“Gold sapphire coral”, similar to this famous sentence contained in the popular story “Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves”, social networking sites in Egypt witnessed a wide interaction during the past days, after the security authorities revealed a house containing a large amount of rare jewelry, artifacts and artifacts.
The special committee for examining the contents of the apartment located in the prestigious Zamalek area in central Cairo revealed - yesterday, Sunday - full details of the contents of the apartment and the seizures, during a press conference, and the committee announced the discovery of 1204 artifacts dating back to the ancient Egyptian civilization and the Islamic era, and 787 pieces belonging to the Muhammad Ali family (1805-1952). ) bringing the number of artifacts to nearly two thousand.
According to the committee’s classification, the contents included 103 paintings of very high artistic, historical and material value that are suitable for museum display;
Of them, 56 paintings of high artistic and material value are suitable for museum display, 47 are considered commercial works, and 10 are recommended to be displayed at the House of Books and Documents.
The committee also examined 3,707 pieces, other than what was considered archaeological, including 2,907 pieces of gold, whether yellow, white or platinum, diamonds of high and low quality, precious and semi-precious stones that sweeten some pieces of copper and other metals, and 800 pieces of high-end accessories. the value.
"Gold - Antiquities - Weapon - Paintings" .. The contents of "Zamalek Apartment" after being seized pic.twitter.com/NjSN2N5XRC
- Al-Masry Al-Youm (@AlMasryAlYoum) June 13, 2021
Beginning of the story
The story began - according to the Egyptian media - by chance when the enforcement police stormed the apartment to implement a ruling issued to a citizen enabling him to leave the apartment, and during the examination, the police discovered a large amount of jewelry, precious stones and various antiques, and also found a basement inside the apartment containing antique pieces and paintings, dating back to the ages. A different Egyptian, so that the Egyptian media called it "Ali Baba's Cave", an expression derived from the famous folk story in which the woodcutter Ali Baba found a cave full of jewels.
Examining the papers of the apartment, it was found that its ownership belongs to Counselor Ahmed Abdel-Fattah Hassan, the former Vice-President of the State Council, who held judicial positions in Egypt and then Kuwait.
Artistic paintings within the seizures in Zamalek's apartment in Cairo (social networking sites)
Variation in media exposure
The story of the Zamalek apartment received wide attention from the various Egyptian media, and the views that were presented during the follow-up to the case varied. While some of them adopted the demand to include the contents of the apartment in Egyptian museums, others were keen to emphasize the legality of possession of antiquities through legitimate methods.
The broadcaster who is close to the authority and the security services, Ahmed Musa
He took a critical position, and said that antiquities are in the place of museums, not apartments, stressing that antiquities belong to the Egyptian people and not to people, denouncing the desire of some to silence him, and questioning their interest in missing the details of the case from Egyptian public opinion.
On the other hand, two broadcasters close to the authority, Amr Adeeb and his wife, Lamis Al-Hadidi, took a defensive position, as Al-Hadidi questioned the crime of the owner of the Zamalek apartment, confirming the presence of a large number of people acquiring millions of dollars of paintings suitable for museum display, and can anyone enter the homes of citizens and search for Antique paintings?
Amr Adib also confirmed the right of anyone to own antiques, as long as this was done through legitimate methods, explaining that the value of the antiques and paintings that were announced was low compared to international paintings, he said, and even the paintings of great Egyptian artists whose paintings are sold for millions of dollars in Dubai on for example.
Thutmose, Hatshepsut and Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan
The Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, Mustafa Waziri, said - during televised statements - that some of the pieces in the apartment date back to the ancient era, the era before the Pharaonic dynasties, which means that they are 5,000 years old.
Waziri also indicated the presence of a scarab belonging to Queen Hatshepsut and another belonging to King Thutmose, and a wooden mask from the 26th dynasty, in addition to beads and Greek coins and dirhams belonging to the Umayyad Caliph Abd al-Malik bin Marwan, and gold coins, ornaments and jewelry belonging to the family of Muhammad Ali.
For his part, the Egyptian Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Khaled al-Anani said - in televised statements - that the role of the Ministry of Antiquities in the Zamalek apartment case is only an artistic role, and the pieces to which the Antiquities Law applies are counted, and handed over to the investigation authorities, explaining that the judiciary will receive detailed reports from several sides. , regarding the archaeological contents of the apartment.
Pashawat family
On the other hand, Khaled Abu Bakr, the lawyer for the owner of the Zamalek apartment, said that the history of his client's family indicates that a number of them held the title of "Pasha" and held many positions during the period of the monarchy in Egypt, and the holdings in the apartment are the legacy of the family with a long history, he said.
Abu Bakr confirmed - during televised statements - that some of the property in that apartment, his client does not know its existence in the first place, explaining that his wife's mother left closed bags after her death, explaining that those bags had not been opened since her time.
He indicated that his client's family is greatly dissatisfied with the media coverage that accompanied that incident, noting that the matter reached the point of delving into the symptoms, without knowledge or information, explaining that his client's family has been present for more than 30 years in the State of Kuwait, and this apartment in particular has not been entered by anyone. two years ago.
The Egyptians and the acquisition of antiques
Antiques and antiques expert Magdi Hanafi said that most homes in Egypt have medals and historical coins, and not every person is supposed to own a paper proving his purchase of these assets, indicating that a large number of coins and jewelry were sold by the state after the 1952 revolution, and auctions were held in Abdeen Palace. And bought by collectors of what they like.
Hanafi explained - during statements to the local media - that there are currencies that are inherited and the person does not have papers to prove their possession, pointing out that the currencies were in the hands of the whole people, and then became non-existent, so they do not need papers confirming the person's possession of them.
And the presidential spokesperson, Ambassador Bassam Rady, had announced earlier this month that President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi thanked the judges and the employees of the Sentence Execution Department in the South Cairo Court, for their efforts in controlling one of the important cases, which some linked to the case of the Zamalek apartment and thought that it might be the case. intended.
The case aroused great controversy on various social networking sites. While some saw it as an attack on the private property of Egyptians, some questioned the arrival of this large number of antiques to one family, whatever their history, accusing such families of appropriating Egyptian history.
I did not understand thanks # Sisi to implement the
verdicts to break into the
apartment special closed without the presence of
their owners
what they call # Mgarh_ali_papa Apartment face of home by # Zamalek owner 's
son Abdel Fattah Hassan Pasha and his wife fathered former minister Hamid Mahmud is
no secret that both of collectors artifacts owned them and others FINE crime ?
— Ayman Nour (@AymanNour) June 4, 2021
I see that the issue of the chancellor's apartment is a lack of literature and an encroachment on the sanctities of homes, and a reflection of the state of hatred and envy for everyone.
— Meral Qassem (@meral_m_qassem) June 13, 2021
The owner of the #Zamalek_Apartment, his family tree is considered a bill proving his entitlement to what was seized in it. The question is, is any citizen entitled to acquire such antiquities or not?? #Ali Baba's Cave #Zamalek_Apartment
— omar (@omarabuobkr) June 8, 2021
I mean, the overwhelming people have paid the law of reconciliation over the apartment that they are sheltering!
And you don't want to ask about badges, plates and antiques worth billions?!
I wish we could do a law where did you get this?
The right question now is where is Ali Baba's cave located?!
— Nesreen Shoman (@ShomanNesreen) June 13, 2021
I swear to God, what is wrong with the Almighty said its protector is a thief 😐 It is their father’s estate, we are stealing from seven thousand years #Zamalek_Apartment #Ali_Baba_Cave
— Khaled Mohey (@KhaledM090) June 6, 2021
# Statement_of_Court_South_Cairo_Concerning_Zamalek_Apartment# Cave_Ali_Baba
came out. He has no legal possession, no antique possession, and no license to the pistol. They were defending him, how to drum for him, and say this is normal, that he is from a rich family and just gifts pic.twitter.com/h3o10xsuwU
— Alsouby Salwa (@AlsoubyS) June 13, 2021