A man works on a replica of Tutankhamun's chariot at Konouz Egypt Replica Treasures in Qalyubia, Egypt, on May 25, 2021. Dozens of designers, sculptors, painters and workers, were busy producing replicas of ancient Egyptian artifacts at Konouz Egypt Replica Treasures, the first factory in Egypt and the Middle East for producing replicas of historical Egyptian antiquities. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)

by Mahmoud Fouly

QALYUBIA, Egypt, May 31  -- Dozens of designers, sculptors, painters and workers, all dressed in white coats, were busy producing replicas of ancient Egyptian artifacts at Konouz Egypt Replica Treasures, the first factory in Egypt and the Middle East for producing replicas of historical Egyptian antiquities.

"Actually, the company produces not only replicas of Egyptian antiquities, but also the ones of Coptic, Islamic and Greco-Roman antiquities," said Mohamed Nossair, an operation official at the factory. "The production depends on the artistic and historical value of the original piece as well as its popularity locally and internationally."

Built on an area of 10,000 square meters in the industrial zone of El Obour City in Qalyubia Province, north of the capital Cairo, the factory consists of several spacious sections for designing, printing, sculpturing, coloring and so on.

Ahmed Hussein, head of the sculpture section, was working on a replica of the golden mask of famous ancient Egyptian King Tutankhamun.

"The replicas are produced here in a 1:1 ratio as an identical model in which we preserve the shape and try to reach the Pharaonic spirit with which the original piece was made," said Hussein.

Meanwhile, a dozen of busts of ancient Egyptian Queen Nefertiti were being colored in the painting and coloring section.

"This is the last working procedure. The statue is sculptured first, and then it goes to the casting section for duplication. Finally, it comes to us for coloring and final touches," said Raihana Reda Ali, a 27-year-old painter.

Most of the artists in the factory came from the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA) of the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.

Inaugurated in late March by Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Khaled al-Anany, the factory opened its first gift shop at the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization in Cairo. It plans to open more shops in other museums and tourist sites nationwide in the near future.

The minister noted at the inauguration ceremony that the factory was not just a commercial project, "but aims to present the Egyptian industry to the world and contribute to protecting the Egyptian civilizational and cultural heritage."