After writing the last entry, I became curious about what has happened to Dr. Zahi Hawass since February 2011. Well, a cursory glance at Wikipedia told me that Hawass was replaced by Mohammed Said, and that Hawass faced minor corruption charges over his awarding of museum gift shop contracts.
Even more concerning are reports that looting is continuing, with items disappearing from the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. This is highly worrying to me, not just from a historical perspective, but from an economic one as well. Hawass understood the power of tourism as an industry, and his international profile and tough management (seeking return of Egyptian artifacts from abroad, etc.) brought in money and business. From first impressions, his successor does not seem to be inspiring confidence, nor does he seem to be concerned about security and its resulting implications (i.e. whether a nation like Germany would be willing to cede as important an artifact as the bust of Nefertiti).
The Huffington Post article notes governmental support for new museums among other proposals. I hope these gain speed in time to save Egypt's ancient history.
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