The Union of Arab Archaeologists called on the Egyptian caretaker government to rescue the country’s monuments and artifacts.
In a statement on Saturday, Ali Radwan, the union's head, said Egypt's heritage is facing a very real threat for several artifact storehouses and museums have been recently robbed.
The union, which has more than 3000 Arab archaeologists as members, called for an urgent board meeting to discuss ways to protect Egyptian monuments. The statement said it is putting all its resources in the hands of the Egyptian government in order to prevent the loss of heritage.
Egyptian Television, meanwhile, cited Abdel Halim Nour, the former head of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, as saying that heritage sites in Egypt are being exposed to unprecedented organized thefts.
Nour also said that the Egyptian Museum had been subject to a planned robbery, as people who boke in during the January 25 uprising headed directly to the treasures of Tutankhamun despite the building being dark at the time. Many of the robbers not been arrested yet.
