Naguib Mahfouz Museum to Finally Open on…June 30

The long-awaited Naguib Mahfouz Museum — a museum for Egypt’s only Nobel literature laureate — is set to open not on December 11, the author’s birthday, but on June 30, “in conjunction with Egypt’s celebrations of the June 30 revolution“:

The museum, which has long been mired in committees and controversies, was finally set to open this March 30. It was postponed yet again, and now the official State Information Service says the Minister of Culture has inspected the museum, and it is, in fact, ready to open June 30.

According to the SIS press release, the Ministry of Culture:

…defeated many challenges to complete all the works and equipment of Naguib Mahfouz Museum, stressing that what has been accomplished is a pride for all Egyptians and it reflects the country’s concern to  preserve the historical vocabulary that formed its soft power.

The first floor of the two-floor museum reportedly consists of auditoriums, a visual and sound library, a public library, and a library of research on Naguib Mahfouz’s works, while the second has a pavilion for Mahfouz’s certificates and medals, and another pavilion for his personal belongings. There are also manuscripts, translated works, and a cinema hall.

The photos below were sent out by the Egyptian Ministry of Culture:

This is not to be confused with the Naguib Pasha Mahfouz museum, named for Egypt’s famous obstetrician.

Also read:

New: From the Stolen Autobiography of Naguib Mahfouz’s Childhood

From ‘Children of the Alley: The Story of the Forbidden Novel’ (ArabLit) and On Discovering the Lost Manuscripts of Naguib Mahfouz(LitHub)

See: ‘Echoes of Naguib Mahfouz’ Art Exhibition

Naguib Mahfouz Day: Teaching, Translating, Memories, and More