The Fall of Zahi Hawass
Removed as minister of antiquities, the high profile archaeologist no longer holds the keys to 5,000 years of Egyptian history
- By Andrew Lawler
- Smithsonian.com, July 18, 2011, Subscribe
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect developments after Hawass was initially fired. (UPDATED 07/26/2011)
It is not as dramatic as the collapse of an ancient Egyptian dynasty, but the abrupt fall of Zahi Hawass is sending ripples around the planet. The archaeologist who has been in charge of Egypt’s antiquities for nearly a decade has been sacked in an overhaul of the country’s cabinet.
After several days in which his status was unclear—the appointment of a successor was withdrawn, leading to reports that Hawass would return temporarily—he confirmed by e-mail that he was out.
The antipathy toward Hawass in Egypt may be difficult to grasp in the West, where he is typically found on American television, fearlessly tracking down desert tombs, unearthing mummies and bringing new life to Egypt’s dusty past. But in Egypt he was a target of anger among young protesters who helped depose President Hosni Mubarak in February. Hawass had been accused of corruption, shoddy science and having uncomfortably close connections with the deposed president and first lady⎯all of which he vociferously denied. Many young archaeologists also demanded more jobs and better pay⎯and they complained Hawass had failed to deliver. “He was the Mubarak of antiquities,” said Nora Shalaby, a young Egyptian archaeologist who has been active in the revolution.
On July 17, Prime Minister Essam Sharaf removed Hawass, 64, as minister of antiquities, arguably the most powerful archaeology job in the world. The ministry is responsible for monuments ranging from the Great Pyramids of Giza to the sunken palaces of ancient Alexandria, along with a staff of more than 30,000, as well as control over all foreign excavations in the country. That gives the position immense prestige in a country whose economy depends heavily on tourists drawn by Egypt’s 5,000-year heritage.
“All the devils united against me,” Hawass said in an e-mail afterward.
Sharaf named Cairo University engineer Abdel Fatta El Banna to take over but withdrew the appointment after ministry employees protested that El Banna lacked credentials as an archaeologist. On July 20, Hawass told the Egyptian state news agency he had been reinstated, but it was unclear for how long. Six days later, Hawass said in an e-mail that he was leaving to rest and to write.
Finding a replacement may take time, foreign archaeologists said. In addition, the ministry of antiquities may be downgraded from a cabinet-level agency.
Mubarak had created the ministry in January as part of an effort to salvage his government; it had been a non-cabinet agency called the Supreme Council of Antiquities, which reported to the ministry of culture. The possibility that ministry would be downgraded, reported by the Los Angeles Times, citing a cabinet spokesman, worried foreign archaeologists. “I’m very concerned about the antiquities,” said Sarah Parcak, an Egyptologist at the University of Alabama in Birmingham. “And these monuments are the lifeblood of the Egyptian economy.”
Hawass had risen from the professional dead before. Young archaeologists gathered outside his headquarters February 14 to press for more jobs and better pay. He was accused of corruption in several court cases. And in March he resigned from his post, saying that inadequate police and military protection of archaeological sites had led to widespread looting in the wake of Egypt’s revolution. But within a few weeks, Sharaf called Hawass and asked him to return to the job.
In June, he embarked on a tour to the United States to encourage tourists to return to Egypt—a high priority, given that Egypt’s political upheaval has made foreign visitors wary. Egyptian officials said in interviews last month that Hawass’ ability to persuade foreigners to return was a major reason for keeping him in his position.
Hawass rose to power in the 1980s, after getting a PhD in archaeology from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia and being named the chief antiquities inspector at the Giza Plateau, which includes the pyramids. In 2002, he was put in charge of the Supreme Council of Antiquities. He began to call on foreign countries to return iconic antiquities, such as the Rosetta Stone in the British Museum and the Nefertiti bust at the Neues Museum in Berlin. At the same time, he made it easier for foreign museums to access Egyptian artifacts for exhibit, which brought in large amounts of money for the Egyptian government. In addition, he halted new digs in areas outside the Nile Delta and oases, where rising water and increased development pose a major threat to the country’s heritage.
Hawass also began to star in a number of television specials, including Chasing Mummies, a 2010 reality show on the History Channel that was harshly criticized for the cavalier way with which he treated artifacts. In addition, Egyptians complained that there was no way to know what was happening to the money Hawass was reaping from his book tours, lectures, as well as his television appearances.
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Comments (102)
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Hawass, as arrogent as he is, really needed to return to his former role as "Controller of all things Egyptian". He has the knowledge to continue protecting Egypt's heritage and the finesse to convince tourists to return to Egypt. This is NOT a job that just anyone can fall in to and do it properly. As frustrating as Hawass can be, he does sincerely love and care about preserving and protecting his nation's heritage. I'm glad to see him back in place. Plus, this job was his life.
Posted by Judy on April 17,2013 | 11:55 PM
While I admired zahi's enthusiasm for all things ancient Egyptian, his continuous blaming europeans for antiquities losses is ludicrous. After all, the initial pyramids were built to house and protect riches from their own plunderers. Most of the tombs were looted long before europe took interest and I venture to say that had the Brits not preserved them, most would have been lost regardless. Keep in mind that tut's tomb was the most intact ever uncovered, the Egyptians had no use for the ancient artifacts and certainly didn't seem to value them much except for what gold the could reap out of them until the Europeans wanted them.
Posted by Carla on April 10,2013 | 05:51 PM
Zahi's favouritism for anything american, his shoddy science and non-scientific methods (just look at the horrible restoration of Sphinx...) gained him many European enemies. By the way: his monopoly for writing was notorious and angered many Egyptologists... = he reserved the right to write about some subjects for himself and his american cronies (Mark Lehner in particular)... Egyptians too didn't like him simply because he had no regard for them! for him, only CNN, the yearly US tour, and guiding US dignitaries mattered... self obsessed, loud, pompous, over confident but scientifically poor... by the way, that's exactly the type of personalities appreciated by the Americans (and despised by Europeans!). His leaving a loss? naaaaa... good ridden really... I weighed my words carefully (they are not offensive , threatening, defamatory, invasive.....) but seriously doubt that they will published
Posted by Malcolm on April 7,2013 | 06:25 PM
Chalk up one for the good guys. Hawass manifested a combination of histrionic, sociopathic and narcissistic personality disorders. The people of Egypt deserve more than a self-promoting, slimy and irascible fraud.
Posted by Schadenfreudian on April 1,2013 | 03:15 AM
The former Minister got a bad rap because of politics. How much better is going to be his replacement? It could end up being some religious fanatic who piles up the Mummies for a bonfire. When radicals take over a country, they do all sorts of crazy things. Zawass was a Patriot to his country in vigorously trying to recover its stolen heritage. The British, jerks that they were, were actually drinking Egyptian Mummies in their tea. Thousands of Mummies were ground into powder and sold as medicinal cures by snake-oil salesmen. Imagine such an insult-I turned your ancestors into urine! Great Britain and many other nations raped Egypt of its historical treasures. It's obvious from those that piled on Zawass that this man had enemies. But people should realize the intense rivalry in his field. It becomes so intense it often borders on hatred. Archaeologists were practically ready to kill each other with Aztec War clubs in arguments over Central America in past years. They often bicker like juveniles over small details and do all kinds of backstabbing intrigue behind the scenes to embarrass and discredit one another. Disturbing that intellectuals must act like this. Physicists do it too, but don't get nearly as personal. On the other hand, Hawass reminded me of many professors I knew. Who reviled in their complete power. Who loved students kissing their arses, and browbeat their students as practice. I detested that about my professors, and I still hate them for it today. One need not be an arrogant, abusive arsehole in order to be a good teacher. Speaking of urine, Zawass unmercifully browbeat a young female student for urinating at a dig. Doesn't this jerk realize that when a lady has to go, she has to go? He doesn't understand female plumbing? He must have lived the life of a monk.
Posted by Dennis G. Carrier on March 31,2013 | 07:55 PM
I have a PhD in Egyptology. During my research I found Zahi Hawass's conclusions short-sighted, fanciful, and just plain wrong most times. The stories of poor mothers kissing his feet to get their educated PhD-level Egyptian kids jobs they are qualified for make me ill. I have no problem with scholars attaining notoriety for good work-kudos to them. But, Zahi Hawass with his ridiculous Indiana Jones style clothes and poor skills as an archaeologist make me glad he was finally removed from his post in 2011. As for some of the weird comments on this thread - WOW.
Posted by libsechumanist on March 14,2013 | 12:46 AM
The Paul ds comment below mine is funny because he confuses his own agenda as "truth": "the result of what some believe a deliberate attempt to promote his own version of ancient Egypt in order to make it palatable for Western tastes." LoL! Sounds like the pot calling the kettle "black"!
Posted by Galloway on February 23,2013 | 09:15 AM
It is nothing short of hilarious the error and falsehood this man has deliberately pout out in order to perpetuate and over extend the relationship between ancient Egypt and the people of Africa. He even once refused to acknowledge the link between ancient Egypt and Khemet or the Black Pharaohs. Since then I have never been able to take him seriously at all, in addition, he is snubbed by many of the academic elite for his inconsistencies which are unfortunately the result of what some believe a deliberate attempt to promote his own version of ancient Egypt in order to make it palatable for Western tastes.. Its as if he wants to paint a Hollywood image of ancient Egypt bereft of Black Africans. Time for a more "honest" approach in this modern decade.
Posted by Paul ds on February 4,2013 | 12:30 PM
I think that Zahi Hawass Is one of the most outstanding archaeologist of our time. If anyone can bring Egypt's antiquities back into focus it will be Zahi Hawass . I find him most knowledgable and admire him greatly. Susan Orosvco
Posted by Susan Orosco on January 9,2013 | 01:35 PM
They were worried about the Money Zawi was reaping? None of their business! HE was still the best curator and investigator in the business of Egypts archaeological history! What a dumb thing to do! Lord knows what'll happen to the relics now. They'll be destroyed if the muslims have their way. Or sold on the black market, never to be seen by public again. No matter what, it is Egypts loss. History will need to be rewritten.
Posted by Randy Dowdy on December 22,2012 | 01:24 AM
When I first saw Mr. Hawass, I thought he was a great and learned man, interested in educating the masses about Egypt's history. Over the years, I have seen him turn into an arrogant, overbearing jerk who won't consider any theories other than his own. Too bad, he was once one of the best.
Posted by Woody on December 22,2012 | 02:55 PM
Professor (or Doctor) Hawass enlarged my understanding and learning about Egyptian culture and history. It's troubling that a person like this is a target of any political group in order to, perhaps, trash another group. I hope to see him restored to his position and once again educating the world about Egyptian history.
Posted by Ed on December 19,2012 | 05:30 PM
So, they take the most influential, hard-nosed and strong-willed man ever to control Egypt's antiquities and you throw him out of his position. A position in which he has done more to safeguard and return Eqypt's ancient treasures than any other single person since Imhotep started the whole pyramid building thing. And now parts of the new Muslim Brotherhood "Government" in Egypt are making noises that all of those anyiquities should be destroyed because they were once worshipped, or were involved in worship other than that of Allah. Zahi old friend, I hope they don't ever get enough of a majority together to get away with it.
Posted by TheHornedOne on December 11,2012 | 07:38 AM
I have learned touch from Mr Hawass. there are so many shows that he has participated in that shed light into the ancient Egyptian world. how could this brilliant be replaced? I hope Mr. Hawass regains the respect he has worked so hard for and the recognition he very much deserves.
Posted by amber on November 20,2012 | 11:43 PM
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