Ottoman museum reopens

Al Ahram Weekly (Nevine El-Aref)

During his tour of the Delta town of Rosetta to inaugurate development projects in the area, President Hosni Mubarak, along with Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif; Culture Minister Farouk Hosni; Zahi Hawass secretary- general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA); and other ministers and government officials last Thursday opened the town's National Museum.

Mubarak viewed the various galleries of the museum, which altogether display 600 objects chosen to show the history of Rosetta from the time of the town's foundation in ancient times right through to the modern era.

The pieces on display were carefully selected from the Islamic and Coptic museums and the Gayer Anderson House in Cairo. Another 200 objects were unearthed from archaeological sites around Rosetta. These include a collection of Omayyad and Ottoman gold and bronze coins, pots and pans, versions of the holy Quran and a number of 18th- and 19th-century weapons such as arrows, swords, knives and pistols. Tapestry, military and national Ottoman and Mamluk costumes are also on show.

To give visitors an idea of what an Ottoman house looked liked, some galleries have been furnished with a complete set of Ottoman furniture consisting of a bedroom, reception room, kitchen and bathroom.

See the above page for the full story.