Interpreting the Red Sea: challenges and strategies for a better future for the heritage sites
Interpreting the Red Sea: challenges and strategies for a better future for the heritage sites
The Red Sea coast of Egypt houses several archaeological sites that functioned as harbours dating back millennia and resembling evidence of how Egyptians navigated this sea since the middle of the second millennium B.C until modern times. In addition, the Red Sea coast remains culturally rich and diverse due to the variety of local communities that live along these shores, including Ababda tribes, Nubians and workers from the Nile Valley. Each carries its intangible heritage and adapts to one another.
Over the last 30 years, extensive excavation work has been conducted at different sites along the coast to reveal, understand, and interpret the context of Red Sea sites and how Egyptians navigated the Red Sea to reach the copper and turquoise mines in Sinai or for trade with the western Indian Ocean and Africa. However, little attention has been paid to the local communities (except for the work at Quseir and Berenike) and the public presentation of the heritage resources, despite having recently opened two museums along the coast.
Currently, some of the coastal archaeological sites face threats of deterioration due to negligence, urban expansion, and touristic activity. At the same time, no serious efforts have so far been dedicated to the preservation, safeguarding and public presentation of these sites.
This paper discusses how a better future can be obtained for the preservation of these heritage resources by assessing their current condition, accessibility options and the specific threats they face. An evaluation of how the Red Sea tangible and intangible heritage is presented at the two museums at Suez and Hurghada is also undertaken. Finally, strategies and ideas as to how best integrate the preservation and public presentation of these archaeological sites in the two museums and their ongoing excavations will be outlined.
Hamed, Noran
896ffaa0-2558-4139-b9ba-47a5704d0adf
2022
Hamed, Noran
896ffaa0-2558-4139-b9ba-47a5704d0adf
Hamed, Noran
(2022)
Interpreting the Red Sea: challenges and strategies for a better future for the heritage sites.
Red Sea Project X, Institute for Mediterranean Studies - University of Crete, Crete, Greece.
06 - 09 Jul 2022.
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Conference or Workshop Item
(Other)
Abstract
The Red Sea coast of Egypt houses several archaeological sites that functioned as harbours dating back millennia and resembling evidence of how Egyptians navigated this sea since the middle of the second millennium B.C until modern times. In addition, the Red Sea coast remains culturally rich and diverse due to the variety of local communities that live along these shores, including Ababda tribes, Nubians and workers from the Nile Valley. Each carries its intangible heritage and adapts to one another.
Over the last 30 years, extensive excavation work has been conducted at different sites along the coast to reveal, understand, and interpret the context of Red Sea sites and how Egyptians navigated the Red Sea to reach the copper and turquoise mines in Sinai or for trade with the western Indian Ocean and Africa. However, little attention has been paid to the local communities (except for the work at Quseir and Berenike) and the public presentation of the heritage resources, despite having recently opened two museums along the coast.
Currently, some of the coastal archaeological sites face threats of deterioration due to negligence, urban expansion, and touristic activity. At the same time, no serious efforts have so far been dedicated to the preservation, safeguarding and public presentation of these sites.
This paper discusses how a better future can be obtained for the preservation of these heritage resources by assessing their current condition, accessibility options and the specific threats they face. An evaluation of how the Red Sea tangible and intangible heritage is presented at the two museums at Suez and Hurghada is also undertaken. Finally, strategies and ideas as to how best integrate the preservation and public presentation of these archaeological sites in the two museums and their ongoing excavations will be outlined.
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Published date: 2022
Venue - Dates:
Red Sea Project X, Institute for Mediterranean Studies - University of Crete, Crete, Greece, 2022-07-06 - 2022-07-09
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Local EPrints ID: 490048
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/490048
PURE UUID: be3d2d71-c470-47cb-9929-f9ee6e5e4221
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Date deposited: 14 May 2024 16:31
Last modified: 15 May 2024 01:58
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