Water leak at Louvre damages hundreds of books

• A water leak damaged around 400 books in the Egyptian antiquities department.
• Repairs are scheduled for September 2026, but the problem has been known for years.
• The museum recently suffered a USD 102 million jewel heist and partial gallery closures.
• France’s Cour des Comptes criticized the Louvre for failing to update its infrastructure.

A water leak last month caused significant damage to hundreds of books in the Egyptian antiquities department at the Louvre Museum. The incident comes just weeks after a high-profile jewel heist exposed major security flaws at the institution.

Specialist website La Tribune de l'Art reported that around 400 rare books were affected, attributing the damage to deteriorating pipes. The report noted that the department had repeatedly sought funding to protect the collection from such risks, but these requests went unheeded.

Le Louvre’s deputy administrator, Francis Steinbock, told BFM TV that the leak occurred in one of the three rooms of the library in the Egyptian antiquities department. “We have identified between 300 and 400 works, the count is ongoing,” he said, clarifying that the books affected were primarily used by Egyptologists and did not include any precious works.

Steinbock acknowledged that the issue had been known for years and noted that repairs were scheduled for September 2026.

The leak adds to a series of recent crises at the Louvre. In October, four burglars stole jewels worth USD 102 million in broad daylight, revealing glaring gaps in the museum’s security. In November, structural weaknesses prompted the partial closure of a gallery housing Greek vases and related offices.

A report by France’s Cour des Comptes in October criticized the museum’s inability to update its infrastructure, noting that excessive spending on artworks had further strained resources for essential maintenance.