The New Museum Website for the BA Antiquities Museum
01 August 2010
In realizing one of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina objectives and that is to be the world’s window on Egypt, the BA Antiquities Museum has launched its new website (antiquities.bibalex.org). The Antiquities Museum Director, Ms. Mona Serry stated that it is the first museum in Egypt to display most of its holdings on-line in Arabic, English and French. On the website main page, users find an overview of the site content and what it offers in “Mission Statement” which is available in 13 languages. It is worth noting that the Museum comprises a number of sections for: Ancient Egyptian antiquities; Greco-Roman antiquities; Byzantine antiquities; Islamic antiquities; the artifacts discovered at the construction site of the modern Bibliotheca Alexandrina, in addition to a number of temporary exhibitions. Website users can access any of these sections online, and read a historical and artistic introduction on the era to which the pieces displayed belong. This is followed by a display of the most important objects in the Museum presented comprehensively and in a simple style suitable for non-specialized users. Website visitors can also have a virtual tour in the different halls of the Museum, and view panoramic photographs of the various sections.
Mona Serry added that the website presents a database that contains about one thousand ancient artifacts searchable in more than one way. Users can use the Simple Search or the Advanced Search in which they can use more than one method. For example, users can search by the category under which the searched-for item falls (statue, coin, funerary furniture, etc.), or the historical era it belongs to, or the material it is made of. Not only that, it is also possible to search by the Museum Hall; an interactive plan of the Museum appears, and by clicking on one of the Halls, the showcases available in the Hall appear, and another click on the showcases displays all the pieces found inside them.
The website also includes links to various events related to Egyptology along with related lectures, conferences, and exhibitions all over the world. In another page, we find the various archaeological discoveries taking place. Finally, the website offers links to the websites of the most important international museums that display Egyptian collections. It also offers links to various research centers specialized in Egyptology, as well as various resources for scholars of Antiquities.