Egypt joins Kyoto
Egypt is now the 56th signatory to the Kyoto Convention on facilitating customs procedures floated by the World Customs Organisation (WCO). The Kyoto Convention first came into force in 1974 but in 1999 the Brussels-based WCO revised and updated it to become an international standard framework and a benchmark for the global customs community.
First Egyptian rig
The first Egyptian-manufactured onshore oil rig, the 2000-hp “Mubarak 1”, is now in operation in the Eastern desert. The rig is the first production of the Egyptian-Chinese factory established last April on some 84,000 sq. m. south of Suez at joint investment of $30 million.
Yacoub and Zewail
Egyptian Nobel laureate Ahmed Zewail has accepted an invitation to join a supreme Egyptian council for scientific research to be formed under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister. The council is meant to act as a forum for ideas on developing and planning scientific research in Egypt. The renowned British Egyptian surgeon Sir Magdi Yacoub has already accepted to join the council.
Cartoon awards
Egypt won 11 awards in the Cartoon International competition entitled “My right in taking decisions” annually organised by the Peace and Cooperation Organisation in Spain. The Egyptian Cultural Office of the Spanish embassy in Cairo will hold a ceremony in Cairo this month to hand the awards. Two Egyptian schools won: the Heliopolis School in Cairo and the National Women’s College in Alexandria.
Ptolemic artefact
The Egyptian consulate in New York has been handed a bronze artefact which dates back to the Ptolemic era from Illinois University. The masterpiece is made of a bronze base upon which stands two cat-like animals representing the goddess Bastet. The university museum had bought the stolen Egyptian artefact from an amateur in 1996. The Ptolomeys ruled Egypt following the death of Alexander the Great from the fourth century BC till the Romans conquered them in 32BC.
Nasser’s home
President Hosni Mubarak has issued a republican decree to turn the Cairo house of the late President Gamal Abdel-Nasser, who was president in 1953 -1970, into a museum. The museum will showcase Egypt’s political life during that period, considered instrumental in Egyptian modern history.
Abdeen Palace
The Documentation Centre for Cultural and Natural Heritage has issued a book on Abdeen Palace entitled “Abdeen Palace…core of the 19th century”. The book, which comes in 288 pages, includes more than 300 rare pictures, carries an introduction by Mrs Suzanne Mubarak, and was published in English. Fathi Saleh, head of the centre, said that the work is ongoing on a huge national project to document all Egypt’s Palaces. The work to document Abdeen Palace antiques, furniture, and paintings took some two years. The book includes an entire chapter on the food of Egypt’s kings.
Sold as French jug
A piece billed as a French claret jug and purchased by an unknown buyer for some $430,000 at a Crewkerne, England, auction has turned out to be a medieval Egyptian ewer worth $10 million. The item was revealed to be one of only six surviving Fatimid rock crystal ewers from the 11th century. “There is no question in my mind that this is authentic a London dealer said; Fatimid rock crystal ewers are impossible to fake.”