Egypt celebrated on Monday the 15th anniversary of the Egyptian Archaeologists Day — which falls on 14 January — in a ceremony held at the Grand Theatre of the Egyptian Opera House.
The ceremony was attended by Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Khaled El-Anany; Saleh Al-Sheikh, the Head of the Central Agency for Organisation and Administration; Zahi Hawass, the former minister of antiquities; Hazem Attia Allah, the former governor of Fayoum; in addition to ambassadors from more than 20 countries, representatives of a number of Egyptian and foreign universities, and directors of foreign antiquities institutes and public figures.
During a speech given at the event, El-Anany stated that 2022 is an exceptional and special year, as it will mark the 100th anniversary of the discovery of the tomb of King Tutankhamun as well as the 200th anniversary of the deciphering of hieroglyphics and the inception of Egyptology as a field of academia.
The minister also expressed his appreciation for the efforts of Egyptian archaeologists to preserve the history of Egypt.
He noted that despite the coronavirus pandemic, archaeological work continued and did not stop for a day and that vigorous efforts were made to get out of this crisis, adding that the ministry witnessed a number of important openings and projects throughout 2020 and 2021.
Furthermore, the minister explained that archaeologists played a major role in attracting the world’s attention to Egypt with all the discoveries they have made and all the touristic events and parades they have planned and helped execute.
He also stressed the Egyptian state’s interest in the tourism and antiquities sector and the unprecedented support from the political leadership.
Moreover, El-Anany mentioned the projects that have been completed and the museums that have been inaugurated, including the National Museum of Egyptian Civilisation and the Museums of Sharm El-Sheikh, Hurghada, and Kafr El-Sheikh.
Regarding recovered antiquities, the minister indicated that his ministry had succeeded during the past two years in recovering a large number of Egyptian artefacts from around the world.
He also shed light on the openings that the ministry will witness during the coming period, specifically the opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum, which will be an exceptional event that is highly anticipated worldwide.
Furthermore, the minister briefly reviewed the features of the national strategy for sustainable tourism in Egypt, which is being implemented in cooperation with the Egyptian Federation of Tourist Chambers.
He also talked about what the Egyptian state is doing to develop the tourism infrastructure and create new tourist destinations such as Al-Galala City and the new city of Al-Alamein, in addition to establishing a network of roads, bridges, airports, and new express trains to connect tourist governorates with each other, which also attracts more foreign and local investments.
