13 countries celebrate sun illuminating Ramses II face

CAIRO - 23 February 2020: Minister of Culture Inas Abdel Dayem said that celebrations of the solar phenomenon illuminating the face of Ramses II this year are very special.

In a phone call to “Manchette” program broadcast on Extra News channel on Feb. 22, Abdel Dayem said the celebrations started in Aswan and concluded in Abu Simbel Temples, mentioning that there was a high turnout of visitors in all the celebrations and that the increase in the number of international teams participating in the celebrations reflect the success of the festival.

She explained that 13 countries and nine Egyptian folklore bands from cultural palaces that have developed significantly are participating in the ceremony.

Furthermore, the minister pointed out that celebrations at the temple have certain rituals, and that many tourists enjoy the visual/audio show and the artistic performance in front of the temple. Abdel Dayem added that night celebrations took place at the market.

The ministry inaugurated Toshka Cultural Palace with a group of important activities that address the governorate and its people, according to the minister.

The Abu Simbel Temples Square, south of Aswan witnessed the closing ceremony of the Eighth Aswan International Festival for Culture and Arts on Feb. 21.

The festival comes on the sidelines of the celebrations of the solar phenomenon illuminating on the face of Ramses II in Abu Simbel, in the presence of Minister of Culture Inas Abdel Dayem, President of the General Authority for Cultural Palaces Ahmed Awad, a number of executive officials in the governorate, and a number of foreign tourists and Egyptian visitors.