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The trash attack
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Photo-rich version

The primadonna 
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An Arab media summit in Dubai was loaded with symbolism -- and the same sort of drama that governs the way the news is covered. Tarek Atia reports from Dubai

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DISPATCH
Happy Museum!

The Egyptian Museum in Tahrir Square turned 100 recently. The gardens have been spruced up -- and a very special exhibit of never-before-seen treasures from the building's infamous basement is on display.

Photos and text by Tarek Atia

The Egyptian Museum in Tahrir Square has always been one of the first things tourists visit when they come to town. The building is huge -- but clearly not large enough for the tremendous amount of treasures contained within it. Inside, it looks like you are going through someone's storeroom -- priceless statues seem to literally be piled up on top of each other, and in every available nook and cranny of the place. 

Rumor has it that the museum's basement storeroom contains double the amount of treasures that are on display. Hence, the grand plans that have been set up to build the world's largest museum near the pyramids, to house all these ancient treasures. The Tahrir building, meanwhile, will remain as a showcase of some 50,000 top pieces. 

On the occasion of the museum's 100th anniversary, a special exhibit called Egyptian Treasures has been put together. A part of the infamous basement has been remodeled to display these 250 never before seen pieces of glorious artwork. And glorious they are, as is the setting of the basement itself. Climate controlled, sleek, with dimmed lighting and muted colors, it gives off the feeling of an elegant, lively tomb. 

One statue of a woman (pictured above) is fascinating because the facial features of the woman can be seen on the faces of many modern Egyptians today.

The statue of the god Bes (at right) is equally stunning, the expression arresting. The exhibit is nice because it features pieces from the whole range of antiquity -- from the time of the earliest pharaohs to the Greco-Romans, including the golden cases of children's mummies from the Valley of the Mummies at Bahareya Oasis. 

The display style used by the new exhibit is a good harbinger of what all displays of antiquities in the regular museum and elsewhere should be like. In fact, several of the exhibits in the museum proper have been renovated and are truly worthy of the treasures on display. Tutankhamun's mask and other jewelry are superbly displayed, as is a wonderful collection of Egyptian jewelry, items from Tanis, as well as the new mummy room. 

Overall, it's a great outing -- you can see the new never before seen stuff, as well as refresh your memory regarding the classic treasures in the musuem itself. Plus, the garden has been spruced up, and looks better than it has in a long time.

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