The Man Behind King Tut

INTERVIEW VIEW InterviewINTER The Man Behind King Tut An Interview with Dr. Zahi Hawass, Secretary General, Supreme Council of Antiquities, Egypt EDITORS’ NOTE Zahi Hawass is the Secretary to be the spokesman for archaeol- General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities ogy in Egypt. Since he became the (SCA). Throughout his career, he has made head of antiquities in 2002, he has many important discoveries, including the made great strides concerning site Tombs of the Pyramid Builders at Giza and management programs, which pro- the Valley of the Golden Mummies at Bahariya tect the monuments while enhanc- Oasis. Recently, he announced to the public ing the experiences for tourists. He the results of a forensic study that included the is implementing such programs fi rst successful use of DNA analysis on Egyptian throughout Egypt: for example, the mummies, which has illuminated the relation- site of Giza is being transformed ships of the family of the Tutankhamun and from a zoo into an organized open- suggested new causes for his death. air museum, and the site of Saqqara Dr. Hawass received his doctoral degree is also seeing dramatic improve- from the University of Pennsylvania in 1987, ments. This has increased the num- and has received many important awards bers of tourists coming to Egypt. Dr. worldwide. In 2006, he was named one of the Hawass is also currently overseeing Top 100 Infl uential People by time Magazine. the building of 20 new museums all He has received the Golden Plate Award from over Egypt, the most important being the Academy of Achievement as well as many the Grand Egyptian Museum, which awards from foreign countries. He has re- is being built now in the shadow of ceived four honorary doctorate degrees from es- the pyramids. Other new museums teemed world universities, such as the American include the Royal Jewelry Museum, University in Cairo and the Catholic University which will open this year, the Textile of Santo Domingo. Museum, which was opened by First Dr. Hawass lectures all over the world, Lady Suzanne Mubarak in February and he has brought Egyptology into the hearts 2010, and also the Crocodile of people worldwide. He is considered by many Museum, which recently opened next to the temple of Kom Ombo in Upper Egypt. Renovations are also being carried out at older national museums: the Coptic Museum has already reopened, the Museum of Islamic Art will reopen soon, and the Greco-Roman Museum in Alexandria is undergoing restoration. Many monuments in Egypt, including the Step Pyramid and Serapeum at Saqqara are being restored under Dr. Hawass’s leadership. On March 14, 2010, the Maimonides Synagogue in Cairo was reopened to the public after restoration, and the SCA is currently restoring several other synagogues in Cairo and in Alexandria. Coptic churches are also being restored under his watch. The most important of these is the Monastery of Saint Anthony on the Red Sea, which reopened in February 2010. The SCA also restored 33 Islamic monuments on El-Muizz Street in Old Cairo, making this street a very at- tractive tourist site and emphasizing its histori- cal importance. As part of his quest to preserve and protect the antiquities of Egypt, Dr. Hawass has created a department for the return of stolen artifacts, called the General Administration for the Recovery of Stolen Antiquities. In 2010, he worked to change the antiquities law in the Egyptian Parliament to 24 leaders posted with permission. copyright © 2010 leaders magazine, inc. volume 33, number 2 make stricter punishments for illegal antiquities return of the rosetta stone. also, many people most recent fi nds are four foundation deposits dealing. Over the past seven years, he has suc- from germany are writing to me saying that found in the valley of the monkeys (the west- ceeded in bringing back many important artifacts the bust of nefertiti should be in egypt. all of ern arm of the valley of the Kings, where the to Egypt – more than 6,000 pieces to date. Most re- this is happening through my strategy of team- tombs of amenhotep iii and ay are located), cently, he successfully put pressure on the Louvre work and cooperation. it is my dream, in the which indicates there should be a tomb nearby. to return some paintings taken from a tomb at near future, to see these six pieces i mentioned it could be the tomb of ankhesenamun, the Thebes by stopping their excavations in Egypt. exhibited in the grand egyptian museum, and wife of tutankhamun, or of Queen tiye, the On March 10, he was in Washington D.C. to ac- for the bust of nefertiti to be exhibited in the wife of amenhotep iii. another dream of mine cept the repatriation of a beautiful 21st Dynasty akhenaton museum in minya, which will at- is investigating the doors inside the great coffi n that was seized by the U.S. Department of tract people from everywhere. there we will pyramid using robots, and we hope that in Homeland Security in Miami. also show the three amarna mummies we iden- 2010, we will reveal the secrets of the great It is his dream to bring back six unique ar- tifi ed recently: the mummy of akhenaton, the pyramid. also, i hope to identify the rest of tifacts that he feels belong in their homeland: mummy of Queen tiye, and the mummy of the the family of tutankhamun by using dna to the bust of Nefertiti in Berlin; the Rosetta Stone mother of tutankhamun. fi nd the mummy of his wife ankhesenamun in the British Museum; the statue of the archi- Many of your dreams have already and perhaps to identify the mummy of Queen tect Hemiunu in Hildesheim, Germany; the bust come true, but what are the dreams you nefertiti. Finally, we are searching for the tomb of the vizier Ankh-haf in the Museum of Fine have for the future? of cleopatra and mark anthony, which we be- Arts in Boston; the Zodiac ceiling from the tem- my dreams for the future are to continue lieve to be in the temple of taposiris magna, ple of Dendera in the Louvre; and the statue of to concentrate on projects i am already work- 30 km outside of alexandria. the sca has been Ramesses II in Turin. ing on. For example, all my life i wanted to excavating with a dominican team here since Dr. Hawass has also created special pro- excavate a mysterious tunnel in the tomb of 2005, and has found many important objects, grams to raise awareness of antiquities among seti i. we are working here now, and we have including coins of cleopatra and mark anthony. Egyptians, as well as implementing and sup- reached a depth of 450 feet. at the end we have we have also uncovered a large cemetery out- porting important training programs for young discovered 37 steps, which indicates that we side the temple, which indicates that someone Egyptians that are teaching them how to exca- are in front of the entrance to a tomb. every important is buried nearby. i hope that we will vate and work in museums. For the fi rst time, he night, i dream that i am down in this tunnel, be able to fi nd the resting place of this great is making Egyptology for Egyptians. opening this tomb. i feel that soon the world queen of egypt. these are my dreams that i will hear something amazing about how an hope to accomplish. Egypt has had many artifacts stolen from egyptian team that i appointed revealed the All that you’re doing must be very ex- it over hundreds of years, and now you’re secrets of the tomb of seti i. my second dream pensive. How do you obtain fi nancing, and bringing things back as you can. But not ev- concerns our excavations in the valley of the what can corporations, for instance, do to eryone is as cooperative as they should be. Kings. we have already found many important contribute? Are other countries and leaders respecting things, such as how the ancient egyptians redi- most of our work is supported by ticket sales this quest? rected the fl ood waters to preserve the tombs. to tourists, and also exhibitions that we send out- For the fi rst time, people all over the world we also found many graffi ti and inscriptions side of egypt. when i sent the King tut exhibit are beginning to recognize our efforts to regain left by the workmen, as well as pottery. the to the states, i said there are no more free meals, stolen artifacts, and countries like china and therefore we are getting money for these are now looking to do the same thing. the exhibits. exhibits such as this earn around country that has helped us most in return- 1 billion egyptian pounds, and all of it goes ing stolen artifacts is the united states. to restore pharaonic, Jewish, islamic, coptic, seven years ago, the district attorney of and modern monuments in egypt. it is my new york fought to put american Frederick dream to complete two things: fi rst, building schultz in jail because he was involved the suzanne mubarak children’s museum. with a big theft in egypt. Jim mcandrew we are trying to build it with the help of from homeland security came to egypt in the people, and many american friends of 2002 to investigate a case involving over mine have helped me to raise 14 million 300 predynastic artifacts.

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