The Supreme Committee of the Scenario Museum Exhibition in the Ministry of Antiquities has chosen a mosaic, which was discovered last week by an Egyptian-Polish Mission in the area of ​​Kom El Dikka in Alexandria, to be part of the central pieces in a new museum exhibition of the Greek-Roman Museum. Â
This decision was stated in a meeting with Dr. Khaled El Enany Committee, the Minister of Antiquities, to follow up and discuss the latest developments in the museum exhibition at the Greco-Roman Museum in Alexandria, as well as to discuss the committee’s recommendations for the distribution of the selected artifacts within the scenario of the new exhibition.
Dr. Ayman Ashmawy, the Head of the Egyptian Antiquities Department at the Ministry, said that the Supreme Committee chose this piece not only for its good state of conservation and its beauty, but also because it is one of the most famous mosaics of Alexandria from the Roman era. Its design is the most imposing of styles for a dining room in a Roman house of this time. It is considered distinctive for Alexandrian style and exceptionally popular in Roman Egypt.
The piece of mosaic has a square surface with an area of ​​2.60m x 2.60m, and consists of six hexagonal panels featuring lotus flowers, framed by a circular guilloche pattern.
Niven Nazar, the Assistant Minister of Antiquities for Museums Affairs, noted that the Higher Committee for the Scenario of the Museum Exhibition, which is headed by Dr. Ali Omar, the Vice President of Helwan University and Professor of Archeology of Helwan University, specializes in the preparation of the museum exhibition and its scientific material. They are also responsible for the writing of explanation cards for the artifacts, and for creating graphic works in all Egyptian museums.
The committee includes members of various universities who are specialized in all fields of archeology. Specializations include Egyptian Antiquities, and Greek and Roman ancient and modern monuments, among others. The committee also includes designers of museum exhibitions, graphic specialists, heads of various sectors of the Ministry of Antiquities, and other members of the ministry.
The members of the Committee have made several visits over the past few weeks to the Graeco-Roman Museum in Alexandria, to inspect the museum’s exhibition path and to determine the requirements of the exhibition.
Elham Salah, a Head of the Museum Sector, said that the work of restoring and developing the museum is proceeding according to the planned schedule. The museum includes more than 30 exhibition halls for the new show, which stresses how this museum is one of the most important and oldest tourist attractions specialized in The Greco-Roman civilization in the Mediterranean sea in Alexandria.
The Greek-Roman Museum was established in 1892 and opened by Khedive Abbas Helmi II in 1895. Since then, it has displayed many artifacts found in and around Alexandria, mostly from the Ptolemaic and Roman era. In 1983, the museum was listed as one of many Islamic and Coptic monuments in Alexandria and the Northern Coast by the Prime Minister’s Decree No. 822 of 1983.
