A fire that erupted in Egypt’s Institute for the Advancement of Scientific Research has resulted in the loss of several precious manuscripts. Nearly 30,000 books were rescued out of a total of around 196,000 in the institute’s collection

The Ministry of State for Antiquities (MSA) has decided to exempt bazaar, cafeteria and gift shop owners in museums and archaeological sites from paying rent for June and August. As part of the ministry’s move, any legal action that has been initiated against the owners of affected businesses will be stopped. The step was approved by the MSA’s Administration Council and comes as an attempt to reduce the burden on businesses affected by the slump in the tourism industry.

During an inspection tour of Luxor’s archaeological sites, the Minister of State for Antiquities Mohamed Ibrahim announced that the Avenue of Sphinxes will be partly opened to public by mid March. He explained that a 150 metre long section out of the 2,700 meters of the avenue will be ready for the public after restoration, promising to solve all technical and financial problems in order to resume restoration work in the rest of the avenue.