The European Union has launched a 3-year project with funds valued at €3.1m aimed to transform the Egyptian Museum of Cairo (EMC), according to a press release on Sunday evening.
The EU noted that the project will provide a unique collaboration between the EMC, the Ministry of Antiquities in Egypt and the EU in the fields of museology, Egyptology, archaeology, archaeometry, and cultural heritage management.
“The project aims to help its partners collaborate in order to achieve excellence, promote and preserve culture and heritage, and broaden the intellectual and cultural boundaries through international cooperation which contributes to the continuous process of building a sense of community and strengthening the civil society,” the statement read.
For a period of 36 months, a consortium of European Museums will assist the EMC in the adoption of significant new display areas and in outlining a detailed strategic vision, and a masterplan for the future. Each museum partner will bring a specific set of experience and skills to the project, ensuring the EMC benefits from the best and most recent approaches in global museology. The project will also present inputs on new approaches that could be adopted to the collections and exhibitions. From another side, the project aims to help the EMC be recognised as a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO.
The masterplan will focus on the redisplay of entrance galleries on the ground floor, the drafting of the museum’s masterplan, and the showcasing of treasures from the Royal Tombs of Tanis.
Ivan Surkoš, EY ambassador to Egypt, said that Egypt has a rich history of thousands of years maintaining a prominently unique culture that inspired the world, adding, “We are proud of having the privilege to support the collaboration and exchange of expertise between Europe and Egypt in the areas of Egyptology, museology and the management of cultural heritage.”
Surkoš pointed out that through this project, a consortium of European museums will work with their Egyptian colleagues to create a strategic vision for the EMC, addressing collection management and conservation, audience engagement, public programming and communication, income generation, and facilities management.”
Furthermore, Surkoš underlined the benefits of the project, stating that the strategic vision for the EMC will make it possible to improve visitors’ experience, attract more national and international visitors, and increase the economic impact of the museum.
