The MoU was signed by Mohamed Ismail Khaled, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, and Friederike Seyfried, director of the Egyptian Museum in Berlin, during a ceremony held on Monday.

This collaboration will focus on the preservation, documentation, and digital archiving of ancient Egyptian manuscripts and papyri, many of which are considered highly vulnerable due to their age and fragility.

“This agreement represents a major step forward in safeguarding our ancient history. By preserving these precious papyri and manuscripts, we are not only protecting our cultural heritage but also opening new doors for scientific research and discovery in Egyptology,” Khaled said.

The project will involve cataloguing, digitizing, archiving the papyri, and training Egyptian restorers and curators in modern conservation techniques. Workshops and training programmes will be held in Egypt and Germany, focusing on innovative methods for preserving and displaying these delicate artefacts.

The initiative will also use advanced imaging technology, such as tomography, to read folded or damaged papyri without unrolling them, a task that will be done in collaboration with the Egyptian Academy of Scientific Research and Technology.

In addition, 400 artefacts that are currently stored in museums across Egypt and 100 more from various museum storages will be restored and prepared for public exhibition.

Seyfried praised the Egyptian government’s efforts to support German archaeological missions and projects.

“This collaboration has allowed us to make remarkable progress, and I look forward to even more fruitful cooperation in other areas of archaeological work,” she said.

The agreement also includes plans to hold exhibitions and international scientific conferences showcasing the restored papyri, further enhancing Egypt’s global standing in archaeology and cultural heritage preservation.