Supervisor Elham AbolFateh
Editor in Chief Mohamed Wadie

From Brazil: Hawass Promotes Tourism, Calls for Retrieval of Nefertiti’s Head


Tue 18 Dec 2018 | 11:40 AM
Ali Abu Dashish

By: Ali Abu-Dashish and Norhan Mahmoud

CAIRO, Dec. 18 (SEE)- The Egyptian Embassy in Brazil, under the supervision of Ambassador Alaa Rushdi and the tourist expert Siddiq Faraj-Allah, organized a lecture for Archaeologist Dr. Zahi Hawass in the city of São Paulo, Brazil, as part of the tourism promoting campaign by the Dr. Zahi Hawass Center.

Hawass stressed the depth of cultural exchange between Brazil and Egypt and reviewed the most important subjects such as; the secrets of the pyramid of King Khufu, Sphinx and the tombs of workers, royal mummies and Valley of the Kings and Tutankhamen.

Following the lecture, a press conference was attended by the Egyptian Ambassador and Brazilian Tourism and Antiquities experts. The most important thing that Dr. Hawass commented on was the fire of the National Museum of Brazil in Rio de Janeiro stressing, “it was a difficult day in the history of ancient Egyptian civilization because of the importance of the Egyptian antiquities that were contained in the museum.”

Moreover, Hawass confirmed that the Ministry of Antiquities is ready to send restores to refurbish the salvaged remains in the museum.

Regarding the head of Nefertiti, Dr. Hawass said: "The head of Nefertiti came out illegally, and I call for its return to Egypt to be seen byEgyptians at the opening of the Grand Museum."

“Egypt is safe and the archaeological areas are insured at the highest level and called on the Brazilian people to visit Egypt,” added Hawass.

The archaeologist pointed to the presence of a mission from Brazil working in a cemetery on the western bank, which is the core of the Egyptian-Brazilian spirit of cooperation in archeology. He hoped that there will be greater relations in the field of Egyptian antiquities between the two friendly countries. 

In the end, Hawass signed several books in Portuguese to attendees and wished that people of Brazil become the first to travel to Egypt.