Egypt's Aviation and Antiquities ministries inaugurate museum at Cairo International Airport
Hana Afifi, , Tuesday 8 Dec 2015


Egyptian ministers of civil aviation and of antiquities opened on Monday the first phase of a museum at the Departures Hall at Terminal 3 of Cairo International Airport, the civil aviation ministry said in a statement.

Civil aviation minister Hossam Kamal said the museum aims to attract tourists to Egypt, especially those who have layovers in Cairo, and to allow them to explore its Pharaonic civilization. “The Pharaonic image will be what [visitors] see first and last" in the country, the statement said.

The museum will contain 39 artifacts dating back to different periods in the history of Egypt, including a Qur’an, a Bible, and a series of antiquities that illustrate religious rituals of the church, antiquities minister Mamdouh El-Damaty said.

The museum will be located next to the V.I.P Lounge E, which is affiliated with the civil aviation ministry's Cairo International Airport company and will link Departure Halls 3 and 2 when it opens.

An agreement was signed before the inauguration Monday between the head of Cairo International Airport Ahmed Geneina and secretary general of the Antiquities Higher Council Mostafa Amin to establish the museum and define ways of cooperation between both ministries in the project.

Last month, Russia halted flights to Cairo after the downing of a Russian airliner that exploded in the air in October in central Sinai, killing all 224 people on board. Other countries halted their flights to Sharm El-Sheikh, where the airplane had taken off.

Following the crash, Egypt's head of the Tourism and Aviation division in the Cairo Commercial Chamber told Ahram Online that the incident could hamper Egypt’s tourism.

The tourism ministry also said it will launch a campaign to promote tourism in Egypt.

Antiquities minister said the museum at Cairo International Airport will be an important initiative to promote Egyptian antiquities and to display Egypt’s civilization and cultural heritage.

Kamal added that the project will pave the way for displaying Egyptian antiquities at the airport, and pursuing similar projects in Hurghada and Sharm El-Sheikh airports.

https://english.ahram.org.eg/News/172899.aspx