El-Leithy Guest Speakers at Nefertiti Cultural Salon in Prince Taz Palace

As part of its role in fostering intellectual movement and providing platforms for specialized dialogue on heritage and identity, the Cultural Development Fund continues to host influential events across its creativity centers. On Sunday evening, January 4, the Nefertiti Cultural Salon held a session titled "Egyptian Antiquities: Registration, Documentation, and Preservation" at the Prince Taz Palace Creativity Center, attended by prominent researchers and archaeology enthusiasts.

The First Line of Defense

The salon hosted Dr. Hisham El-Leithy, Head of the Antiquities Preservation and Registration Sector at the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities. During the session, Dr. El-Leithy detailed the sector's operational framework, asserting that the processes of preservation, registration, and documentation serve as the "primary lines of defense" for Egyptian antiquities against loss, encroachment, or distortion.

Dr. El-Leithy revealed that the center houses a massive and unparalleled archive of rare photographs, maps, and drawings of Egyptian monuments, with some documents dating back to 1800 AD. He noted that registering an artifact is an arduous task requiring specialized scientific effort to ensure it is documented according to precise academic methodologies.

From the High Dam to Global Rescue Missions

Dr. El-Leithy traced the history of the Antiquities Registration Center, explaining that it was established in 1955 in tandem with the early stages of the High Dam construction. Egypt faced a historic challenge: the urgent need to document monuments threatened by flooding. These efforts—encompassing architectural surveys, drawing, and photography—became the scientific foundation for the international mission to rescue and relocate the Nubian monuments under the umbrella of UNESCO. Following this success, the center expanded its documentation to sites in Luxor, Aswan, and Esna.

Modernization and Digital Protection

The discussion highlighted how the center’s role has evolved over decades. Today, it utilizes cutting-edge technology, including:

 Digitization and Electronic Databases.

 Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to enhance site protection.

Support for Repatriation: Providing essential documentation to aid in the recovery of smuggled Egyptian artifacts.

The sector now oversees central departments for archaeological outlets, site encroachments, seized items, storehouses, and scientific publishing, alongside departments for surveying and property management.

Ancient Roots of Documentation

Interestingly, Dr. El-Leithy connected modern efforts to ancient traditions. He pointed out that Ancient Egyptians were pioneers of documentation, citing the "Letters to the Dead." These correspondences, placed in tombs starting from the Sixth Dynasty of the Old Kingdom, served as a social record of Egyptian life—a tradition that persists in various forms today, such as messages left at the shrines of saints (Awliya).

The event concluded with an open discussion on the contemporary challenges of heritage preservation and the vital role of community awareness in safeguarding the nation's civilizational memory.