Exhibition ‘Ancient Egypt in the Mediterranean’ on display at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo
Cairo – Dr. Zahi Hawass, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities in Egypt, will open the exhibition ‘Ancient Egypt in the Mediterranean’ at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo today (25 October). The panels illustrate the contacts that existed between ancient Egypt and other countries around the Mediterranean Sea and tell the story of foreign groups living in Egypt. The exhibition will run from October 26 through December 26 in the garden of the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. Access is free. The exhibition has been arranged on the occasion of the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue 2008. It is organized by the Netherlands-Flemish Institute in Cairo (NVIC) in cooperation with the SCA, and is funded by the Delegation of the European Commission in Egypt and the Royal Netherlands Embassy in Cairo.
Dialogue between the cultures of the Mediterranean is not a new phenomenon, invented at the time the European Union was established. On the contrary, people living in the region have been in contact with each other since prehistory, as is becoming increasingly clear in the light of the results of archaeological research. To illustrate these connections, the Netherlands-Flemish Institute in Cairo has organized an exhibition on intercultural contact between ancient Egypt and other Mediterranean countries. Ancient Egypt is often viewed as a unique, isolated culture. This exhibition aims to illustrate the far-reaching influences Egypt had on its Mediterranean neighbors. It also shows Egypt’s involvement with regard to the trade routes of the ancient Mediterranean, and how the ancient Egyptians adopted foreign technologies and ideas.
The panels were written by young scholars from around the Mediterranean and other parts of the world. They highlight topics such as trade, war, sea-faring, art, and specific archaeological sites. The topics cover the entire Pharaonic Period, from Predynastic times to the Late Period.
“I am very happy to have this exhibition at the Egyptian Museum, where people from all over the world come to enjoy and learn about ancient Egypt”, says dr. Zahi Hawass. “It will be wonderful for these visitors to learn how people from a variety of ancient cultures met and influenced each other, with Egypt as a key point of contact.” Dr. Klaus Ebermann, Ambassador, Head of EC Delegation to Egypt, says “Intercultural contacts and dialogue have been part of the lifes of people in the Mediterranean region since thousands of years ago.” “It is fascinating to see that ancient Egyptian objects and ideas reached even the furthest corners of the Mediterranean, like Spain”, says Dr. Kim Duistermaat, NVIC’s director. “As archaeologists we are interested in understanding how these contacts functioned, how people exchanged objects and ideas and why.”
The exhibition is aimed at a broad audience. Panel texts are in English and Arabic.
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Contact: NVIC
E-mail: info@nvic.net.eg
Telephone: (+20) 2 2738.2520/ 2738.25.22
Fax: (+20) 2 2738.2523
http://www.nvic.leidenuniv.nl/
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This project is funded by the European Union
and the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. |
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