Minister of Higher Education and Governor of Alexandria Inaugurate "20 Years of Excavations" Exhibition at BA

Dr. Abdelaziz Qonsua, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, together with Engineer Ayman Attia, Governor of Alexandria, and Dr. Ahmed Zayed, Director of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina (BA), inaugurated the exhibition "Twenty Years of Excavations in Shallalat Gardens (2006–2026)." Organized by the BA Antiquities Museum in collaboration with the Hellenic Institute for Research of Alexandrian Civilization, the event coincides with the celebrations of the city’s founding anniversary, reaffirming its global cultural status.

The officials toured the exhibition, which showcases the results of two decades of intensive archaeological excavation. These findings provide crucial geographical and historical evidence regarding the evolution of the ancient city, most notably a Hellenistic statue believed to represent Alexander the Great, remains of monumental public structures, sections of Roman and Hellenistic royal roads, and a subterranean tunnel that sheds light on the topography of the ancient Royal Quarter.

During the ceremony, Dr. Qonsua praised the Bibliotheca Alexandrina as a cultural landmark that enhances archaeological awareness and employs modern museum display techniques to strengthen national heritage identity. Governor Ayman Attia emphasized that the exhibition redraws Alexandria’s historical features on the global archaeological map, while Dr. Ahmed Zayed noted that the event reflects the library’s commitment to Hellenistic studies and the scientific documentation of the city’s civilization for future generations.

The inauguration was attended by a high-level delegation, including H.E. Nikolaos Papageorgiou, Ambassador of Greece to Cairo, the Greek Consul General, and the Director of the Hellenic Institute, alongside members of Parliament and the Senate, and prominent academic, executive, and archaeological leaders.