Heritage Everywhere
On Thursday 10th March 2022, the Egypt Exploration Society showcased five projects supported by its latest Heritage at Risk Grants. The event was kindly hosted by Dr Haytham Moheeb of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina in Beit El Sinnary, a beautifully restored building in the Sayeda Zainab district of historic Cairo, a former home for French artists and Egyptologists.
Dr Fatma Keshk, Grant Administrator of the EES, organised the evening with the support and assistance of Essam Nagy, EES Fieldwork and Engagement Manager. All five EES Heritage at Risk projects presented their projects in a short Arabic presentation and photographic exhibition around the venue.
- Recording the mausoleum of el-Ashraf Khalil, Moaz Lafi
- Endangered traditional crafts of Upper Egypt, Usama Fatthalla Ghazali (Konouz Yadaweya)
- Salam Tram: Archiving Cairo’s Lost Tracks, Mina Ibrahim (Shubra's Archive, SARD)
- Industrial heritage of the Khatatba canal irrigation project of Mohamed Ali, Sandra Zaki, Amr Lotfy Aboasy, and Dr Gamal Fathy
- The Fish Markets of Alexandria: El-Halaqa and El-Medan, Rawda Mostafa Abdelhady (Raquda Foundation for Art and Heritage)
Ziad Morsy was additionally invited to present his pioneering photographic exhibition exploring the lost history of Al-Qabari Station in Alexandria, the first train station in Egypt which was recently demolished following Ziad's photographic recording of the remaining buildings.
A video created by Raquda Foundation for Art and Heritage and presented at the event showing some of the areas they are working at in Alexandria thanks to the EES Heritage at Risk Grant
The Society was honoured to also hear from Mrs Elizabeth White (Director, British Council, Egypt) who spoke of the long relationship between the UK and Egypt and the support that the EES has offered to Egyptian heritage since its founding in 1882. In particular, she spoke of recent efforts to expand funding and support to Egyptian projects, reflected in the Heritage Everywhere event.
Prof Osama Talaat spoke on behalf of the Minister of Tourism and Antiquities about the support offered to Egypt’s next generation of scholars and the instrumental role that the EES plays in this exchange of skills and knowledge.
Dr Campbell Price, Chair of the EES, thanked all the projects for their inspirational efforts as well as extending his gratitude to Fatma and Essam for their work in putting together Heritage Everywhere.
The presentations and exhibition ended with a live performance by El Warsha, a performing arts group taking inspiration from Egyptian heritage under the direction of the incredible Hassan El-Geretly.
The event in photographs - visit the Beit El Sinnary Facebook album.
The Egypt Exploration Society would like to extend their gratitude to all those that donated to the Heritage at Risk Grants in 2020, without whom this work would not have been possible. Your support and encouragement mean that these projects have been able to survey and record tangible and intangible heritage in Egypt before it is lost forever. Thank you.
The event featured in the following national and international media:
El Ahram, Across time and space in Egypt: ‘Heritage Everywhere’ (English)
Babmsr.com, Heritage Everywhere: Photographic Projects Documenting Egypt’s Forgotten History (Arabic)
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