Imagine - The Pharaohs' Museum on Liberation Square

I stayed up to watch Alan Yentobs Imagine program as it was on Egypt and what happened to the Egyptian museum during the "revolution" in January on tuesday night. Having visited Cairo many times it was fascinating to see some of the locations that Mr Yentob and his camera crew got to film from, including the interview with Omar Shariff filmed overlooking Tahrir or Liberation square as it is now known.

The scenes with Egypt's Minister of Antiquities Zahi Hawaas, probably the second most well known Egyptian after the deposed president were a combination of uncomfortable and slightly embarrassing as it was clear that Mr. Hawass was unhappy with some of Mr. Yentobs questioning. Particularly those with regards to what went on during the revolution when the Egyptian Museum was looted and also the treasures currently held abroad in foreign museums.

The only saving grace with regards to the looting is that the looters somehow mistook the gift shop for the museum itself and so that is where most things were taken from!!! Pro democracy demonstrators then rushed to protect the museum on hearing of the looting and to prevent any further damage.

If you have never been to Egypt there are things you will see that you would think could only appear in a comedy film and I am not just talking about the driving. Whilst filming in the Tutankhamun room during opening hours Mr Yentob witnessed museum workers opening the glass case containing the gold death mask, take it out (1 guy lifting it up with no support) then put it down on a table before changing one of the bulbs used to illuminate the mask. Shades of Only Fools and Horses and the chandelier scene sprang to mind.

Overall the film was very sympathetic to the situation in Egypt using what happened had the museum to discuss the future and what it holds. Having just returned last week I can say with 100% accuracy that the current situation is very bad from a tourism point of view. Hotel occupancy in Cairo and Luxor was very low and very very few of the Nile Cruises were operating, maybe 20-30 out of 300!!

Unfortunately with no real government until the elections in September there is no chance for any support or help in the form of subsidies to aid incoming tourism so in some ways all we can do is sit and keep our fingers crossed.