In a telephone conversation, the minister informed Irina Bokova that the Egyptian Museum in Cairo is safe and that the army and firefighters have established a cordon around the building.

UNESCO: Cultural heritage update for Egypt

The Centre for Nubian Studies at the Nubia Museum in Aswan and the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization in Cairo were created with UNESCO support.

UNESCO: MEDIA SERVICES

The Egyptian Museum, which opened in downtown Cairo in 1902, has long had too little exhibition space.

BBC: Egypt seeks museum design

Museum representatives are working with the British Embassy in Cairo and Britain's Ministry of Defence on a possible recovery operation.

CNN: British WWII fighter found in Egyptian desert