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| Egypt inquiry after Tutankhamun's beard glued back on | Egypt inquiry after Tutankhamun's beard glued back on |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| The blue and gold braided beard on the burial mask of pharaoh Tutankhamun has been hastily glued back on after it was damaged, museum officials say. | The blue and gold braided beard on the burial mask of pharaoh Tutankhamun has been hastily glued back on after it was damaged, museum officials say. |
| But conservators at the Egypt museum in Cairo gave differing accounts of the exact circumstances. | But conservators at the Egypt museum in Cairo gave differing accounts of the exact circumstances. |
| It is not clear whether the mask was damaged during cleaning or if the beard was removed because it was loose. | It is not clear whether the mask was damaged during cleaning or if the beard was removed because it was loose. |
| The 3,000-year-old artefact, with other relics from the boy king's tomb, is among Cairo's biggest attractions. | The 3,000-year-old artefact, with other relics from the boy king's tomb, is among Cairo's biggest attractions. |
| An inquiry is under way into what happened to one of the country's greatest treasures. | An inquiry is under way into what happened to one of the country's greatest treasures. |
| Instead of being taken to a conservation lab, the repair was performed quickly to put the mask back on display, conservators say. | Instead of being taken to a conservation lab, the repair was performed quickly to put the mask back on display, conservators say. |
| 'Quick fix ordered' | 'Quick fix ordered' |
| One of the museum conservators said quick-drying glue was used to re-attach the beard to the famed mask. | One of the museum conservators said quick-drying glue was used to re-attach the beard to the famed mask. |
| The director of the Egypt Museum, Mahmoud Al Hawagi, confirmed to the BBC that a translucent adhesive material had appeared on the burial mask. | |
| The ministry of antiquities was now investigating how this happened, he added. | The ministry of antiquities was now investigating how this happened, he added. |
| The conservators, when asked for comment, agreed that orders for a quick fix must have come from above. But they spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals. | The conservators, when asked for comment, agreed that orders for a quick fix must have come from above. But they spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals. |
| The Egypt Museum is among Cairo's top tourist sites, but in some areas ancient artefacts lie unprotected from the public. | The Egypt Museum is among Cairo's top tourist sites, but in some areas ancient artefacts lie unprotected from the public. |
| Egypt's tourist industry, once a key source of revenue, has yet to recover from the years of turmoil that followed the overthrow of former President Hosni Mubarak in 2011. | Egypt's tourist industry, once a key source of revenue, has yet to recover from the years of turmoil that followed the overthrow of former President Hosni Mubarak in 2011. |
| Tutankhamun's burial mask was discovered in 1922 along with the pharaoh's nearly intact tomb and sparked worldwide interest in archaeology and ancient Egypt. | Tutankhamun's burial mask was discovered in 1922 along with the pharaoh's nearly intact tomb and sparked worldwide interest in archaeology and ancient Egypt. |