- 54 -« 22 » - Department of Antiquities The most important events of the past year in this regard were the exploration by Monsieur Rittach and Monsieur Gayet of a few tombstone slabs, one of which, if not all, dates back to the Eighth Dynasty, a dynasty for which no trace has yet been identified. In Thebes, they completed the cleaning of the temple of Ramses and began the restoration of Deir el-Medina. Monsieur Legrand continues his useful work at Karnak, having begun the erection of broken pillars on the southern side of the great colonnade. Monsieur Barz has begun the restoration of the temple of Hiba in the Great Oasis, and Monsieur Rosati has been granted the completion of the important work he began in Nubia, in accordance with the commitment made by Sir Gaston Maspero in 1907, that the eleven temples threatened by water could be submerged without fear for their safety by the end of 1910, if necessary. Furthermore, the sands that had buried Assiut have been removed, revealing a temple and large new statues, making the entire scene appear as it was in ancient times.

In the museum, work is underway to reconstruct the roof of the great colonnade and the adjacent porticoes.

Sir Gaston Maspero has begun the systematic cataloging of antiquities, and the usual progress has been made in printing the general catalog and records.

« 23 » - Zoological Garden In October 1964, there were 1964 animals representing 391 species. In December, important additions were made, the most significant being a black rhinoceros donated by Prince Yusuf Kamal and a chimpanzee donated by Mr. Carl Henck. The health of the animals was generally good, and the females of the Nile lechwe, the kob, the common ostrich, and the gazelle gave birth in the garden.

« 24 » - Opera Monsieur Clementi, the director of the Opera, resigned after many years of distinguished service. It may not be easy to find a successor with the required qualifications. One of the major issues at the Opera is the matter of its finances. A project has now been presented to the Ministry of Finance that would make the Opera's financial apparatus capable of generating 25,000 Egyptian Pounds, resulting in significant savings.