After the jewelry theft, the world's most visited museum has a water leak.

(Dan Tri) - More than 300 documents in the Egyptology collection of the Louvre Museum (Paris, France) were affected after a water leak in late November.

According to Mr. Francis Steinbock (Deputy Curator of the Museum), the leak discovered on November 26 damaged “about 300 to 400 documents”, mainly Egyptology journals and scientific documents serving research work.

The documents, which date from the late 19th to early 20th centuries, are “very useful but not unique,” ​​he said. Mr. Steinbock affirmed that none of the museum’s cultural artifacts were affected and that no irreparable damage had been recorded so far.

The leak originated from a valve in the heating and ventilation system that was accidentally opened, causing water to seep through the ceiling of the Mollien building where the documents are stored. The system, which is “completely outdated,” has been out of service for months and is scheduled to be replaced in September 2026.

Louvre Museum in Paris (Photo: The Guardian).

The affected documents were dried, sent to a restoration specialist, and then returned to storage.

Also in late November, the Louvre Museum announced an increase in ticket prices for most visitors from outside the European Union (EU). Accordingly, visitors from the US, UK, and China will have to pay 32 euros (about 980,000 VND) to enter, a 45% increase.

The museum said the adjustment aims to increase revenue by up to 23 million USD/year (about more than 600 billion VND) to serve infrastructure renovation.

The water leak incident occurred just over a month after a group of four people broke into the Louvre museum in broad daylight, stealing jewelry worth about 102 million USD (more than 2,600 billion VND) in just 7 minutes.

Immediately after the incident, the museum was closed down. Armed police were dispatched to the scene, cordoned off the entire area and launched a large-scale investigation, starting on October 19.

The museum reopened on October 22. However, the Apollo Gallery remains sealed off pending an investigation. The shocking theft has sparked debate about the dilapidated infrastructure at the world's most visited museum.

The Louvre is the most visited museum in the world (Photo: AFP).

The Louvre is an art museum and historical monument located on the banks of the Seine River in central Paris. Originally built as a fortress in 1190 under King Philippe Auguste, the Louvre is now one of the largest and most famous museums in the world.

The museum currently houses more than 33,000 works of art and welcomes about 30,000 visitors a day. The theft is not the first time the Louvre has been targeted by criminals. In 1911, the Mona Lisa was stolen and only found two years later in Florence, Italy.

In 2024, the Louvre will welcome 8.7 million visitors, of which 69% will be international visitors.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/du-lich/sau-vu-trom-trang-suc-bao-tang-dong-khach-nhat-the-gioi-lai-bi-dot-nuoc-20251208195717502.htm