The 199-article Antiquities Law was ratified by the People's Assembly on 15 February.

Supreme Council for Antiquities (SCA) - Secretary-General Zahi Hawass, stated that some of the new regulations specifically pertained to the SCA.

New directives, according to Hawass, include guidelines for defining what constitutes an "antiquity" per se; determining ownership of antiquities; regulating archeological excavations; and specifying how antiquities should be inventoried, preserved and restored.

Other regulations touch on tourism management at sites featuring antiquities and at Egyptian museums. The regulations also specify the fees to be charged for visiting these sites and photographing antiquities.

SCA legal adviser - Ashraf el-Ashmawi said the new list of directives represented the first of its kind pertaining to the New Antiquities Law.

Hawass chose el-Ashmawi to head a Commission specifically mandated with developing the regulations. The Commission, consisting of the directors of various SCA departments, along with financial, legal, management and antiquities experts, reportedly met 15 times within the last three months in order to finalize the new set of rules.

Translated from the Arabic Edition.
 
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