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| Agency overview | |
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| Jurisdiction | Government of Egypt |
| Headquarters | Zamalek, Cairo |
| Agency executive |
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| Child agency |
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| Website | mota.gov.eg |
TheMinistry of Tourism and Antiquities (Arabic:وزارة السياحة والآثار,romanized: Wizārat al-Siyāḥah wa-al-Āthār) is the Egyptian government organization which serves to protect and preserve the heritage andancient history of Egypt. In December 2019 it was merged into theMinistry of Tourism withKhaled al-Anani retaining his function.[1] He was replaced byAhmed Issa as Minister of Tourism and Antiquities in a cabinet reshuffle on 13 August 2022.
It was formed from theSupreme Council of Antiquities in 2011[2] during the presidency ofHosni Mubarak to deal with the security and theft of Egyptianantiquities.
Grave robbers have been looting ancient Egyptian tombs nearly continuously for well over 4,000 years.[3] The Ministry of Antiquities works to get the items restored back to Egypt, whenever possible. Over the years, thousands of stolen antiquities have made their way back to Egypt. For instance, in late 2016, the ministry recovered and repatriated two of fourIslamic era lamps which had been stolen in 2015.[4] In 2018, a carving in the shape of Osiris which had been hidden in furniture and shipped to Kuwait was repatriated to Egypt's Ministry of Antiquities.[5]
In 2023, the ministry prohibited a group of archaeologists from theNational Museum of Antiquities inLeiden,Netherlands from conducting excavations inSaqqara after the museum unveiled an exhibit aboutancient Egyptian music that Egyptian authorities criticized for itsAfrocentric depictions of certain figures, claiming it washistorical negationism.[6]
From 2009 to 2014, the ministry worked with theGetty Conservation Institute on the management and conservation of thetomb of Tutankhamun.[7]
In 2016, the minister, Khaled El-Anany, stated his primary focus would be on solving the budget deficit of the ministry, given that many projects were stalled for lack of funding.[15]
