Mohamed Abdel-Halim Noureddin, a pioneer in Egyptology, died Wednesday 16 November. He was 73. Noureddin, who taught at Cairo University, was born in the village of Al-Ramlah in Benha in 1943. He graduated from the Department of Egyptology, the Faculty of Arts in Cairo University, in 1963. He received his PhD in Egyptology from the University of Leiden in Holland in 1974. Noureddin became assistant professor of Egyptology at the Faculty of Archaeology at Cairo University. In 1979, he was a visiting professor at Leiden Papyrological Institute at the University of Leiden. In 1980, he was promoted associate professor of Egyptology at Cairo University. From 1982-1986, Noureddin was chairman of the Department of Archaeology at the University of Sanaa in Yemen. In 1986, he became a tenured professor of Egyptology at the Faculty of Archaeology at Cairo University, and chair of the Department of Egyptology from 1996-2002. From 2000-2005, he was dean of the Faculty of Archaeology at Cairo University's Fayoum branch. His last position was dean of the Faculty of Archaeology and Touristic Guidance at Misr University for Science and Technology (MUST) in 6 October City, and adjunct professor of Egyptology at Cairo University. Noureddin held many high-level positions in Egypt and abroad. He founded the Department of Archaeology and the Archaeological Museum at the University of Sanaa and headed the Archaeology Department. From 1993-1996, he was chairman of the Egyptian Antiquities Organisation (EAO) and the first general-secretary of the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA) at the Ministry of Culture. He was also general director of the Writing and Scripts Centre at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina in Alexandria. Noureddin directed field work, surveys, archaeological works and museums in Egypt and abroad. He was a member of highly prestigious societies in Leiden, London, Paris, Brussels and Berlin. He supervised several theses and dissertations in archaeology, Egyptology, history, tourism, education and fine and applied arts in Egypt, other Arab countries and abroad. He was active in the media, defending Egyptian antiquities and promoting archaeological knowledge. He authored and co-authored archaeological and historical books and articles for the general public and scientific scholars. His long legacy includes several awards from Egypt and abroad.
