“Osiris, Sunken Mysteries of Egypt”, a landmark exhibition of over 250 antiquities, will open after the holiday season.

8 SEPTEMBER 2015 - 31 JANUARY 2016 -OSIRIS, EGYPT'S SUNKEN MYSTERIES

INSTITUT DU MONDE ARABE

“Osiris, Sunken Mysteries of Egypt”, a landmark exhibition of over 250 antiquities, will open after the holiday season.

On display will be a selection of objects drawn largely from the last seven years of the underwater excavations in the ancient cities of Thonis-Heracleion and Canopus in Aboukir Bay, directed by Franck Goddio. They will be supplemented by 40 objects from museums in Cairo and Alexandria, some of which have never been seen outside Egypt. Together, these highly significant artefacts illustrate the “legend of Osiris”, one of the great founding myths of ancient Egypt, a myth that was remembered, perpetuated and renewed in the annual celebration of the “Mysteries of Osiris”, one of the great religious ceremonies of ancient Egypt.

“Osiris, Sunken Mysteries of Egypt” will be hosted by the Institut du monde arabe and its President Jack Lang. The Institute is a beacon for the diversity and influence of Arab culture and will present the exhibition in a spectacular display space covering nearly 1,100 square metres.

This exhibition will reveal some of the latest underwater discoveries of Franck Goddio and his team, the remains of the ceremony of the “Mysteries of Osiris” found in the cities of Thonis-Heracleion and Canopus. 

Osiris, Egypt’s Sunken Mysteries – unveiling a secret ceremony

The legend of Osiris

Osiris, son of Earth and Heaven, was killed by his brother Seth, who cut his body into 14 pieces and then threw him into the Nile. Isis, Osiris’ sister-wife, magically restored his body, brought him back to life and conceived their son Horus. Osiris became the Master of the Afterlife and Horus, after defeating Seth, received Egypt as his inheritance.

The Decree of Canopus–a stele of 238 BC discovered in 1881 at Kom el-Hisn–tells us that ceremonies celebrating the “Mysteries of Osiris” were performed in the Great Temple of Amun-Gereb in Thonis- Heracleion, just as they were in most of the cities of Egypt. According to the text on the stela, these mysteries culminated in a long water procession, transporting Osiris along canals from the temple of Amun-Gereb in Thonis-Heracleion to his shrine in the city of Canopus.

Under Franck Goddio’s leadership, the Institut Européen d’Archéologie Sous-Marine (European Institute of Underwater Archaeology) discovered the two cities of Thonis-Heracleion and Canopus in Aboukir Bay, a few [38 kilometers] miles north-east of Alexandria. There they found the remains of temples mentioned in the Decree that have been submerged since the 8th century AD. Excavations at these sites brought to evidence directly related to the “Mysteries of Osiris”: monuments, statues, ritual instruments, cult offerings etc., testimonies of the celebrations that were performed there. During the 21 days of this celebration the founding legend of Egypt was commemorated, perpetuated and revived.

At the Arab World Institute the celebrations and rituals that were carried out in the utmost secrecy of the temples will be revealed to visitors. They will be guided through the 1,100 square meters to the submerged sites of the two cities and can follow the water processions along the canals.

General information :

Institut du monde arabe

1, rue des Fossés-Saint-Bernard Place Mohammed V

75236 Paris Cedex 05

www.imarabe.org

Opening times

Tuesday - Thursday: 10am-7pm Friday: 10am-9.30pm

Saturday, Sunday: 10am-8pm

ETA opens office in Abu Dhabi to manage operations in Middle East

Egypt aims to double tourism numbers by 2020

ETA opens office in Abu Dhabi to manage operations in Middle East

Abu Dhabi: The Egyptian Tourism Authority (ETA) said it was aiming to more than double the current numbers of visitors to Egypt and raise revenues by opening its new office in Abu Dhabi, and targeting expatriates in the country.

The Authority said it aims to attract 20 million visitors to Egypt by 2020, and drive tourism revenues to $26 billion (Dh95.47 billion).

Around 35 per cent of the guest targets for 2020 are expected to come from Arab countries, particularly the GCC, the ETA said. In order to reach the target, the Authority will be looking at 26 new source markets by the end of this year.

Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Sami Mahmoud, chairman of the ETA and Egypt’s deputy minister of tourism, said that Egypt will be focusing on Nile tourism by promoting cruise journeys. It will also be promoting cultural tourism, and new destinations other than Cairo and Alexandria.

The abu Dhabi office, which commenced operations at the beginning of July, is ETA’s only office in Arab countries, and will manage operations across the Middle East.

Also speaking at the event was Ahmad Ali, head of ETA’s office in Abu Dhabi, who said, “We are striving to explore new horizons in our tourism partnerships with Arab nations, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Sultanate of Oman, and Lebanon in particular.”

Egypt’s top guest markets are Russia, the UK, Germany, Italy, Ukraine, and Poland, as Westerners account for 75 per cent of total visitors to the country. Meanwhile, Arabs account for 17 per cent of total visitation.

However, ETA said that Arab guests stay almost twice as long, and record higher average spending of roughly $120-$150 per day (Westerners spend an average of $70-$75 per day in Egypt).

Asked about concerns regarding political stability, Mahmoud said he was not worried as all tourist attractions are secured by police forces.

The opening in the capital comes after ETA closed its office in Istanbul. The Authority said there was no political agenda, however, behind closing the Turkish office.

“Egypt’s relations with Turkey are definitely going through a rough patch because of Turkey’s undisclosed plans and visions for Egypt, but this is not why we closed our office in Istanbul. We’ve reviewed our plans for the region to focus on large potential source markets that include the GCC,” Mahmoud said.

During the first half of this year, over five million tourists visited Egypt – 820,000 of whom came from Arab countries. The figure for total arrivals marks a 20 per cent increase in tourism to Egypt compared to the first half of 2014.

Hotels in coastal cities by the Red Sea such as Sharm Al Shaikh, Hurghada, Ein Al Sokhna, and Ras Sedr also reported 100 per cent occupancy levels during this year’s Eid Al Fitr holiday. Visitors during that period came primarily from Arab countries.

Mahmoud said that Egypt’s minister of tourism is currently in discussions with various UAE-based airlines about launching new routes to cities by the Red Sea and cities in southern Egypt.

In 2014, 9.9 million people visited Egypt generating $7.7 billion worth of revenues.

Tourism is one of Egypt’s key industries, and accounts for 11.3 per cent of the country’s gross domestic product. Around four million Egyptians work in the sector.

Ships cross Egypt's New Suez Canal in first test-run

Ships cross Egypt's New Suez Canal in first test-run

ISMAILIA, Egypt — The first cargo ships passed through Egypt's New Suez Canal today in a test-run before it opens next month, state media reported, 11 months after the army began constructing the $8 billion canal alongside the existing 145-year-old Suez Canal.

The new waterway, which President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi hopes will help expand trade along the fastest shipping route between Europe and Asia and give a boost to Egypt's economy, will be formally inaugurated on Aug. 6.

Sisi wants the canal to become a symbol of national pride and to help combat Egypt's double-digit unemployment. The old Suez Canal is already a vital source of hard currency for Egypt, which has seen tourism and foreign investment drain away in the years of turmoil since a 2011 uprising.

Three container ships crossed the new waterway, state news agency MENA reported. One was an American ship heading to Egypt's Port Said from Saudi Arabia, another was a Danish ship sailing to the United States from Singapore, and a Bahraini ship going to Italy from Saudi Arabia.

Mohab Mameesh, the chairman of the Suez Canal Authority who led the project, told state television from aboard the first ship that the test-run had been a success.

“This is the first trial crossing but it will be followed by more trials,” he said. “We are 99.2 percent done with everything. We should be completely done in two or three days.”

The existing canal earns Egypt around $5 billion per year. The new canal, which will allow two-way traffic of larger ships, is supposed to increase revenues by 2023 to $15 billion.

It should also reduce navigation time for ships to 11 hours from about 22 hours, Mameesh said last month, making it the fastest such waterway in the world.

The government also plans to build an international industrial and logistics hub nearby that it hopes will eventually make up about a third of the Egyptian economy.