Mamdouh Eldamaty facts for kids

Mamdouh Mohamed Gad Eldamaty (Arabic: ممدوح محمد جاد الدماطي) is an Egyptian Egyptologist, which means he is an expert in the study of ancient Egypt. He was born on December 6, 1961. From 2014 to 2016, he served as the Minister of Antiquities for the government of Egypt. He also worked as a professor of Egyptology at Ain Shams University in Cairo. In 2011, he became a Cultural Counselor at the Embassy of Egypt in Berlin.

Early Life and Education

Mamdouh Eldamaty was born in Cairo and went to high school there. In 1979, he started studying at the Faculty of Archaeology at Cairo University.

Working at the Egyptian Museum

In the summers of 1981 and 1982, while still a student, he worked at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. This gave him a chance to learn about all the different parts of the museum. He graduated from Cairo University in 1983. After graduating, he volunteered at the Egyptian Museum and then worked at the Coptic Museum for a few months.

Higher Studies and Germany

After serving in the military, he returned to the Egyptian Museum. Later, he went back to Cairo University to study for his Master's Degree. His Master's thesis was about a hall in the Dendera Temple.

Through his work at the museum, he met many Egyptologists. One of them, Erich Winter from Trier University in Germany, encouraged him to continue his studies there. In 1988, Mamdouh Eldamaty worked as a curator at the Cairo University Archaeology Museum. He received his Master's degree in Egyptology in April 1989. Soon after, he moved to Germany to prepare for his PhD.

It was challenging to get a visa to study in Germany without a scholarship. However, with help from his professor, Mohamed Saleh, he got his visa. He started learning German at Cologne University. He supported himself by working during summer breaks. In 1989, he joined Trier University. He continued to study German until he could speak it well enough for university studies. He began his PhD studies in 1992, focusing on a chapel in the Dendera Temple. He finished his PhD in June 1995.

While in Germany, he married Aida Abdelghany Ahmed in 1992. Their first daughter, Mariam, was born in Trier in 1993. After finishing his PhD, he returned to Egypt in September 1995. He and his wife later had a son and another daughter in Cairo.

Teaching Career Begins

In January 1996, he became a lecturer of Egyptology at Cairo University's Fayoum Branch. In 1998, he moved to the new archaeology department at Ain Shams University as a lecturer.

Career Highlights

Director of the Egyptian Museum

From 2001 to 2004, Mamdouh Eldamaty was the Director General of the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. During his time, the museum made many improvements. These included organizing the museum's storage areas and restoring old records. He also helped set up a special lab to restore ancient papyrus documents.

He also created a plan to celebrate the museum's 100th anniversary. This plan included several projects to improve the museum. He also oversaw committees for exhibitions that traveled outside Egypt.

Professor and Dean at Ain Shams University

After his work at the Egyptian Museum, he returned to teaching at Ain Shams University. He became an associate professor of Egyptology in 2001 and a full professor in 2006. From 2006 to 2009, he was the head of the Archaeology Department.

From 2009 to 2011, he served as the Dean of the Faculty of Arts at Ain Shams University. As Dean, he worked on a project to improve the university's standards. In 2011, he organized the first elections for a Dean in Egyptian universities.

Cultural Counselor in Berlin

In May 2011, he left Egypt to become the cultural counselor at the Egyptian Embassy in Berlin. In this role, he was in charge of Egyptian students studying in Germany and several other European countries.

Teaching at Other Universities

Mamdouh Eldamaty has also taught at several international and Egyptian universities. These include the American University in Cairo and Basel University in Switzerland. He also taught at Cairo University and Helwan University in Egypt.

Professional Activities and Recognition

Memberships

He has been a member of several important groups related to archaeology and museums. He was the Vice President and then President of the International Committee of Arabic Museums (ICOM-Arab). He is also part of the International Association of Egyptologists and the German Archaeological Institute (DAI). He helped organize exhibits for the new Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza.

Awards and Honors

Mamdouh Eldamaty has received special recognition for his work:

• He received the "Cavalier" Legion of Honor from the Italian Government in 2004.
• He won the State Award for Excellence in Social Sciences in 2010.

Publications

Mamdouh Eldamaty has written many scientific articles and books about ancient Egypt. These publications cover topics like statues, temples, and the history of Egyptian art. He has also edited several important collections of studies on Egyptology.