Art conservation publication La Tribune de l'Art reported on 7/12 that approximately 400 documents, mostly books, were damaged due to a water pipe leak late last month in the Egyptian antiquities department of the Louvre museum in Paris.
The website stated that for many years, the department had repeatedly sought funding to protect its book collection from such risks, but these requests were not approved.
Francis Steinbock, a senior administration member at the Louvre museum, later confirmed to BFM television that the leaking water pipe was located in one of three libraries within the Egyptian antiquities department. He acknowledged that the issue of deteriorating water pipes had been reported for many years. The museum had initially planned renovations for 9/2026.
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The glass pyramid, an iconic architectural feature of the Louvre museum, illuminated on 2/12. Photo: AFP |
Steinbock estimated that 300-400 specialized documents on Egypt were affected, including professional journals and scientific materials published in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
He confirmed no ancient books were destroyed and no "irreparable" damage had been recorded. The affected documents will be dried, then transferred to a bookbinding and restoration unit before being returned to the shelves.
This is the third incident at France's renowned museum in nearly three months. A Greek antiquities gallery had to close in 11 because management discovered "structural weakness."
On 19/10, 4 thieves broke into the Apollo gallery using a ladder truck and stole a Napoleon-era jewelry set valued at 102 million USD. The jewelry, considered a "national treasure", has not yet been found, despite numerous suspects and accomplices being arrested.
The robbery exposed serious security vulnerabilities at the Louvre, prompting the museum to move some valuable artifacts to the Central Bank of France. An 10 report from the French audit office noted that the Louvre faced difficulties modernizing its infrastructure due to significant spending on art acquisitions.
Thanh Danh (According to Reuters, BBC, AFP)
