摘要: Justification of Outstanding Universal Value　　Museums are institutions regarded as centres for education, research and leisure. Throughout the whole 20th century, they have grown to become one of the

Justification of Outstanding Universal Value

　　Museums are institutions regarded as centres for education, research and leisure. Throughout the whole 20th century, they have grown to become one of the most indispensable spaces for cultural exchange and dialogue in our societies, as well as for the conservation and preservation of historic, scientific and artistic items. Although the idea of collecting extraordinary or ancient artefacts for contemplation and/or learning is not new, the concept of designing a building in which specific elements (such as organisation of space, lighting, ventilation, etc.) are thought out precisely for the purpose of exhibiting those artefacts is relatively recent. Before the construction of the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir, many international museums, such as the Louvre Museum, the Britsh Museum, and many other major museums were housed/located within historic palaces and buildings, while the Egyptian Museum was designed specifically to house a large collection of ancient Egyptian artifacts. While it is not the first purpose-built museum in the world, it is the first in the Middle East and North Africa, and certainly the earliest one dedicated entirely to the ancient Egyptian civilization.

　　Besides the design and structural aspects of the building, the tangible heritage that is housed within its walls is universally recognized and fundamental in the development, since the end of the 19th century, of the field of Egyptology. The contributions of ancient Egypt to modern civilization are undeniable, and the Egyptian Museum played a very important role in the unveiling of many mysteries about ancient Egypt. Egyptologists from all over the world consider it to be their second home. No research on ancient Egypt would be complete without multiple visits to the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.

　　Criterion (iv): Through the competition established in 1895, the French architect Marcel Dourgnon was able to come up with a model of a building which was not only original but one that became an important reference for museum design. Besides its beautiful 19th century Beaux-Arts architecture, his project was chosen as the winner because of some specific elements that have proven their functionality and genius.

　　The building consists of a basement and two floors. The main façade divides the museum into two identical parts, which is useful for managing the flux of visitors. The basement consists of a number of intersecting vaults supported by pillars and bearer walls designed to lessen the heavy load created by the huge objects above. Therefore, it is the perfect place for storing the museum's major antiquities. uncovered during archaeological excavations. The first floor consists of one large corridor and 51 halls, while the second floor consists of one large corridor and 55 halls. Those were purposely designed with the idea of improving the arrangement and distribution of the artefacts along the space. It is designed as a sequence of rectangular and circular spaces from east to west, with a rotunda in the centre, located right after the museum’s main entrance. These are double-height rooms topped by a skylight and connected by an outer and inner ring gallery on both floors, which surrounds the whole edifice.

　　The double-height rooms, with mezzanines and sunlight penetrating through a glass ceiling, gave Dourgnon an edge over his competitors in the eyes of the jury, since these distinctive architectural features allow natural light to sufficiently illuminate the two-floor building, enhancing the viewing potential of what’s on display. Moreover, the ventilation systemwas designed to allow the natural flow of air and wind without the need for further additions. In constructing the museum, attention was paid to ensuring ease of movement and smooth access between the various sections.The visitor enters the museum through a handsome porch in the center of the main facade. A well-proportioned archway is flanked by two Ionic columns and decorated with a head of the goddess Isis. Set into the wall on either side are two high-relief female figures representing Upper and Lower Egypt (the Nile Valley and the delta). Likewise, adorning the facade are marble panels inscribed with the names of prominent Egyptologists and other individuals who contributed to the preservation of Egypt's antiquities

　　Unlike his competitors, Marcel Dourgnon did not design the museum as a duplicate of an ancient Egyptian tomb. On the contrary, he proposed a conceptual building to house the precious artefacts without obscuring them. By combining practical needs with aesthetics, the Egyptian Museum became a prototype of design, organization of space and exhibition method for many museums around the world, wonderfully illustrating the ideals of education and conservation of artefacts.

　　Thus, Egypt’s first state museum owes its fame not only to its rich contents but also to its splendid architecture, which is also a manifestation of the western imperialism that characterized the time in which it was constructed. The building is designed in a Beaux Arts, neo-classical design that closely met the requirements outlined in the competition programme. The façade includes images of Egyptian goddesses, yet they are executed in the late classical Greek style. The inscriptions on the marble panels are in Latin, which most Egyptians could not read, and for a long time, the only busts that were included adjacent to the sarcophagus of Mariette were those of European Egyptologists.

　　Criterion (vi): The Egyptian Museum is not only the first purpose-built museum edifice in the region but also stands as the mothership of Egyptology in terms of the breadth and significance of its collections. Egyptology is a field of study dedicated to the research and preservation of ancient Egyptian culture and is recognized as one of the oldest and most important branches of historical, archeological and cultural studies in the world. The development of Egyptology is a crucial step in the history of humanity since it allows us to have deeper understanding of the past, the legacy and the identity of one of the most influential civilisations that has existed. Because of its key geographic location and because of the many years of cultural exchanges with nearby kingdoms and empires, ancient Egypt has directly influenced the development of many other African and European civilisations in Ancient History. Therefore the Egyptian Museum serves as a universal symbol for the development of Egyptian museology in the 20th century (inspiring other important collections such as the ones in Turin, Paris and Berlin)^.

　　Moreover, at the same time that the site has occupied this internationally recognised position in the field of Egyptian Museology, it has also been strongly associated with ideological beliefs, historical events and artistic works that are continuously helping to shape the Egyptian cultural identity and its society.

　　The site was also at the epicentre of the 2011 Revolution in Egypt, during the Arab Spring. It is situated adjacent to what used to be the ruling National Democratic Party’s building, which occupied the land that used to belong to the Egyptian Museum, and was set ablaze by protestors. Looters have managed to enter from the roof and vandalize and steal some of the historic artefacts within it. However, there was also a great number of Egyptian citizens who mobilised themselves in solidarity and created a human shield to protect the museum (a gesture which has inspired and moved many other heritage communities around the world. The image of this human shield has become a symbol of devotion to a people’s own national heritage).

　　The Egyptian Museum has also appeared in numerous national and international films. Most documentary films on ancient Egypt include scenes shot at the museum. such as: David Macaulay: Pyramid (Unicorn Projects, 1988); Im Schatzhaus der Pharaonen (2007); Secrets of the Dead: The Silver Pharaoh (PBS, 2010); The Man Who Discovered Egypt (BBC, 2012); A History of Art in Three Colours (BBC, 2012); Duels (France 5, 2014); Tutankhamun: The Mystery of the Burnt Mummy (BBC, 2013), numerous National Geographic documentaries and the Finish documentary Ramses ja unet (Partanen & Rautoma, 1982), to name but a few. Popular movies such as the horror film The Awakening (EMI Films and Orion Pictures, 1980) and the classic Cairo (Metro Goldwyn-Mayer, 1962) also feature the Egyptian Museum. Literary works, such as the The Seventh Scroll, by Wilbour Smith and the Dutch novel Art Theft in Egypt, by Huub Pragt, that tells the story of the looting of the Egyptian Museum in 2011, also feature the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. All of those examples emphasize the iconic status and importance of the Egyptian Museum, not only for Egyptians, but for the world as a whole.