Following 16 years of closure to the public, the Al-Muzawaka necropolis in Dakhla Oasis will soon be back on the tourists track, reports Nevine El-Aref Restorers and archaeologists have been working on the Roman necropolis to clean, consolidate and restore the tombs, which are embraced within a rocky, table-top mound. The 300 tombs are gouged out of the rock, all unpainted tombs except for two. These, the tombs of Petosiris and Sadosiris, are certainly the most interesting, with walls vividly- painted with scenes combining ancient Egyptian and Roman deities at one time. The tombs were discovered in 1972 by Egyptian archaeologist Ahmed Fakhry, who because of the paintings called them Al-Muzawaka. The walls of Petosiris's tomb are painted with fair-haired, Roman- nosed figures in Pharaonic poses, curly-haired angels. On the ceiling is a zodiac with a bearded Janus figure. The owner of the tomb is also featured on the back right-hand corner, standing on a turtle and holding aloft a snake and fish -- a curious amalgam of Egyptian and Graeco-Roman symbols. The wall paintings of Sadorisis's tomb show the deceased in positions with various deities: before Anubis while his heart is weighed; before Osiris while he is judged; and with Janus looking back on the deceased's life and forward into the hereafter. Harvesting scenes are depicted in both tombs, as well as some agricultural products of the oasis such as grapes and olives. While the other tombs in the necropolis are unpainted, they were found still with embalmed corpses. The most intriguing of these is one of a young girl with pronounced painted genitals. As the only ones in Al-Muzawaka that attracted much interest, the tombs of Petosiris and Sadosiris had badly deteriorated. The paintings had been damaged by the humidity caused by visitors' breath, and cracks were showing on its walls so that some parts of the paintings had even become detached from the base rock. Both tombs were closed in 1992 and several attempts were made to restore and consolidate them. Early this month the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA) began a comprehensive project to rescue the tombs. "Restoring and consolidating such fine paintings was not an easy task," said Gamal Mahgoub, head of the central department of restoration and maintenance at the SCA. He explained that before starting any cleaning and restoration work a comprehensive survey of the painting condition and the plaster level that held it had to be made. He continued that sand and dust accumulated on the paintings had been brushed off, the walls had been consolidated and all the paintings had been re-attached to the original rock. Zahi Hawass, secretary-general of the SCA, told Al-Ahram Weekly that a site management plan was being put in place to ensure the preservation of the tombs and facilitate the visitors' path inside and outside. This would be implemented by covering the roads leading to the tombs with small pieces of rubble to prevent direct pressure on the original rock, installing cool lighting and making a path for tourists. A one- room visitor centre is now under construction so visitors can preview the paintings in a 15-minute documentary in order to reduce the time they spend inside the tombs.
