Pharaonic Italian Opera to be presented in Egypt

CAIRO – 4 September 2017: Parts of the new pharaonic Italian Opera titled ‘Papyrus and Lotus’ will be showed on September 10 at Bibliotheca Alexandria and on September 11 at a hotel opposite the Egyptian Museum in Cairo to highlight deep Egyptian-Italian relations, according to the Egyptologist Dr. Zahi Hawass.

Hawass has invited Francesco Santocono, the author of ‘The Lotus and Papyrus’, the book upon which the opera is based, and several Italian actors to visit Egypt and attend the show.

Presenting this play in Egypt aims to activate Egyptian tourism and to ensure that Egypt is safe, said Hawass to Middle East news agency.

‘Papyrus and Lotus’, which was performed in Italy in May 2017, focuses on Egypt’s fight against the Hyksos. It consists of three parts: the birth of Ahmose, the struggle led by Queen Ankh Hotep and the betrayal of Set Nakhat, a new character added by Santocono.

Hawass is a former minister of antiquities and a well-known Egyptologist. He has made several discoveries including the tombs of the pyramid builders at Giza, the Valley of the Golden Mummies at Bahariya Oasis and the Old Kingdom pyramids, one near the Great Pyramid of Khufu (Pyramid of Cheops) at Giza.