German Archaeological Institute's 100th anniversary in Egypt

Egypt Daily Star

The German Archaeological Institute in Cairo (DAI) celebrated Sunday its centennial presence in Egypt to highlight the efforts and achievements of German archaeologists in the field as well as the cultural cooperation between Egypt and Germany over the last century.

The inaugural celebration that was organized at the Conrad Hotel in Cairo was attended by Bernd Erbel, the German ambassador to Egypt, DAI’s chief archaeologists as well as Zahi Hawass, head of the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA).

“What many don’t really know is that the German Archaeological Institute started its operations earlier than 1907 when it launched an office in Italy in the late 19th century,” said Hermann Parzinger, director of the DAI.

“But having expanded our archaeological discoveries in Egypt as well as in other parts of the world over the last century, we have become aware that more than just boosting any country’s cultural heritage, archaeological missions are now an economic necessity. The more excavations yield fruit in any country the more it comes to the attention of tourists and travel agencies,” he added.