UNESCO calls on Egyptian authorities to protect antiquities

The United Nations on Tuesday called on authorities and protesters in Egypt to protect the country's cultural heritage as hundreds of thousands of demonstrators demanded the departure of President Hosny Mubarak, Monstersandcritics.com reported.

'Egypt's cultural heritage, whether it be monuments or objects, is a part of humanity's heritage, passed down to us through the ages,' Irina Bokova, director general of the Paris-based United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, said in a statement.

The 'incalculable' value of the 120,000 artefacts on display in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo had been demonstrated by the hundreds of Cairo residents who formed a human chain around the museum on Saturday, Bokova added.

The museum in the heart of the city contains a slew of priceless antiquities, including the funeral mask of King Tutankhamun.
Vandals broke into the building at the weekend and damaged several antiquities, including two mummies and several statuettes.
'I'm solemnly asking that all the necessary measures be taken to protect Egypt's treasures, in Cairo, Luxor and all the country's other cultural and historic sites,' Bokova said, addressing 'all parties' to the tensions in Egypt.

Bokova also called for Egypt to respect the principle of freedom of expression, saying it was 'crucial' that the national and foreign press be allowed report objectively on the events.