Egypt antiquities showman tells the world it’s safe to visit

Amr Nabil

Egypt antiquities showman tells the world it’s safe to visit

FILE – In this file photo taken March 11, 2007, Zahi Hawass, Egypt’s former top antiquities official, poses in front of the ancient Sphinx in Giza, Egypt. Egypt’s best-known archaeologist is a passionate showman with an explorer’s fedora who joined the last, doomed Cabinet of President Hosni Mubarak, then resigned in a swirl of corruption allegations after the 2011 revolution ousted his patron. Admired or reviled, he is once again a frontman for Egypt, exhorting international audiences to see the heritage of a country where unrest has hit tourism hard. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil, File)

Posted: Sunday, February 1, 2015 8:54 am
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Updated: 3:47 pm, Mon Feb 2, 2015.

Egypt antiquities showman tells the world it’s safe to visit

Associated Press |

KRUGERSDORP, South Africa (AP) — Egypt’s best-known archaeologist is a passionate showman with an explorer’s fedora who joined the last, doomed Cabinet of President Hosni Mubarak, then resigned in a swirl of corruption allegations after the 2011 revolution ousted his patron. Admired or reviled, he is once again a frontman for Egypt, exhorting international audiences to see the heritage of a country where unrest has hit tourism hard.

“Egypt is safe,” Zahi Hawass declared last week at a South African casino complex where schoolchildren roamed an exhibition of replicas of King Tutankhamun’s treasures. Egyptian hotels and antiquities sites are secure, said Hawass, who planned to welcome a tour group of 120 Americans to Egypt at the end of January.

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Sunday, February 1, 2015 8:54 am.

General News,

Archaeology,

Political Resignations,

Science,

Government And Politics,

Religious Issues,

Religion,

Social Affairs,

Social Issues

| Location Tags:

Egypt,

Cairo,

South Africa,

Johannesburg,

Middle East,

North Africa,

Africa,

Southern Africa