A water leak at the Louvre, one of the most famous museums in the world, has caused damage to hundreds of works in the library dedicated to Egyptian antiquities.
The incident occurred on November 26, just a month after the theft of jewels from the museum. The leak resulted from the erroneous opening of a valve in an outdated hydraulic system that provides heating and ventilation in the library. According to the museum’s Deputy Director-General Francis Steinbok, periodicals and archaeological journals from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, which are actively used by Egyptologists and students, were affected.
Steinbok considers this leak to be a technical error and notes that the system had been non-functional for several months and was scheduled for replacement in September 2026. Currently, the works are being dried and will soon be returned to their place. An internal investigation has been launched in connection with the incident.
This is not the first incident at the Louvre recently. In mid-October, the museum faced the theft of jewels worth tens of millions of euros. Suspects in the theft were detained by law enforcement agencies. Meanwhile, the museum recently announced an increase in ticket prices for tourists from non-EU countries, which may affect attendance.
| Date | Event | Details |
|---|---|---|
| November 26 | Water Leak | Materials on Ancient Egypt damaged |
| October 19 | Jewelry Theft | Suspects detained |
| – | Price Increase | Affected non-EU tourists |
