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Sony Gallery and Special Collections
Library Team Up to Put History on Display in 'Nubia: Before the Flood'
In coordination with the Rare Books and Special Collections Library,
the Sony Gallery hosted a special show, "Nubia: Before the Flood"
February 8 to March 3, 2005. The opening ceremony was attended by AUC
President David Arnold, Adham Center director S. Abdallah Schleifer,
and Zahi Hawass, the archaeologist and head of the Egyptian High Council
of Antiquities.
"These photographs are very beautiful and could not be found elsewhere.
They are a real treasure that is worth preserving," Hawass said.
"I never expected to see this number of pictures detailing Nubia
anywhere."
The exhibit came about almost by chance, said Barbi Eysselinck from
the Rare Books and Special Collections Library.
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"The origin of this exhibit is to be located in fortuitous circumstances,"
said Eysselinck. "UNESCO has a project to collect or copy and electronically
record and preserve all known data and documents about Nubia for a website
that will be launched in the near future. In pursuit of this goal, representatives
of UNESCO came to The Rare Books and Special Collections Library more
than a year and a half ago. Rare Books staff members were amazed to
discover that the archives contained not 'some,' but several hundred
photographs."
The first show for the Spring 2005 semester displayed historic pictures
taken by Abdel Fattah Eid at The Social Research Center Nubian Project,
AUC.
 "While
Nubia was the subject of occasional comment by ancient historians, this
exhibit focuses upon critical documentation in the modern era, which
as far as Egypt and the contemporary European interest in Egypt is concerned,
dates back to Napoleon's expedition to and brief conquest of Egypt."
said S. Abdallah Schleifer and Barbi Eysselinck in their introduction
to the show.
The pictures were displayed again in a show on the April 13, in Paris
at UNESCO. The opening was attended by Koshero Matsura, the general
director of UNESCO and Ambassador Ahmed Refaat, Egypt's delegate to
the United Nations, who gave a speech on the occasion. UNESCO was instrumental
in saving many Nubian monuments from the flooding caused by the construction
of the Aswan dam.
-Usama Najeeb
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