Crossing statue of Gamal el-Sigini immortalizes 6th of October victory

CAIRO – 6 October 2022: Plastic art has always played a significant role in immortalizing important historical events, most importantly the 6th of October victory.

Egyptian plastic artists depicted the victory with outstanding artwork. Among these artists is the sculptor Gamal el-Sigini.

In 1975, Gamal el-Sigini designed his first artistic imprints on the events of the war through the "Crossing" statue to remain witness to the difficult times of the war. 

The Crossing Statue is shaped like a horizontal figure; its right side is in the form of a person laying on his stomach with his head and hand pushed up, and his body extended with full force to form a crossing boat. A group of valiant soldiers clasp with a strong movement on the oars to rush forward. It represents Egypt carrying her sons of soldiers on her back, in the form of a boat, delivering them to victory.

The statue is 5.5 meters wide, and 2 meters high. It is erected for the memory of the unknown soldier and shows the names of the martyrs of the province on its walls. The statue was moved from its original location to its current location in El-Obour Square, in front of the gate of Beni Suef University. 

It is worth noting that the sculptor Gamal el-Sigini is one of the greatest Egyptian artists. He was born in Bab al-Shaariya, Cairo on January 7, 1917. He grew up near the Khan El-Khalili market and produced a number of masterpieces that influenced Egyptian art throughout his life.