Australia and Egypt celebrate together

This year Australia and Egypt are celebrating 60 years of diplomatic relations between our two countries. To mark this occasion, Mr. Kevin Rudd, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Commonwealth of Australia traveled to Cairo to meet with several members of the Egyptian government, including His Excellency President Hosni Mubarak.This year Australia and Egypt are celebrating 60 years of diplomatic relations between our two countries. To mark this occasion, Mr. Kevin Rudd, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Commonwealth of Australia traveled to Cairo to meet with several members of the Egyptian government, including His Excellency President Hosni Mubarak.

Dr. Hawass presents Mr. Kevin Rudd, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Australia, with a copy of his book on Tutankhamun. The Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs exhibit will travel to Melbourne, Australia in April 2011. (Photo: Meghan E. Strong)

In the beginning of December the Australian Embassy hosted a wonderful reception where I met with Mr. Rudd. We had the opportunity to discuss the exhibition of King Tutankhamun, which will travel to Melbourne in April 2011.  This exhibition, Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs, will be on display in New York City until January 17, 2011. I plan on visiting Australia while the exhibition is in Melbourne and I look forward to meeting with Mr. Rudd again and visiting his country.

 

During the reception in celebration of Australia and Egypt’s history together, Mr. Rudd gave a wonderful speech highlighting the economic and diplomatic relations between our two countries, but also the cultural links between Australians and Egyptians. Mr. Rudd noted the contribution to all aspects of In the beginning of December the Australian Embassy hosted a wonderful reception where I met with Mr. Rudd. We had the opportunity to discuss the exhibition of King Tutankhamun, which will travel to Melbourne in April 2011.  This exhibition, Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs, will be on display in New York City until January 17, 2011. I plan on visiting Australia while the exhibition is in Melbourne and I look forward to meeting with Mr. Rudd again and visiting his country.

Mr. Rudd gives Dr. Hawass an Australian bush hat. (Photo: Meghan E. Strong)

 

During the reception in celebration of Australia and Egypt’s history together, Mr. Rudd gave a wonderful speech highlighting the economic and diplomatic relations between our two countries, but also the cultural links between Australians and Egyptians. Mr. Rudd noted the contribution to all aspects of Australian society made by the approximately 33,000 Egyptian-Australians and tens of thousands more with Egyptian ancestry. Mr Aboul Gheit, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Egypt, noted that more than 60,000 Australians visit Egypt each year – a significant number given the geographical distance between both countries. I was also very glad that Mr. Rudd pointed out Egypt’s importance in negotiating peace in the Middle East and I hope that 2011 will be the year that all nations of the Middle East will come together in peaceful relations with one another.I was very glad to be a part of this occasion and I hope that Australia and Egypt will be able to celebrate many more years of friendship and cooperation in the future.  

Memphis Tours Egypt Since 1955
Reference: drhawass.com
Posted by: Shaimaa Ahmed

Statuary fragments uncovered in Luxor

Two red granite statuary fragments of King Amenhotep III were unearthed this week at Amenhotep III’s (1410 – 1372 BC) mortuary temple on the west bank of Luxor.

Two red granite statuary fragments found at the site of Amenhotep III's mortuary temple on the west bank of Luxor (Photo: SCA)

Minister of Culture, Farouk Hosny announced that these objects were found during a routine excavation carried out by an Egyptian team on the northern side of the temple. The team has been working to uncover the ruins of the funerary complex, which was once the largest temple in ancient Egypt.Unfortunately, during the Late Period, the temple was destroyed and its blocks were reused in the construction of other temples. Dr. Zahi Hawass, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA), explained that the first newly discovered artifact is a 2.73m tall head of the god Hapi. Hapi was one of the four sons of Horus and is depicted with a baboon face. The second object is a fragment of a larger statue of King Amehotep III, which features two legs that measure 30cm tall. Excavation is now focused on unearthing the rest of these statuary fragments. Due to the large number of statuary found in this area, Hawass believes that the northern side of the temple may have served as a burial spot for broken and damaged statues. Because the statuary were ritually significant they could not be destroyed, instead Hawass believes that the ancient Egyptians gathered the fallen statues and buried them in a cache beside temple.

Abdel Ghaffar Wagdi, supervisor of the excavation team, said that excavators are working now on uncovering more statues from the agricultural land surrounding Amenhotep III’s mortuary temple. In the past two archaeological seasons five double statues of King Amenhotep III accompanied by the deities: Re-Horakhti, Khepri, Horus, and Hapi have been found.

Memphis Tours Egypt Since 1955
Posted By: Shaimaa ahmed
Reference: drhawass.com