Sisi: Cairo to Become Open Museum

President Abdel Fattah El Sisi told Director-General of UNESCO Audrey Azoulay on Sunday that developing Cairo's historical sites will make the Egyptian capital an open museum.

Sisi received Azoulay in the presence of Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Dr. Khaled El-Enany and Minister of Culture Dr. Inas Abdel Dayem, according to Presidency Spokesperson Bassam Rady.

Rady added that Sisi welcomed the visit of the Director-General of UNESCO to Egypt and attending the Pharaohs’ Golden Parade.

"The president commended the continuous support provided by the UNESCO internationally and regionally to the sectors of education, culture, and science as well as its efforts to promote and protect antiquities and heritage in Egypt and around the world," he noted.

Sisi also stressed the importance that the state attaches to strengthening cooperation relations with UNESCO, as an extension of the decades-long partnership between the two sides, and for recognizing the vast Egyptian efforts made over the past years to effect a major qualitative leap in highlighting and preserving Egypt’s rich heritage and civilization in all aspects.

He also pointed out the development of museums, the creation of a new series of them nationwide to display the largest possible number of Egyptian antiquities, the rehabilitation of archaeological sites and attractions, and the development of the governing and regulatory aspect of the antiquities sector in Egypt.

"The main purpose is to protect the Egyptian monuments and present them to Egyptians, the peoples of the world and humanity as a whole in the best image befitting the grandeur of the Egyptian civilization," Rady manifested.

Moreover, Sisi affirmed that the state has followed a balanced path in this respect between development efforts and the preservation of the value and integrity of the unique archaeological sites, including the development of all historical areas in Cairo, adding "to make Egypt’s capital an open museum that reflects the legacy of the ancient and contemporary Egyptian civilizations."