Egypt reopens Hunting Museum after 10-year closure

Egypt reopened on Tuesday the Hunting Museum at Manial Palace in Cairo after a 10-year closure, a move to help revive the tourism sector.

Egyptian minister of tourism Khaled al-Anany said on the inauguration ceremony that it also shows their keenness for more progress in the field of archaeology.

He said the museum will also act as a cultural and educational institution, helping to revive the tourism sector.

The event was attended by government officials, local and foreign archaeologists as well as foreign diplomats.

The museum, which was closed in 2007 for restoration, holds 1,180 mummified animals and birds hunted by Egypt's royal family, such as crocodiles, camels, deer, butterflies, hawks and owls.

It was first inaugurated in 1963 and located at the Manial Palace in Cairo, which was home for Prince Mohammed Ali in the early 1900s.

Egypt, one of the most ancient civilizations, has been working hard to preserve its archaeological heritage and discover the secrets of the archaeology of Pharaohs and other ancient civilizations across the country.

The country is in a bid to revive its ailing tourism sector, which has been suffering an acute recession over the past few years due to political turmoil and relevant security issues.

The North African country netted 6.1 billion U.S. dollars in tourism revenues in 2015, a drastic downturn from 12.5 billion dollars in 2010, according to Egypt's Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics. Endit