Egypt imposes excavation ban on Leiden’s Royal Museum of Antiquities over ‘falsified’ exhibition

The National Museum of Antiquities (RMO) in Leiden is no longer allowed to carry out excavations in Sakkara, the famous burial ground near the Egyptian capital Cairo. The Egyptian authorities have imposed that ban out of anger about an exhibition that can be seen in the Leiden museum, reports NRC.

The exhibition Kemet. Egypte in hiphop, jazz, soul & funk opened at the end of April. According to the museum, it is a search to “the significance of ancient Egypt and Nubia in the work of musicians from the African diaspora”.

It mainly concerns black artists from the United States, who are portrayed as Egyptian icons from the past. The visitor sees Beyoncé and Rihanna as Queen Nefertiti, rapper Nas as Pharaoh Tutankhamun and Eddie Murphy as Pharaoh Ramses, among others.

Soon after the opening, a flood of negative reactions came from Egypt. Among other things, the RMO was accused of cooperating in the appropriation of Egyptian culture. And now there is an official email from the Antiquities Service in Egypt stating that the museum is guilty of falsifying history because of the “afrocentric” approach of the exhibition, NRC writes.

The museum, which has been conducting excavations in the Sakkara necropolis together with international partners for years, must now stop. RMO director Wim Weijland is angry about the accusations of history falsification. “That is indecent,” he told NRC. “This exhibition has been made with great care. As scientists, you don’t accuse each other like that. I therefore want that qualification to be withdrawn.”

The RMO will formally object to the decision. Weijland also wants to talk to the Egyptian antiquarian authorities. According to the museum, they rely on images that have been released from their context and that no Egyptian official has yet visited the exhibition in Leiden.

Although museum director Weijland would like to return to Sakkara, he will not make excuses. “And we are not adjusting the exhibition either. I am willing to add a sign with Egyptian commentary, but then someone has to come and see it first.”