New Egyptian Museum to Open in Washington, D.C. Area

Egyptology Today (Egypttod.com) reports that a new museum affiliated with the Egyptian Government will open in the Washington, D.C. area:

New Egyptian Museum to Open in Alexandria, Virginia

Alexandria, Egypt, April 1, 2010: The Egyptian Government announced today that it will open a new museum devoted to ancient Egypt in a Washington, D.C. suburb. World famous Egyptologist Zani Hanass made the announcement during a hastily arranged press conference held at the new Library of Alexandria, Egypt. The new museum will replace a Masonic memorial to George Washington, built in Alexandria’s sister city in Virginia. The monument, built in the 1920’s, is based on the imagined design of the famous Pharos Lighthouse. According to Hanass, “We are proud to put this old memorial to the first American president to good use. We will install artifacts of Egypt’s great culture in a building that reminds Americans about what they owe to us.” Funding will come from various American sources, including the U.S. State Department Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs Ambassador's Fund. Most of the artifacts will come from Egyptian storerooms, but Hanass also held out the possibility that artifacts repatriated from American collectors and museums will also end up on display. Asked to comment, Gill Barmore, a spokesman for the archaeological advocacy group “Saving Antiquities from Everyone” was ecstatic. “Now we know where all those orphan Egyptian antiquities can be sent,” Barmore stated excitedly. Admission prices for the new museum have not been set, but Hanass is confident Americans will pay almost anything based on the success of the King Tut travelling show. These monies will be used to both support digs in Egypt as well as to help pay to erect a monolithic statue of Hanass in Pharonic garb near the museum’s entrance.

Comment: I've found this picture of the site of the future museum on "Flickr." See http://www.flickr.com/photos/leonandloisphotos/2514452271/in/set-72157602208248158/