In 2015 we are celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Egyptian-Polish Conservation Mission in Marina el-Alamein with an exhibition in the Alexandria National Museum.
The Conservation Mission has been working since 1995 as a cooperation between the Egyptian State Council for Antiquities, the Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology, University of Warsaw and Wrocław University of Technology. It collaborates also with the Inter-Academy Institute of Conservation and Restoration of Works of Art, the Centre for Comparative Studies of Civilisations of the Jagiellonian University in Kraków as well as Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań. The first director of the Conservation Mission was Prof. Stanisław Medeksza from Wrocław University of Technology. Now the Mission is headed by Prof. Rafał Czerner of the same university. Another PCMA mission at the site is focused strictly on archaeological excavations.
Marina el-Alamein is the name of a modern city on the Mediterranean coast, west of Alexandria. Ruins of a Greco-Roman city were discovered there in the 1980s, which can be identified with one of the ancient towns known from written sources: Leukasips or Antiphrai. The town flourish between the 2nd century BC and the 6th century AD. Excavations yielded numerous dwelling houses, public buildings, harbor storehouses, streets and marketplaces. A church and a vast metropolis were also brought to light.
In the course of its work, the Conservation Mission undertook architectural research coupled with archaeological investigations. Its conservation activities resulted in the restoration of many elements of ancient architecture at the site, including porticoes, tombs and baths. These efforts have helped to prepare the site for future presentation to visitors.
Exhibition “20 years of the Egyptian-Polish Conservation Mission Marina el-Alamein”, National Museum in Alexandria, 26 May—8 June 2015.
Opening ceremony will take place on Tuesday, 26 May, at 4.00 pm. The exhibition will be inaugurated by Dr Mamdouh Eldamaty, Minister of State for Antiquities.
It will be attended by Dr Mahmoud Afifi, Head of Egyptian Antiquities Sector of Supreme Council of Antiquities, Dr Nadia Khedr, Director of the Alexandria National Museum, Dr Zbigniew Szafrański, Director of PCMA Research Centre in Cairo, Prof. Andrzej Koss, Director of the Inter-Academy Institute of Conservation and Restoration of Works of Art, Prof. Rafał Czerner, Director of the Egyptian-Polish Conservation Mission Marina el-Alamein, and Head of the Chair of History of Architecture, Art and Technology of the Department of Architecture, Wrocław University of Technology and by Polish and Egyption members of the Conservation Mission
Read more on PCMA work at Marina el-Alamein:
www.pcma.uw.edu.pl/pl/newsletter-pcma/2011/hellenistic-and-graeco-roman-period/marina-el-alamein-conservation-project-egypt/
Opening of the Exhibiton: photos Grażyna Bąkowska-Czerner, Marlena Koczorowska, Andrzej Koss, Piotr Zambrzycki
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