A CENTURY ON: The opening of the Egyptian Museum in 1902 was a glittering event, attended by Abbas Helmi II and a host of dignitaries. And to mark the museum's centenary, the Ministry of Culture last night replayed that legendary occasion, lending it a thoroughly modern twist, reports Nevine El-Aref . Lasers projected images of the Giza Pyramids, Luxor temple and Pharoanic patterns on a giant screen while dozens of soldiers, wearing red tarboushes and dark blue suits, lined the entrance hall and the route leading to a marquee specially erected for the celebrations. The event was attended by Mrs Suzanne Mubarak, Culture Minister Farouk Hosni alongside scores of Arab dignitaries, officials and public figures, who toured Hidden Treasures, a new exhibition comprising 250 artefacts that are being displayed for the first time having languished for decades in the museum basement or its many storerooms. Zahi Hawas, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, presented Mrs Mubarak with a commemorative set of stamps, gold and silver coins as well as publications issued to mark the event. The Museum, one of Downtown Cairo's most distinctive landmarks, was designed by French architect Marcel Dourgnon, and the original foundation stone was laid in 1896. The neo- classical edifice has more than 100 rooms arranged around a central atrium and took four years to complete. On opening, 36,000 objects were on display, a figure that has steadily risen to today's 160,000. By Nevine El-Aref photos: Khaled El-Fiqi
