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SECRETARIAT REPORT

NATIONAL MUSEUM OF EGYPTIAN CIVILIZATION 3

Museum project design 3

Museum consultation (experts missions) 4

SUMMARY OF THE UNESCO EXPERTS MISSION TO NMEC, APRIL 15-28 2002 5

INTRODUCTION 5

OBJECTIVES 5

OUTCOMES OF THE MISSION 6

POLICIES 7

SITE/LANDSCAPE 9

Assessment 9

Proposals 10

ARCHITECTURE 11

MUSEOLOGICAL PROGRAMME 12

Assessment 12

Proposals 12

EDUCATIONAL ISSUES 16

NMEC PROJECT TIMETABLE 18

MAIN RECOMMENDATIONS 18

OCTOBER 2002 MISSION OBJECTIVES AND ACTION PLAN 20

NUBIA MUSEUM IN ASWAN 23

Training 2001 23

Regional Assessment and Training 2001 23

Regional Training 2002 23

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Equipment and Documentation 24

Language Course 24

Needs Assessment 24

Nubia Museum Staff Scholarship in Museum Studies 24

Documentation on the Nubia Campaign 25

Museum Catalogue 25

Promotion 25

Bibliography and Library 25

Landscaping 28

Collection Database 28

Museum Website/training 28

Study for the preparation of a GIS survey of the Nubia region 28

Site-Management Course 28

ASSISTANCE TO SECRETARIAT 29

PREPARATION OF COMMITTEE MEETINGS 29

Annex 1 - Timetable

Annex 2 - Approved budget and expenditures

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NATIONAL MUSEUM OF EGYPTIAN CIVILIZATION

The total budget approved by the Committee for activities concerning the establishment

of the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization (NMEC) since the 11th Session of the

Executive Committee is US$300,000. A total of US$121,446 has been spent since the 11th

Executive Committee Meeting (November 2000). A list of activities carried out from the 11th

Session of the Committee to end July 2002 follows, together with their budgetary

implications.

Museum project design

The 11th Session of the Executive Committee approved the sum of US$250,000 for the

development of the NMEC project, and up to July 2002 the sum of US$121,446 has been

spent, as follows:

US$25,165 - UNESCO expert and staff mission to Cairo, April 2001 (experts: Monier,

Brunoni, Dorn, Thompson, Sheehan, Pedregal and Paolini);

US$584 - Mission by Secretariat (A. Paolini) to Geneva in June 2001 to complete the

Bureau report on architecture and discuss the compilation of the Nubia bibliography with

Prof. Valloggia, former Chairman of the Committee;

US$3,000 - Translation from English into French of the experts’ reports (mission to Cairo

in April 2001) used to prepare the Secretariat report of the Bureau meeting;

US$55,850 - UNESCO expert and staff mission to Cairo, October 2001 (experts:

Sheehan, Thompson, Pedregal, Monier, Ricci and Paolini);

US$858 - Mission by Secretariat (A. Paolini) to London in October 2001 as follow-up to

the mission to Cairo to complete the draft report on museology;

US$1,844 - UNESCO experts meeting at UNESCO Headquarters, Paris, in December

2001 (Travel of Brunoni and Dorn);

US$32,849 - UNESCO expert and staff mission to Cairo, April 2002 (experts: Sheehan,

Ricci, Brunoni, Thompson, Dorn and Paolini);

US$1,296 - UNESCO expert meeting on museology, UNESCO Headquarters, Paris, July

2002 (Travel of Thompson).

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Museum consultation (experts missions)

According to Recommendation 1 of the 12th Session of the Executive Committee,

which recalls Recommendation 7 adopted at the 10th session, the sum of US$50,000 was

agreed to be used for experts or consultancy missions organized by UNESCO in conjunction

with SCA and in cooperation with international advisory bodies, including ICCROM, ICOM,

ICOMOS and IFLA.

Thus far, this budget has not been used since consultancy missions have been carried

out using the budget approved for the museum design project. One of the experts on the

project, the landscape architect, is also a member of IFLA.

Proposal

Appointment of a UNESCO project officer in Cairo (El Fustat NMEC office) to

follow up the NMEC construction project. This project officer should be Arabic-speaking and

should have experience in project management and possibly also in museum organization.

The project officer would be the link between the UNESCO Secretariat of the Committee and

the Egyptian Authorities during the implementation of the project. Initial appointment would

be for one or two years, at P4 or P5 grade. The proposed budget for a two years contract

(2003-04) based on UNESCO consultant fee would be (excluding travels) :

if local senior consultant = 4,908 $ x 24 months = 117,792 $

if International consultant = 7,000 $ x 24 months = 168,000 $

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SUMMARY OF THE UNESCO EXPERTS MISSION TO

NMEC, APRIL 15-28 2002

INTRODUCTION

The team of UNESCO experts carried out a two-week mission from April 15th

to April

28th

2002 to advance and develop the programme of the NMEC, following the results of the

October 2001 mission and the recommendations of the 12th Executive Committee held in

Cairo in January 2002.

OBJECTIVES

The objectives of the mission were the following:

1. to discuss with the Egyptian authorities their reaction to the previous reports of the

expert group (sent in March 2001), to receive any constructive criticism, and, in the

light of any such criticism, to review any amendments needed;

2. to meet representatives of a counterpart team to include:

- curators and archaeologists already working on the project;

- a historian (covering all periods of Egyptian history);

- an educationalist;

- a tourism specialist;

- a cultural events specialist.

3. to meet members of the design team, including the architect, exhibition designer and

an urban planner, in order to resolve a number of outstanding architectural and land-

use issues, including the relationship between the outdoor space and specifications for

the exhibition areas;

4. to receive precise options from the Egyptian authorities about the proposed policies

for the NMEC in collecting, storing, and exhibiting the collections, and the importance

of each activity in terms of staffing levels and space requirements, in order to arrive at

surface specifications for the NMEC building;

5. to meet members of the curatorial team formed at the SCA to discuss the main themes

of the NMEC permanent exhibition and to receive information about the objects to be

included, in order to define the organization and content of each theme and other

graphic and interactive elements;

6. to consider, with the curatorial team, how the contemporary period is to be represented

in the permanent display;

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7. to examine comparable museums to the NMEC throughout the world with the

curatorial team via the World Wide Web (www) as a stimulus to further ideas on the

content of the NMEC. Examples included the Civilisation Museum, Quebec, and the

Tjibaou Art and Cultural Centre, New Caledonia;

8. to relate the proposed NMEC to other museums within the overall museumscape of

Cairo and Egypt by studying the activities and functional spaces of the various

museums in Egypt;

9. to visit key sites and museums to advance the UNESCO expert team’s understanding

of Egyptian civilization and the issues involved in creating the NMEC;

10. to inspect the Collection Centre recently established at Fustat to facilitate the

movement and preparation of objects for the NMEC.

OUTCOMES OF THE MISSION

In order for the NMEC to fulfill the requirements of a major international museum of

Egyptian civilization a number of important adaptations to the original scheme and project

(rules of the architectural competition of 1984) had already been requested as a result of the

October 2001 mission. Following two weeks of joint consultations with the Egyptian

representatives and the architect, agreement was reached on :

General Outcomes :

Architecture. Modify the present layout of the building in order to obtain a more flexible

building and therefore to advance to the construction stage subject to some revisions and

adaptations of the architectural programme;

Museology and display guidelines. Revisions and adaptations to the museological

programme will progress in parallel with the construction phases as a result of the

improved flexibility of the architecture of the building;

The museological programme outlined by UNESCO will be developed by the Egyptian

team and will define all the functions and activities of NMEC, such as permanent and

temporary displays, cultural activities, educational programmes, conservation and

research, visitor services, reception, orientation, shops, catering, and so on. Space

requirements were reviewed during the mission;

Policies guidelines. The definition of policies and functional requirements to be further

developed by the Egyptian counterpart team/managerial group and representatives in

consultation with the UNESCO experts;

A timetable will be proposed by the UNESCO team, taking into consideration the

timeframe proposed by the Egyptian authorities.

Specific Outcomes :

Further discussion with the curatorial group and visits to archaeological sites during the

mission convinced the expert group that the inclusion of an Archaeology Gallery within

the NMEC is an essential requirement.

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Further visits to the site of El Fustat during the April Mission convinced the team of the

huge potential of the NMEC in creating physical and intellectual links with the

archaeological site of Fustat and indeed with Old Cairo as a whole.

The October 2001 workshop identified a requirement for the NMEC to play an active role

in developing a collection to represent the contemporary civilization of Egypt, since at present

no museum in Egypt has a collection of contemporary material other than contemporary fine

and decorative art, as far as the expert team could see. In accordance with its agreed

objectives, it is appropriate for the NMEC to represent contemporary Egyptian civilization.

POLICIES

The October 2001 workshop between representatives of the Egyptian authorities and

UNESCO made substantial progress in determining the objectives of the NMEC and in

defining the resources, in terms of personnel and functional requirements, that will be needed

to fulfil its objectives.

During the April 2002 mission a great deal of progress was made with the curatorial team

in developing the contents of the displays, but it was not possible to consider policy

guidelines for the NMEC as a whole, except in general terms, with the Egyptian authorities.

However, there was a consensus that the NMEC is a developing project and, in this spirit,

policies can be prepared on an incremental basis. The UNESCO expert team therefore

initiated a series of suggested Policy Guidelines for consideration and development by the

counterpart team.

A pragmatic approach to the development of the NMEC would appear to represent the

most effective way forward in the light of the overriding concern of the Egyptian authorities

to proceed to the tender and construction stage following the meeting in Paris in September

2002. An approach based on MBO (Management by Objectives) is an appropriate tool for

preparing action plans and critical path planning.

The expert team has already drawn up policy guidelines and forwarded them to the

counterpart team (objectives, requirements and action), in order to achieve the following

objectives:

Objective 1: To be an essential introduction for visitors to the heritage of Egypt and the

Nile;

Objective 2: To be a world wide communications centre for Egyptian Heritage, past and

present;

Objective 3: To provide a comprehensive educational programme to support life-long

learning;

Objective 4: To organize a cultural and scientific programme featuring contemporary and

traditional presentations;

Objective 5: To facilitate the collection and curation of the evidence of civilization in

Egypt and to ensure recognized standards of conservation and curation consistent with a

national museum.

All policies need to be reviewed and updated to reflect changes in professional practice

and in response to society’s changing needs for museums and the services they provide. Some

policies, such as Health and Safety at Work, need to be kept under constant review, perhaps

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through a Health and Safety Committee in the Museum formed from staff members; others,

such as the collecting policy, might be reviewed no more frequently than at three-year

intervals.

Policies guidelines to be developed

The following specific policies should be developed by the Egyptian counterpart team in

co-operation with UNESCO experts:

Objects collecting policy:

Periods

Subjects

Themes

Materials

Exhibitions policy:

Special and loan exhibitions

Programming

Visitor-services policy:

Reception

Information

Orientation

Disabilities access

Educational policy:

Programmes

Children and adults

Resource centre

Library

Research policy:

Programme

Academic and Museology

Library

Cultural programmes policy:

Music

Dance

Performance

Installations

Arts and Crafts

Communication and exchange programmes

Commercial policies:

Shops

Restaurants, cafés

Room hire

Publications

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Collection management policies:

Remedial and preventive conservation

Storage

Movement, Transports

Documentation

Environmental policy:

The building

The landscape

The activities of the museum

Training and personnel policies:

Staff

Volunteers

Other policies to be defined, such as:

Health and safety at work

General procedures

Opening hours

Admission fees, Concessions, Free days

SITE/LANDSCAPE

Assessment

The Museum land has been fenced off. On the Museum site in El Fustat, new offices and

a temporary storage building are being prepared. This is a two-storey building, with a

floorspace of about 400sqm.

The first floor will be used as working space for the Museum committee and team, while

the ground floor will be used as storage and laboratory space. Furniture, equipment and IT

connections are still missing.

Two main remarks should be made:

Size of the plot

The size of the plot is smaller than that indicated during the last Committee meeting. It is

recommended that the former size be restored, particularly if outdoor exhibition and energy-

saving measures are to be undertaken. The building should also be placed within an adequate

and sufficiently large landscape context.

The proposed energy-saving measures were not accepted by the local authorities,

although water resources are limited and electricity has to be saved wherever possible. The

use of these energy-saving measures is highly recommended by the team of experts.

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Vegetation

The vegetation of phragmites (reeds) around the lake has largely disappeared, resulting in

a loss of ecological quality, in particular concerning the natural purification of the water and

the vanishing of bird life in the area. The vegetation that used to be present on the eastside of

the lake, forming a natural border for the plot, has also disappeared.

The traffic on the east road is fully visible, and the situation needs improvement.

Proposals

Entrance

1. The proposal for a large paved staircase/platform at the entrance of the building by the

Egyptian architect should be reduced in size, moved towards the private service road to

the south and integrated with the gently sloping terrain.

2. Avenues or lines of plants or trees are not recommended.

3. (Proposal from the landscape architect) After further investigation of the topographic,

archaeological and geological situation, bus parking might be situated one floor

underground but separated from the underground car park under the Museum. Bus

parking could be placed in the area in front of the Museum, but it should be connected

with the service road, which will also be partially underground. The roof of the parking

area could be covered with inert and rocky material and planted with desert vegetation.

The service road could be partially covered by a pergola. The vegetation should increase

and become of a different type approaching the lake.

4. The terrain should be modulated. From the main entrance to the building the visitor

should be able to overlook the lake and the proposed theatre and performance stage. It is

also suggested that there will be a pool in front of the entrance to the Museum, which

would be blended with the vegetation.

5. It is also proposed to have water basins, or small pools, scattered in the area and oriented

towards the lake.

6. The new service road to the underground parking area linking two major streets of El

Fustat should be totally dedicated to the Museum.

7. On the western side of the site, the new service road should have low vegetation, such as

a few trees and low bushes, to preserve the visual connection with Old Cairo and the

Pyramids.

8. The main entrance from El Fustat street should be paved with the natural stone to be

found in the region.

Lake

1. The vegetation to the east and south of the lake should be enhanced and supported by

biological and bio-dynamic measures.

2. The natural landscape in the south and eastern part of the lake should be preserved.

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3. Islands of different sizes to serve as breeding and rest-places for birds should be planned

in the lake.

4. An artificial cataract near the lake will enhance the quality of the water and attract

visitors towards the outdoor exhibition.

5. The unattractive lake banks should be replaced by a more natural solution.

Energy-saving measurements

1. Due to the decrease in the size of the Museum site, the northern area at the back of the

Museum is not now large enough to host the proposed phragmites seedling beds for water

purification or the storage battery for the solar-cells. This issue has to be carefully

considered, in particular in connection with the running costs of the Museum.

2. Energy-saving means having a water-recycling system, introducing an ecological

engineering system with planted soil-filters in built wet lands, and applying vacuum

sewage technology in connection with vacuum toilets, in order to make the Museum self-

sufficient from the point of view of infrastructure. These measures should be considered

by the responsible authorities, technicians, architects and engineers, and approved by

politicians and decision-makers.

ARCHITECTURE

The architectural and museum design guidelines agreed by the UNESCO team and the

Egyptian authorities are:

Mark the entrance to the garden (create a constructed threshold as a transition between

the NMEC parking areas and the urban space);

(Proposal from the architect) Place the parking area underneath the building (integration

of the ramps and parking space for 1,000 – 1,500 cars and 40 buses under the Museum

building, in order to free the large archaeological area around the site. This is of historical

importance and should be preserved for the future);

Modify the position and reorient the Museum building (The Museum should be

reoriented in order to suite the topography, and it should be linked with the essential

elements of the site, in order to emphasize the character of the landscape);

Mark the approach to the Museum building with reception and services buildings (These

should be differentiated from the Museum);

Emphasize the forms of the building and facades;

Redesign the connecting road to reduce the distance between the Museum building and

the reception/services building;

The connection between the Museum building and the reception/services building should

be experienced as transitional, not having a visual link with the external area (Reduce the

distance between the Museum building and the reception/services building. The

connection between these two buildings should be transitional, without views to the

outside. The proposed glass tube should be excluded.);

Re-alignment of façade and creation of openings according to functional needs;

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All facades should be flat with structure hidden; local, untreated stone should be used;

The structural grid of the building should be modified in order to gain flexibility in use

and allow larger areas and double levels for exhibitions, display flexibility, and so on (On

the ground and upper levels of the museum, provide ‘mezzanines’ within the structures);

Rationalize the ground-floor layout and open up to lake view;

The roof pyramid should have external access and side views (Possible use of the raised

roof terrace above the core);

Locate technical supplies (eg. air conditioning, cables, electricity) beneath floors for easy

access and maintenance;

Eliminate the 1st floor internal perimeter corridor, so as to integrate it into the building;

Plan for future extensions of functional and exhibition/display space;

Add service lifts to minimize object movement (lifts to be located in the four corners of

the building.);

Enlarge storage, conservation and research laboratories areas;

Use of double height in the storage area for large objects and/or future extensions (add

specialized areas, as mezzanines, when needed);

Minimize hard landscaping (platforms, walls, pathways, paved areas, etc.);

Leave free space for access to lakeside, ethno-botanic gardens and route, archaeological

route and outdoor area, to be further defined.

MUSEOLOGICAL PROGRAMME

Assessment

The Egyptian workshop team in charge of the Museum’s collections is progressing with

the selection of objects and has regular meetings every Tuesday. By April 2002, 8,671 objects

had been selected, which are being kept in the original locations (museum, storage, etc.) for

the moment.

The computerized inventory of the first selection of objects is progressing: 3,800 objects

are now on computerized record forms (including 250 with photos). Since only one person is

working on the computerized inventory, the completion date is estimated for the middle of

2003.

The first selection of objects needs to be revised and completed and the final selection

will consider objects illustrating themes.

Proposals

The following aspects of the museological programme have been revised by the

UNESCO team and the following proposals advanced:

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- Museum space definition and revision of space requirement from the 1982 programme. A

general distribution of floor areas is proposed by the museologist according to comparable

recent museum programmes for the reception/services building and Museum building, as

percentage rates of the total floor area of 16,000 sqm, from the 1982 programme. The

relative areas attributed to the thematic units should reflect the importance of the themes,

and not in any way depend on the large size or quantity of the objects on display.

- Visitor access and circulation in terms of different level of accessibility and the security of

the main Museum areas, such as reception, services and exhibition areas, should be

allowed.

- Thematic organization. The most relevant themes in Egyptian civilization need to be

identified and developed by the Egyptian scientific committees, before defining the

themes’ organization and the contents of each theme (objects and other graphic and

interactive elements).

- Structure of the exhibition. The large use of information and signs is recommended in the

connecting and orientation areas. Basic information, captions and maps should be near to

the objects, but they should not overwhelm them. More information should be available in

the documentation-interpretation areas, such as audiovisual programmes, books, digital

documents, films, and so on.

- Choice of objects and their display. The first selection of objects needs to be revised and

completed. The final selection will consider objects illustrating the themes. Other objects

and iconography can be collected from different institutional or private sources.

- Material and Technical requirements.

The above can be further specified as follows:

Visitor access and circulation

The following issues need to be taken into account in order to leave maximum flexibility

for the museography:

- Easy connections between the building and the site;

- Views and easy access to the lake and to the outdoor routes (archaeological route and

ethno-botanic route). The proposals for outdoor-performance areas, and the archaeological

route and ethno-botanic route and gardens in the surrounding areas, will be defined as part

of the museological and exhibition programme;

- The increased flexibility of the building in terms of heights, double levels, larger

exhibition rooms and free circulation through the spaces will allow more freedom to

install the thematic units, specialized areas, workshops, documentation areas, and so on;

- Reception and public services accessible outside Museum opening hours (outdoor-

performance areas, public auditorium for large public performances to seat 1,000

persons);

- The orientation area is central and gives direct access to all exhibition areas;

- Free circulation, or with guidance, through the highlights route, the thematic units, the

didactic area, the craft and techniques area, the documentation area, the special exhibitions

galleries, the visible storage areas, and the outdoor exhibition in the courtyard gardens;

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- The plan should also allow easy and independent circulation for staff and objects, as well

as short distances between storage areas, working areas and laboratories, and exhibition

areas. The appropriate height, light and climatic conditions for spaces containing large

elements should be ensured;

- The positioning of an outdoor exhibition in the building (interior/courtyard gardens)

should not restrain free circulation;

- There should be a distinction between public (free and paying areas) and restricted spaces

(object-related areas and non-object related areas).

Thematic organization

The permanent exhibition space is organized in main areas corresponding to general and

specific themes illustrating Egyptian civilization from prehistory to today.

The following themes were identified during the October 2001 workshop as describing

the main aspects of Egyptian civilization, and these were further defined during the April

2002 mission to Cairo:

Environment (Exploration/settlements, Agriculture, Hunting, Irrigation, Ecosystem);

Science & technology (Manufacture, Industry, Arts and crafts, Architecture, Design);

Life of man (Mankind, Gender/race, Religion, Rituals, Birth/death, Marriage);

Power & Society (Community, Education, Wars, Conflict, Weapons);

Body & Mind (Medicine, Food, Sports/games, Clothing/fashion, Music/dance);

Communication (Transport, Trade, Commerce, Writing, Printing, Press, TV/IT, Internet);

Heritage (Archaeology, Discoveries, Preservation and Museum methods, Old Cairo).

The following need to be developed by the Egyptian counterpart team in co-operation

with UNESCO experts:

Revision of themes and thematic organization, as well as of grids and diagrams;

Identification and development of the most relevant themes of Egyptian civilization;

Selection and listing of objects for display by themes;

Production of short texts according to themes;

Selection of the most important artifacts and significant achievements of Egyptian

civilization for the highlights route;

Completion of collections database by categories, including themes, periods, materials

and size;

Completion of the collection of objects and materials, especially for the modern and

contemporary periods (eg: sound archives, films and recorded interviews);

Description of thematic development;

Integration of graphic, audio-visual and interactive elements;

Definition of the objects on display related to type and condition (eg: outdoor/indoor,

cases, lights, etc.).

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Structure of the exhibition

From the central orientation area, four main routes could guide the public through the

permanent exhibition areas, according to time and the specific interests of the visitors.

Highlights Route (Fast visit, 1-2 hours)

- Chronological display of masterpieces and exceptionally representative objects and main

achievements of Egyptian civilization;

- Access to any period from the central orientation area without restrictions and no

compulsory path.

Thematic Units (Long visit, 4-5 hours)

- Thematic units, representing the main trends of the development of Egyptian civilization;

- Connections to highlights and didactic routes, as well as the crafts & techniques route, and

the documentation areas;

- A central permanent reference area displays main objects illustrating themes and

developments;

- Exhibitions areas (50sqm) equipped with special showcases and panel supports to allow

easy installation of changing exhibitions, presenting the results of research and

discoveries;

- Didactic and chronological routes (school visits 2-4 hours; specialist visits by periods, no

time limit);

- Chronological display of examples from each historical period;

- Display and open-storage area, for typology and series of objects and showcases.

Crafts and Techniques areas

- These areas, connected with the thematic areas, should present series of objects of special

interest from the design and technical point of view, highlighting traditions and present

skills in crafts and techniques, and therefore promoting the reflection of contemporary

designers and encourage the development of current and future crafts production.

Documentation and interpretation area

Attached to the thematic units the interpretation areas could offer:

- Multimedia individual and group access;

- Seated areas for consulting books and catalogues.

“Break-out” areas

- These areas propose rest facilities, small coffee counters and multi-use spaces with places

for story telling and children’s activities

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Special exhibition areas

Special exhibition areas include the temporary exhibition galleries and feature:

- Separate rooms with independent access to be used for separate exhibitions or to

communicate with larger exhibitions;

- Flexible organization of museography, including movable supports and bases;

- Showcases, audio-visual and multimedia material, etc.;

- Easy connections with the loading-unloading and storage areas.

Choice of objects and their display

After the final selection of objects and other items is completed, choices on how to

display the collections should be made according to the conservation and environment

experts’ guidelines, following requirements for display conditions and related to the type and

conservation needs of the objects, as follows:

- Outdoor or indoor exhibition, related to conservation conditions of objects;

- Interior or exterior gardens, related to dangers of decay or theft;

- In or out of showcases, related to the size and fragility of objects;

- Light requirements, related to acceptable lighting levels;

- Climatic control requirements, for objects requiring special conditions.

Materials and Technical requirements

- The architectural and exhibition design should take into account the sustainable

development and respect of the environment, by the use of recyclable and non-polluting

materials.

- The materials in the exhibition and storage areas should allow easy cleaning and

maintenance.

- New materials and advanced technologies can be used with appropriate staff training.

- The air conditioning and lighting systems for the exhibition areas, as well as for the

storage areas and exhibition cases, should be studied to create an energy saving system

and to ensure easy maintenance.

- The use of natural ventilation and light is recommended, as long as the comfort of visitors

and the conservation needs of the objects are satisfied.

- The fire alarm and security systems should be studied in order to respond to damage and

theft, as well as possible terrorist attack and decay, without causing damage to the objects

on display or in storage.

EDUCATIONAL ISSUES

Accommodation and facilities for educational services at the NMEC should match the

needs of people at all stages of learning, and for all age groups, from pre-school children to

those in secondary, tertiary (higher education) and continuing education (life-long learning).

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The Museum’s central area should be designed and equipped to cater for a range of

activities from booked visits from schools to the needs of individual students and researchers.

The different functional areas will need to be carefully designed and located to meet the

requirements of the different user groups, as defined below:

Pre-school groups;

School groups (primary and secondary);

Students in higher and further education;

Special education groups (visitors with learning or physical difficulties);

Adult clubs and associations;

Teachers in training;

Family groups (mixed ages);

Individual visitors;

Researchers, academics and heritage professionals.

Clear demarcation is needed between the various user groups for their own comfort, as

well as for the safety and quality of the experience.

The programme of use of the Museum’s central area will need effective management

through a visitor-management system. As the primary and secondary school sector is likely to

be the largest user group, adult and family groups may need to be accommodated principally

during out-of-term holiday periods. This is a matter for local management decision.

The educational services at the NMEC will not be confined to the central area alone.

However, the permanent displays and special exhibitions will always provide the main source

of inspiration for visitors, and there should be some areas adjacent to the main galleries that

can be used interactively to extend the learning experience, such as a games area, a computer

terminal area and a dressing-up corner, all related to some theme or idea from Egyptian

civilization.

Finally, the educational role of the NMEC could be extended beyond the confines of the

Museum to the adjoining communities and to constituencies and groups prevented by

distance, poor health or other circumstances from visiting the Museum on the basis that the

NMEC will want to explore and develop new audiences.

Outreach services can take many forms. This report proposes accommodation needs to

meet a relatively ambitious programme consistent with a national museum. These, and the

other proposed facilities for education, will ultimately reflect the realities of the demand for

educational services at NMEC, and the ability of the Museum’s management team to promote

learning through the Museum to the community at large.

The accommodation and facilities requirement is composed of the following areas:

1. Learning Advice and Schools Reception Area. This is the first contact point situated in

the public reception area for students of all ages to introduce them to the educational

resources available at the NMEC and to give initial advice on how they can best access

the services available.

2. Assembly Area. There will be a section for each school party or study group.

3. Educational Rooms, comprising Classrooms/seminar rooms x 2, Studios x 2 (each for a

capacity of 30 to 35 persons), ICT Room x 1.

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4. Lecture Theatres x 2 with facilities to present public lectures, films and performances for

varying sizes of audience.

5. Resource Centre, offering a range of educational resources to be used in the

classroom/studio areas: Furniture, Equipment, Publications, Replicas/Models and

Original objects/specimens.

6. Handling/Demonstration Collection, designed for educational use in the Museum. Most

educationalists would agree that students gain maximum educational value from being

able to ‘experience’ objects through tactile appreciation, and a wider range of material

can be made available for this purpose. There is the need for a secure, environmentally

controlled area for the handling collection and for defined responsibility for the care and

organization of this facility.

7. Children’s Play Area offering a range of exploratory situations. Trained supervisors and

helpers (volunteers) required throughout opening hours. The Play Area should have

adjoining catering, washroom and baby-care facilities within a safe and secure

environment. Staff accommodation would be needed for the Play/Learning Supervisor

and assistants.

8. Exhibition Area for mounting small-scale exhibitions formed from the results of the

educational programme. This could include examples of creative work by schools in

response to the themes of Egyptian civilization, photographs of performances in the

Education Centre by visiting dancers and musicians, and exhibitions by local art,

photographic and local history groups having links with the NMEC.

9. Collections Research Centre and Reading Room, providing facilities for higher education

students, researchers and scholars of Egyptian civilization (study centre combining a

reading room with computer access to the NMEC collection information database). This

facility should be limited to bona fide students and readers on proof of identity.

10. Inter-Activity throughout the Exhibitions and Displays of the NMEC. Whilst the

Education Centre is primarily for pre-booked educational visits and public lectures and

events, learning activities on an informal basis will also be available within the areas

linked to permanent displays.

11. Outreach Service as a way of extending the NMEC into the community to serve

individuals and groups unable to visit the Museum in person. This service would be

especially valuable in reaching people in hospitals, penal institutions, care homes, remote

rural communities, and the most disadvantaged sections of society.

NMEC PROJECT TIMETABLE

All actions needed to advance the project up to and including the opening of the NMEC,

presently planned for 2005, in the form of a plan and schedule of activities have been

synthesized in the attached timetable. Please see Annex 1.

MAIN RECOMMENDATIONS

At the end of the mission the UNESCO expert team agreed on the following

recommendations:

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1) Select and equip a suitable building to be used as a collection/restoration/training centre

in addition to the one already existing in Fustat to host the objects selected for the NMEC

The reasons for this request are the need for larger premises and for suitable conditions

for the conservation of objects and for their preventive treatment. Due to the very limited

space available for storage and laboratories, it was agreed that the present building should

only be used for the storage and treatment of small objects. Therefore, there is a need for

additional space either at the site or elsewhere to achieve the above.

2) Appointment of a UNESCO project officer, who should be Arabic-speaking and have

experience in project management and possibly also in museum organization. This project

officer would be the link between the UNESCO Secretariat of the Committee and the

Egyptian authorities during the implementation of the project.

3) Furnishing by the Egyptian authorities of the list of the members of the Egyptian

Project Management Group/UNESCO counterpart team, with their positions:

Such a list has already been requested, but unfortunately the request has only in part

been satisfied by the appointment of a project manager.

The Managerial Group will be charged with advancing all aspects of the planning of

the NMEC, including:

1. Research and development stage;

2. Construction stage;

3. Operational stage (over the first two to three years).

Positions already defined are the following:

Project General Manager (Mr A. Abdel Moneim), Architect (El Ghazali Kosseiba) and

Exhibition Designer (A. Isozaki), the last two being the winners of the architectural

competition.

Positions still pending appointments:

- Scientific Committee (historians (all periods), contemporary cultural figures, such as

journalists, teachers and researchers);

- Specialists Committee (educationalists, tourism specialists and cultural events

specialists);

- Curatorial Team (Chief-Curator, curators and archaeologists from the October 2001

and April 2002 workshops);

- Design Team (Landscape Designer).

Moreover, the SCA has formed a committee for the choice of objects, which is carrying

out work that will eventually be entrusted to the curatorial team.

4) Definition of museum policy and activities by the above teams

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The study of existing museums will define the position and activities of NMEC in the

museumscape of Cairo and Egypt, and specify its connections with other museums in areas

such as:

- type and quantity of visitors;

- type of collections;

- total floor area;

- exhibition floor area;

- public services;

- equipment;

- human resources.

The study will also develop a co-ordinated strategic planning framework for museums in

Cairo and Egypt. The study of the policies and activities of large museums, for example,

of the Metropolitan Museum in New York, the Louvre and the British Museum, and/or

comparable museums of civilization (Musée de la Civilization), will provide information

and help for decisions by the specialist committees.

The Egyptian authorities have been asked for precise options about general museum

policy and activities in order to get specifications for each activity in terms of staff and

actions involved, especially regarding exhibition policies for collecting, storage and

exhibiting.

OCTOBER 2002 MISSION OBJECTIVES AND ACTION PLAN

UNESCO expert mission to Cairo, 11-18 October 2002 (proposed to the Egyptian

authorities in July 2002)

Participants:

Dr Thompson, Arch Ricci, Prof Brunoni and Mr Sheehan (additional expertise to be

defined during a technical meeting to be held in Paris in September to discuss the final

modifications to the architectural design before the Committee meeting).

Objectives:

To review progress by the Egyptian authorities in advancing the NMEC project, and to

advise and assist the Counterpart Team as needed, in particular by:

Receiving comments and feedback from the Project Director and Counterpart Team

on the circulated reports and timetable of the UNESCO expert team;

Establishing and agreeing upon the proposed timetable and Action Plan for the NMEC

for 2002-2005;

21

Reviewing the work of the Counterpart Team in advancing the NMEC project;

Defining and confirming outline policies for the NMEC with the Project Director and

Counterpart Team;

Reviewing the work of the Curatorial Team on object selection and theme

development, and giving assistance and advice as needed;

Reviewing amendments to the architectural scheme as agreed during the April 2002

mission.

Counterpart Project Team (requested during the October 2001 mission)

Project General Manager: Mr A. Abdel Moneim

Academic Committee:

Historians (all periods)

Contemporary cultural figures, such as journalists, teachers and researchers

Specialists Committee

Educationalists

Tourism specialists

Cultural events specialists

Curatorial Team

Chief-Curator,

Curators and archaeologists from the October 2001 & April 2002 workshops

Design Team

Urban planner

Architect – El Ghazali Kosseiba

Exhibition designer – A.Isozaki

Draft working programme

1st day

Preliminary meeting with Project Manager and Counterpart Team: briefing on progress on the

NMEC project from the Egyptian side and comments on Experts Reports from the April 2002

mission.

Following days

o General meeting with Academic and Specialists Committee.

Discussion of project timetable and all reports in order to agree on an Action Plan

during the mission.

o General meeting with the Curatorial Team and follow up of their work.

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o Separate work for the experts and counterparts, one group on the architectural

programme with the Design Team, one group on the museological programme with

the Academic and Specialists team.

Final day

Final meeting with Experts

Draft outputs of the mission

Revision of the NMEC Project timetable

Other meetings

New Director of SCA

Nubia Fund Director

New UNESCO Office Director

23

NUBIA MUSEUM IN ASWAN

The total budget approved for activities concerning the establishment of the Nubia

Museum since the 11th Session of the Executive Committee is US$892,500, of which a total

of US$330,298 has been used. A list of activities carried out from the 11th

Session of the

Committee to end July 2002 follows, together with their budgetary implications.

Training 2001

According to Recommendation 1 of the 11th Session of the Executive Committee, ICOM

was entrusted with the organization of three workshops for the staff of the Nubia Museum in

Aswan between 1 March and 31 December 2001. The workshops were on training for

trainers, museum management and collection management.

The sum of US$59,540 was approved for this purpose during the 11th Session of the

Executive Committee. The full budget was used for the organization of the above workshops,

which were successfully carried out by ICOM.

Regional Assessment and Training 2001

The sum of US$110,460 was approved at the 11th Session of the Executive Committee

for the organization of a regional training course on museology (US$70,270) and of a regional

museums survey (US$40,228).

ICOM has been entrusted with the preparation of the survey, which has not yet been

completed. Therefore the regional training course has not yet been organized.

Regional Training 2002

The sum of US$132,500 was approved at the 11th Session of the Executive Committee

for the organization of a regional training course on documentation (US$70,270) and

collections management (US$62,270).

Since ICOM has not completed the regional survey of museums (see Regional

Assessment and Training), it is not appropriate to start any training activity involving

personnel from the rest of the Arab and African regions. Until the regional museums survey

has been completed it will not be possible to organize a course targeting the real needs of

museums in the region.

Moreover, according to Resolution 4/11 of the 21st Session of the UNESCO General

Conference it should be remembered that the Fund was created “for the establishment of the

24

Nubia Museum in Aswan and the new national Museum of Egyptian Antiquities in Cairo, as

well for training facilities for their staff.” No provision was made for training activities to be

expanded to staff from other museums.

Equipment and Documentation

In order to develop a functional research centre on conservation issues at the Nubia

Museum in Aswan, ICOM has been charged with identifying and purchasing the necessary

documentation in the field of conservation, restoration and museum management and the

material/equipment for the centre. In collaboration with the Egyptian authorities (SCA and the

Nubia Museum), key museological documents have been selected and are being translated

into Arabic.

A total amount of US$125,000 for the years 2001-2002 has been approved for this

purpose. The sum of US$94,460 has been used by ICOM to purchase and ship to the Nubia

Museum the relevant documentation and to translate the documents. This activity is still on-

going. The remaining budget of US$30,500 will be used to purchase computers and

equipment for the Nubia Museum. A budget estimate has already been received by ICOM and

SCA.

Language Course

The sum of US$20,000 was approved for this purpose at the Bureau meeting in June

2001, and a proposal from the Egyptian authorities in this field is awaited.

Needs Assessment

According to Recommendation 1 of the 12th Session of the Executive Committee, the

sum of US$17,000 was to be used to send an assessment mission to the Nubia Museum in

order to evaluate the results of 10 years of ICOM training in the field of museology and the

state of the laboratories.

Two experts have been identified, but the Recommendation has not yet been

implemented.

Nubia Museum Staff Scholarship in Museum Studies

Recommendation 2 made at the 12th Session of the Executive Committee recommended

upgrading Nubia Museum senior staff by awarding two scholarships for a Masters and PhD

degree programme abroad in Museum Studies, and the sum of US$40,000 was approved for

this purpose.

Mr Ossama Abdel Meguid, director of the Nubia Museum, has been selected for the

programme and was admitted to the Masters Degree Programme in Museology at Reinwardt

Academy.

25

Until the end of July 2002, the sum of 3,000 Euros has been used to cover his tuition fees

(admission and full-time programme for three semesters).

.

Documentation on the Nubia Campaign

According to Recommendation 3 of the 12th Session of the Executive Committee, an

expert has been identified to assess and prepare a detailed computerized inventory of the

documentation (photos, drawings, etc.) that exist in Egypt at the Supreme Council of

Antiquities and at the foreign archaeological centres and local institutions. The sum of

US$25,000 was approved at the 12th Session of the Executive Committee for this purpose.

Until the end of July 2002, US$9,000 has been used to cover the expenses (three-month

contract) of an international expert in Nubian Studies to prepare the above.

Museum Catalogue

Recommendation 4 of the 12th Session of the Executive Committee recommended the

finalization of the printing of the Museum catalogue and approved an additional sum of

US$30,500 for this purpose. The 11th Session of the Executive Committee had previously

approved a budget of US$20,000, and Recommendation 3 of the Bureau meeting added the

sum of US$60,000.

The budget was decentralized to the UNESCO Cairo Office and receipt of detailed

specifications for the use of the funds is still pending.

Promotion

At the 11th Session of the Committee (November 2000), the sum of US$5,000 was

approved for promotional activities. This budget was to be used by the Promotion Section of

the Division of Cultural Heritage, but activities have not yet been implemented. No additional

funds were approved at the 12th Session of the Executive Committee.

The sum of US$12,500 was requested by the Egyptian Authorities in September 2001 for

the preparation of an exhibition on Cultural Diversity to be held at UNESCO Headquarters.

Funds from the Campaign were required for this activity. The budget was decentralized by the

Sector to the UNESCO Cairo Office and receipt of detailed specifications on the use of the

funds is still pending.

Bibliography and Library

Recommendation 5 of the 12th Session of the Executive Committee recommended the

following activities:

a) Further research to be undertaken on available documentation and also contacts to be

established with institutions dealing with Egyptology worldwide.

26

Several institutions and scholars have been contacted. 37 institutions and scholars have

answered these contacts, providing references about their publications. 25 have offered copies

of their publications to the Documentation Centre, which has thus far received some 100

donated publications. These are currently at UNESCO Headquarters, and they will be shipped

with the rest of the purchased publications.

In order to increase contacts with scholars and institutions in the field of Nubian Studies

and to ensure future updates of the publications at the Documentation Centre in Aswan, a note

will be distributed at the Nubian Studies International Meeting, to be held in September 2002

in Rome, in order to launch an appeal for contributions.

b) Bibliography of the existing documents at the Supreme Council of Antiquities or at the

Nubia Museum to be made available.

Mr. Ossama Abdel Megid, Director of the Nubia Museum, submitted a list of

publications available at the Museum.

c) Budget of US$ 70,000 already approved for 2000-2001 will be used for the further

purchase and duplication of bibliographic material.

Of the US$ 70,000 approved, US$21,070 has so far been spent, as follows:

3929,56 Euros: 25 publications and reviews already purchased and received at UNESCO

Headquarters in July 2002;

US$15,965: International consultant fee (preparation of Nubia bibliography and list of

off-prints, research of publications to be acquired and photocopies, contact with foreign

institutions and scholars for the donation of publications, etc.);

US$1,188: Two missions to specialized libraries in Europe (Geneva and London) by the

above-mentioned consultant to update the Nubia bibliography and to meet with Prof. M.

Valloggia, who is in charge of the editing, and with the proof-reader of the final Nubia

bibliography, in order to establish the criteria to be followed in the editing.

Some 95 publications have already been ordered. These publications comprise general

and essential references for Nubian and Egyptological studies, archaeological reports, works

of history and culture, epigraphical studies and proceedings of conferences, etc. Such

purchases were decided after comparison with publications at the Nubia Museum. An

essential access database (author, title and references, year, format, source, number of

volumes, date of acquisition) is under preparation, and this will be forwarded with the

publications sent to the Nubia Museum.

At this stage, the following are still pending:

Receive from Oxbow Ltd. (Oxford) the detailed price list of available out-of-print

publications;

Receive information from the authors contacted about the availability of their out-of-print

publications;

Photocopy non-available out-of-print publications.

27

d) Allocation of a further budget of US$5,000 for the duplication of the documents on the

Campaign existing in the UNESCO archives

The Secretariat identified a person for this task, who unfortunately refused it at the last

minute.

e) Completion of the editing of the bibliography.

The 12th Executive Committee approved the sum of US$10,000 for the editing of the

bibliography.

The compilation of a comprehensive and updated bibliography of publications from the

19th Century until 2000, Nubian Bibliography to 2000 - List of Archaeological Missions in

Nubia, has been successfully completed under the supervision of Prof. Valloggia and other

scholars and revised by Prof. Valloggia. The bibliography has been updated with publications

by Christophe, Hendrickx, and other publications before 1975, such as Bailicher-Seeber and

the Etudes et Travaux published in the review Orientalia from 1960 to 1975. The

bibliography was submitted to UNESCO in July 2002.

The document is organized in three sections:

Section One: Alphabetical list of authors, provided with an identification number (ID),

titles, place of publication (or publisher) and year of publication. The location of abstracts

is put in parentheses: AEB (Annual Egyptological Bibliography), BA (Bailicher-Seeber

1998), CH (Christophe 1977), Hendrickx and Orientalia number.

Section Two: List of archaeological missions that operated, or are operating, in Nubia by

geographical order. For each site, the publications contained in the first section are listed

by identification number. For easy reference, an index of sites in alphabetical order is

given at the end of the section.

Section Three: Addresses of archaeologists who worked, or who are working, in the

Nubia area.

A meeting between Prof. Valloggia, and the proof-reader is planned at the end of October

or the beginning of November 2002 to start editing the book.

Proposal

Upon completion of the purchase of the main documentation both on the Nubia region

and on the conservation issues and its shipment to the Nubia Museum, it would be advisable

to engage the consultancy services of a librarian to organize the library and database and to

train personnel on its use and updating.

The sum of US$6,000 is requested for this purpose.

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Landscaping

At the 11th Session of the Executive Committee the sum of US$15,000 was approved for

consultation missions to be carried out by ICOM/ICCROM/IFLA. These missions have not

yet been undertaken.

Collection Database

Recommendation 6 of the 12th Session of the Executive Committee recommended the

compilation of a database on Nubian archaeological artifacts in the Nubia Museum and

approved the sum of US$50,000 for this purpose.

However, the Secretariat was informed of the existence of a database of the Nubia

Museum’s collections at the Supreme Council of Antiquities during a mission to Egypt in

April 2002, only after the approval of the Recommendation. An International expert has been

identified to revise the existing computerized database and provide a budget estimate for its

improvement.

Museum Website/training

Recommendation 7 of the 12th Session of the Executive Committee approved the sum of

US$60,000 for the preparation of the Museum Website and training. An expert, who is both a

museologist and a Web designer, has been identified to prepare the project document for the

Website and submit it to the Secretariat. The expert mission is foreseen in early October to

Cairo and Aswan for the above. Bidding among three Egyptian Web provider companies will

be launched as follow-up.

Study for the preparation of a GIS survey of the Nubia region

Recommendation 8 of the 12th Session of the Executive Committee recommended that a

study be carried out for the preparation of a GIS (Geographic Information System) survey of

the Nubia region, and the sum of US$8,000 was approved for this purpose.

This budget will be used for consultancy services. An assessment of the existing GIS

survey made by SCA will be carried out and a schedule of needs for its improvement

prepared.

Site-Management Course

Recommendation 9 of the 12th Session of the Executive Committee recommended the

organization of a workshop targeting the management of sites in the Nubia region. The sum of

US$30,000 was approved for this purpose.

This Recommendation has not yet been implemented.

29

ASSISTANCE TO SECRETARIAT

The sum of US$24,000 was approved at the 12th Session of the Committee for

assistance to the Secretariat, but this has not yet been used since no office space for a

consultant has been found at UNESCO HQ.

PREPARATION OF COMMITTEE MEETINGS

The Committee has not approved a budget to be used for the organization of

Committee/Bureau meetings, although it is within its mandate to do so.

UNESCO received a request in May 2001 for budgetary decentralization from the

Trust Fund (301EGY72) to the UNESCO Cairo Office from the SCA Secretary-General, who

is also Chairman of the Committee. The sum of US$23,000 was decentralized by the Sector to

the UNESCO Cairo Office to cover the missions to Paris of Dr. Gaballa, Dr. Barakat and Ms.

Ibrachi to attend the Bureau meeting in June 2001.

Proposal

It is proposed that the Committee approves the sum of US$20,00 for expenses linked

to the organization of the next Committee and/or Bureau meeting.

30

ANNEX 1

31

ANNEX 2