Suez Canal exhibition was inaugurated in Paris

CAIRO – 7 April – 2018: The Egyptian Minister of Culture Ines Abel Dayem along with her French counterpart Françoise Nyssen inaugurated the artistic exhibition entitled “Suez Canal… Forty centuries of epic since Pharaoh Sezostrees’s III time” in Paris Saturday.


The exhibition displays - Egyptian Ministry of Culture - Press Office

This exhibition was tailored to celebrate the passing of 150 years since the inauguration of the Suez Canal; it was organized by the Arab World Institute, which is headed by former French Minister of Culture Jack Lang. The exhibition’s space is 1,100 square meters and houses 170 pieces that depict the Suez Canal’s story from Sezostrees III era to date.


The exhibition displays - the Egyptian Ministry of Culture press office.




The exhibition contains manuscripts, maps, models, miniatures, rare films, art paintings, old newspaper clippings in addition to pieces pertaining to the October War, Egypt's control of the two banks of the Canal, the reopening of international navigation and the expansion of the canal, which was executed under the reign of President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi.


The exhibition displays - the Egyptian Ministry of Culture press office.


The exhibition displays as well a letter from the late former Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser announcing the nationalization of the Suez Canal in 1956. The inauguration witnessed mutual discussions between Abdel Dayem and Nyseen about ways to support cultural and artistic cooperation and exchange between the two countries as well as discussing the preparations needed to announce 2019 as the year of Egyptian-French culture.




The exhibition displays - The Egyptian Ministry of Culture - Press Office


“This ceremony reflects the rich shared history between Egypt and France, assuring the close ties between the two countries and the strong relations on all the levels whether artistic, cultural or political,” Abdel Dayem recounted during the inauguration ceremony.
Abdel Dayem pointed out that the Suez Canal plays an important role in the communication between the East and the West and is a symbol of the proximity between nations not only at the commercial level, but also the scientific and the cultural ones.



The exhibition displays - the Ministry of Culture press office.


She added that the Suez Canal is considered Egypt’s gift to the whole world. This exhibition is scheduled to be transferred to the Natural History Museum of Marseille from October 17, 2018 to March 31, 2019 and will then be transferred to the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization in Egypt under the auspices of the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Suez Canal.

Abdel Dayem has been chosen as the new minister of culture on Jan. 14. She received her master’s with honors specializing in the flute at the High Music School in Paris.

She has several diplomas such as a diploma for teaching the flute (1984), a high diploma in flute performance (1985), high diploma of chamber music (1986), high diploma for flute solo playing (1989) amongst others. She was the former dean of the conservatoire in 2004 and the former head of the Cairo Symphony Orchestra in 2003. She has performed many concerts across France, as well as a number of concerts with the UNESCO International Orchestra in Paris.

She has received numerous awards including the Egyptian State Award of Art, the Best Flute Player Award from several countries, and a special award from the South Korean Art Festival. She claimed the first rank in a competition between Parisian Music Institutes.

She has represented Egypt in multiple international festivals, including the Nantes Arts Festival in France, the Rabat Festival of Arts in Morocco and the Thessaloniki Festival in Greece.

Ines Abdel Dayem has held several official positions such as the head of the National Cultural Center of the Cairo Opera House and the head of the Cairo Opera House. She has also been the president of the Arab Academy of Music since December 2017.

She has a long history of conflict with the Muslim Brotherhood. When the ex-minister of culture Alaa Abdel Aziz who was affiliated to the Muslim Brotherhood came to power in the government of Hisham Qandil, he terminated her mandate in the Cairo Opera House. Many Egyptian, Arab and foreign writers and journalists and some foreigners praised Abdel Dayem’s high administrative competence and technical skills.