Revolution Brings Hard Times For Egypt's Treasures

Revolution Brings Hard Times For Egypt's Treasures
The head of the inner coffin of Queen Meritamun is displayed during a preview of a King Tut exhibit at Seattle Center Wednesday, May 23, 2012, in Seattle. Its been more than 30 years since people from around the Pacific Northwest stood in long lines at Seattle Center to see King Tut the boy king. The Pacific Science Center is hoping the pharaoh will generate the same kind of enthusiasm this year as a new exhibit opens this week, taking a final bow at the Seattle museum before his artifacts return to Egypt. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
The head of the inner coffin of Queen Meritamun is displayed during a preview of a King Tut exhibit at Seattle Center Wednesday, May 23, 2012, in Seattle. Its been more than 30 years since people from around the Pacific Northwest stood in long lines at Seattle Center to see King Tut the boy king. The Pacific Science Center is hoping the pharaoh will generate the same kind of enthusiasm this year as a new exhibit opens this week, taking a final bow at the Seattle museum before his artifacts return to Egypt. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

CAIRO — Cairo’s salmon-colored Egyptian museum is a conspicuous landmark on Tahrir Square, where it stands in almost perfect condition despite the intense protests that took place on its doorstep almost two years ago.

At the height of the revolution last year, a human chain formed to protect the priceless artifacts within the museum. A few yards away, the burnt out husk of former President Hosni Mubarak’s National Democratic Party headquarters is a reminder of a different possible fate.

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