Egypt presents its cultural contributions to ISESCO

CAIRO – 25 November 2020: Egypt’s Minister of Culture Inas Abdel Dayem, representing Egypt, participated in the activities of the International Symposium of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization "ISESCO" entitled "The Contribution of Islamic Art to Building Human Civilization and the Spread of Peace Values", which was held virtually on November 25, with the participation of 11 Arab and Islamic countries.

In her speech, Abdel Dayem emphasized that Islamic art in all its forms in Egypt and most of the Islamic countries played an important role in developing societies by stimulating individuals' research and thinking capabilities, which contributed to the renewal and development of life styles.

In addition, Abdel Dayem pointed out that Egypt is a model for the integration of civilizations and cultures since the dawn of history, beginning with the Pharaonic era, then the Coptic and Islamic era, up to the Renaissance and the Modern Era.

She also stated that throughout the ages, Islamic art has been able to build human civilization, which is one of the forms of spreading the values ​​of peace and love among people, and one of the most important features of Islamic art in Egypt is that it is not based on a specific style, but is considered a civilized art distinguished by the plurality and diversity of arts and architecture.

Abdel Dayem reviewed many of the efforts of the Ministry of Culture, represented in a number of its sectors, in preserving cultural and civilizational legacies and their role in preserving the identity of the Arab and Islamic heritage as a legacy of humanity in general.

She explained that Egypt has a civilization coordination body affiliated with the Ministry of Culture that is concerned with protecting this distinctive architectural style and that contributes to highlighting the value of Islamic art and its impact on the visual culture of the Egyptian citizen in particular and on people in general.

That is through the establishment of the National Register for buildings of distinguished architectural style, in addition to launching many projects, initiatives and competitions that aim to revive historic cities, places and streets, with the aim of documenting these places and developing and revitalizing the cognitive and creative memory of our Arab and Islamic heritage.

Abdel Dayem also clarified the efforts of the Egyptian Ministry of Culture through its executive programs and a set of measures to preserve this heritage in all its forms to protect it from extinction and revive it, represented by the program to support cultural industries, through which it aims to achieve sustainable cultural development in all areas of the culture and arts industry and to guide it in the fields of architecture ,the exterior and interior designs of buildings and facilities and the revival of heritage crafts,.

At the end of her speech, Abdel Dayem emphasized the role of arts in general and Islamic arts in particular in influencing the building of healthy societies that work to accept difference and unify trends towards spreading the values ​​of peace and communication in a language of understanding between all people.

For his part, Director of ISESCO  Salem bin Mohammad al-Malik, praised Egypt's experience in preserving the identity of Islamic legacies, stressing that Egypt will remain a crossroads of civilizations and the cradle of humanity and cultures.

He praised the efforts of the Egyptian state represented by the Ministry of Culture in preserving this heritage and educating young people about its tremendous value, emphasizing that Egypt will remain the heart of the Islamic world, which is vibrant with the components and concepts of humanity, with its cultural and artistic diversity, praising the pioneering role played by Egyptian cultural projects to preserve the Islamic heritage from extinction.