FROM TOP: REUTERS/AMR ABDALLAH; STEVE CRISP / REUTERS
GOLDEN MUMMIES
HUFFINGTON
07.22.12
antiquities had been broken.
“We found pieces in the street
and had to carry them back inside,” says Saad. “Some Egyptians helped us collect them.”
According to Saad, museum
guides had immediately concluded that several treasures
were irreparably damaged. Later inquiries found that 78 pieces had been stolen. Some were
never recovered.
In the weeks after the break
in, Hawass told reporters that
he was working overtime to
make sure Egypt’s relics would
be safe as the revolution rolled
on. He also endlessly lauded —
often exaggerating — the heroism of the protesters who had
protected their country’s priceless artifacts from harm.
If Hawass was aware that
Above: Egyptian Army special forces personnel stand
there were two groups of
guard beside a gold funerary mask of King Tankhamun
at the Egyptian Museum in 2011. Below: Hawass
thieves, he continued to feign
stands with a artifact that was damaged during the raid.
ignorance after touring the
wreckage. Instead he mocked
the foolishness of thieves who would
petrators had been security guards
focus on the gift shop he “was very
and police officers.
proud of,” the one operated by busiThe incident seemed to highlight
nesses closely tied to his interests,
one of Hawass’s weaknesses — the
mentioning only in passing the brofuzzy distinction between his perken vitrines and statues inside.
sonal and professional business relaUnfortunately for Hawass, a far
tionships, giving his enemies within
more complicated story was emergthe museum, government and on the
ing. There was talk, later substanstreets ammunition to mount the astiated by the Egyptian Cultural
sault that would eventually result in
Heritage Organization, that the perhis removal from government.