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  • Greek seal to expand to more types of commodities

    Greek seal to expand to more types of commodities

    The Athens Chamber of Small and Medium-Sized Industries (BEA) is planning to expand the use of the mark indicating products of Greek origin to non-food categories, such as apparel, furniture and toys.

    This effort started in the summer of 2015, but without any substantial response from the competent Ministry for the Economy and Development. Now BEA and the Hellenic Marketing Academy (ELAM) are trying to attract the government’s – and enterprises’ – attention through the first “Made in Greece” symposium on May 31, with the participation of government officials, entrepreneurs, academics and certification authority officials.

    The aim of creating a Greek brand is to consolidate consumer confidence in products certified as Greek and to avoid misleading phenomena. It is also aimed at protecting the interests of Greek producers from imitations and unfair competition and strengthening the competitiveness of Greek enterprises.

    To date, the certification has been awarded to 524 products belonging to the categories of dairy and alcoholic products, with olive oil products soon set to follow, as the necessary procedures have just been completed.

    (www.ekathimerini.com)

  • E-Khorda: An Opportunity for Egyptians to Make Gold from E-Waste

    E-Khorda: An Opportunity for Egyptians to Make Gold from E-Waste

    E-waste is one of the fastest growing wastes in the world. Communication and technological literacy is increasing, and access to electronics and electric appliances is rapidly growing, and consequently so is electronic waste. Material such as lead, cadmium, mercury, zinc, and many more, are all found in all electronic and electrical devices used daily in our lives, which turn into health and environmental hazards if not disposed of properly.

    E-Khorda, a project which forms part of the Sustainable Recycling Industries (SRI) Programme, is an electronic waste recycling entrepreneurship support program that aims to help build operational e-waste companies by end of 2017.

    Egypt is seen as a high potential market. According to a study conducted by the ‘Best of 2 Worlds Project’, between 2017 and 2025 up to nine tons of gold can be extracted from e-waste. “Other findings also revealed that up to 17.96 tons of silver can be extracted from end-of- live (EOL) mobile phones in 2025. An estimate of cumulative potential gold and silver in EOL desktop and notebook computers, is approximately 3.73 & 22.71 tons respectively in 2025”, stated Dr. Fathya Soliman, Senior Consultant of Centre for Environment and Development for the Arab Region and Europe (CEDARE).

    The program, E-Khorda, will offer 10-15 potential e-waste startups from Egypt 10 full day training sessions on business and technical topics such as business modeling, cash flow analysis and technology assessment. It will also provide 60 hours of individual technical consultancy sessions, and five business sessions related to finance, marketing and pitching through Startup Reactor Accelerator.

    The top three performing startups will be identified through a panel of experts and will continue to receive full acceleration benefits of Startup Reactor Accelerator by Innoventures. This includes office space, training, mentoring, marketing benefits, legal registration and investment opportunities for an additional six months. Successful startups will also get a chance to pitch in the event during the Global Entrepreneurship Week in November.

    The training and technical consultations will be provided by Chemonics Egypt Consultants and Cleantech Arabia in association with the Ministry of Trade and Industry. Meanwhile, the investment matching and workshops are provided by Innoventures’ Startup Reactor.

    Those who wish to take the opportunity to build a business that makes a difference should complete the online application before March 5.

    Cairo witnessed the launch of the SRI Project in July in Egypt as the result of the agreement signed between the Egyptian Government, represented by the MCIT, and the Swiss Government, represented by the Swiss Embassy in Cairo.

    The main goal of the project is to support the sustainable integration and participation of small and medium enterprises in the recycling of e-waste in Egypt. Non-hazardous resourceful management of secondary non-renewable resources will be optimized, and local capacity of formal and informal sectors will be improved, ensuring sustainable e-waste recycling and job creation.

    (egyptianstreets.com)

  • Treasure from Alexander the Great’s reign found in Azerbaijan

    Treasure from Alexander the Great’s reign found in Azerbaijan

    Ancient coins minted 2300 years ago were discovered in Kyzylkend village of Azerbaijan’s Imishli region.

    Villager Etiram Rzayev discovered nine coins with an image of Alexander the Great, ruler of the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia.

    A group of specialists of Azerbaijan’s National Academy have already visited the village and explored the found coins.

    According to the preliminary version, these are silver drachmas, issued during the reign of Alexander the Great (336-323 BC).

    Alexander the Great led a military campaign throughout the Middle East and parts of Asia. He is credited with founding some 20 cities that bore his name, including Alexandria in ancient Egypt, and spread Greece’s culture east. He died in Babylon, the present day Iraq, in 323 B.C.

    The specialists also observed the territory where the treasure was discovered, and revealed here an ancient habitat and necropolis. In the near future, archaeological excavations will be carried out at the site.

    The ancient trade and caravan routes run through the territory of Imishli region, located in the Kura-Aras Lowland.

    Earlier, ancient coins have been discovered in Shamakhi (1958), Gabala (1966) and Agsu (1972) regions.

    Azerbaijan was on the path of the Great Silk Road bringing together two different worlds – the East and the West. The Silk Road in Azerbaijan passes several cities and settlements in the north-western direction, including, Baku, Shamakhi, Basgal, Lagich, Gabala, Sheki and others.

    Bilateral land and sea routes linked Azerbaijan with China, Syria, India, Asia Minor, Iran, Egypt, Russia, the Arabian Peninsula, North Africa and Europe. The British used to lay their routes to India via Azerbaijan, Indian merchants traded in spices and cashmere fabrics with Baku and Shamakhi.

    (www.azernews.az)

  • Egyptian artist hopes for record with 700-meter Koran

    Egyptian artist hopes for record with 700-meter Koran

    An Egyptian artist who educated himself after dropping out of school has spent three years creating what he hopes is the world’s biggest Koran.

    Saad Mohammed, who has hand-painted Islamic motifs on the walls and ceilings of his home in the town of Belqina, north of Cairo, has reproduced the Muslim holy book on a paper scroll 700 meters long.

    He displays the intricately decorated manuscript in a large wooden box with rollers at each end.

    “This Koran is 700 meters long, and of course that’s a large amount of paper,” he told Reuters Television. “I self-funded this project for the past three years – and I’m an average person. I don’t have assets or anything.”

    Mohammed wants to submit his Koran for inclusion in Guinness World Records. Guinness says that while there is a record for the world’s biggest printed Koran, there is so far no record holder for the largest handwritten version.

    Mohammed says he is hoping for help with the costs of applying to Guinness from the government or any other interested party.

    (www.reuters.com)

  • Egyptian archaeologists unearth tomb of 18th Dynasty magistrate in west Luxor

    Egyptian archaeologists unearth tomb of 18th Dynasty magistrate in west Luxor

    An Egyptian archaeological mission in Luxor has announced the discovery of a major tomb in the city’s west bank area dating back to the 18th Dynasty and containing priceless artefacts.

    Mostafa Waziry, Director General of Luxor Antiquities, told reporters on Tuesday that the tomb, which was unearthed in the Deraa Abu El-Nagaa necropolis, most likely belonged to the city’s counsullor Usrhat.

    The New Kingdom funerary collection includes dozens of statues, coffins and mummies.

    Minister of Antiquities Khaled El-Enany told Ahram Online that, despite the tomb’s small size, it represents an important discovery due to the funery collection being largely intact.

    Waziry, who heads the Luxor achaeological mission, told Ahram Online that the tomb was first mentioned in the early 20th century but it had never been excavated before because its entrance was only located in March.

    He said that, despite having been reused in the Late Period, the tomb still contains most of its original funery collection.

    The contents include well-preserved wooden coffins decorated with coloured scenes, as well as wooden funerary masks and almost 1,000 ushabti figurines carved in faience, terra-cotta and wood. Also found was a collection of clay pots of different shapes and sizes.

    The tomb is a typical example of a nobleman’s resting place, Waziry said, with a t-shaped structure consisting of an open court leading into a rectangular hall, a corridor and an inner chamber.

    Excavations continue to reveal the tomb’s secrets, with an inner chamber containing a cachette of sarcophagi from the 21st Dynasty with mummies wrapped in linen. Experts are examining the mummies to discover the identities of the dead and the reasons for their deaths.

    A nine-metre-deep shaft was also uncovered, connected to two rooms.

    (english.ahram.org.eg)

  • 7th Edition of Nassim El Raqs

    7th Edition of Nassim El Raqs

  • Athens and Epidaurus Festival 2017: Youthful, Alternative, Political

    Athens and Epidaurus Festival 2017: Youthful, Alternative, Political

    Since its inception in 1955 the “Athens and Epidaurus Festival” was staged at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus in an attempt to bridge modern recollections of antiquity with contemporary artistic output. In recent years the Festival forged a modern identity opening up to cutting-edge international productions, and promoting young Greek artists who have something to say to contemporary audiences.

    Throughout this summer, the Festival will present a rich programme of open-air theatre, ancient drama, opera, classical music, concerts and dance performances at landmark locations in Athens and Epidaurus. Its new identity – a festival that is inclusive, that reflects its host city, and that brings the livelier aspects of society back into play is being enhanced this year launching a series of new sections, collaborations, and openings, which according to the Festival’s artistic director, Vangelis Theodoropoulos will “hopefully revitalize the Greek performing scene and over time bear fruit and become established parts of the Festival,” adding that its intention is to be “able to give a first taste of the direction in which we are interested, an initial positioning -youthful, alternative and at the same time political.”

    This year will see the launch of the Epidaurus Lyceum, an international summer school of ancient Greek drama intended for drama school students and young actors from all over the world. The 2017 Epidaurus performances and the courses on offer at the Epidaurus Lyceum, as well as other relevant activities will fall under a common theme. With the migrant and refugee crisis continuously testing and trying the identity of Western societies, this year’s umbrella title for all Epidaurus and Lyceum productions is “The Arrival of the Stranger” as reflected in ancient texts and in the interplay of ancient drama and the historical present.

    This year will also see the launch of another important new section of the Festival: “Opening to the City”. Encompassing performances and events at non-theatrical spaces, site-specific, poetic and musical performances, and activist interventions in dodgy or run-down areas of the city, this section seeks to counteract the increasingly withdrawn and introspective stance of society, responding to the fear of diversity, and taking a stand against parochial, insular, and racist attitudes at large.

    The Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus will feature works by both accomplished and emerging Greek directors. The Little Theatre of Ancient Epidaurus will host productions with a more alternative take on ancient drama, including a Festival d’Avignon production, directed by Olivier Py. The stages of Peiraios 260 will be dedicated, as usual, to contemporary theatre and dance productions. The Odeon of Herodes Atticus will host principally musical productions, including operas, orchestras, and concerts of classical, modern Byzantine, folk, and contemporary Greek music.

    In an outgoing spirit that looks to connect the Athens and Epidaurus Festival with other institutional actors, the Festival also renewed its cooperation with the Athens International Film Festival “Opening Nights”, for the purposes of the Athens Open Air Film Festival. This year, with the support of the British Council, the Athens Open Air Film Festival has prepared a tribute to mystery, horror and dark surprises to turn your summer night on their heads! Gothic horror and romance stories based on the darkest fears and desires will be the cinematic myths featured in «British Gothic».

    As for the international program, it will include a multifaceted tribute to the world-famous Volksbühne, featuring three major productions, among which a performance by its outgoing artistic director, Frank Castorf, who ran the historic Berlin theatre for 25 years. 

    The Epidaurus programme will come to an end with a closing celebration at the Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus on Saturday 19 August, featuring music and dances from the Peloponnese region.

    (www.greeknewsagenda.gr)

  • University of Athens online course: The arts of ancient Greece

    University of Athens online course: The arts of ancient Greece

    Offered by the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (UoA) Centre of Continuing Education & Training and taught in English, distance learning programmes and courses provide the opportunity to combine novel learning and teaching techniques with the ability to study anytime and anywhere.

    As part of the arts/culture category of the UoA’s e-learning programmes, “The arts of ancient Greece: the birth of classical taste” offers a journey through the fascinating developments in Greek art in the period between 1200 to 30 BCE. Introducing participants to an extraordinary cultural phenomenon, the course caters to the beginner in the study of the classical world, the non-specialist as well as to the art enthusiast.

    The course addresses questions such as:
     
    –  What is Greek art?
    –  Which were its founding principles?
    –  Who were the greatest Greek artists, when did they live and how did their work affect generations to come?
    –  Which creations of ancient Greek art are today thought of as masterpieces of unrivalled merit?
    –  Which archaeological discoveries have helped us understand classical Greece in its essence?
     
    Beginning May 15th, this 12-week course welcomes both undergraduate and graduate students, art and archaeology aficionados as well as anyone with an interest in the history of Greece or the classical world.

     

    Upon successful completion, participants will receive a Training Certificate. Tuition fees amount to 350 € and applications run until May 8th.

    University of Athens’ e-learning programmes

    Drawing on the expertise of senior faculty members and renowned European academics, UoA offers e-learning programmes in a wide array of fields, ranging from art and health to business and nanotechnology, through a friendly online educational platform.

    Culture and Arts Online Programmes provide a deeper understanding of the aspects defining the daily life of Ancient Greeks, taking a close look at fields related to philosophy, theatre and rituals that established the uniqueness of Greek civilization. These online courses offer the opportunity to increase one’s knowledge of a culture attracting global interest for centuries and standing as the originator of most arts as we know them.

    It is worth mentioning that over the past fifteen years more than 45,000 people have joined the continuous professional development (CPD) and lifelong learning (LLL) courses of UoA’s e-Learning Programmes.

    (www.greeknewsagenda.gr)

  • (Un)learning from Athens: documenta 14 Inauguration

    (Un)learning from Athens: documenta 14 Inauguration

    Surprise and subversion of the spectator expectations. The vision of Adam Szymczyk, Artistic Director of documenta 14, starts to unravel, calling the public to “unlearn what they know”. On April 8, documenta 14 opened its exhibition in Athens. Extending over the city in more than 40 different public institutions, squares, cinemas, university locations, and libraries, over 160 international artists will show works newly conceived for documenta 14. The exhibition will take place in Athens till July 16 and in Kassel, Germany, from June 10 to September 17.

    For the first time, the prestigious contemporary art exhibition with a sharp political profile opens in a city other than Kassel, where it has been held every five years since 1955. “Learning from Athens” is the title of documenta 14. “What did we learn from Athens? That we all must abandon our prejudices and plunge into the darkness of not knowing. We started with these steps three years ago, preparing documenta 14 in Athens and we got here, at the opening,” Adam Szymczyk said at a press conference in Athens on Thursday, April 6, which was attended by more than 2.000 journalists , artists, curators and collectors from around the world.

    The program starts with the official opening at the National Museum of Contemporary Art (EMST) on Saturday, by German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, following an invitation by President Prokopis Pavlopoulos.

    Among the events of documenta 14 inauguration week program is the music performance of Henryk Górecki, Symphony No. 3, Op. 36, Symphony of Sorrowful Song, by Ross Birrell and David Harding, with Athens State Orchestra and Syrian Expat Philharmonic Orchestra (SEPO) at the Athens Concert Hall (20.30). The music performance is a co-production of documenta 14, The Athens State Orchestra, and the Athens Concert Hall and part of the event’s proceeds will benefit the initiative of the Athens State Orchestra’s “Pink Box” for refugee children as well as the programs of Doctors Without Borders (MSF) for refugees both within and beyond Greek borders. Szymczyk emphasized, on the occasion of this performance the feelings of loss, separation and despair that parents and children undergo in times of war.

    The performance of Jani Christou’ s Epicycle, 1968–2017, part of which was performed by the organizational team of documenta 14 to open the Press Conference, will take place Saturday morning at theAthens Conservatoire (ΩA.2) and all other venues, while a performance by Nikhil Chopra titled “Drawing a Line through Landscape” will be held at Archimedous Street 15 (Moschato) and will continue on Sunday.

    (www.greeknewsagenda.gr)

  • New Pyramid Discovered in Egypt

    New Pyramid Discovered in Egypt

    After thousands of years, researchers are still making incredible finds in Egypt (case in point, the giant statue unearthed in Cairo last month). Now, researchers have made another big find: earlier this week the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities announced that a team of their archaeologists discovered the remains of pyramid dating back to the 13th Dynasty, which ruled about 3,700 years ago reports the Associated Press. The only problem is that an inscription indicates that the pyramid may have been built for a ruler that already has a pyramid next door.

    The Egypt Independent reports that the remains were uncovered at the Dahshur Necropolis, an area about 25 miles south of Cairo on the west bank of the Nile. That area is home to what is considered to be some of the earliest pyramids including Sneferu’s Bent Pyramid and Red Pyramid.

    While the pyramid-shaped upper section is gone, the substructure still remains. “The uncovered remains of the pyramid represents a part of its inner structure, which is composed of a corridor leading to the inner side of the pyramid and a hall, which leads to a southern ramp and a room to the western end,” Adel Okasha, the director general of the Dahshur Necropolis says in a statement, reports Owen Jarus at LiveScience.

    Though the writing on the slab has not been translated by the Antiquities Ministry, Jarus shared images of the hieroglyphics with Egyptologists. He reports that two have said the writing is a religious text often used inside pyramids, and that the text appears to include the name of the pharaoh Ameny Qemau, the fifth king of Dynasty XIII, who briefly ruled around 1790 B.C.

    That raises some questions, however, since Ameny Qemau’s pyramid was discovered in Dahshur in 1957, Aidan Dodson, a research fellow at the University of Bristol who has written about artifacts from that earlier pyramid, tells Jarus. He suggests one possibility for the discrepancy is that Qemau may have hacked out the name of a predecessor king and inserted his own name. That practice was common in the ancient world when a new ruler wanted to bury the memory of an enemy or unpopular ruler. 

    The AP reports that the Ministry of Antiquities plans to continue excavations and hope to find more evidence of which ruler or high-ranking official the pyramid belonged to.
    (www.smithsonianmag.com)