The Nile … Soul of Egyptians

Dr. Zahi Hawass

I followed the speech  delivered by Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry to the members of the  United Nations (UN) Security Council about the Nile River problem with Ethiopia, and how this great river concerns the lives and security of 150 million Egyptians and Sudanese.

Shoukry spoke as a representative of a country of the size and greatness of Egypt. The speech was admired  all Arabs.

As for what excited everyone, it was the presence of two statues or models of Egyptian antiquities behind the minister.

I will talk about the important big statue, and I will disregard the other statue.

As for the large statue, it belongs to Queen Nefertiti, the wife of King Akhenaten, and the most beautiful of the beauties in Ancient Egypt, who lived next to her husband for about 17 years worshiping this one new god "Aton".

And I even think that this queen had ruled Egypt after Akhenaten's death, given that there was a scene of her beating enemies. This view can only be done by the ruling kings.

This statue I think Shoukry placed behind him so that the world should  know that Egypt used to rule this world with truth and justice, and it was controlling the waters of the Nile, given that the south until the sixth cataract was under the rule of Egypt.

Egypt did not prevent water from any one as the Nile was overflowing with good for all peoples, and that is why Shoukry wanted to give a very important sign of placing this beautiful statue behind him.

All people commented on this statue, and I recorded television talks indicating the significance of the presence of a Pharaonic symbol behind the minister.

This statue is a copy of an original statue of queen Nefertiti in Hall No. 3 of the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir Square inside a hall known as the Amarna Hall. It was found in 1932, and it is about 36 cm long and made of quartzite.

The whole world respected Egypt because it presented its case through the UN Security Council, and although the river’s waters are the soul of all Egyptians and Sudanese, the Egypt of civilization did not try to resort to force or threat.

Rather, we tried all diplomatic methods and negotiated for a just request that is to get Egypt and Sudan for their share of the Nile water.

As for the second topic, it is that there are many countries that have stood by Egypt on this important issue, and I particularly mention the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and this shows the strength of relations between Egypt and the Kingdom.

The wealth and life of Egypt are linked to the Nile River, as the Pharaohs deified the river, and considered it sacred, and that its waters came from the tears of Isis, after the god Set dismember the body of her husband Osiris.

Contributed by Ahmed Moamar