Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities: "Secrets of the Sunken City" exhibition and "100 Days of Heritage Truth" campaign among International Committee for Communication and Marketing awards

Cairo – Hanaa El-Sayed

In a new achievement reflecting the development witnessed by the communication system in the fields of heritage, museums, and archaeological awareness at the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, the exhibition “Secrets of the Sunken City,” hosted by the Alexandria National Museum, has been shortlisted for the International Council of Museums (ICOM) Committee for Communication, Marketing and Public Engagement (ICOM COMMS) Awards 2026 in the category of Best Press Office Campaign. Additionally, the campaign “100 Days of Heritage Truth,” implemented by the General Administration of Archaeological Awareness under the Sector for Conservation and Registration of Antiquities at the Supreme Council of Antiquities, has also been shortlisted for the award in the category of Best Digital or Social Media Campaign.

These awards, organized by ICOM COMMS for 2026, aim to celebrate excellence, innovation, creativity, and strategic distinction in museum communication, marketing, media relations, and audience engagement on an international level.

The selection of the “Secrets of the Sunken City” exhibition for the shortlist recognizes the accompanying media strategy, which successfully presented Egypt’s submerged cultural heritage in a contemporary and engaging manner. It transformed submerged archaeological discoveries into a cohesive narrative that attracted attention from several major local and international media outlets. This contributed to highlighting this unique aspect of Egyptian heritage and showcasing the state’s efforts to preserve, conserve, and make it accessible to the public, ultimately leading to a six-month extension of the exhibition’s run.

The exhibition also offered a comprehensive museum experience based on storytelling, educational and interactive activities, and enhanced accessibility for people with visual impairments. Furthermore, it fostered scientific and community partnerships and established a specialized public library dedicated to submerged cultural heritage, thereby enhancing the sustainability of its cultural and intellectual impact. Collectively, these elements qualified the exhibition as one of three projects that reached the final stage in the “Best Press Office Campaign” category.

As for the “100 Days of Heritage Truth” campaign, it was shortlisted among four projects in the “Best Digital or Social Media Campaign” category. This recognition acknowledges its success in countering misleading historical information by providing simplified and engaging scientific content, engaging the public in dialogue, and correcting misconceptions, while linking digital content with museum collections and field activities.

The campaign was also distinguished by its continuity over 100 consecutive days, offering diverse and multilingual content that achieved documented digital results and reached a wide audience. This reinforced the role of museums as trusted sources of knowledge and provided a sustainable, replicable model for museums and countries elsewhere.

The participating projects underwent a specialized judging and evaluation process by ICOM COMMS, based on a set of criteria including innovation, creativity, strategic distinction, communication quality, and public impact, alongside media presence and interaction across digital platforms as supporting indicators for measuring the communication impact of the projects.

The voting phase is currently ongoing, with the winners to be announced during the joint annual conference of ICOM COMMS and ICOMON (the International Committee for Museums of Money and Banking of ICOM) in 2026. The conference is scheduled to take place from December 2 to 4, 2026, at the Heureka Science Center in Vantaa, Finland.