SCA to review archaeological restoration projects

Ahram Online (Nevine El-Aref)

Within the framework of the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA)’s efforts to restore Egypt’s many archaeological sites, a technical committee was established on Tuesday to review projects temporarily halted in the wake of Egypt’s January revolution. These reportedly include development projects taken up by the Ministry of Culture after its recent separation from the SCA, which is now directly answerable to the Cabinet.

Among these projects are the historic Cairo Development project, the Grand Egyptian Museum overlooking the Giza plateau, the National Museum of Egyptian Civilisation in Old Cairo and the Nubian Archaeological Fund.

At a meeting with the SCA’s engineering and projects departments, recently-appointed SCA Secretary-General Mostafa Amin announced his decision to appoint Major-General Mohamed El-Sheikha to lead the committee. The meeting also discussed possibilities for collaboration with the SCA’s antiquities documentation, scientific and architectural centres instead of the consultancies that usually drain most of the budgets allocated for development projects.