Salvaging the collection of the Egyptian Scientific Institute
During the protests on Tahrir square in Cairo at 17 December 2011 a Molotov-cocktail missed its intended target and caused a great tragedy to the Egyptian Scientific Institute. The building with it is treasure trove of books, manuscripts and writings – most notably the handwritten 24-volume Description de l'Egypte – was set on fire.
The fire couldn’t be controlled and a great deal of the collection is lost. However, the damaged part of the collection can be saved through vacuuming it and repairing it in a later stage. Therefore the Prince Claus Fund, through its Cultural Emergency Response (CER) programme, provided a grant of € 10.000,- to Dar Al Kutub (the National Library). Dar Al Kutub has been able to purchase two vacuuming machines and vacuum bags, so that in the future some part of the collection can be restored.
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"The whole of Egypt is crying"
Dr. Zayn Abd al-Hady, director of Dar Al Kutub
CER
view programmeCER provides rapid and effective emergency relief for cultural heritage damaged or destroyed by man-made or natural disasters. Launched in 2003 in reaction to the looting and demolition of artworks from the National Museum of Iraq, CER believes that rescuing cultural heritage provides hope and consolation to affected communities and thereby contributes to restoring human dignity, continuity and a sense of identity. Culture is a basic need and cultural emergency relief should therefore be an integral part of humanitarian aid.
Salvaging the collection of the Egyptian Scientific Institute
Salvaging the collection of the Egyptian Scientific Institute
During the protests on Tahrir square in Cairo at 17 December 2011 a Molotov-cocktail missed its intended target and caused a great tragedy to the Egyptian Scientific Institute. The building with it is treasure trove of books, manuscripts and writings – most notably the handwritten 24-volume Description de l'Egypte – was set on fire. The fire couldn’t be controlled and a...
