On the Nile bank of Minya stands the pyramid-shaped building of the Aten Museum, waiting for the completion of its final phase, in order that it may welcome visitors next year. The museum was designed by the German government as a gift for the Egyptian government in 1998, according to the partnership between the Aten Museum and the Hildesheim Museum in Germany. The building was modified by late architect Gamal Bakry, and museum consultant Mahmoud Mabrouk designed the grounds to provide a suitable landscape for outdoor exhibitions. The museum grounds, which overlook the Nile, take up 25 feddans. The building is made up of five floors and features 14 exhibition halls, a large conference hall, and a school of museum and restoration studies. An open air theatre in the grounds displays a collection of ancient Egyptian replicas. Adel Abdel Satar, head of the museums section at the Ministry of State for Antiquities (MSA), told Ahram Online that the museum will put on display a large collection related to the monotheistic king Akhenaten and his wife Nefertiti, which was unearthed at Amarna city in Minya. This collection includes statues of Akhenaten and Nefertiti, as well as of his father, king Amenhotep III, and his mother Tyie. The exhibition will also explore Egypt's relations with its neighbours in the period by displaying the diplomatic archive of Egypt from the reign of Akhenaten. A set oftalatatstones, blocks of a standardised size used during Akhenaten's reign, will also be on display. The talatat were used during the reign of king Akhenaten in the construction of temples to the god Aten at Karnak and Amarna, the capital city of Egypt during Akhenaten's reign. Minister of Antiquities Mohamed Ibrahim announced that, according to the friendly relations between the Aten and Hildesheim museums, the later will help the ministry to execute and complete the museum's final phase through a fund raising and donation campaign, and providing any required experts. The final phase requires funds of LE60 million. http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/44709.aspx
