Zahi Hawass

Zahi Abass Hawass (Arabic: زاهي حواس; born May 28, 1947) is an Egyptian archaeologist, Egyptologist, and former Minister of State for Antiquities Affairs, serving twice. He has also worked at archaeological sites in the Nile Delta, the Western Desert and the Upper Nile Valley.

Zahi Hawass زاهي حواس
1st Minister of Antiquities
In office January 31, 2011 – March 3, 2011
President	Hosni Mubarak
Prime Minister	Ahmed Shafik
Preceded by	Office created
Succeeded by	Mohamed Ibrahim Ali
In office April 5, 2011 – July 17, 2011
Prime Minister	Essam Sharaf
Succeeded by	Mohamed Said
Personal details
Born	(1947-05-28) May 28, 1947 (age 76) Damietta, Egypt
Alma mater	University of Pennsylvania Cairo University Alexandria University
Profession	Egyptologist
Website	drhawass.com

Early life

Hawass was born in a small village near Damietta, Egypt. Although he originally dreamed of becoming an attorney,^[1] he obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Greek and Roman Archaeology from Alexandria University in 1967. In 1979, Hawass earned a diploma in Egyptology from Cairo University.^[2] He then worked at the Great Pyramids as an inspector—a combination of administrator and archaeologist.

When he was 33 years old, Hawass was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship to attend the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia to study Egyptology,^[1] earning a Master of Arts degree in the subject and also one in Syro-Palestinian Archaeology in 1983, and his PhD in Egyptology in 1987^[1][2] from the Graduate Group in the Art and Archaeology of the Mediterranean World (AAMW), concentrating on "The Funerary Establishments of Khufu, Khafra and Menkaura During the Old Kingdom."^[3]

He is often mistaken for being a Coptic Christian because of his name, even though he is a Muslim.^[4]

Career

Archaeology and early government career

Hawass was Associate Director of Excavation at Hermopolis in 1968 and Tarrana 1970–74. Since 1975, he has been Excavation Director and Restoration Director at various sites throughout Egypt, predominantly Giza.^[5]

From 1969 to 1975, Hawass was Inspector of Antiquities for a multitude of archaeological expeditions, for instance the Yale Expedition at Abydos, Egypt in 1969, and Abu Simbel between 1972 and 1974.^[6]

He sporadically taught Egyptian archaeology, history and culture at universities in Egypt and the USA between 1988 and 2001, most notably at the American University in Cairo, the University of California, Los Angeles and Alexandria University. Hawass has described his efforts as trying to help institute a systematic program for the preservation and restoration of historical monuments, while training Egyptians to improve their expertise on methods of excavation, retrieval and preservation.^[7]

Giza

 

Zahi Hawass and Barack Obama, June 2009

Hawass was Inspector of Antiquities for Giza 1972–74, First Inspector until 1979 and Chief Inspector in 1980.

Starting in 1987, he held the position of Director General of the Giza monuments, which includes the sites of Giza, Saqqara, Memphis, Dahshur, Abusir and Bahariya Oasis.

After the discovery of Gantenbrink's Door in 1993, he left the position – according to Hawass, a resignation^[8] – but was reinstated several months later, following a change in leadership and the transformation of the Egyptian Antiquities Organization into the Supreme Council of Antiquities.

He was promoted to Undersecretary of the State for the Giza Monuments in 1998.^[9]

Hawass continues to be involved in archaeological projects at Giza and other sites in Egypt. As of 2017^[update], he headed the science committee overseeing the Scanpyramids project.^[10]

Politics

In 2002, Hawass was appointed as the Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities. When US President Barack Obama visited Cairo in June 2009, Hawass gave him personal tours of ancient Egyptian archaeological sites.^[11] Facing mandatory retirement, he was promoted by President Hosni Mubarak to the post of Vice Minister of Culture at the end of 2009.^[12][13]

2011 protest vandalism

On January 29, 2011, in the midst of the Egyptian protests of that year, Hawass arrived at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo to find that a number of cases had been broken into and a number of antiquities damaged, so police were brought in to secure the museum.^[14] According to Andrew Lawler, reporting for Science, Hawass said that he "faxed a colleague in Italy that 13 cases were destroyed. My heart is broken and my blood is boiling".^[15]

Hawass later told The New York Times that thieves looking for gold broke 70 objects, including two sculptures of the pharaoh Tutankhamun and took two skulls from a research lab, before being stopped as they left the museum.^[16]

Minister of Antiquities

Hawass was appointed to the position of Minister of State for Antiquities Affairs, a newly created cabinet post, by Mubarak on January 31, 2011, as part of a cabinet shake-up during the 2011 protests.^{[15][16][17][dead link]} A press release including a statement from Hawass stated that he "will continue excavating, writing books, and representing his country,"^[18] ensuring that archaeological sites in Egypt were being safeguarded and looted objects returned.^{[citation needed]} Regarding the Egyptian Museum looting, he said: "The museum was dark and the nine robbers did not recognise the value of what was in the vitrines. They opened thirteen cases, threw the seventy objects on the ground and broke them, including one Tutankhamun case, from which they broke the statue of the king on a panther. However, the broken objects can all be restored, and we will begin the restoration process this week."^{[This quote needs a citation][17]} Hawass rejected comparisons with the looting of antiquities in Iraq and Afghanistan.^[16]

On February 13, Mahmoud Kassem of Bloomberg reported Hawass as saying that "18 artifacts, including statues of King Tutankhamun", were stolen from the Egyptian Museum in January; Kassem, paraphrasing Hawass, continues: "The missing objects include 11 wooden shabti statuettes from Yuya, a gilded wooden statue of Tutankhamun carried by a goddess and a statue of Nefertiti making offerings".^[19]

Egyptian state television reported that Hawass called upon Egyptians not to believe the “lies and fabrications” of the Al Jazeera and Al Arabiya satellite television channels.^[20] Hawass later said: “They should give us the opportunity to change things, and if nothing happens they can march again. But you can’t bring in a new president now, in this time. We need Mubarak to stay and make the transition”.^[16] On March 3, 2011, he resigned after a list was posted on his personal website of dozens of sites across Egypt that were looted during the 2011 protests.^{[21][22][23][24][25]}

Hawass was reappointed Minister of Antiquities by then-Prime Minister Essam Sharaf.^[26][27] On March 30, 2011, a tweet was posted, stating: "I am very happy to be the Minister of Antiquities once again!"^[28] but resigned on July 17, 2011,^{[citation needed]} after Sharaf informed him he would not be continuing in the position.^[29] According to opinion report from an Egyptian commentator in The Guardian, Hawass was "sacked".^{[30][dubious ][better source needed]}

Claimed discoveries

 

Zahi Hawass at a book signing in Mexico City, August 2003.

As his biography at the National Geographic Explorers webpage notes, he states that he is

responsible for many recent discoveries, including the tombs of the pyramid builders at Giza and the Valley of the Golden Mummies at Bahariya. At Giza, he also uncovered the satellite pyramid of Khufu. In 2005, as part of the National Geographic Society-sponsored Egyptian Mummy Project to learn more about patterns of disease, health, and mortality in ancient Egypt, he led a team that CT scanned the mummy of King Tutankhamun. His team is continuing to CT scan mummies, both royal and private, and hopes to solve some of the mysteries surrounding the lives and deaths of such important figures as Hatshepsut and Nefertiti.^[31]

Works

Main article: List of works by Zahi Hawass

Hawass has written and co-written many books relating to Egyptology, including The Curse of the Pharaohs: My Adventures with Mummies,^{[citation needed]} and King Tutankhamun: The Treasures from the Tomb,^[32] the latter published to coincide with a major exhibition in the UK.^{[33][34][better source needed][original research?]} He has also written on Tutankhamun for Ancient Egypt.^{[citation needed]}

Hawass is a regular columnist for Egypt Today^{[citation needed]} and the online historical community Heritage Key.^{[citation needed]} He has narrated several videos on Egyptology, including a series on Tutankhamun.^[35]

Appearances

 

Speaking on the International Congress of Egyptologists (ICE) in Cairo, November 2019

Hawass has appeared on television specials on channels such as the National Geographic Channel, the History Channel and the Discovery Channel.^[36] Hawass has also appeared in several episodes of the U.S. television show Digging for the Truth, discussing mummies, the pyramids, Tutankhamun, Cleopatra and Ramesses II. He also appeared on Unsolved Mysteries during a segment on the curse of Tutankhamun's tomb. In 2010, Hawass appeared on a reality-based television show on The History Channel called Chasing Mummies.^[37]

Hawass also worked alongside Egyptologist Otto Schaden during the opening of Tomb KV63 in February 2006 – the first intact tomb to be found in the Valley of the Kings since 1922.^[38]

In June 2007, Hawass announced that he and a team of experts may have identified the mummy of Hatshepsut,^[39] in KV60, a small tomb in the Valley of the Kings.^{[citation needed]} The opening of the sealed tomb was described in 2006 as "one of the most important events in the Valley of the Kings for almost a hundred years."^[40]

Hawass was interviewed about his work by Keith Floyd as part of his television series Floyd around the Med in the episode "Cairo, Egypt and Aswan to Luxor" (2000).

Hawass hosted and played further creative roles^{[clarification needed]} in the documentary Egypt's Ten Greatest Discoveries.^{[full citation needed]}

Views

Return of artifacts to Egypt

Hawass has repeatedly spearheaded movements to return many prominent and irregularly taken Ancient Egyptian artifacts back to Egypt from collections in various other countries. Examples of these artifacts include: the Rosetta Stone, the bust of Nefertiti, the Dendera zodiac ceiling painting from the Dendera Temple, the bust of Ankhhaf (the architect of the Khafre Pyramid), the faces of Amenhotep III's tomb at the Louvre Museum, the Luxor Temple's obelisk at the Place de la Concorde and the statue of Hemiunu.

In July 2003, the Egyptians requested the return of the Rosetta Stone from the British Museum. Hawass, then serving as Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities in Cairo, spoke at a press conference saying: "If the British want to be remembered, if they want to restore their reputation, they should volunteer to return the Rosetta Stone because it is the icon of our Egyptian identity".^[41][42] Referring to Egyptian antiquities at the British Museum, Hawass said: "These are Egyptian monuments. I will make life miserable for anyone who keeps them".^[43]

Alex Joffe of the Wall Street Journal expressed the opinion that the looting of antiquities during the 2011 Egyptian revolution made Hawass' campaign to return Egyptian antiquities to Egypt "misguided or at least poorly timed."^[14]

In 2019, Hawass relaunched his restitution campaign, asking the Berlin State Museums, the British Museum and the Musée du Louvre: “How can you refuse to lend to the new Grand Egyptian Museum when you have taken so many antiquities from Egypt?" All three museums refused his loan requests.^[44]

In 2022, Hawass launched another petition, calling once again for the return of the Rosetta Stone, the bust of Nefertiti and the Dendera Zodiac ceiling to Egypt.^[45] He planned on sending the petition, signed by a group of Egyptian intellectuals, to European museums in October.^[45][44]

DNA testing of Egyptian mummies

 

Zahi Hawass examining a Mummy (2018).

Further information: List of DNA-tested mummies

Hawass has been skeptical of the DNA testing of Egyptian mummies: "From what I understand," he has said, "it is not always accurate and it cannot always be done with complete success when dealing with mummies. Until we know for sure that it is accurate, we will not use it in our research."^[46]

In December 2000, a joint team from Waseda University in Japan and Cairo's Ain Shams University tried to get permission for DNA testing of Egyptian mummies, but was denied by the Egyptian Government.^[47] Hawass stated at the time that DNA analysis was out of the question because it would not lead to anything.^{[citation needed][48]}

In February 2010, Hawass and his team announced that they had analyzed the mummies of Tutankhamun and ten other mummies and said that the king could have died from a malaria infection that followed a leg fracture.^[49] German researchers Christian Timmann and Christian Meyer have cast doubt on this theory, suggesting other possible alternatives for Tutankhamun's cause of death.^[50]

In 2012, a study signed by Hawass disclosed that Ramses III may have had a haplogroup that is associated with the Bantu expansion and is the most dominant in Sub-Saharan Africa, E1b1a.^[51]

Controversies

Relationships with other archaeologists

Hawass has been accused of domineering behaviour, forbidding archaeologists to announce their own findings and courting the media for his own gain after they were denied access to archaeological sites because, according to Hawass, they were too amateurish.^[52] A few, however, have said in interviews that some of what Hawass has done for the field was long overdue.^[52] Hawass has typically ignored or dismissed his critics and, when asked about it, he indicated that what he does is for the sake of Egypt and the preservation of its antiquities.^[53]

Views on Jews and Israel

Hawass has been a long-standing opponent of normalised relations between Israel and Egypt.^[54] In January 2009, Hawass wrote in Asharq Al-Awsat: "The concept of killing women, children, and elderly people ... seems to run in the blood of the Jews of Palestine" and that "the only thing that the Jews have learned from history is methods of tyranny and torment—so much so that they have become artists in this field." He explained that he was not referring to the Jews' "[original] faith" but rather "the faith that they forged and contaminated with their poison, which is aimed against all of mankind."^[55] In an interview on Egyptian television in April 2009, Hawass stated that "although Jews are few in number, they control the entire world" and commented on the "control they have" of the American economy and the media.^[56][57][58] He later wrote that he was using rhetoric to explain political fragmentation among the Arabs, and that he does not believe in a "Jewish conspiracy to control the world".^[59]

Aftermath of 2011 protests

Criticism of Hawass, in Egypt and more broadly, increased following the protests in Egypt in 2011. On July 12, 2011, The New York Times reported on a story on page A1 that Hawass receives an honorarium each year "of as much as $200,000 from National Geographic to be an explorer-in-residence even as he controls access to the ancient sites it often features in its reports."^[60] The Times also reported that he has relationships with two American companies that do business in Egypt.^[60]

On April 17, 2011, Hawass was sentenced to jail for one year for refusing to obey a court ruling^[61] relating to a contract for the gift shop at the Egyptian Museum to a company with links to Hawass.^[60] The ruling was appealed and this specific sentence was suspended pending appeal.^[61][62] The following day, the National Council of Egypt's Administrative Court issued a decree to overturn the court's original ruling, specifying that he would serve no jail time, and would instead remain in his position as Minister of Antiquities. The jail sentence was lifted after a new contract was solicited for the running of the gift shop.^[60][63]

Association with Mubarak

As Minister of Antiquities, Hawass was closely associated with the government of former President Hosni Mubarak. His resignation as minister on March 3, 2011, and his re-appointment to the Ministry on March 30, 2011, have been seen as part of the overall events surrounding Mubarak's resignation. It was reported that his re-appointment angered numerous factions, who opposed the appointment of any of the old guard under Mubarak to new positions in the government.^[64] The 2011 Egyptian protests resulted in increased criticism of Hawass. Demonstrators called for his resignation, and the upheaval increased attention on his relationship with the Mubarak family and the way in which he has increased his public profile in recent years.^[60]

Commercial endeavours

Hawass has lent his name to a line of men's apparel, described by The New York Times as "a line of rugged khakis, denim shirts and carefully worn leather jackets that are meant, according to the catalog copy, to hark "back to Egypt’s golden age of discovery in the early 20th century"; the clothing was first sold at Harrods department store in London, in April 2011.^[61] Critics say the Hawass clothing commercializes Egyptian history, and objected to their understanding that "models had sat on or scuffed priceless ancient artifacts during the photo shoot", an accusation that was denied by Hawass and the clothing manufacturers.^[61] Hawass already sells a line of Stetson hats reproducing the ones he wears, which "very much resemble" the ones worn by Harrison Ford in the Indiana Jones movies.^[61]

 

Zahi Hawass receives the Grand Prize of the Saudi Arabia Ministry of Culture (2018).

Honorary degrees

Hawass has received many honorary degrees. From outside Egypt, he has received honorary doctorates from the University of Pennsylvania (2000),^[65] the University of Lisbon (2011),^[66] the Chandrakasem Rajabhat University (2011),^[67] the New Bulgarian University (2016),^[68] the Universidad Católica Santo Domingo (2016),^[69] the Universidad San Ignacio de Loyola (2017)^[70] and the Russian State University for the Humanities (2021).^[71]

Recognition and awards

Hawass is the recipient of the Egyptian state award of the first degree for his work in the Sphinx restoration project.^[72] In 2001, he was silver medallist offered by the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences.^[73] In 2002, he was awarded the American Academy of Achievement's Golden Plate and the glass obelisk from US scholars for his efforts to the protection and preservation of Ancient Egyptian monuments.^[72][74] In 2003, Hawass was given international membership in the Russian Academy for Natural Sciences (RANS)^[72] and, in 2006, he was chosen as one of the world's 100 most influential people by Time.^[72] In 2015, He awarded the Golden Memorial Medal of Charles University.^[75] In 2018, he was awarded by the Academia Brasileira de Letras for being the only archaeologist who wrote more than 30 books.^[76] In the same year, he received the Presidential Medal of the Republic of Kosovo in recognition for his entire academic output.^[77] Also in 2018, he received the grand prize of the Saudi Arabia Ministry of Culture.^[78] In 2022, he received the plaque of honour from the Faculty of Economics and Political Sciences of Cairo. ^[79]

Honours

 

Peruvian President Alan García decorates Zahi Hawass with the insignia of Grand Cross of the Order of the Sun of Peru (Lima, 4 July 2011).

•   Algeria: Second Class of the National Order of Merit (Algeria)^[80]
•   Austria: Grand Decoration of Honour in Silver with Star of the Decoration of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria
•   Egypt: Grand Cordon of the Order of Merit (Egypt)^[81]
•   France: Officier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres^[82]
•   Italy: Commander of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic^[83]
•   Japan: Gold and Silver Star of the Order of the Rising Sun^[84]
•   Peru: Grand Cross of the Order of the Sun of Peru^[85]
•   Poland: Silver Medal for Merit to Culture – Gloria Artis^[86]
•   Spain: Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters of Spain^[87]

Main publications

See Zahi Hawass bibliography for a comprehensive list.

• The Great Book of Ancient Egypt: In the Realm of the Pharaohs, London, ed. White Star, 2018
• Giza and the Pyramids, London, ed. Thames & Hudson Ltd, 2017
• Scanning the Pharaohs: CT Imaging of the New Kingdom Royal Mummies, Cairo, ed. American University in Cairo Press, 2016
• Newly-Discovered Statues from Giza (1990-2009), Cairo, ed. Ministry of Culture, 2011
• Highlights of the Egyptian Museum, Cairo, ed. The American University in Cairo Press, 2011
• Inside the Egyptian Museum, Cairo, ed. he American University in Cairo Press, 2010
• Cleopatra: The Search for the Last Queen of Egypt, Washington, D.C., ed. National Geographic Society, 2010
• Life in Paradise: The Noble Tombs of Thebes, Cairo, ed. American University in Cairo Press, 2009
• King Tutankhamun: The Treasures of the Tomb, Thames & Hudson, 2008
• Old Kingdom Pottery from Giza, Cairo, ed. Ministry of Culture, 2008
• The Royal Tombs of Egypt: The Art of Thebes Revealed, Thames & Hudson, 2006
• Mountains of the Pharaohs: A History of the Pyramids of Egypt, New York, ed. Doubleday Books, 2006
• Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs: A Souvenir Book, London, ed. National Geographic Society, 2005
• Tutankhamun: The Mystery of the Boy King, London, ed. National Geographic Society, 2005
• The Island of Kalabsha, Cairo, ed. American University in Cairo Press, 2005
• How The Great Pyramid Was Built, Washington, D.C., ed. Smithsonian Books, 2004
• Curse of the Pharaohs: My Adventures With Mummies, London, ed. National Geographic Society, 2004
• Hidden Treasures of Ancient Egypt: Unearthing the Masterpieces of Egyptian History, London, ed. National Geographic Society, Londres, 2004
• The Golden Age of Tutankhamun: Divine Might and Splendor in the New Kingdom, Cairo, ed. American University in Cairo Press, 2004
• Cradle & Crucible: History and Faith in the Middle East, avec David Fromkin et Milton Viorst, London, ed. National Geographic Society, 2004
• Tesoros de las Piramides, Washington, D.C., ed. Grupo Oceano, 2004
• The Treasures of the Pyramids, London, ed. White Star, 2003
• Egyptian Museum Collections Around the World: Studies for the Centennial of the Egyptian Museum, Cairo, ed. American University in Cairo Press, 2003
• Secrets from the Sand: My Search for Egypt's Past, New York, ed. Harry N. Abrams, 2003
• Bibliotheca Alexandrina: The Archaeology Museum, Cairo, ed. American University in Cairo Press, 2003
• Egyptology at the Dawn of the Twenty-First Century: History, Religion: Proceedings of the Eighth International, Cairo, ed. American University in Cairo Press, 2003
• Hidden Treasures of the Egyptian Museum: One Hundred Masterpieces Form the Centennial Exhibition, Cairo, ed. American University in Cairo Press, 2003
• Fantasy Literature for Children and Young Adults (with Pamela S. Gates), Washington, D.C., ed. Scarecrow Press, 2003
• The Mysteries of Abu Simbel: Ramesses II and the Temples of the Rising Sun, Cairo, ed. American University in Cairo Press, 2001
• Valley of the Golden Mummies: The Greatest Egyptian Discovery Since Tutankhamun, London, ed. Virgin Books, 2000
• The Egyptian Monuments: Problems and Solutions, Berlin, ed. Gruyter, 1995
• Silent Images: Women in Pharaonic Egypt, Cultural Development Fund, Ministry of Culture, 1995
• The Funerary Establishments of Khufu, Khafra and Menkaura During the Old Kingdom, Pennsylvania, ed. University of Pennsylvania, 1987

Further reading

• Schulz, Matthias (2010). "Egypt's Avenger of the Pharaohs" (online). Spiegel Online International (May 28). Retrieved January 25, 2016.
• Tierney, John (2009). "Science, Findings: A Case in Antiquities for 'Finders Keepers'" (online). The New York Times. No. November 16. Retrieved January 25, 2016.
• Parker, Ian (2009). "Letter from Cairo, The Pharaoh: Is Zahi Hawass bad for Egyptology?" (print, online). The New Yorker. No. November 16. pp. 53–63. Retrieved January 25, 2016.

References

1. Hammer, Joshua. "The Rise and Fall and Rise of Zahi Hawass". from the original on November 16, 2018. Retrieved May 25, 2017.
2. "DR ZAHI – Dr Zahi". drhawass.com. from the original on March 25, 2019. Retrieved May 25, 2017.
3. AAMW (2009). "Art and Archaeology of the Mediterranean World (AAMW) Alumni: Dissertations related to Mediterranean and Near Eastern Art and Archaeology (since 1898)". Philadelphia, PA, USA: University of Pennsylvania, School of Arts and Sciences. from the original on May 27, 2011. Retrieved January 25, 2016. Zahi Abass Hawass / The Funerary Establishments of Khufu, Khafra and Menkaura During the Old Kingdom / 1987
4. "حفل لدخولي الإسلام". aawsat.com (in Arabic). October 31, 2013.
5. . drhawass.com. Archived from the original on March 10, 2021. Retrieved March 23, 2021.
6. "Dr. Zahi Hawass". guardians.net.
7. Hawass, Zahi (May 2005). "A New Era for Museums in Egypt". Museum International. 57 (1–2): 7–23. doi:10.1111/j.1468-0033.2005.00505.x. S2CID 162438360.
8. [1] January 13, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
9. "Dr. Hawass Promoted". guardians.net.
10. "Egypt archaeologist criticises pyramid void 'discovery'". phys.org. November 5, 2017.
11. Knoller, Mark (June 4, 2009). "Obama Checks Out Sphinx And Pyramids" December 12, 2019, at the Wayback Machine. CBS News. Retrieved September 6, 2019.
12. "Zahi Hawass | Biography & Facts".
13. . Archived from the original on July 24, 2014. Retrieved August 12, 2010.^{[third-party source needed]}
14. Joffe, Alex (2011). "Arts Link: Egypt's Antiquities Fall Victim to the Mob" (online). The Wall Street Journal (February 1). from the original on November 24, 2017. Retrieved January 25, 2016. Subtitle: A definitive answer to the question: Should the Elgin Marbles be returned to Greece?
15. Lawler, Andrew (2011). "Archaeologists Hold Their Breaths on Status of Egyptian Antiquities" (online). Science. No. January 31. Washington, DC, USA: AAAS. from the original on November 19, 2018. Retrieved January 25, 2016. The current political upheaval in Egypt has put the country's famed antiquities, from its museums to archaeological sites, under siege. / On 29 January, a small band of looters entered Cairo's Museum of Egyptian Antiquities, slicing the heads from two mummies, smashing display cases, and damaging other artifacts, according to media reports and Zahi Hawass, the director of the Supreme Council of Antiquities. Hawass, who a source says has been promoted to the new position of Minister of Antiquities as part of a cabinet shakeup yesterday, faxed a colleague in Italy that 13 cases were destroyed. "My heart is broken and my blood is boiling," the U.S.-trained archaeologist lamented.
16. Taylor, Kate (2011). "Middle East: Antiquities Chief Says Sites Are Largely Secure" (online). The New York Times. No. February 1. from the original on November 22, 2018. Retrieved January 25, 2016. A vast majority of Egypt's museums and archaeological sites are secure and have not been looted, Zahi Hawass, Egypt's chief antiquities official, said in a telephone interview on Tuesday. He also rejected comparisons between the current situation in Egypt and scenes of chaos and discord that resulted in the destruction of artifacts in Iraq and Afghanistan. / 'People are asking me, "Do you think Egypt will be like Afghanistan?" ' he said. 'And I say, "No, Egyptians are different — they love me because I protect antiquities." '
17. [2] January 21, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
18. (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on April 11, 2013. Retrieved January 25, 2016.
19. Kassem, Mahmoud (2011). "Egyptian Museum Says Two King Tut Statues Missing". Bloomberg Business (February 13). from the original on September 26, 2018. Retrieved January 25, 2016. The Egyptian Museum reported that 18 artifacts, including statues of King Tutankhamun, are missing after a break-in last month, said Zahi Hawass, the head of the Supreme Council of Antiquities. / The police and army are following up on the disappearances with people in custody, Hawass said on his website. The missing objects include 11 wooden shabti statuettes from Yuya, a gilded wooden statue of Tutankhamun carried by a goddess and a statue of Nefertiti making offerings, according to Hawass.
20. Fahim, Kareem (2011). "Middle East: State TV in Egypt Offers Murky Window Into Power Shift" (online). The New York Times. No. February 1. from the original on November 22, 2018. Retrieved January 25, 2016. As hundreds of Egyptian protesters filled Tahrir Square on Monday, many calling for their president to go into exile, one of the two state-owned television stations had its cameras focused elsewhere, capturing the steady flow of traffic on a Cairo bridge. … The channel announced that Zahi Hawass, the chairman of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, had called on Egyptian citizens not to believe the 'lies and fabrications' of Al Jazeera and Al Arabiya channels. Mr. Hawass was back on the air on Monday, when he was appointed to Mr. Mubarak's cabinet.
21. Taylor, Kate (2011). "ArtsBeat: Egyptian Antiquities Chief Says He Will Resign" (online). The New York Times. No. March 3. from the original on July 14, 2011. Retrieved January 25, 2016.
22. [3] July 16, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
23. Vergano, Dan (2011). "ScienceFair: Egyptology: Zahi Hawass Confirms Resignation" (online). USA Today (March 6). from the original on January 6, 2019. Retrieved January 25, 2016.
24. El-Aref, Nevine (2011). "Hawass Loyalists Call for Him to Stay On" (online). USA Today (March 6). from the original on January 6, 2019. Retrieved January 25, 2016. Demonstrations of Egyptian Archaeologists Call for Egypt's New Prime Minister to Persuade Zahi Hawass to Remain Minister for Antiquities.
25. [4] December 2, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
26. Taylor, Kate (2011). "ArtsBeat: Egyptian Antiquities Minister Returns Less Than a Month After Quitting" (online). The New York Times. No. March 30. from the original on August 14, 2011. Retrieved January 25, 2016.
27. People's Daily Online Staff (2011). "Egypt's Minister of State for Antiquities Sworn In". People's Daily Online (April 5). from the original on October 16, 2012. Retrieved January 25, 2016.
28. Hawas, Zahi (2011). "Dr Zahi Hawass (@ZahiHawass) [6:47 AM – 30 Mar]". self. from the original on November 29, 2016. Retrieved January 25, 2016. "Verbatim and complete: I am very happy to be the Minister of Antiquities once again!
29. [5] April 7, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
30. Diab, Osama (2011). "Opinion, You Told Us: Sacking Zahi Hawass Is a Sign of Egypt's Ongoing Revolution" (online). The Guardian (July 22). from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved January 25, 2016. He may liken himself to Indiana Jones, but the minister of antiquities epitomised all that was wrong with Mubarak's Egypt.
31. National Geographic Staff [Z. Hawass] (2016). . National Geographic Society. Archived from the original (online) on October 21, 2013. Retrieved January 25, 2016. World-renowned archaeologist Zahi Hawass serves as minister of state for antiquities and director of excavations at Giza, Saqqara, and the Bahariya Oasis. / He is responsible for many recent discoveries, including the tombs of the pyramid builders at Giza and the Valley of the Golden Mummies at Bahariya. At Giza, he also uncovered the satellite pyramid of Khufu. In 2005, as part of the National Geographic Society-sponsored Egyptian Mummy Project to learn more about patterns of disease, health, and mortality in ancient Egypt, he led a team that CT scanned the mummy of King Tutankhamun. His team is continuing to CT scan mummies, both royal and private, and hopes to solve some of the mysteries surrounding the lives and deaths of such important figures as Hatshepsut and Nefertiti.
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50. Timmann, Christian & Christian G. Meyer (2010). "Malaria, Mummies, Mutations: Tutankhamun's Archaeological Autopsy". Trop. Med. Int. Health. 15 (11, November): 1278–1280. doi:10.1111/j.1365-3156.2010.02614.x. PMID 20723182. S2CID 9019947. Abstract: The cause of death of the Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun has now for decades been matter of speculation and various hypotheses. A recent article in… JAMA... provided new evidence and suggested malaria, together with Köhler's disease, as the most probable cause of death of the boy king. We are sceptical towards this elucidation of the cause of death… and discuss alternative and differential diagnoses, among them, …sickle cell disease and Gauche's disease.
51. Hawass, Zahi; Somaia Ismail; Ashraf Selim; Sahar N. Saleem; Dina Fathalla; Sally Wasef; Ahmed Z. Gad; Rama Saad; Suzan Fares; Hany Amer; Paul Gostner; Yehia Z. Gad; Carsten M. Pusch & Albert R. Zink (2012). "Revisiting the Harem Conspiracy and Death of Ramesses III: Anthropological, Forensic, Radiological, and Genetic Study" (online). The British Medical Journal. 345 (December 17): e8268. doi:10.1136/bmj.e8268. hdl:10072/62081. PMID 23247979. S2CID 206896841. from the original on February 2, 2013. Retrieved January 25, 2016. quote = "Abstract. Objective: To investigate the true character of the harem conspiracy described in the Judicial Papyrus of Turin and determine whether Ramesses III was indeed killed. / Design Anthropological, forensic, radiological, and genetic study of the mummies of Ramesses III and unknown man E, found together and taken from the 20th dynasty of ancient Egypt (circa 1190–1070 BC). / Results Computed tomography scans revealed a deep cut in Ramesses III's throat, probably made by a sharp knife. During the mummification process, a Horus eye amulet was inserted in the wound for healing purposes, and the neck was covered by a collar of thick linen layers. / Forensic examination of unknown man E showed compressed skin folds around his neck and a thoracic inflation. Unknown man E also had an unusual mummification procedure. According to genetic analyses, both mummies had identical haplotypes of the Y chromosome and a common male lineage. / Conclusions This study suggests that Ramesses III was murdered during the harem conspiracy by the cutting of his throat. Unknown man E is a possible candidate as Ramesses III's son Pentawere. … [Specifically] Genetic kinship analyses revealed identical haplotypes in both mummies… using the Whit Athey's haplogroup predictor, we determined the Y chromosomal haplogroup [to be] E1b1a.
52. Waxman, Sharon (2005). "Art & Design: The Show-Biz Pharaoh of Egypt's Antiquities" (online). The New York Times. No. June 13. from the original on June 17, 2018. Retrieved January 25, 2016. The King Tut exhibition set to open on June 16 in Los Angeles, bringing the boy king's treasures to the United States for the first time in a quarter-century, is in just about every sense a reflection of Zahi Hawass, the man who made the show possible. / Dr. Hawass, who controls Egypt's vast archaeological trove as secretary general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, is part Indiana Jones, part P.T. Barnum – intent on dusting off Egypt's holdings through a mix of entertainment, commerce and archaeology.
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61. Taylor, Kate (2011). "Art & Design: Using History to Sell Clothes? Don't Try It With the Pharaohs" (online). The New York Times. No. April 18. from the original on February 16, 2017. Retrieved January 25, 2016. Zahi Hawass, Egypt's longtime chief antiquities official, has been criticized in recent months for many things: his closeness to former President Hosni Mubarak, some inconsistent reports on the safety of archaeological sites during the uprising and for his role in a dispute over an Egyptian museum bookstore, for which he now possibly faces jail time. / But the source of the latest controversy to beset Mr. Hawass resembles something straight from the mouth of J. Peterman, the character on 'Seinfeld' based on the clothing catalog retailer of the same name. / Mr. Hawass has lent his name to a men's wear brand: a line of rugged khakis, denim shirts and carefully worn leather jackets that are meant, according to the catalog copy, to hark 'back to Egypt's golden age of discovery in the early 20th century.'
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External links

 

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Zahi Hawass.

• Official website
• Appearances on C-SPAN
• Zahi Hawass on Charlie Rose
• Zahi Hawass at IMDb
• at the Minnesota State University
• The king of the pharaohs, Tim Radford, The Guardian, November 27, 2003
• Interview with Dr. Zahi Hawass, Director of the Pyramids, Pyramid on PBS NOVA
• Egypt's man from the past who insists he has a future, Jack Shenker in Cairo, The Guardian, May 19, 2011
• Zahi Hawass supports petition to repatriate rosetta stone and other antiquities, Egypt Independent, February 14, 2023