Khaberni - A sudden flood in the Louvre Museum in Paris on November 27 last year caused severe damage to the Egyptian Antiquities Library, where about 400 book covers and ancient documents were damaged, some becoming irreparably damaged.
Francis Steinbuck, Deputy General Manager of the Louvre, confirmed that the severe water leak, which occurred in the Molière wing, led to the flooding of hundreds of scientific documents and journals specializing in Egyptology, representing a significant cultural loss for researchers and historians.
According to preliminary investigations, the flood was caused by the accidental opening of a valve in the water supply network for heating and ventilation systems, which were known to be damaged beforehand, leading to the flow of dirty water that flooded shelves and desks.
In an internal email from the museum’s Health and Safety Committee, which was exposed by French channel BFMTV, the incident was described as "a disaster that nearly led to an even bigger disaster due to its proximity to a main electrical panel."
The email explained that "the floors and carpets were flooded, and the desks became unusable," as the leak was discovered around 20:45 in the evening, and it was stopped by night guards before it worsened.
This incident comes in the context of a series of crises faced by the Louvre, the world's largest art museum, which welcomes about 8.9 million visitors annually, 69% of whom are foreigners in 2024, following a stunning theft of jewels last October worth 88 million euros, and a partial closure of the museum in November due to the fragility of its floors.
The Egyptian Antiquities Library is a fundamental part of the museum which contains the largest Egyptian collection outside Cairo, comprising thousands of books and documents dating back to the late 19th century, used daily by archaeologists to study the civilization of the Pharaohs.
French media have pointed out that the Egyptian Antiquities department has been calling for investments in protection for years, but the museum suffers from structural issues in its historic palace built in the 12th century, where renovations cost millions of euros annually.
Commenting on the matter, Steinbuck said that the museum is currently assessing the damage and rehabilitating the documents, but some of the old covers are "lost forever," threatening the loss of valuable historical information about Egyptian heritage.
