Overlooking the Nile, the 25 artists taking part in the fourth Luxor International Painting Symposium — which this year took “Africa, Expressions of Identity” as its theme — were taken on excursions to nearby islands and ancient ruins and used the trips as a time to bond and exchange more than just artistic skills. In lectures and presentations held on the sidelines of the symposium, they discussed topics ranging from city planning and capitalism to euro-centricity and the need to resist the temptations and exigencies of globalization.

Never before have so many attempts at blending African art with Egyptian motifs been conducted on such a scale. Artists offered their own interpretations of Egyptian culture, blending the old with the new, the folkloric with the historical, and infusing it all with the scents and texture of their own countries.

The symposium was a rare opportunity for interaction among African artists, who are usually more drawn to the West than to each other. They share similar concerns, similar economic and social worries, and much of the attitude to life and society. In this sense the symposium was not just about art but about artists finding their way together and exploring what they had in common.

Al Ahram

Best place is,,,(drum roll)

1, Iceland

Overall score (out of 100): 100.0

Justice: 100.0

Health: 90.5

Education: 96.7

Economics: 88.0

Politics: 92.8

United States ranks 8, United Kingdom ranks 19.

Egypt ranks…

120, Egypt

Overall score (out of 100): 51.9

Justice: 67.2

Health: 69.6

Education: 67.7

Economics: 63.6

Politics: 29.3

Source: The Daily Beast

Two hotels from the Pickalbatros chain in Hurghada have been serving up buffets of endangered fish and sharks. With the corpses of the sharks, rays and parrot fish hanging from the ceiling, chefs stand by to cut and grill them to order, horrifying some tourists who sounded the alarm to the Hurghada Environmental Protection and Conservation Association (HEPCA) on the blatant violation of animal protection regulations.

Pickalbatros management alleged that the fish and sharks on display were crude foam imitations covered by a layer of polyester. He added that the hotel does not have the ability to catch such fish, and that the only real ones are the smaller fish.

In 2004, the Red Sea province governor approved a law endorsed by HEPCA banning shark fishing in the sea, and the Agriculture Ministry followed suit the next year. This was a big victory for conservationists, and led to Egypt being honored as Shark Guardian of the Year in 2006.

According to the law, fishermen caught with sharks on board are subject to a large fine and the revocation of their fishing licenses for three years. But despite regulations, shark fishing is still rampant in the Red Sea.

Shark finning, which consists of capturing a shark and cutting off its fins at sea before throwing the animal back in the water to die, is a common practice. The fins, which are the most lucrative part of the shark, with the rest of the meat fetching only LE20 per kilo, are, for the most part, exported to southeast Asia, where shark fin soup is considered a delicacy.

Egypt Independent

The Egypt Tourism Authority has announced that 1,034,413 British holiday makers visited Egypt in 2011. This makes the UK the second most popular tourist nationality to the home of the ancient Pharaohs, topped only by Russia with Germany coming third.

It has also been announced that the average UK holiday maker spends 11.45 nights per annum in Egypt; which is well known for its warm and timeless hospitality and its great value for money. With an excellent climate throughout the seasons, year-round sunshine, two stunning coastlines and desert beauty, its broad cultural spectrum with relics of history that date back thousands of years never cease to attract travelers.

Travel Daily News

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For the last few months, I have been busy writing and working hard, as I am used to doing. Actually, being away from government has been good for me. I needed time to recover from all the trouble, and to give the friends of Seth, the god of chaos, some time to calm down. I have been staying very busy giving public lectures. One recent talk was at the  Mena House hotel for an American group, and another one for 60 Australians was at a resort in Sahl-Hasheesh, Hurghada.

I really enjoyed the two days that I spent at this beautiful seaside resort, and the wonderful people I met there. I even agreed to travel to Australia and New Zealand at the end of May to give some public lectures. I believe that this tour will be a great opportunity to promote tourism in Egypt.

Another lecture that I gave recently was for members of the board from Harvard University, and some other distinguished guests.

This week I gave a talk in Cairo to a conference of eye doctors, who came from all over the world. I told them about the DNA and CT-scanning research we have been doing on Egyptian mummies, and how we have gained a great deal of knowledge about the diseases of the pharaohs.

I feel that it is very important that I take every opportunity to remind members of the press that in spite of what people around the world hear daily about trouble in Egypt, guests who come here to see our ancient monuments have stayed safe. All the tourists that I have met have enjoyed their time in Egypt since the Revolution. We need tourists to come back in even greater numbers for the sake of our economy, and also for the sake of our antiquities – all the ongoing restoration and other projects that we are undertaking require money. Because of the way the government budget has worked for many years, this money has really come from only two sources-tourists and exhibits outside of Egypt.

In addition to giving talks, I have been writing a great deal – something that I love doing very much. I have written a new book about Tutankhamun which will be published in Japanese, and later will be published for the iPad.

My book on antiquities and the 2011 Revolution is almost finished. I have just finished chapter 13, and I still need to write two more chapters. These two chapters will be the most important ones in the book. I will publish this book first in English, and then in Arabic. At the same time, I am working on a few scientific articles.

drhawass.com

The daughter of a wealthy family in ancient Egypt has been preserved in the Reading Public Museum for decades, but a key part of the exhibit has been in storage until now.

More than 2,000 years ago Nefrina had a mask made to protect her face. And Wednesday the mask was delivered to the museum.

Nefrina came to the Reading Public Museum in 1930 but her mask didn’t. She’s been waiting 82 years.

For four months people at the University of Pennsylvania, who own Nefrina’s mask, restored it.

The Reading Public Museum has unwrapped many of the secrets of Nefrina’s life, from how she died to what she looked like.

Now what was meant to protect her face in the afterlife has been returned.

69News

More and more travelers are looking for both relaxation and ways of improving their health whilst being on vacation.  Holiday makers can now combine these two aspects by visiting the ancient world of Egypt and its Fifth International Yoga Festival which takes place at the Domina Coral Bay Elisir Hotel in Sharm el-Sheikh from 26 April to 1 May 2012.

The First International Yoga Festival was held five years ago in 2008 and was the first of its kind in Egypt and the Middle East. Its success has grown annually since then and now attracts hundreds of visitors from throughout the globe every year.

The festival’s theme in 2012 is “Egypt Back to Freedom”. It stands for the freedom of the people of Egypt and expresses the highest goal of yoga, Kaivalya – freedom.

Visitors can experience gentle introduction classes, challenging dynamic yoga classes as well as partner yoga and relaxing Thai yoga massages. Interesting workshops teach new techniques and help to open up and relax the mind.

For further information and to register, visit egyptinternationalyogafestival.com.

Easier Travel

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Egyptian and Swiss archaeologists have unearthed a roughly 1,100 year-old tomb of a female singer in the Valley of the Kings.

It is the only tomb of a woman not related to the ancient Egyptian royal families ever found in the Valley of the Kings, said Mansour Boraiq, the top government official for the Antiquities’ Ministry in the city of Luxor,

The singer’s name, Nehmes Bastet, means she was believed to be protected by the feline deity Bastet.

The tomb was found by accident. It was not originally built for the female singer, but was reused for her 400 years after the original one, based on artifacts found inside. Archaeologists do not know whom the tomb was originally intended for.

The coffin of the singer belonged to the daughter of a high priest during the 22nd Dynasty. Archaeologists concluded from artifacts that she sang in Karnak Temple. Boraiq said that when the coffin is opened this week, archaeologists will likely find a mummy and a cartonnage mask molded to her face and made from layers of linen and plaster.

At the time of her death, Egypt was ruled by Libyan kings, but the high priests who ruled Thebes, which is now within the city of Luxor, were independent. Their authority enabled them to use the royal cemetery for family members.

The unearthing marks the 64th tomb to be discovered in the Valley of the Kings.

The Washington Post

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The Ministry of State for Antiquities (MSA) along with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) kicked-off a new groundwater lowering project at Temple Edfu.  The project will construct a drainage system to lower the groundwater level that threatens antiquities in the Edfu Temple and will be carried out over approximately 20 months.

The Government of Egypt and USAID worked together previously on a similar project in Luxor’s East and West Banks where important archeological treasures such as Karnak and Luxor temples, Medinet Habu, the Colossi of Memnon, Amenhotep III, Ramesseum, and Seti I were saved from eventual destruction due to rising groundwater levels.  In addition, a groundwater lowering project is currently being implemented for the Pyramids Plateau which is expected to be completed in April 2012.

Since 1993, USAID has provided more than $100 million to support more than 70 antiquities conservation and training projects in partnership with the Government of Egypt.

Luxor Times
Egyptian monuments - World heritage sites in peril
Temple of Horus at Edfu

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The Actor’s Workshop of Ithaca Theater Company will launch its Emerging Playwright Series tonight with the premiere of “Hatshepsut, the Female Pharaoh,” a one-woman play written by Timothy Lawrence.

The show stars Esosa Edosomwan as Hatshepsut. There will be three performances at Cornell University’s Risley Theatre: at 7:30 p.m. today, and 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Edosomwan, a Cornell graduate as well as an alumna of the Actor’s Workshop of Ithaca, first came across the play in Washington, D.C., while checking out audition postings. After she was cast in the role, Edosomwan wanted to do the first production with the Actor’s Workshop of Ithaca Theater Company. She had been working mostly on camera for film and television work.

Eliza VanCort, founder of the Actor’s Workshop of Ithaca, was eager to direct the show.

This production of “Hatshepsut” will repurpose the “Rent” set recently used by the Melodramatics in Risley Theatre.

Tickets for “Hatshepsut” are $15 ($10 for seniors and students) and are available at Ticket Center Ithaca or by calling 273-4497. For more information, call 339-9999 or visit www.actorsworkshop.biz.

A portion of the proceeds from ticket sales will be donated to the Greater Ithaca Activities Center.

Ithaca Journal