Author: Athanasios Koutoupas

Egypt to increase visa fees for incoming tourists by 140%

Tourists will have to pay $60 for their entry visa to Egypt, compared to the previous $25 for single entry and $70 for multiple entry visas, Egyptian airport officials said.

They also added that banks and travel and tour agencies have received notifications from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding the new price, which will be taking effect in July after Prime Minister postponed the implementation that was originally scheduled for Wednesday.

The rise in prices is a result of the country’s vital tourism industry struggling to restore its normality and recover after it was heavily shaken when a Russian plane was downed in October 2015 over the Sinai Peninsula, killing all 224 people on board, which caused a dramatic drop in tourism figures since tourists were scared away by the incident.

Egypt’s tourism revenues witnessed a 44.3% drop in 2016, compared to the year before.

With the resumption of flights from multiple European countries like Russia, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and others that had previously suspended their flights to Egypt after the Russian plane incident, and with the new entry visa fees, the country hopes to witness an increase in foreign currency reserves.

Egypt last increased its entry visa fees in April 2014, from $15 to $25.

(www.dailynewsegypt.com)

March 2, 2017
Mostafa el-Abbadi, Champion of Alexandria’s Resurrected Library, Dies at 88

Mostafa A. H. el-Abbadi, a Cambridge-educated historian of Greco-Roman antiquity and the soft-spoken visionary behind the revival of the Great Library of Alexandria in Egypt, died on Feb. 13 in Alexandria. He was 88.

His daughter, Dr. Mohga el-Abbadi, said the cause was heart failure.

Professor Abbadi’s dream of a new library — a modern version of the magnificent center of learning of ancient times — could be traced to 1972, when, as a scholar at the University of Alexandria, he concluded a lecture with an impassioned challenge.

“At the end, I said, ‘It is sad to see the new University of Alexandria without a library, without a proper library,’” he recalled in 2010. “‘And if we want to justify our claim to be connected spiritually with the ancient tradition, we must follow the ancient example by starting a great universal library.’”

It was President Richard M. Nixon who blew wind into the sails of Professor Abbadi’s ambitious proposal. When Nixon visited Egypt in 1974, he and President Anwar el-Sadat rode by train to Alexandria’s ancient ruins to observe their faded grandeur. When Nixon asked about the ancient library’s location and history, no one in the Egyptian entourage had an answer.

That night, the rector of the University of Alexandria called the professor and asked him to prepare a memo about the Great Library’s rise and fall.

The task, he said later, made him realize how deeply the ancient library resonated, not only with Egyptians but also with many around the world who shared his scholarly thirst.

Backed by the university, Professor Abbadi began developing plans for a new research institution and ultimately persuaded the governor of Alexandria, the Egyptian government and Unesco, the United Nations educational and cultural organization, to lend their support.

In 1988, President Hosni Mubarak laid the foundation stone for what would become the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, a $220 million seaside cylindrical complex. Designed by the Norwegian firm Snohetta, it comprises a 220,000-square-foot reading room, four museums, several galleries, a conference center, a planetarium and gift shops.

It opened in 2002, hailed as a revitalization of intellectual culture in Egypt’s former ancient capital, which is now its often neglected second-largest city.

“With the founding of the new Bibliotheca Alexandrina,” Professor Abbadi wrote in 2004, “the ancient experiment has come full circle.”

The professor did not share fully in the glory. He, like other scholars, had been critical of some aspects of the finished library and maintained that the builders had been careless during the excavation, unmindful of the site’s archaeological value.

When the library was officially opened, in a ceremony attended by heads of state, royalty and other luminaries, he was nowhere to be seen. He had not been invited.

Mostafa Abdel Hamid el-Abbadi was born on Oct. 10, 1928, in Cairo. His father, Abdel-Hamid el-Abbadi, was a founder of the College of Letters and Arts of the University of Alexandria in 1942 and its first dean.

Mostafa el-Abbadi earned a bachelor’s degree with honors there in 1951. A year later, he enrolled at the University of Cambridge on an Egyptian government scholarship. He studied at Jesus College under A. H. M. Jones, the pre-eminent historian of the Roman Empire, and earned a doctorate in ancient history there in 1960.

Two years before, in Britain, he had married Azza Kararah, a professor of English literature at the University of Alexandria, who had earned her doctorate at Cambridge in 1955. She died in 2015.

Besides his daughter, Professor el-Abbadi is survived by a son, Amr, a professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara; a sister, Saneya el-Abbadi; three brothers — Hassan, a former Egyptian ambassador to Thailand and Cuba; Hani, a former Egyptian ambassador to Sri Lanka; and Hisham — and five grandchildren.

Professor Abbadi and Professor Kararah returned to Egypt in the 1960s to be lecturers at the University of Alexandria. They held many visiting fellowships and appointments throughout their careers. From 1966 to 1969, they taught at Beirut Arab University in Lebanon.

(mobile.nytimes.com)

March 2, 2017
Antetokounmpo: ‘Whatever I do, I have Greece behind me’

Giannis Antetokounmpo had a smile on his face the entire weekend at NBA All-Star in New Orleans.
From the moment the Bucks’ forward walked into his media availability session on Friday, he was astounded at the reception he received.
“This is amazing. I gotta take a picture of this before we start,” Antetokounmpo said as he saw the number of journalists, including a dozen or so from Greece, waiting at his table.
“This is crazy,” he continued. “I haven’t seen so much media in my life.”
Antetokounmpo’s historical selection as an All-Star starter was made even more impressive when he finished his debut game as the East team’s leading scorer with 30 points − more than players such as Lebron James and Kyrie Irving − and could have even won the award as the game’s Most Valuable Player had the East been able to defeat the West. They lost 192-182.
“You know, at the start of the game, I was just hoping I could get a bucket, to not embarrass myself and just have fun,” he said post-game. “It was fun. I told the coach I’m going to play hard no matter what. That’s the only thing I know how to do.”
Golden State Warriors’ superstar forward Kevin Durant said that Antetokounmpo will have a presence at every All-Star game from now on.
“That’s a big compliment coming from KD,” said Antetokounmpo when told of Durant’s comments.
“I believe I can be here as long as I play basketball. The most important thing is that I believe it. I appreciate the compliment from KD. I’ll try to be here every year because this is fun.”
Antetokounmpo made history by being the first ever Greek voted to the NBA’s showcase event, and his selection served a purpose greater than just basketball − it was also a celebration of Hellenism.
He answered questions in Greek during Friday’s media session and even told the reporters from Greece that he would prefer an international gold medal to an NBA MVP award or title.
His reason? “Because it will represent an entire country,” he said. At every opportunity he spoke of the appreciation he has for the support he has received from Greeks worldwide.
“Whatever I do, I have Greece behind me,” he said. “I try to make all Greeks proud and I thank them for their support.”
Antetokounmpo’s ascension from peddling bootleg CDs on the streets of Athens to being selected by the Milwaukee Bucks with the 15th pick in the 2013 draft to now, representing his team and country at the All-Star game − repeatedly over the weekend Antetokounmpo alluded to “living the dream”.
“This story and this journey is incredible,” he said after the game. “A lot of people helped me. My family was right there for me.”
Despite his impressive showing in the game on Sunday, all Antetokounmpo said he wanted to do was soak it all up with his family − older brother Thanasis, younger brothers Alex and Kosta, and his parents, Veronica and Charles.
“The highlight for me [was] seeing my family after the game on the court, taking pictures with all the celebrities out there,” he said. “Just the smile on their faces, how excited they are to be here. I think that’s the highlight.”
Still, even after all the adulation of the weekend, and the memories it created, Antetokounmpo is ready to get back to work and help the Bucks reach the playoffs.
“I was talking with [Milwaukee’s assistant] coach today and I told him, ‘I can’t wait until we get back and I start practicing and playing games’.”

(neoskosmos.com)

March 2, 2017
An ancient Egyptian mystery draws tourists to King Ramses II statue

Ancient Egyptians were known for their scientific excellence and genius, especially in the fields of astronomy, sculpture and construction. For instance, the three pyramids are considered among the Seven Wonders of the World. Pharaonic arts and antiquities still hide secrets that no scientists have managed to explain or understand.

Every year, a Pharaonic miracle has been happening for 33 centuries.

At the main entrance of the Great Temple of Ramses II at Abu Simbel in Aswan governorate, a solar alignment is witnessed on the face of the King Ramses II statue twice a year, once on his birthday, Oct. 22, and again on his coronation day, Feb. 22.

Ramses II built his temple, which took 19 years to complete, in 1275 B.C. At the same time, the king inaugurated another temple for his wife, Queen Nefertari, who was said to be the most beautiful among Pharaonic queens. He ordered her shrine to be located near his own, on a mountain overlooking the Nile.

King Ramses II, of the ninth Pharaonic family, was born in 1315 B.C. He came to power in 1290 B.C. and gained wide popularity for several reasons. For one, he acceded to the throne when he was a young, ambitious and enthusiastic man and remained king for 67 years. He also inherited a strong and rich country from his father who taught him the arts of war, rule and politics.

Civilians and soldiers supported him, and he defeated the Hittites, the largest military power at the time. He was passionate about immortalizing his memory and honoring himself. For that purpose, he built more shrines, palaces, statues and obelisks than any other ruler before him. During his reign, Egypt built a new capital called Pi-Ramesses, which became one of the most important capitals of the ancient Near East.

When the sun shines, its rays creep into his deep shrine, which is about 60 meters (197 feet) from the entrance, to illuminate it. The aim is for the sun’s rays to fall on Ramses II’s face from the east from a narrow opening.

British explorer Amelia Edwards and her team detected this phenomenon in 1848, and she recorded it in her book “A Thousand Miles Up the Nile.” She wrote, “The statues of Abu Simbel Temple gain huge influence and are surrounded by an aura of praise and respect when the sunrays shine and set on them.”

Al-Monitor attended the Aswan governorate’s celebration of the phenomenon. According to Aswan Gov. Magdy Hijazi, the governorate holds several artistic and cultural events for the occasion.

“This year, the celebration was more organized, given the development of the work and performance to suit its grandiosity,” Hijazi told Al-Monitor. He noted that the event was made possible in coordination with the Ministry of Tourism, Antiquities and Culture in Aswan. “The governorate was spending large sums of money on the celebrations of solar alignment in the past, but it is currently agreeing with other parties to support and improve the celebrations as part of the expenditure rationalization policy,” he said.

The celebration marked the beginning of the fifth Aswan International Festival for Arts and Culture, in which 17 folk art troupes participated, including ones from China, India, Greece, Sudan, Nigeria, Armenia, South Korea and Thailand.

Among those who participated in the event were Minister of Antiquities Khaled El-Enany, Minister of Culture Helmy al-Namnam and Minister of Tourism Yehia Rashed. About 4,000 people attended the solar alignment event, including 1,500 tourists.

The first Aswan International Women’s Film Festival coincided with the solar alignment and was launched over six days under the patronage of the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Tourism. The festival’s prize statue comes in the shape of the ancient Egyptian goddess of the moon and motherhood, Isis.

Mohammad Idriss, the general manager of the Ministry of Culture in Aswan, told Al-Monitor, “The festival program includes performances from the participating troupes. It took place in several cultural locations and youth centers in the governorate.”

In a Feb. 6 press statement, Houssam Abboud, the director general of Abu Simbel antiquities at the Ministry of Antiquities, said the ministry took great efforts to prepare the celebrations for the occasion, which is a boon for tourism.

He added that the solar alignment phenomenon stems from the ancient Egyptian belief that King Ramses II was intricately connected to the sun god Ra.

Residents of Abu Simbel also participated in the celebration and promoted their city. They held an exhibition to display their antiquities and city folklore, as well as handicrafts from the families of tribes in Abu Simbel to reflect their culture to foreigners and Egyptians.

Aswan University participated in this global event by sending students from the Faculty of Linguistics to help guide foreign tourists who attended the celebrations.

(www.al-monitor.com)

March 2, 2017