Monday, February 04, 2008

A tale of two museums

Luxor News Blog (Jane Akshar)

Jane has written a review of her visits to two museums in the Cairo area, which has some great insights:

I spent the first day doing some business and then went to the Cairo Museum. I must admit it defeated me. I went round looking at my favourite things but every time they look shabbier and in urgent need of TLC it really disheartens you. The museum was built a long time ago and is in urgent need of some modern display cases above all else. It will be moving to its new home at Giza and the sooner the better as far as I can see. After a couple of hours I gave up, I just could not enjoy anything and just wanted to get a duster out.

Contrast my next day when I went to Sakkara. I had been chatting to Dr Sabry of the SCA and when he heard I was going there he totally took over my plans. He gave me the contact details of the Director of Sakkara. Dr Osama who then made sure I was taken round by his staff. I had heard great things about the Imhotep museum and we were actually given a guided tour by its director Mr Ahmed. I do love an enthusiast and boy was he one. He obviously loves his museum and its collection and delighted in showing and explaining everything to us. After the previous day at Cairo it was such a joy to see things housed properly with great explanations and lightening.

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2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm sorry that Jane had a bad time at the Cairo Museum. When I have visited, I get a different feeling: excitement. It is like time-travel to the 19th Century. The many display cases packed with artifacts is more like visiting the backroom storage of an old museum. Modern methods that show 1% of the collection in hermetically sealed, mostly empty display cases is not good enough. A case with 20 examples is much better than a case with only one.

9:18 pm
Andie said...

Hello. I agree that a visit to the Cairo Museum gives a sense of traveling back in time, and I had exactly the same feeling of excitement that you experienced. It was like being an explorer myself. The Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology in London is of much the same character, and I have huge affection for it. However, I do think that the displays should be improved to make them easier to see and understand, and that conditions under which the objects are kept should be carefully monitored. Whilst part of me will be sad to see the display of these old collections updated, I will be very glad to see them more efficiently displayed (and stored), and for them to be more accessible to people who would like to obtain more knowledge on the subject. We need a museum of 19th century museology!

12:58 pm

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