Masterpieces of the Egyptian Museum collection in Turin are to be posted on cyberspace. Nevine El-Aref visits the virtual Egypt The splendour of the ancient Egyptian civilisation is legendary. For centuries it has been a source of inspiration for travellers, archaeologists, historians, scientists and even looters. At the turn of the 18th century several foreign excavators, marvelling at the beauty of the ancient Egyptians' art and architecture, explored the country in search of the archaeological heritage long buried under the sand. Some of the glowing artefacts they found, which reflect the long saga of Egypt's past, were taken abroad as the law at that time permitted their sale in bazaars and even at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. The law also enabled foreign expeditions to share in Egypt's heritage through the implementation of the division policy, which permitted the division of newly-discovered artefacts between the foreign excavating team and the Egyptian government. Such collections led to the treasures of Egypt being exhibited in museums all over the world, such as the Metropolitan Museum in New York, the British Museum in London and the Egyptian Museum in Turin. Egyptians, however, had to travel abroad in order to see these distinguished objects from their past. Some of these important pieces will now be available for a virtual viewing to all and sundry on the "Eternal Egypt" website. Early this week, following a protocol signed between the Egyptian Museum of Turin and the Centre for Documentation of Cultural and Natural Heritage (CULTNAT) -- affiliated to the Bibliotheca Alexandrina and supported by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology -- masterpieces in the ancient Egyptian Museum of Turin will be posted on Eternal Egypt. It is the first time a collection from abroad has been included on an Egyptian website. The archaeological website Eternal Egypt, which displays Egypt's 7,000 years of history, was launched two years ago to make virtual access to Egypt from across the globe possible. It displays objects from collections in various Egyptian museums -- including the Egyptian, Graeco-Roman, Coptic and Islamic Art museums -- and will grant visitors information on every era of Egyptian history. Eternal Egypt combines the most important locations, artefacts, people and stories from Egypt's history into an interactive multimedia experience. The result of the mutual cooperation between the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology and the IBM Corporation, the project was funded by a $2.5 million IBM-donated grant of technology and expertise from the research and services teams in the United States and Egypt. The Egyptian government contributed with a team of experts who developed the content of the system. In this new section the museum in Turin will pay for its contribution and will provide all the information and data needed for each selected object, while CULTNAT will provide a team of experts to post the selections on the web. Speaking to Al-Ahram Weekly, Eleni Vassilika, director of the Egyptian Museum of Turin, said that putting the museum's collection on the Eternal Egypt site would not only promote the museum globally but would also enable Italian students to learn more about the ancient Egyptian civilisation, which was a chapter in their history curriculum. "It will be an accurate reference for Italian pupils," she said. Among the distinguished artefacts selected are the funerary collection of the architect and "Chief of the Great Palace", Khai, found at his tomb at Deir Al-Medina in Luxor. It includes beds, linen wrapping, tables, chairs, decorated boxes and vases, statues and papyri. Failla Angelo, director of the IBM Italy Foundation, told the Weekly that this was the first step towards attracting more international museums to post their ancient Egyptian piece of art on Eternal Egypt. This would be implemented through the establishment of Eternal Egypt Kiosks, a groundbreaking project that will circulate more than 5,000 years of Egyptian civilisation. The Eternal Egypt Kiosk takes this experience to the next level of immersion and interactivity, allowing visitors to CULTNAT the chance to explore and learn about Egypt's cultural heritage. Using ten supported languages, the Eternal Egypt Kiosk aims at providing visitors with the chance to make a virtual exploration of three major sites in Egypt: the Giza Pyramids and Sphinx on the Giza Plateau, Luxor Temple, and the tomb of Tutankhamun in the Valley of the Kings. Two Eternal Egypt Kiosks will be available for the Mubarak Heritage Centre in Luxor and the Bibliotheca Alexandrina. CULTNAT's Deputy Director Eglal Bahgat said that Eternal Egypt was the richest website available to those who are interested in collecting information on Egyptian civilisation. It also served as a professional source for students and travellers wishing to explore the cultural heritage of a country renowned for its splendid ancient civilisations. Although it is still in its infant phase, the site has amassed an incredible number of hits and has been highlighted in newspapers and magazines around the world. LOCATED in Turin's Science Academy, underneath the Galleria Sabauda which houses the Savoy family collection of European Art, the Egyptian Museum of Turin is considered the second in the world after the Egyptian museum in Cairo. Its façade, however, does not reflect what is exhibited inside. Built in 1824, the edifice is large and rather bland from the outside; the entrance is small and unassuming, with only one attendant selling tickets. Once inside, though, one is in an entirely different world. The Savoy family was powerful and wealthy for centuries and, like most really rich people, they collected things. Among the things they liked were Egyptian antiquities; they started hoarding in 1628 and eventually collected enough to fill a museum. From the late 18th century they opened their collection to the public, thus creating the first museum devoted to Egyptology. The sheer size and enormous variety of the Egyptian antiquities collection are what makes this collection exciting for visitors. All periods of ancient Egypt are represented. There is not just one mummy but literally hundreds, along with a large number of apothecary jars and funeral statuettes. From Sphinx-like sculptures two stories tall to tiny glass vials for cosmetics, no type of surviving artefact is left out. The scale of the collection is overwhelming. Two features merit special mention. One is the tomb of Khai, the burial chamber of a 1,400 BC architect and his wife. The chamber, which was transported intact from the archaeological sites of Deir Al-Medina before World War I, contains all the necessary items of daily life, from the husband's drafting tools to the wife's cosmetic case. There is a bed, clothing, cooking and eating utensils, even a board game for recreation in the hereafter. The other notable feature is the Rock Temple of Al-Elessiya, which escaped inundation after the building of the Aswan Dam and was reassembled in Turin in the 1960s. The temple dates from the 15th century BC and bears extensive bas-reliefs of Pharaoh Thutmosis III. Most of the items in the museum are displayed in fairly standard glass cases. There is one great hall containing nothing but mummies in glass cases. The early curators evidently were not very creative. In some parts of the museum there are newer displays where items appear in scholarly reproductions of scenes from the everyday life in ancient Egypt. These displays provide the visitor with more historical and cultural information. Modern curators seem to want to make the museum more "visitor-friendly", a trend that one hopes will continue. One comes away from the museum with a new appreciation of ancient Egypt and of what was clearly an educated and well-populated society that prospered for centuries.
