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What is new?Towards a Euro-Mediterranean Memory:
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"The Posters of the Egyptian Movies" in CULTNAT
"The posters of the Egyptian Movies” " is the title of the photo
exhibition hosted now by the Center for Documentation of Cultural and
Natural Heritage (CULTNAT). The exhibition displays a number of Egyptian
movies posters and cinema tickets that were used in the past. It also
presents some shots of old legendary movies.
This exhibition comes as one of the outputs of "the Documentation of
Egyptian Cinema" project which is now running at CULTNAT.
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His Excellency the President of El Selvador visits CULTNAT
In the framework of his first visit to Egypt, El Salvador's President H.E.
Mr. Elias Antonio Saca visited CULTANT premises in Smart Village on the
22nd of May 2007. The President toured around CULTNAT’s showrooms starting
with the Star Riders Gallery, showing the contribution of the Arab
Civilization in the field of Astronomy; followed by the Micro Gallery,
where H.E. was introduced to CULTNAT’s different programs; and finally
ending his tour with CULTURAMA where the different eras in the Egyptian
history were presented using a 9 screen projection.
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Documentation of Egyptian Heritage during the Reign of Mohamed Ali
An Egyptian-Greek cooperation agreement has been signed in Kavala, Greece
on May 25th, 2007, between the Center for Documentation of Cultural and
Natural Heritage, CULTNAT, and the Institute Mohamed Ali for the Research
of the Eastern Tradition, I.M.A.R.E.T, for the Documentation of Egyptian
Heritage Dating to the Reign of Mohamed Ali in Greece and in Egypt.
Signing the agreement was Dr. Fathi Saleh, Director of CULTNAT and on
behalf of the Institute Mohamed Ali, were Mr. Michalis Lychounas,
President of the Board of Directors and Ms. Anna Missirian-Tzouma, the
General Secretary. Also present at the signature ceremony, was Mr.
Michalis Aggelopolus, Governor of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace and other
distinguished guests.
The signature took place in the Imaret, the magnificent structure
originally built in 1817 by Mohamed Ali Pasha, the founder of the Egyptian
dynasty, Imaret consisted of a series of inter-related buildings,
including schools, a mosque, a hammam, administrative offices and the
Imaret itself that is a dining facility. Soon after its completion, Imaret
quickly became a recognized center of learning throughout the Balkans,
during the last phase of the Ottoman Empire. Mohamed Ali Pasha donated
Imaret to Kavala, the city of his birth. The complex is considered to be
an architectural delight blending the orient and western influences of the
époque. The restoration works were in full compliance with the cultural
heritage of the monument and the distinctive architectural details. The
restoration and rehabilitation project was under the supervision of
archeologists and architects from both the Greek and the Egyptian
Ministries of Culture. After almost a century of neglect, the monument has
been fully restored to become the first hotel operating within a
historical building in Greece.
To celebrate the beginning of this cooperation, Imaret, for the first
time, opened its gates to host a number of cultural events such as a
classical music piano concert, an exhibition for the Greek ceramics
artist, Mr. Kostas Karakitsos, and a lecture by Michael Haag, the author
of "Alexandria: City of Memory".
The Institute Mohamed Ali aspires to give Imaret back, not only the role
it once had in diffusing knowledge to the community of Kavala and the
nearby regions, but also the role of fostering a dialogue between cultures
that always interacted, learned from each other and exchanged with one
another. Humanity is still grateful to such a relationship and exchange.
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Mubarak Center for Egyptian Cultural Heritage in Luxor Inaugurated
Cairo, 13 January 2007
Mubarak Center for Egyptian Cultural Heritage is established with the aim
of orienting Luxor’s tourists with Egypt’s cultural heritage.
The center has been founded as part of the cooperation protocol signed
between the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT),
represented in Center for Documentation of Cultural and Natural Heritage
(CULTNAT), and the Supreme Council of Luxor in February 2005.
According to a comprehensive developmental plan, the protocol aims at
upgrading the technological infrastructure of Luxor’s Supreme Council.
This plan has currently entered into force.
The center is operated by state-of-the-art ICT tools to delineate the
Egyptian civilization throughout ages.
CULTNAT is affiliated to Bibliotheca Alexandrina and supported by MCIT. It
contributes by different projects through which the Egyptian heritage is
represented by state-of-the-art applications and technologies.
These projects are:
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Panorama of Culture (CULTRAMA): An interactive showcase of the documentation of Pharonic, Coptic, Islamic, natural and modern Egyptian heritage. This panorama is the first of its kind in the world.
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Forsan al-Sama’a Hall: A hall where astrological equipments are displayed to demonstrate the contributions of the Islamic culture and the Arab leadership in astrology.
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3D Show Hall: The hall comprises three rooms for 3D showcase of selected Pharonic, Coptic and Islamic archeological pieces. Visitors can view these pieces as they are showcased in Egyptian museums by using special eye-glasses.
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Eternal Egypt website: www.eternalegypt.org is a unique interactive website that showcases selected treasures of the Egyptian cultural heritage covering all Pharonic, Greek, Roman, Coptic and Islamic ages.
CULTNAT has participated in designing these halls so that they can occupy the largest number of tourists daily. Regular shows will be presented in Arabic and English languages in the first phase and other languages will be added in the future.
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His Excellency the President of Botswana visits CULTNAT
On his brief visit to Egypt, His Excellency the President of Botswana visited CULTANT premises in Smart Village on the 19th of December. The President was accompanied by H.E. Dr. Tarek Kamel, Egyptian Minister of Communication & Information Technology together with H.E. Dr. Ahmed Darwish, Egyptian Minister of Administrative Development, and Dr. Aly El Hefnawy, Chairman& CEO of the Smart Villages Company. The President toured around CULTNAT’s showrooms starting with the Star Riders Gallery, showing the contribution of the Arab Civilization in the field of Astronomy; followed by the Micro Gallery, where H.E. was introduced to CULTNAT’s different programs; and finally ending his tour with CULTURAMA where the different eras in the Egyptian history were presented using a 9 screen projection. The President expressed his admiration of the place upon signing the guestbook where he wrote: “My wife, delegation & I visited this technological work on the presentation of culture and were overwhelmed by what has been done and what is possible.”
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CULTURAMA Patented
The Egyptian Academy of Scientific Research has recently
released the patent for CULTURAMA with copyrights owned by CULTNAT.
Meanwhile, procedures are being taken to obtain the patent
internationally.
CULTURAMA is a 100 % Egyptian innovation developed by the Center for
Documentation of Cultural & Natural Heritage (CULTNAT) affiliated to
Bibliotheca Alexandrina, and supported by the Ministry of Communication &
Information Technology. CULTURAMA is the first fully interactive 9 screen
180 projection worldwide, where audiences on journeys inside the different
eras in the Egyptian history starting with the Pharaonic era until the
present time.
"Quality of Cultural Websites" workshop, CULTNAT, 3rd-4th April, 2006
The Center for Documentation of Cultural and Natural
Heritage (CULTNAT) is organizing a workshop on quality of cultural
websites on the 3rd and 4th of April. The workshop is held within the
framework of MEDCULT, an EU/UNESCO Project. It aims at improving the
quality of cultural websites across the Arab countries through the
dissemination of the MINERVA guidelines and tools. MINERVA is a network of
EU Member States' Ministries that harmonizes activities to create a common
European platform and guidelines for digitized scientific and cultural
content. The workshop at CULTNAT will pursue the same goal by providing a
methodology and by helping organizations from the cultural sector to
establish a stable support network, where they can find information,
advice and tools to improve the quality of their websites.
Four speakers from MEDCULT will familiarize the participants with the
activities of the EU projects: MINERVA and MEDCULT; in addition to the Web
Accessibility Initiative (WAI). The workshop also covers IPR issues with
regards to cultural websites, and offers practical information on the
architecture and content of a quality and accessible cultural web site.
The second day will give special focus on the creation of a model website
using the templates that will be provided during the training sessions.
Museums, libraries, cultural and archaeological research centres and
institutions in Egypt are invited to the two-day-event that will take
place at CULTNAT premises in the Smart Village.
CULTNAT hosts "Secrets of the Western Desert" Exhibition
"Secrets of the Western Desert" is the title of the photo exhibit hosted nowadays by the Center for Documentation of Cultural and Natural Heritage (CULTNAT). The exhibit is by photographer/architect Mohamed El Shafei, an architect captivated by the mystic feel of the desert. His photos demonstrate his special journeys to Egypt’s most remote areas to discover the extraordinary prehistoric rock art found in rock shelters hidden away in the hills of Gebel Uwaynat and Gilf El Kebir escarpment on the borders between Egypt, Sudan and Libya.
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Through a landscape of sand dunes, camel caravans and
breathtaking natural beauty, the exquisite collection of photographs
unravels the fascinating world of the Western Desert, its early
inhabitants and their secrets.
The exhibit, held within the activities of CULTNAT cultural program, was
launched by CULTNAT director Dr. Fathy Saleh on Wednesday March 15th 2006.
CULTNAT at the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Tunisia 15th -19th November, 2005
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CULTNAT's participation at the WSIS was multi fold. The Center's state-of-of the art CULTURAMA exhibited from the 15th till the 19th of November at the Egyptian booth at the ICT4All Exhibition area, where visitors were taken on virtual journeys across the different eras in the Egyptian civilization with panoramic views of the most popular cultural places around Egypt. |
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The Center was also awarded the World Summit Award (WSA) for its portal Eternal Egypt that succeeded in preserving and presenting Egypt's cultural heritage, demonstrating valuable cultural assets using state-of-the-art technology, as the best e-content in the category of e-culture. Eternal Egypt was chosen among 40 winners from 750 products competing from 168 countries worldwide. Mr. Peter A. Bruck, Chairman of the WSA Board, together with Mr. Koïchiro Matsuura, Director-General of the UNESCO, handed the award to Mrs. Eglal Bahgat, Deputy Director of CULTNAT in the WSA Gala that took place on the evening of the 16th of November. Among the attendees of the Gala was H.E. Dr. Tarek Kamel, Egyptian Minister of Communication and Information Technology, Prof. Fathi Saleh, Director of CULTNAT, H.E. Thabo Mbeki, President of South Africa, and many other high level delegates. Eternal Egypt was also showcased among the winning products at the Austrian e-content pavilion during the entire duration of the ICT4 All exhibit with a ten minute presentation on the portal given by Mrs. Eglal Bahgat, Deputy Director of CULTNAT. The Center also participated in several workshops where it launched its newest project in collaboration with the National Archives (Dar Al Watha'q) to digitize a large collection of valuable documents (Watha'q) pertaining to the Egyptian history during the 19th and 20th century in order to be made available in a modernized form for ease of access through the Intra and Internet. |
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H.E. Mr. Kofi Annan Visits CULTNAT Premises.
As part of his visit to Cairo H.E. Mr. Kofi Annan,
Secretary General of the United Nations (UN) visited Smart Village on
Tuesday 8th of November. His visit started with a business lunch with
Egypt's Prime Minister H.E. Dr. Ahmed Nazif, then he headed to the Center
for Documentation of Cultural and Natural Heritage (CULTNAT), where H.E.
Dr. Tarek Kamel, Egyptian Minister of Communication and Information
Technology (MCIT) gave a presentation on the close ties between MCIT and
the UN, followed by the CULTURAMA, CULTNAT's 9 interactive screen
projection of Egypt's cultural and natural heritage, given by Prof. Fathi
Saleh, Director of CULTNAT, and finally a five minute talk by Mr. Annan.
Annan expressed his great admiration for CULTURAMA and said it compensated
for the fact he could not tour around Egypt, since it showed him around
lots of cultural places.
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CULTNAT participates in the second phase of the World Summit on the Information Society (Tunisia – November 05) as part of the Egyptian exhibition in the ict4all exhibition area which will feature main achievements in the Information Society.
The works of the different stakeholders including
governmental and non- governmental entities will be show cased in the
Egyptian National Pavilion. During the exhibition CULTNAT will display its
state-of-the art Culturama with its first worldwide nine interactive
screen projection of Egyptian Heritage.
Egypt will also hold three workshops, one of which will be organized by
the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) to
present its latest projects in the development of the Information Society
with a special emphasis on its “Centers of Excellence” and
“e-content initiatives”. The presentation will take place on November
17th (El Jem Hall).
During the presentation, CULTNAT, as a partner with MCIT, and the Egyptian
National Archives (Dar Al Watha'q), will launch a new joint project to
manage the huge amount of knowledge/information represented in the
archived historical and legal collections of valuable documents (watha'q)
in Arabic, Turkish, English, French and Italian languages pertaining to
the history of Egypt during the 19th and 20th Centuries, to make them
available in a modernized form for ease of access through the Intra and
Internet as an important base for conducting substantive researches and
studies on the history of Egypt, Arab World and Africa, together with
facilitating Egypt's implementation of e-government facilities. The
project will also be published in the Golden Book Initiative
Egypt will also take part in different other parallel events, as well as
high level Round Tables and Panels. In this context CULTNAT will receive
the World Summit Award (WSA) for its Eternal Egypt website as one
of the Best Practice Examples in E-Culture. Mrs. Eglal Bahgat,
Deputy Director of CULTNAT will receive the award at the WSA Gala on the
16th of November, which is expected to host over 500 highest level guests
from all over the world, and will welcome on stage 5 Heads of States
personally as well as representatives from UN organizations like UNESCO
Director General Koichiro Matsuura and the future Director General of
UNIDO Mr. Kandeh Yumkella, who will hand out the award to the 40 best
producers teams. Eternal Egypt will also be showcased among the awarded
products and applications.
For more information on Egypt's participation in the WSIS visit:
www.egyptatwsis.com.eg
The Keo Satellite Carries Today's Mankind to the Future
CULTNAT is organizing a press conference on the KEO
satellite, on Saturday the 24th of September 2005 by Dr. Isamil Serag El
Din, Director of Bibliotheca Alexandrina.
Each and every person on Earth is invited to pen his or her personal
message for the KEO project. The satellite is built to return to Earth
50,000 years from today with the messages to our descendants. Following
the launch of the KEO satellite in 2007, all messages will be made
anonymous in replicas conserved on Earth, and made available on the KEO
website, where they can be freely accessed. This project has been voted
"Project of the 21st century" by the UNESCO.
For more information visit:
http://www.keo.org.
Egypt Wins the World Summit Award (WSA)
Egypt was chosen out of 168 applicant countries,
represented by the website: "Eternal Egypt"
www.eternalegypt.org among 750
competing products, to receive the World Summit Award (WSA) as one of the
top 5 most outstanding projects in e-culture worldwide. The WSA Grand Jury
Meeting convened in the Kingdom of Bahrain from the 3rd till the 10th of
September 2005 in an intense process of evaluation to finally select 40
media products and applications in 8 different fields.
"Eternal Egypt" will be presented, among other winners, as the world’s
best at the WSA Gala on the 16th of November 2005 in Tunisia, during the
second phase of the UN World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS). The
Gala is expected to host over 500 highest level guests from all over the
world, and will welcome on stage 5 Heads of States personally as well as
representatives from UN organizations like UNESCO Director General
Koichiro Matsuura and the future Director General of UNIDO Mr. Kandeh
Yumkella, who will hand out the award to the 40 best producers teams.
"Eternal Egypt" was constructed through the collaboration of the center
for Documentation of Cultural & Natural Heritage (CULTNAT), working on the
development of the website's rich content; the Supreme Council of
Antiquities; and IBM Corporation. The WSA is considered one of the most
important internationally recognized awards Eternal Egypt has received
this year, others namely were: Best Innovative or Experimental
Application at the Ninth Annual International Conference for Culture
and Heritage online: Museums and the Web 2005 held last April, in
Vancouver, Canada; and was voted as Site of the Day on the
Macromedia website last July.
CULTNAT at "Egypt's Other Pasts": Washington D.C. 8th – 13th June 2005
Under the auspices of the First Lady of Egypt, Mrs. Suzanne Mubarak, Egypt’s Other Pasts is a pilgrimage through the splendors of Coptic, Greco-Roman, Islamic, Nubian and other influences that have rendered this culture as diverse and rich as it is universal, taking place from the 8th till the 13th of June 2005 in Washington D.C. On June 10th, as part of the Kennedy Center Symposium, Dr. Fathi Saleh, Director of CULTNAT, gave a lecture entitled: Culture in the Digital Age, which illustrated how computer technology, such as multimedia, Geographical Information Systems, and virtual reality, is innovatively employed in the service of the documentation of the Egyptian Cultural and Natural Heritage. Also, Dr. Fekri Hassan, CULTNAT Consultant, & Petrie Professor of Archaeology, University College, London, gave a lecture entitled: The Wisdom of Egypt – The Past for the Future, which illustrated Egyptian wisdom that spread throughout the Hellenistic world in various discourses and practices. June the 13th witnessed Music of the River Nile in the Millennium Stage at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, where Ayman Khoury, Folkloric Heritage Manager at CULTNAT, produced an authentic musical journey along the Nile, one of the oldest inhabited areas in the world, where Ancient Egyptian musicians are known to have played harps, flutes, double clarinets, lyres and percussions – some dating as far back as 4,000 years ago, when music formed an integral part of Ancient Egyptian rituals and daily life.
For more on "Egypt's Other Pasts" click here
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