Pharaonic Exhibit to have political, cultural, civilization influence
Egypt-Germany, Local, 11/4/2004

Egypt's Minister of Culture Farouk Hosni described Thursday's opening in Bonn of a Pharaonic treasures exhibition as a big event of a political, cultural and civilization character.

President Hosni Mubarak and Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder inaugurated Egypt's "Ancient Valley of the Kings" exhibit showcasing 120 rare pieces of antiquities, 50 of which belong to young king Tutankhamen.

The six-month long exhibit will then move to the US and travel to three states, the Minister told MENA Wednesday.

The marvelous pieces that have arrived here from Basel after display at the Basel Antiquities Museum, will travel after the US to Vienna to be shown at the Austrian National Museum, he said.

It has been 25 years since such rare pieces and treasures belonging to King Tut have traveled out of Egypt, he added.

They include miniature coffins, a solid gold crown and rare pieces of jewels, he said.

The philosophy behind the roving Egyptian museums abroad is to show Egypt's ancient civilization to the world and link Egypt to the outside world, the Minister of Culture noted.

These exhibitions have direct and instant influence that render visitors have a first-hand reading of Egypt's ancient history, he said.

King Tut alone has left 4,500 antiquities behind, and when the foreign public sees 50 of them, it would want to come to Egypt and see more treasures of this ancient civilization, he added.

The exhibit also comes at a time of serious and grave developments in the region and cultural activities can turn the attention to the humanitarian aspect of the people and their cultural achievements, he said.

ÊÊÊ "We also agreed that all efforts should be exerted to rein in the increasing trend of violence and counter-violence," said Mubarak.

"We also discussed the ministerial meeting to be held in Sharm El-Sheikh later this month to push towards full the implementation of UN Security Council resolution 1546 with its political, economic and security aspects," he said.

He also said that the two sides took up the situation in the Sudanese region of Darfur and the efforts being exerted by the neighboring states as demonstrated in the five-way summit hosted by Libya in October.

"We stressed the necessity to activate cooperation between the European Union, the African Union and the Arab League to help Sudan overcome its current crisis in Darfur and reach a final agreement in the talks between the North and the South within the framework of UN Security Council resolution 1556," added Mubarak.

"We also highlighted the importance of international cooperation to address the root causes behind the growing terrorism phenomenon, most outstanding of which is the occupation of others' lands and adopting double standards in handling economic, social and political issues," said the Egyptian President.

He added that inter-cultural dialogue constitutes an effective element in bringing nations closer.

In order to boost this side, Mr. Schroeder and I will open shortly "Tutankhamen, The Golden Hereafter" exhibition, said Mubarak.

Schroeder described Mubarak at the conference as "a dear friend."

He highlighted the conference was held on the sidelines of the opening of "Tutankhamen... The Golden Hereafter" exhibition at Bundeskunsthalle.

Egypt and Germany see eye to eye issues of mutual interest, especially in the Middle East region, he said.

Germany welcomed the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, but he added that it had to be part of the Roadmap Peace Plan.

Responding to a question on the impact of the US presidential elections on the peace process in the Mideast, he said, "We are committed to implement the roadmap," adding that more coordination was sought among the Quartet members.

Responding to the same question, President Mubarak said that the incumbent president, who won the elections Wednesday, and his administration were in possession of all details of the situation in the region.

Yet, the US administration needs more time to tackle the peace process in the region as the only way out of the vicious cycle of violence, he added.

Queried on whether the UNSC permanent membership and the proposed seat for an African state was on the agenda of talks, Mubarak welcomed Germany as a permanent UNSC member but said that the African seat had to be settled through the African Union (EU).

Previous Stories:
  Stutgaart University honors Mrs. Mubarak   (8/12/2004)
  Ebeid inaugurates Arab-German Chamber of Industry, Commerce   (5/18/2004)
  Schroeder hails opening of German University in Cairo on Oct. 4   (8/30/2003)

Please add a link on your webiste pointing to ArabicNews.com and bookmark ArabicNews.com & subscribe to our daily email news bulletin.

Search