Egypt’s oldest museum unveils renovated wing, ancient 50-foot scroll

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Egypt’s ministry of tourism and antiquities unveiled a renovated wing of its oldest museum Monday, home to a 16-meter-long scroll unearthed last year.

The refurbishment marks the first stage of broader renovations for the 120-year-old salmon-colored palatial complex in downtown Cairo opposite the capital’s famed Tahrir Square.

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Waziry Papyrus, the centerpiece of Monday’s unveiling, contains around 113 spells from the Book of the Dead. The museum also has added modern glass protection and new interior lighting.

A 120-year-old Egyptian museum recently unveiled a new wing constructed in its first of many renovations. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)

The opening ceremony of the upgraded wing was led by Egypt’s Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Ahmed Eissa.

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For well over a decade, Egypt has been building a state-of-the-art museum near the pyramids which is set to house tens of thousands of ancient artifacts. The Grand Egyptian Museum has so far cost over $1 billion and its opening date has been repeatedly delayed.

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Egypt often publicly touts ancient discoveries to attract more tourists, a major source of foreign currency for the cash-strapped North African country. The sector suffered a long downturn after the political turmoil and violence that followed a 2011 uprising.