The American Research Center in Egypt - ARCE

01/09/2026

📣 Applications are open for ARCE’s Academic Writing and Publishing Workshop 2026!

Designed for dissertation and postdoctoral scholars, this intensive workshop will cover academic writing, research methods, scholarly argumentation, citation practices, and publishing in international journals.

Open to scholars in Egyptology, Graeco-Roman Archaeology, Islamic Art and Archaeology, Museology, and Heritage Studies.

📅 October 5 to 7, 2026
⏰ 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
📍 ARCE Cairo Center, Garden City
🗣️ Arabic sessions with English materials

Only 15 participants will be selected. Applications require a one-page CV and a 250-word research statement.

⏳ Apply by September 19 at 11:59 p.m. Cairo time. Accepted applicants will be notified during the week of September 27.

🔗 Learn more and apply here:
https://shorturl.at/5njTG

01/09/2026

مرت ١٠ سنوات على بدء مشروع الحفاظ على قبة الإمام الشافعي، و٥ سنوات على اكتمال المشروع!

احتفلوا معنا بهذه الذكرى من خلال قراءة التقرير الفني لأعمال الحفاظ المنشور على أوراق مجاورة البحثية، تعرفوا على رحلة الحفاظ على المبنى من البداية إلى النهاية، بما شمل أعمال ترميم المباني، والتنظيف الدقيق والحفاظ على الأعمال الخشبية الأصلية، والمكتشفات والحفائر الأثرية التي ظهرت أثناء المشروع، وغيرها الكثير.

نشر هذا الكتاب بفضل الدعم الكريم من مركز البحوث الأمريكي بمصر (ARCE) صندوق الوقف للآثار (AEF).

اقرأوا التقرير الآن:
https://megawra.com/megawrapapers/

It’s been 10 years since the start of the al-Imam al-Shafi’i Dome Conservation Project, and 5 years since the completion of the project!

Celebrate with us by reading the technical report on the conservation work published on Megawra Papers! Explore how we conserved the building from start to finish, spanning masonry repair, detailed cleaning and conservation of the original woodwork, the discovered archaeological excavations, and more.

The report is published with the generous support of the American Research Centre in Egypt (ARCE) – Antiquities Endowment Fund (AEF).

Read the report at: https://megawra.com/megawrapapers/

27/08/2026

ARCE Library Update 📢. The physical ARCE Library will be closed from September 1 through November 30, 2026, as we prepare for its relocation. Limited access may be available by appointment only. While the physical library is closed, ARCE members can continue to access our online library portal.

For inquiries or to ask about appointment availability, please contact [email protected] or [email protected].

25/08/2026

Fun fact: Imam Al-Shafi'i was the founder of one of the four major schools of Sunni Islamic jurisprudence, and his teachings continue to shape Islamic legal thought across the world today. His mausoleum in Cairo, one of the few surviving Ayyubid-era structures in the city, underwent conservation efforts funded by the U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation. Today, it stands as a testament to his enduring legacy.

With support from ARCE's Antiquities Endowment Fund (AEF) and in collaboration with Megawra (Built Environment Collective), conservation of this landmark has moved into a next phase: organizing years of documentation, preparing a bilingual technical report, and laying the groundwork for a book that will bring this history to a wider audience. Read about this project here: https://shorturl.at/jI1KI

24/08/2026

ARCE’s fourth Library Book Club is here! Join us for a fascinating discussion of Dr. Eric H. Cline’s bestselling book, 1177 B.C.: The Year Civilization Collapsed. Explore how invasion, earthquakes, drought, famine, revolt, and disrupted trade routes combined to bring an interconnected world to the brink of collapse.

📅 October 20, 2026
⏰ 8 PM Cairo | 1 PM ET
💻 Online via Zoom
📖 The book is available only as a physical copy at the ARCE Library in Cairo for those who would like to read or consult it.
🔗 Register and learn more: https://shorturl.at/OmkE0

19/08/2026

Preserved in the Church of St. Anthony, at what is believed to be the oldest monastery in the world, are the exquisite Secco Wall paintings that comprise Medieval Egypt’s most complete iconographic program. The Monastery of St. Anthony, located deep in the Eastern Desert near the Red Sea, is a testament to the everlasting influence of St. Anthony the Great, widely hailed as the father of monasticism. Commissioned in the early 13th century by more than 30 donors, the wall paintings at the Church of St. Anthony belong to what was, at the time of their conception, an 800-year-old Coptic tradition.

The majority of the paintings are part of one program started in AM 949–AD 1232/1233. However, there was a late discovery revealing hidden paintings that appear to be from the 6th century. Over the centuries, artists have contributed to these paintings, interrupted for a few decades in between, with another group of artists resuming the work in a different style, from Mediterranean traditions to Islamic traditions, demonstrating that, despite its remote location, the Monastery of St. Anthony remained engaged with the visual culture of the region at large.

The project was funded by USAID, the Antiquities Development Project (ADP) at the American Research Center in Egypt (ARCE). It carried out the conservation of the wall paintings at the Church of St. Anthony in seven campaigns over the course of three years (1996–1999), peeling back decades of soot and overpainting to reveal breathtaking artwork in brilliant colors.

Explore the mind-blowing before-and-after pictures of the St. Anthony Wall Paintings collection on our archive website now: https://shorturl.at/j0K02

02/08/2026

Latest by ARCE’s Executive Director, Dr. Melinda Hartwig❤️🙏🏻

30/07/2026

As part of the Freedom250 Summer Lecture Series at the U.S. Embassy in Cairo, ARCE’s Executive Director Dr. Melinda Hartwig presented "American Egyptologists and Their Legacy," an exploration of the pioneering Americans whose work helped shape modern Egyptology. Through a blend of historical insight and memorable anecdotes, Dr. Hartwig brought these early archaeologists to life, highlighting George Andrew Reisner's pioneering work and the memorable stories of his student Dows Dunham, both founders of ARCE!

The lecture concluded by connecting this remarkable legacy to ARCE's work today. For over 75 years, ARCE has continued the mission of advancing research, conserving Egypt's cultural heritage, and supporting the next generation of scholars through conservation projects, fellowships, grants, publications, and educational lectures. ARCE carries forward the same spirit of cultural stewardship that inspired its founders, ensuring that Egypt's heritage continues to be studied, preserved, and shared with the world.

30/07/2026

22/07/2026

Since 1995, ARCE has taken a holistic approach to preserving historic monuments through integrating infrastructure-based conservation into a broader area conservation strategy.

Al-Salih Tala’i Mosque, built in 1160 AD during the Fatimid era, is a stunning architectural masterpiece in Cairo. ARCE stepped in to save in 1996 when its unique foundation trenches suffered from groundwater damage, putting the mosque's structural integrity at risk.

To protect this historic building, a comprehensive infrastructure fixes were done by dewatering, and drainage system was put in place, preserving not just the mosque but also the surrounding Darb Al-Ahmar area.

Explore the full collection on ARCE’s archives website: https://shorturl.at/GkPxW