Category: CULTURE

News about culture and cultural heritage

European Day of Languages

At the initiative of the Council of Europe, Strasbourg, the European Day of Languages has been celebrated every year since 2001 on the 26th of September. Its goal is to encourage plurilingualism, intercultural diversity and cross-cultural understanding through events held worldwide. This year in Alexandria, Egypt an interactive festival will be hosted at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina. At this event participants will be able to experience different European countries first-hand by exploring various languages and their culture: English, French, German, Greek, Italian, Lithuanian, Spanish and

Language games, workshops, music and more are organized by the British Council, the Institut français d’Egypte, the Goethe Institut, the Hellenic Foundation for Culture, the Consulate of Italy, as well as the Italian Cultural Institute, the Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania (Cairo), the Instituto Cervantes and the Swedish Institute in cooperation with the Bibliotheca Alexandrina. In addition, students from language schools will be given the opportunity to present their language interactively. The event is from 12-6pm and the students will be presenting from 2-4 pm.

VENUE: Bibliotheca Alexandrina
TARGET GROUPS: Adults (in general), Children, General public, Language learners, Media, Parents, Participants in adult education programmes, Pupils, Students, Young people (in general)

ORGANIZER: The British Council, the Institut français d’Egypte, the Goethe Institut, the Hellenic Foundation for Culture, the Consulate of Italy, as well as the Italian Cultural Institute, the Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania (Cairo), the Instituto Cerv
ADDRESS: 10, Sharia El-Batalsa, Azarita, 21511 Alexandria, Egypt
CONTACT NAME: Yasmine Abdelaziz
CONTACT EMAIL: [email protected]
TELEPHONE: +20 3 4879870

September 22, 2016
Bookshelf: Walking in Athens with Constantine Cavafy

Renowned Greek poet Constantine Cavafy was born in Alexandria, Egypt, on 29 April, 1863. A cosmopolitan by birth, Cavafy travelled for the first time to Greece in the summer of 1901, accompanied by his brother Alexandros. His stay in Athens constitutes the topic of a new book entitled Walking in Athens with Constantine Cavafy.

Wandering through Athens with Cavafy is a fascinating experience. Readers will have the chance to discover that, despite the fact that it’s been over a century ago and with dramatic changes have taken place in the capital, the city centre has preserved the broad outline of its physiognomy. The urban grid, shaped like a large symmetrical triangle and dating from the time of King Otto (mid 19th century), is still the city’s most obvious trait, while the large public buildings that remain attractions adorning the city would have also been seen by Cavafy at the time.

The map that is attached to the publication has, among other things, the intent to introduce the reader to this dual path between the Athens of today and the Athens of yesterday, the one described by Cavafy. The game of comparisons will be a further element of discovery for the curious traveler willing to experiment. To see Athens with Cavafy’s eyes and compare it with their own experience of the modern city, will give an unexpected force to the reader’s Athenian experience, to discover a city of many faces, simultaneously the cradle of ancient civilization and a modern Mediterranean capital.

The book has been another yet venture of Enzo Terzi Publishing, a publishing company active since 1989. The publisher’s move to Greece in 2008 helped to strengthen the knowledge of an unknown literary world to the general public and the rediscovery of many texts that, until now, were the domain of strictly academic production and research. This led to the idea of disseminating works and authors that are often of high literary value but also rich in themes and languages that constitute a reservoir of pleasant, easy and fun reading that is also suited to a wider audience driven by simple curiosity.

ETPbooks work in three languages: Italian, French and English markets, where many of the titles to be proposed have never been published. This is the case of the works of Yannis Maris, the founder of detective stories in Greece, and of Theodore Prodromos, the first among the Byzantines to use popular Greek (dimotiki, i.e. the vernacular form of the Greek language), who among other things, wrote the hilarious “War Between Cats and Mice” to be launched next summer.

It should be noted that Cavafy was introduced to the English-speaking public in 1919 by his friend E.M Forster, who used translations of selected poems by George Valassopoulo, while numerous translations followed over the years. Given that Cavafy never published a poetry collection in book form and opted instead for publishing them in newspapers, periodicals and annuals reaching thus a much wider audience, his international appeal, attested by the multiplicity of its translations, would not come as a surprise to the poet!

(www.greeknewsagenda.gr)

September 8, 2016
An innovative platform brings international students closer to Greece

A new project called “Study in Greece” has been launched by a group of faculty members from the Department of Informatics and Telematics, of Harokopio University, with the help of students (international and Greek) who worked on a volunteer basis, in order to bring the project to life. Their aim was to provide information, support and advice to both international students who wish to study in Greece for a higher education degree, as well as to existing international students, addressing in this way, the most important issues faced by international students while applying, registering and settling in Greece.

So the main focus of the “studyingreece” group was to gather all necessary information that would allow prospective students to not only navigate their way through existing academic programmes on offer but to also understand the conditions for foreign students living in a friendly and safe destination such as Greece. This way, students who are interested in pursuing post-graduate studies in Greece can search the catalogue of specialized study programmes taught in English or directly contact the international relations offices of the Higher Education Institutes listed in the relevant section. A very comprehensive list for beginners wanting to embark on their new life in Greece comprises many interesting sections, such as the main characteristics of the country, interesting destinations, archaeological sites, monuments and museums to visit, as well as data about Greek gastronomy, the cost of living, facts concerning international students living in Greece , health and safety issues, contacts for embassies and visa details . But the most useful tool this platform offers is without a doubt the section Education Institutes, where one can simply type a word reflecting the area of studies he/she wishes to explore and a full list in English of programmes/ universities/ departments and cities corresponding to the search word appears.

Whilst this is truly a remarkable project, its importance does not lie only in the support it provides to prospective international students wishing to explore their academic horizons in Greece. It mainly contributes to the international spread of Greek culture, it promotes Greece as a destination for higher studies among international students, and it even includes support to refugees and people seeking international protection by offering suggestions regarding ongoing educational programmes, updates on plans by the Greek State to provide support to the educational needs of refugees, including special courses, e-learning platforms and summer schools.

Harokopio University has been long known for its contribution to research development aiming to promote the results on scientific knowledge and public health, as well as to improve the economic and social development of the country. It is the 18th state University established in Greece, named after the national benefactor Panagis Harokopos, who envisioned an educational institution with excellent building facilities and equipment, in harmony with the natural environment, which could offer contemporary science. Today, the University comprises three Schools (School of Environment, Geography and Applied Economics/ School of Health Science and Education/ School of Digital Technology), and four Undergraduate Departments (Department of Home Economics and Ecology / Department of Geography / Department of Nutrition and Dietetics / Department of Informatics and Telematics) as well as four postgraduate programs on Sustainable Development / Applied Nutrition and Dietetics / Applied Geography and Spatial Management and Education and Culture.

(www.greeknewsagenda.gr)

September 7, 2016
Pakistan unearths the city defeated by Alexander the Great

Pakistan has unearthed the city defeated by Alexander the Great.

The ruins that Italian archaeologists have unearthed in modern-day Barikot, in Pakistan’s Swat Valley, once belonged to Bazira, the city conquered by Alexander the Great.

In short, Italian archaeologists working in the Italian-Pakistani excavations in the Swat valley did not go on vacation this summer.

Bazira is mentioned in classical sources as having been put under siege and conquered by the Macedonians led by Alexander the Great towards the end of the 4th Century BC. Up to now there had been no trace of this ancient city. Archaeologists had dated the city at the Indo-Greek period of King Menander, the Greek King of Buddhist faith who ruled almost two centuries after Alexander and whose coins were found in the excavation site.

The Italian Archaeological Mission (renamed ISMEO), founded by Giuseppe Tucci in the Swat District in 1955, has been excavating in Barikot since 1984. Since 2011 the excavations at Barikot, the ancient Bazira (12 hectares including the acropolis) have concentrated on approximately one hectare in the south-western quadrant of the city.

During the last few weeks, an analysis of the materials conducted with the help of the CIRCE team headed by Prof Filippo Terrasi (Napoli2 University, Department of Mathematics and Physics) revealed that the pre Indo-Greek city levels can be dated with absolute certainty at the middle of the 3rd Century BC, one century prior to the city walls, which means in the middle of the Mauryan period. And that’s not all: the protohistoric village unveiled by the trench foundations outside the city walls dates back to 1100-1000 BC.

“Today it is clear that the Indo-Greeks fortified a city that already existed and that, in order to build the city walls, they destroyed most of the stratigraphy and exposed extremely ancient structures through extended and deep terracing work. We used to think that the city lays on nothing more than a late protohistoric settlement. Today we know that it was already a city and that the ruins at the foot of the walls are 800 years older than we had originally thought,” said the Mission Director, Luca M. Olivieri. This means that the city reveals an amazing sequence of occupation.

(www.pakistantoday.com.pk)

September 4, 2016
Grand Egyptian Museum construction to be completed by the end of 2016

The Ministry of Antiquities is planning to finish construction of the first phase of the Grand Egyptian Museum before 2016’s end.

The ministry aims to have the museum partially-opened by mid-2017, keeping in mind several suggestions to increase its resources. According to dailynewsegypt.com, the Minister of Antiquities, Khaled El-Anany has discussed new sources of revenue for the ministry, such as offering package ticket deals to tourists, which include several archeological sites at discounted rates.

El-Anany also mentioned that the ministry is promoting Egyptian antiquities globally through media, as well as opening new archeological sites and several other museums and palaces that have been shut down in 2011. Prime examples of such are the Pyramid Complex of Unas in Saqqara and the Tombs of Nefertari in Luxor. Ticket prices have also been lowered for tourist groups.

As for the Egyptian Museum, the ministry plans on keeping it in full operation even after the opening of the new Grand Egyptian Museum, on account of only some of its monuments being transferred to the new one.

(www.traveldailynews.com)

September 4, 2016
Archaeo Delta Photography Exhibition
The exhibition is curated by the BA Alexandria Center for Hellenistic Studies in collaboration with the Ministry of Antiquities and Padua University and it will take place from 8 September until 30 September.

The exhibition aims to document archaeological expeditions in various sites located in the Egyptian Delta in a rather unprecedented manner. The exhibition includes various photographs of archaeological sites and other landscapes, as well as photographs of two non-deltaic sites.

The exhibition will also display pictures of the following archaeological expeditions:
- Kom al-Ahmer and Kom Wasit in Beheira: Padova University, Italy.
- Quesna, Sais- Mutubis in Kafr el-Sheikh: Durham University, United Kingdom.
- Tell Timai, Daqahlyia: Hawaii University, USA.
- Tell Murra, Sharqyia: Jagiellonian University in Poland.
- Athribis, Sohag: Egyptian-German mission organized by the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities and the University of Tübingen.
- Demeit al-Sebba, Fayoum: Salento University, Italy.
  Contact Person: Randa Ahmed
  Phone: 1942
  Email: [email protected]
September 4, 2016
Philippi becomes UNESCO World Heritage site

The archaeological site of Philippi in northern Greece has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
The decision was made Friday at a meeting of UNESCO’s international committee in Istanbul, Turkey. Greece had submitted an application in January 2015.
The site is the location of the oldest Neolithic settlement in Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, and one of the largest in the Balkans. Saint Paul founded the first Christian Church on European soil at Philippi in AD 49-50.
The decision to include Philippi in the list was reportedly made on the basis of the site’s archaeological and architectural significance, as well as the religious significance.
The decision takes the number of Greek World Heritage sites to 18.

(www.ekathimerini.com)

August 12, 2016
Rare find of mosaic depicting the Labours of Hercules uncovered during Larnaca works

Mosaics from the second century AD which may depict the Labours of Hercules, have been uncovered in Larnaca during roadworks and appear to be of mayor importance, Sigmalive reported on Monday.

The mosaics which are reportedly in better condition than those at the Tombs of the Kings in Paphos are thought to have been inspired by the Labours of Hercules.

The antiquities were discovered while the Larnaca sewerage board was carrying out works on the Kyriakos Matsis road.

According to a statement, there is a possibility that they will be left where they are and arrangements to construct an outdoor museum are planned.

The interior and transport minister will visit the site and hold a meeting with the Larnaca municipality this week.

The site has been covered with sand for safety reasons.

According to Phileleftheros, the mosaic measures 20 x 4.5 metres. “Such discoveries are made only once every hundred years,” Giorgos Philotheou from the Antiquities Department told the newspaper.

(cyprus-mail.com)

August 12, 2016
UCLA Library to offer digital images of rare ancient manuscripts in Egypt

St. Catherine’s Monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage site that’s located on rugged terrain at the foot of Mount Sinai in Egypt, houses the oldest continually operating library in the world, containing ancient and medieval manuscripts second only to those held by the Vatican Library.

These remarkable manuscripts, which delve into subjects ranging from history and philosophy to medicine and spirituality, were never easily accessed by scholars and students, who had to travel to this desert region, considered sacred to three world religions — Christianity, Islam and Judaism. Today, access is even more problematic given security concerns in the Middle East.

That will all be changing, thanks to a major grant from The Ahmanson Foundation to the UCLA Library. The grant will fund key aspects of the Sinai Library Digitization Project to create digital copies of some 1,100 rare and unique Syriac and Arabic manuscripts dating from the fourth to the 17th centuries. The three-year project is being initiated by the fathers of St. Catherine’s Monastery.

It’s being made possible through the participation of the UCLA Library and the Early Manuscripts Electronic Library (EMEL), a nonprofit research and service organization based in Southern California that uses digital technologies to make manuscripts and other historical source materials accessible to scholars and the public. It specializes in the design of systems to support fragile manuscripts during digitization and in the recovery of text from damaged, deteriorated or erased manuscripts.

“The manuscripts at St. Catherine’s are critical to our understanding of the history of the Middle East, and every effort must be made to digitally preserve them in this time of volatility,” said UCLA University Librarian Ginny Steel. “The Ahmanson Foundation’s visionary support honors the careful stewardship of St. Catherine’s Monastery over the centuries and ensures that these invaluable documents are not only accessible, but preserved in digital copies.”

“St. Catherine’s Monastery proposed a program to digitize its unparalleled manuscript collection, and an international team was assembled to help digitally preserve the ancient pages,” said Michael Phelps, EMEL director. “EMEL is collaborating with the monastery to install world-class digitization systems, and the UCLA Library will host the images online on behalf of the monastery.”

Among the monastery’s most important Syriac and Arabic manuscripts are a fifth century copy of the Gospels in Syriac, a literary language based on an eastern Aramaic dialect; a Syriac copy of the “Lives of Women Saints,” dated 779 A.D.; the Syriac version of the “Apology of Aristides,” of which the Greek original has been lost; and numerous Arabic manuscripts from the ninth and 10th centuries, when Middle Eastern Christians first began to use Arabic as a literary language.

Just as the 19th-century discovery at St. Catherine’s of the Codex Sinaiticus — the oldest complete Bible (345 A.D.) — spurred new theological scholarship, this project will enable scholars to gain new insights and pose new lines of inquiry, project leaders said.

“We are deeply grateful to The Ahmanson Foundation for its generous investment in this important project, and for its longstanding partnership with the UCLA Library,” Steel concluded.

As one of the world’s leading research libraries, the UCLA Library maintains a research collection of record, making its materials accessible to a broad audience of students, scholars, researchers, and the public. Last year, more than 20 million people accessed UCLA Library’s digital and online resources. By preserving global cultural heritage, the UCLA Library fuels the transfer of knowledge across generations and across the world.

(newsroom.ucla.edu)

August 12, 2016
14th Bibliotheca Alexandrina Int’l Summer Festival

The Bibliotheca Alexandrina’s 14th annual International Summer Festival will take place between 29 July and 8 September, offering a rich programme for all musical tastes alongside film screenings, plays and theatre.

Organised by the Bibliotheca Alexandrina Arts Centre, this year’s edition will bring over 40 cultural events, ranging from music and theatre to film and traditional dance, to the Mediterranean city.

The music programme promises a vibrant line-up with concerts by an array of established singers and musicians from Egypt and the region, from opening act Marcel Khalife to Soad Massi closing the festival, from independent rock and fusion bands to jazz, folklore and orchestral music.

The festival will be topped with several film screenings and plays

Events take place across a variety of venues at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina in Alexandria. Events start at 8:30pm unless otherwise noted.

Friday 29 July
Marcel Khalife (Lebanon)
Great Hall

Saturday 30 July
Basata band (Egypt)
Open Air Theatre

Sunday 31 July
El Nafeekha band (Egypt)
Open Air Theatre

Monday 1 August
Kathakali dance (India)
Open Air Theatre

Tuesday 2 August
Samaei band (Egypt)
Open Air Theatre

Wednesday 3 August
Eftekasat band (Egypt)
Open Air Theatre

Thursday 4 August
Faia Younan (Syria)
Open Air Theatre

Friday 5 August
Hani Shaker (Egypt)
Open Air Theatre

Saturday 6 August
Concert conducted by Selim Sahab (Egypt)
Open Air Theatre

Aqsa Alwasat band (Egypt)
Small Theatre

Sunday 7 August
‘Music from here’ concert with bands Soot Fel Zahma and Wasla (Egypt)
concert in cooperation with Goethe Institute in Alexandria
Open Air Theatre

Monday 8 August
Music concert
Open Air Theatre

Tuesday 9 August
Folkloric bands from Nubia and Sudan
Open Air Theatre

Wednesday 10 August
Boghdadi band performs jazz music (Egypt)
Open Air Theatre

Thursday 11 August
Fouad and Mounib (Egypt)
Open Air Theatre

Friday 12 August
Black Theama band (Egypt)
Open Air Theatre, 9pm

Saturday 13 August
Ali El Haggar (Egypt)
Open Air Theatre

Birthday of a Marionette: Theatre dance (Egypt)
Director and choreographer: Mohamed Abdel Sabour
Small Theatre, 8pm

Sunday 14 August
Massar Egbari band (Egypt)
Open Air Theatre

Jazz music (Slovenia)
Small Theatre, 8pm

Monday 15 August
Ali El-Helbawy (Egypt)
Open Air Theatre

Tuesday 16 August
Omar Khairat accompanied by the Bibliotheca Alexandrina Orchestra (Egypt)
Great Hall

Wednesday 17 August
Omar Khairat accompanied by the Bibiotheca Alexandrina Orchestra (Egypt)
Great Hall

Thursday 18 August
The Jets Band (Egypt)
Open Air Theatre

Friday 19 August
Qarar Ezala band (Egypt)
Open Air Theatre

A play for children (Egypt)
Small Theatre, 7:30pm

Saturday 20 August
Bibliotheca Alexandrina Orchestra conducted by Khaled El-Showeikh (Egypt)
Open Air Theatre

A play for children (Egypt)
Small Theatre, 7:30pm

Sunday 21 August
The Wave Jazz band (Egypt)
Open Air Theatre

Monday 22 August
Sheikh Alzain (Egypt)
Open Air Theatre

Tuesday 23 August
Karakeeb band (Egypt)
Open Air Theatre

Wednesday 24 August
Ahmed Al Haggar (Egypt)
Open Air Theatre

Thursday 25 August
Two bands: Storm and Zajel (Egypt)
Open Air Theatre

Friday 26 August
Rima Khcheich (Lebanon)
Open Air Theatre

Star of Orient: a theatre play for children (Sweden)
Small theatre, 7:30pm

Saturday 27 August
Sound of Egypt orchestra conducted by Ahmed Atef (Egypt)
Open Air Theatre

Star of Orient: a theatre play for children (Sweden)
Small theatre, 7:30pm

Sunday 28 August
Music from Here concert with bands Telepoetic and Disorder (Egypt) in cooperation with Goethe Institute in Alexandria
Open Air Theatre

“Five short films in four days” – screening series of films by Egyptian filmmakers
Day 1: Screening of Aida by Maysoun El-Masry
Film duration: 20 mins
Screening will be followed by discussion with the director
Auditorium hall, 8pm

Monday 29 August
Andromida band (Egypt)
Open Air Theatre

“Five short films in four days” – screening series of films by Egyptian filmmakers
Day 2: Screening of Sunflower Lane by Mayye Zayed
Film duration: 14 mins
Screening will be followed by discussion with the director
Auditorium hall, 8pm

Tuesday 30 August
Hanan Madi performs with the Sound of Egypt orchestra conducted by Ahmed Atef (Egypt)
Open Air Theatre

“Five short films in four days” – screening series of films by Egyptian filmmakers
Day 3: Screening of Tree (10 mins) and ‘Tashkeel’ (12 mins) by Mohamed Mostafa
Screenings will be followed by discussion with the director
Auditorium hall, 8pm

Wednesday 31 August
Bands High Dam and Mina
Open Air Theatre

“Five short films in four days” – screening series of films by Egyptian filmmakers
Day 4: Screening of Har Gaf Sayfan by Sherif El Bendary
Film duration: 30 mins
Screening will be followed by discussion with the director
Auditorium hall, 8pm

Thursday 1 September
Cairo Celebration Choir conducted by Nayer Nagui (Egypt)
Open Air Theatre, 9pm

Friday 2 September
Family day across many spaces of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina with activities targeting the youngest audience members and whole families

Saturday 3 September
Tania Saleh (Lebanon)
Open Air Theatre

Sunday 4 September
Palestinian folklore band
Open Air Theatre

Until Proven the Opposite: A play (Egypt)
directed by Mohamed Osama Ata
Small Theatre, 8pm

Monday 5 September
Traditional music from India
Open Air Theatre

Until proven the opposite: A play (Egypt)
directed by Mohamed Osama Ata
Small Theatre, 8pm

Tuesday 6 September
Shawarena band (Egypt)
Open Air Theatre

Crazy Accident: A play (Egypt)
written by Lenin El-Ramli and directed by Yasmine Saeed
Small Theatre, 8pm

Wednesday 7 September
Mohamed Mohsen (Egypt)
Open Air Theatre

Thursday 8 September
Soad Massi (Algeria)
Open Air Theatre

(english.ahram.org.eg)

July 27, 2016