National Museum reopens [Archives:2006/950/Local News]
SANA'A, May 28 ) The National Museum in Sana'a, a unique museum holding rare artifacts, reopened Sunday after over two and half a years of closure for renovations. With a total cost of some $728,000 (USD) and 56 million Yemeni Riyals, the museum presents a revised take on its methods of presenting Yemeni history.
Around $500,000 (USD) was spent on constructing a two-storied museum shop and $228,000 (USD) on paving and planting the museum's exterior yard.
The Social Fund for Development offered a grant of 56 million Yemeni Riyals of which 45 million Yemeni Riyals was allocated to the construction of a cafeteria and a library while another 11 million Yemeni Riyals was set aside for miscellaneous reconstruction projects.
The National Museum contains 75,000 antiquities of which 25,000 are considered rare pieces. Renovations of the National Museum have brightened-up the center of the city.
Some of the Museum's wings are planned to display antiquities of historic Yemeni states, according to one source who is a Yemeni historian. Encompassing twelve wings and an exterior yard, the Museum plans to exhibit various ancient maquettes and statues that will constitute the default look of the center.
Completed renovations are only the first phase of the restoration and expansion project. The second phase aims to restore the finance building and to found additional, special wings for the exhibition of mummies. In addition, two halls are to be built to serve as centers for the development of skills in the arts of sculpting and calligraphy for Yemenis.
Moreover, the second phase envisions the establishment of an information center, a Yemeni-Italian Center for maintaining ancient antiquities and training, as well as equipping the museum with an entire network for internal monitoring of the collection.
The museum plans to exhibit many permanent and temporary exhibitions annually and will showcase any newly discovered antiquities.
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