lasted several years. This garden is considered as an open-air museum where lie few monuments to be admired in many respects as artistic masterpieces. They are to be admired for the concepts they represent as the Ancient Egyptian built his civilization basically over a theological philosophy that has material symbols different from one another and each representing part of the Egyptian morality.

      On both sides of the main entrance of the museum, the famous deity Hathor stands in majesty and beauty. Hathor is symbolizing absolute values such as maternity, tenderness affection. She is an elegant beautiful lady adorning the museum's entrance where appears, over the lintel the foundation date. She wears a transparent dress exquisitely and thus spread quietness to the surroundings. The sun shines over this beauty constantly and daily and this is one of the exclusivity of Cairo Museum where visitors bring in this sensation of optimism and love.

    Monuments are welcoming the visitors as soon as they step inside; the four statues of Ramses at the entrance are more than attractive. Turning left will lead to the different sections each exhibiting a series of objects related to eras forming the Ancient Egyptian civilization.

     History starts with writings that enabled humanity to know what our ancestors actually lived. But there was another language to express everyday life or scenes. Glimpses of life that someone can trace through the pottery utensils used during prehistorical eras are easily denoted or the hunting equipment men used during their chase for food or women beauty instruments that denote the feminine tendency existing ever since creation. A series of these articles are exhibited nicely in one of the sections specially organized for this purpose, but one can easily notice the need of a larger place and a more fashionable system to exhibit these splendor objects. This concept of a larger and better display led the American Research Centre of Egypt ARCE to display some of the Cairo Museum treasures in new cases with a beautiful dark blue background. Visitors can easily admire the earrings, rings, bracelets, necklaces, diadems…etc that are clearly seen over the blue colour that allows gold and silver to express the beauty of their richness. Art- lovers can admire this varied collection that has found a perfect window case to be exhibited properly, but it is noticeable that the display needs more enlightening and surely the Museum management and Dr. El Shimi will avoid this in the near future. 

    Thot Ankh Amoun treasures had also the same interests and visitors can appreciate the beauty and the exclusivity of these masterpieces that have no equivalent worldwide. The contemporary artist excelled in exhibiting treasures of a nineteen years old king that had a great deal of publicity just because his  History starts with writings that enabled humanity to know what our ancestors actually lived. But there was another language to express everyday life or scenes. Glimpses of life that someone can trace through the pottery utensils used during prehistorical eras are easily denoted or the hunting equipment men used during their chase for food or women beauty instruments that denote the feminine tendency existing ever since creation. A series of these articles are exhibited nicely in one of the sections specially organized for this purpose, but one can easily notice the need of a larger place and a more fashionable system to exhibit these splendor objects. This concept of a larger and better display led the American Research Centre of Egypt ARCE to display some of the Cairo Museum treasures in new cases with a beautiful dark blue background. Visitors can easily admire the earrings, rings, bracelets, necklaces, diadems…etc that are clearly seen over the blue colour that allows gold and silver to express the beauty of their richness. Art- lovers can admire this varied collection that has found a perfect window case to be exhibited properly, but it is noticeable that the display needs more enlightening and surely the Museum management will avoid this in the near future.

Thot Ankh Amoun treasures had also the same interests and visitors can appreciate the beauty and the exclusivity of these masterpieces that have no equivalent worldwide. The contemporary artist excelled in exhibiting treasures of a nineteen years old king that had a great deal of publicity just because his tomb was discovered intact. ARCE again succeeded in this respect and their efforts are a positive step as a new Museum is foreseen to be built in the very new future in order to display the actually stored monuments that haven't been exhibited before.

Historical eras started with writings that enabled us to know our predecessors' everyday life, but predynasties' relics denote the extension of the Egyptian civilization then as denoted by the pottery utensils, hunting material, ladies cosmetic tools, every smallest detail related to everyday life. This aspect reveals the extension of the organized society it used to be and the serenity of the Egyptian life led mainly in two ways: the secular life and the morality responsible of securing the existing relations tying up humans to one another. Monuments have this importance, they reveal to contemporaries the aspects of a society that influenced the whole world and is still influencing in many domains. Visiting museums is an important element to develop ones culture, it is not only relics or statues you admire; despite the artistic side of the objects you plunge deep inside history to catch its magnificence.

     Narmer palette needs to be displayed in a more attractive case with spotlights pointing to the king in action as shown over the palette. Narmer as a king is the worrier that established the unification of Egypt and started the first Dynasty reckoned to be the beginning of historical eras. His remains deserve to be focused on in an appropriate convenience and this is what we are expecting out of the new museum which will be erected near by Giza Plateau. 

     Dr Mohamed Saleh, former director of the Cairo Museum, is the actual Councilor of the new Museum project and this is promising, as he is known by his accuracy, effectiveness and the large experience he gained during his work at the Cairo Museum.

     The section that includes the first and second Dynasties relics follows prehistorical section. The Old Kingdom art is to be admired through the exquisite statuary of King Kefren, Zoser, and Menkawre. Cheikh el Balad the beautiful wooden statue of a man holding his stick was so- called because of the resemblance between him and the Cheikh el Balad (mayor) contemporary to the statue discovery. Many amusing stories to be heard from the escorting guides related to each of the displayed object. The Meydum Geese beautifully painted are not but a modern painting; they are the symbol of eternal art that has no boundaries.

     Women emancipation is incarnated by Hatshepsut represented in her statuary as a man to underline the importance of her role as exclusive queen of Egypt for twenty two consecutive years. Values known by Ancient Egyptians and still, in some countries women are fighting for. The advance of this civilization is incarnated through the Cairo Museum objects for those who can read the statues, understands the values and   senses the general atmosphere of a constantly developed society.

        "Labels have to be changed updated and more detailed information to be added with the delete of unnecessary ones", affirms El Shimi. He intends to give a new look to the window cases by developing the inner and outer shape of these cases; and in cooperation with the Ministerial Council Information Centre, 140 000 pieces with photos will be introduced in the data computer.

        This is part of the enthusiastic plan of the new Museum's Director, Dr. Mohamed El Shimy that was interrupted by an urgent problem that occurred he had to rush in order to solve it. More information will be provided soon and remains our encouragement to the prominent Director of the Cairo Museum. A fact is to be underlined as 5 millions were the income of Egyptian Museums during April, 3million and 4218EGL are the Cairo Museum revenue. Courage…

Naglaa El Zahlawi

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