By Zahi Hawass

The Arab World Institute in Paris traditionally hosts exhibits on the history and archaeology of Arab countries. They even have a permanent exhibit about textiles in the Arab world. The institute's objective is to explain Arab culture to the French. Nasser El- Ansari, the institute's director- general, visited me the other day, expressing an interest in creating an exhibit that will attract the French public and tell the story of the Pharaohs. We agreed to set up an exhibit called the Glory of the Pharaohs; later it was changed to Pharaon. The title "Pharaoh" first appeared in the New Kingdom (1550 BC). Before the New Kingdom the ruler was called "king". The word "Pharaoh" is from the hieroglyph word "pr-aa" and in Arabic Pharaon. It means "the king who lives in the palace"...

[More]   Al-Ahram, Egypt, Issue No. 736, 31 March - 6 April 2005.

The overall plan for the development of the historic core of Old Cairo is still not apparent. Jill Kamil evaluates a work in progress.

When the Minister of Culture Farouk Hosni announced during the millennium celebrations that Old Cairo would be turned into a Mogamma Al-Adyan or Religious Zone, it was confidently expected that a comprehensive plan would be drawn up, and adhered to, for the restoration of the religious buildings (both within and beyond the surviving walls of the old Roman fortress of Babylon) and at the same time for the development of appropriate tourist facilities.

Four years down the line, however, there is still no evidence of such a plan.   Meanwhile, some scholars are expressing dismay at what they perceive as the irreparable destruction of large parts of the area as one of the most historically important and hitherto relatively intact mediaeval zones in Egypt, if not the world, is converted into something more akin to a stage set...

[More]   Al-Ahram, Egypt, Issue No. 736, 31 March - 6 April 2005.