H Prof. Dr. Harby Ezzeldeen El-Naggar

Projects & Works

Documented examples of historic textile and carpet conservation — from the Kaaba Kiswa to textiles in Egyptian museums — along with human-development and capacity-building work.

Conservation of textile objects from the interior and exterior Kaaba kiswa, and door curtains of the two Holy Mosques, decorated with metallic embroidery threads.

Interior Kaaba wall lining (2 objects)
Interior Kaaba wall lining (2 objects) — 60×73 cm — 1Interior Kaaba wall lining (2 objects) — 60×73 cm — 2
60×73 cm

The piece before conservation during local (dry) cleaning of stubborn stains, then mounted on a new support for museum display.

Interior Kaaba wall lining (2 objects) — 58×75 cm — 1Interior Kaaba wall lining (2 objects) — 58×75 cm — 2
58×75 cm

Wet cleaning with initial reinforcement visible, followed by final mounting on a new woven support after conservation.

Metallic-thread embroidered textile (exterior, 4 objects)
Metallic-thread embroidered textile (exterior, 4 objects) — 100×255 cm — 1Metallic-thread embroidered textile (exterior, 4 objects) — 100×255 cm — 2
100×255 cm

The piece before conservation during cleaning, with the new fabric support fixed to a reinforced wooden frame.

Metallic-thread embroidered textile (exterior, 4 objects) — 88×250 cm — 1Metallic-thread embroidered textile (exterior, 4 objects) — 88×250 cm — 2
88×250 cm

The piece before conservation, and after cleaning, reinforcement, and mounting on a new support for museum display.

Metallic-thread embroidered textile (exterior, 4 objects) — 85×234 cm — 1Metallic-thread embroidered textile (exterior, 4 objects) — 85×234 cm — 2
85×234 cm

The piece before conservation, and the new fabric support fixed to a wooden frame after conservation.

Metallic-thread embroidered textile (exterior, 4 objects) — 82×230 cm — 1Metallic-thread embroidered textile (exterior, 4 objects) — 82×230 cm — 2
82×230 cm

Separated layers of the piece before conservation, and after mechanical cleaning in preparation for museum display.

Door curtains of the two Holy Mosques (8 large objects)
Door curtains of the two Holy Mosques (8 large objects) — 185×280 cm — 1Door curtains of the two Holy Mosques (8 large objects) — 185×280 cm — 2
185×280 cm

Cleaning and removal of corrosion layers with isolation of metallic threads, then final mounting on the new support for museum display.

Door curtains of the two Holy Mosques (8 large objects) — 155×240 cm — 1Door curtains of the two Holy Mosques (8 large objects) — 155×240 cm — 2
155×240 cm

Details of the piece before conservation and local cleaning, then initial reinforcement and final mounting after conservation.

Door curtains of the two Holy Mosques (8 large objects) — 115×232 cm — 1Door curtains of the two Holy Mosques (8 large objects) — 115×232 cm — 2
115×232 cm

Deterioration features in the piece, then final mounting on a new support after conservation for museum display.

Door curtains of the two Holy Mosques (8 large objects) — 125×200 cm — 1Door curtains of the two Holy Mosques (8 large objects) — 125×200 cm — 2
125×200 cm

Deterioration in the piece, and the piece after conservation and mounting for museum display.

Door curtains of the two Holy Mosques (8 large objects) — 107×218 cm — 1Door curtains of the two Holy Mosques (8 large objects) — 107×218 cm — 2
107×218 cm

Details of the piece before conservation, and the piece after conservation in preparation for museum display.

Door curtains of the two Holy Mosques (8 large objects) — 147×270 cm — 1Door curtains of the two Holy Mosques (8 large objects) — 147×270 cm — 2
147×270 cm

Some deterioration features, and final stitched mounting on a new support after conservation.

Door curtains of the two Holy Mosques (8 large objects) — 128×254 cm — 1Door curtains of the two Holy Mosques (8 large objects) — 128×254 cm — 2
128×254 cm

Details of deterioration, and the piece after conservation, mounted and ready for museum display.

Door curtains of the two Holy Mosques (8 large objects) — 160×260 cm — 1Door curtains of the two Holy Mosques (8 large objects) — 160×260 cm — 2
160×260 cm

Details of deterioration, and the piece after conservation, mounted and ready for museum display.

Restored Kaaba Kiswa textiles, conserved and prepared for museum display
Restored Kaaba Kiswa textiles, conserved and prepared for museum display — 1Restored Kaaba Kiswa textiles, conserved and prepared for museum display — 2Restored Kaaba Kiswa textiles, conserved and prepared for museum display — 3Restored Kaaba Kiswa textiles, conserved and prepared for museum display — 4

A selection of Kiswa objects after conservation, shown in the museum display hall.

Historical Documentation & Scientific Examination of Kaaba Kiswa Textiles

Multiple scientific examinations and analyses are carried out — including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), infrared (FTIR) spectral analysis, digital microscopy and ultraviolet imaging — to verify the authenticity of these historic objects and to establish whether or not they belong to the textiles of the Kaaba Kiswa. This work has been done for a very large number of Kiswa textiles; only a few examples are shown here for illustration.

Historical Documentation & Scientific Examination of Kaaba Kiswa Textiles — Example 1 — 1Historical Documentation & Scientific Examination of Kaaba Kiswa Textiles — Example 1 — 2
Example 1

A piece from the interior Kaaba Kiswa textiles, made of natural silk and decorated with calligraphic ornament including Qur'anic verses and phrases of monotheism.

Historical Documentation & Scientific Examination of Kaaba Kiswa Textiles — Example 2 — 1Historical Documentation & Scientific Examination of Kaaba Kiswa Textiles — Example 2 — 2
Example 2

A textile piece from the Kaaba Kiswa decorated with silver metallic threads; the ornament consists of Qur'anic verses and other calligraphic motifs.

Historical Documentation & Scientific Examination of Kaaba Kiswa Textiles — Example 3 — 1Historical Documentation & Scientific Examination of Kaaba Kiswa Textiles — Example 3 — 2
Example 3

Two objects from the interior Kaaba Kiswa, or from the interior curtains of the Prophet's tomb (peace be upon him), made of natural silk fibres and decorated with calligraphic ornament of Qur'anic verses and phrases of monotheism.

Historical Documentation & Scientific Examination of Kaaba Kiswa Textiles — Example 4 — 1Historical Documentation & Scientific Examination of Kaaba Kiswa Textiles — Example 4 — 2
Example 4

A piece from the belt of the Kaaba curtains, decorated with gold and silver threads; the ornament is a Qur'anic verse surrounded by floral motifs.

Historical Documentation & Scientific Examination of Kaaba Kiswa Textiles — Example 5 — 1Historical Documentation & Scientific Examination of Kaaba Kiswa Textiles — Example 5 — 2
Example 5

A piece from the Kaaba Kiswa textiles made of gold-plated silver threads; its ornament includes Qur'anic verses.

Conservation of two Ottoman-era carpets and a 4-piece silk curtain that once adorned the Grand Ceremonial Hall and the Royal Room at Cairo University.

The historic carpets
The historic carpets — 5.5×8.5 m and 3×5.5 m — 1The historic carpets — 5.5×8.5 m and 3×5.5 m — 2
5.5×8.5 m and 3×5.5 m

Two Ottoman-era carpets, once in the Grand Ceremonial Hall, now in the VIP hall of the Central Library and the Royal Room. Images show initial stabilization of tears, dye-fastness testing, wet cleaning and drying, and final linen backing.

The historic silk curtain
The historic silk curtain — 4-piece silk curtain — 1The historic silk curtain — 4-piece silk curtain — 2
4-piece silk curtain

A silk curtain from the Royal Room adjoining the Grand Ceremonial Hall. Images show deterioration, cleaning and drying, dyeing of infill threads, and final stitched consolidation of torn sections with fine silk thread.

Conservation of historic textiles and costumes across several Egyptian museums and excavation sites, including supervised preventive-conservation projects.

Museum of Islamic Art, Cairo
Museum of Islamic Art, Cairo — A matching pair — Ottoman era — 1Museum of Islamic Art, Cairo — A matching pair — Ottoman era — 2
A matching pair — Ottoman era

A matching pair of inscribed textiles (registry nos. 12014, 12015), now displayed at the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization. The piece before and after conservation, mounted on a new support.

Ismailia Museum
Ismailia Museum — A Coptic tunic — 1Ismailia Museum — A Coptic tunic — 2
A Coptic tunic

A Coptic tunic treated with Lipase enzyme to remove oily soiling. Images show deterioration, initial support between layers of gauze, and the tunic after conservation on museum display.

Beit El-Omma Museum (Saad Zaghloul's House)
Beit El-Omma Museum (Saad Zaghloul's House) — Safia Zaghloul's dress — 1Beit El-Omma Museum (Saad Zaghloul's House) — Safia Zaghloul's dress — 2
Safia Zaghloul's dress

Mrs. Safia Zaghloul's dress, one example of the textile and costume conservation work at Beit El-Omma Museum. Images show deterioration, wet cleaning, and display on a purpose-built mannequin after conservation.

Tuna el-Gebel Excavation — Joint Mission (Cairo University & Munich Institute of Archaeology)
Tuna el-Gebel Excavation — Joint Mission (Cairo University & Munich Institute of Archaeology) — A Ptolemaic-era textile — 1Tuna el-Gebel Excavation — Joint Mission (Cairo University & Munich Institute of Archaeology) — A Ptolemaic-era textile — 2
A Ptolemaic-era textile

Deterioration details, initial support, wet cleaning and drying, then final mounting on new linen support — now displayed at the Ashmonein Museum, Minya.

Tuna el-Gebel Excavation — Joint Mission (Cairo University & Munich Institute of Archaeology) — A group of linen wrappings — 1Tuna el-Gebel Excavation — Joint Mission (Cairo University & Munich Institute of Archaeology) — A group of linen wrappings — 2
A group of linen wrappings

Deterioration and calcified soiling, dry cleaning with organic solvents and wet cleaning, then the wrappings after conservation on display at the Ashmonein Museum.

Tuna el-Gebel Excavation — Joint Mission (Cairo University & Munich Institute of Archaeology) — A Ptolemaic-era fabric — 1Tuna el-Gebel Excavation — Joint Mission (Cairo University & Munich Institute of Archaeology) — A Ptolemaic-era fabric — 2
A Ptolemaic-era fabric

The artifact before conservation, mechanical cleaning and dye-fastness testing, then reinforcement, mounting on a new woven support, and an acid-free storage box.

Museum of the Faculty of Applied Arts — Helwan University
Museum of the Faculty of Applied Arts — Helwan University — A rare historic textile — 1Museum of the Faculty of Applied Arts — Helwan University — A rare historic textile — 2
A rare historic textile

Conservation and storage procedures for a rare historic textile at the Faculty of Applied Arts Museum, including wet washing, drying, and an acid-free storage box.

Al-Sayed Al-Badawi Robes — Al-Sayed Al-Badawi Mosque, Tanta
Al-Sayed Al-Badawi Robes — Al-Sayed Al-Badawi Mosque, Tanta — A historic robe — 1Al-Sayed Al-Badawi Robes — Al-Sayed Al-Badawi Mosque, Tanta — A historic robe — 2
A historic robe

Al-Sayed Al-Badawi's robe, front and back, before conservation, and stages of reinforcement and mounting on a new fabric support after conservation.

Kom Aushim Museum — Fayoum
Kom Aushim Museum — Fayoum — Textiles in non-standard museum conditions — 1Kom Aushim Museum — Fayoum — Textiles in non-standard museum conditions — 2
Textiles in non-standard museum conditions

Conservation of textiles stored under non-standard museum conditions, including humidification and separation of layers, then wet cleaning, drying, and preparation of storage supports and packing.

Museum Storage (preventive conservation)
Museum Storage (preventive conservation) — Preventive conservation work — 1Museum Storage (preventive conservation) — Preventive conservation work — 2
Preventive conservation work

Part of preventive conservation and safe storage work for historic textiles in museum stores, including a comparative study of consolidation materials used in conservation.

Alongside his academic and conservation work, Prof. Dr. Harby El-Naggar designs and delivers training courses in human development and capacity building for a wide range of trainees.

From one of the training lectures

Training courses
👥 Cairo University faculty and teaching staff — Center for Faculty and Leadership Development
  • Effective Presentation Skills
  • Communication Skills in Different Teaching Modes
  • Creative Thinking
👥 Administrative staff, Faculty of Archaeology, Cairo University (part of the Quality Assurance Unit's work to raise staff efficiency for accreditation and ISO)
  • Human Personality Types and How to Deal with Them
  • Time and Meeting Management
  • Crisis Management and Problem Solving
  • Motivation Skills and Policy
  • Leading Teams and Effective Management
  • Strategic Planning
👥 Cairo University students — Cultural Activities Department, Youth Welfare
  • Creative and Effective Thinking
  • Academic Achievement and Exam Planning
  • Effective Negotiation
  • Etiquette and the Art of Dealing with Others
👥 Climate Ambassadors and Climate Change Adaptation Program — UNDP Cairo
  • Effective Communication Skills
  • Skills for Preparing Different Scientific Materials
  • Creative Thinking and Habits of Highly Effective People
  • Conflict Management Skills
  • Emotional Intelligence and Neuro-Linguistic Programming
👥 Audiences of different ages, cultures and social backgrounds
  • Any training material can be designed, performed and delivered for any audience
General Conservation Stages Followed
01Documentation and visual/scientific examination
02Initial reinforcement
03Dye-fastness testing against washing solutions
04Mechanical cleaning
05Local (dry) cleaning
06Wet cleaning and drying
07Final reinforcement and infilling
08Museum display