Around 400 rare books in the Louvre Museum's Egyptian Antiquities department were damaged after a water leak last month, highlighting the dilapidated state of the world's most visited museum. The incident comes just weeks after a daring jewelry heist that exposed security lapses.
According to the La Tribune de l'Art portal, the leak is suspected to have come from worn-out pipes, while the department had long sought funds to protect the collection, but without success.
The Louvre's deputy administrator, Francis Steinbock, told BFM TV that the leak occurred in one of the three halls of the Egyptian Antiquities library.
"So far we have identified between 300 and 400 affected works; the count is ongoing. Fortunately, the damaged are books used by Egyptologists, not precious publications," he said.
Steinbock also acknowledged that the problem had been known for years and that repairs are scheduled to begin in September 2026.
The museum has faced numerous challenges recently. On October 19, four robbers made off in broad daylight with an estimated $102 million worth of jewelry, exposing serious security gaps. Meanwhile, in November, structural weaknesses led to the partial closure of a gallery housing Greek vases and several offices.
A report published in October by the French public audit body, the Cour des Comptes, highlighted that the Louvre's inability to update its infrastructure has been exacerbated by excessive spending on art purchases.
