The mammoth project of an underwater museum that could boost tourism in Egypt in the coming years

The Louvre, the Hermitage and the MET have they the need to worry about their status of "most beautiful museums in the world"? A project to ambition "Pharaonic Indeed, the future of Alexandria Archaeology Museum will be unlike anything known Located 7 meters: the issue with the new gem which may soon have Egypt we can ask.. deep in the bay of the city, it will propose, without snorkel or bottles, admire the treasures buried under water for more than 1000 years.

The project is in the pipeline for several years. Egyptian officials had thus evoked this ambitious museum in 1996.

But the political whirlwind has been there: between Arab Spring Egyptian revolution, the project has disappeared, snapped up by regional tensions. But in recent months, the plane rises from the ashes. Last September, the Egyptian Minister of Antiquities announced that the country was ready to restart the project, Unesco enthusiastically supports.

The Louvre, the Hermitage and the MET have they the need to worry about their status of "most beautiful museums in the world"? A project to ambition "Pharaonic Indeed, the future of Alexandria Archaeology Museum will be unlike anything known Located 7 meters: the issue with the new gem which may soon have Egypt we can ask.. deep in the bay of the city, it will propose, without snorkel or bottles, admire the treasures buried under water for more than 1000 years.

l must say that the scenario remains attractive. Alexandria, founded by Alexander the Great in 331 BC, has a more glorious past. It is in this city located west of the Nile Delta, which were notably the royal palace of Cleopatra VII, and the library of Alexandria, the largest of the ancient world. The "counter world" as nicknamed the geographer Strabo, also had one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world: Jacques Rougerie, who is at the helm of the project. This architect-oceanographer, who worked on the Océanopolis Brest or renovating the Molitor Pool in Paris, got wind of the project in 2008 and contacted the Egyptian authorities to be a candidate.

The space will consist of two parts: one above the surface of the sea where visitors can see the vestiges of Alexandria. The other will be underwater. Specifically, four buildings submarine shaped Nile boats are connected to each other over an area of 22,000 square meters. Thousands of relics, ancient temples and palaces remains will then be visible. Some of these ruins could well have belonged to the famous Lighthouse of Alexandria.

"We imagined an underwater archeology school with an international resonance that will be part of the museum's facilities," said Jacques Rougerie. "The public can help the work of archaeologists in archaeological treasures such as Cleopatra's palace or the royal court, which were hidden from the public eye for centuries."

But funding will mirror the museum, that is to say colossal. Such greatness obviously has a cost: $ 150 million. Yet this amount does not worry those responsible. "The cost will not be an obstacle to the completion of the project, because we can count on the cooperation of Unesco and several countries helping to finance" has said an Egyptian official.

But beyond the huge cost, the museum is not without technical challenges. The first of them concerns the transparency of the water. A Unesco report shows that the water of the bay is particularly polluted. Making it clear enough to draw visitors admire the works? A filter system would be present in the plan of the museum. Finally, the engineers also are working on how to make the structure stable, despite the power of marine currents.

Furthermore, no date has been advanced. He will have to wait a bit to see the mysteries of sunken Bay Alexesindre