Lighting Al-Qurnah The Ministry of Culture has commissioned the Egyptian Company for Light and Sound to light Al-Qurnah Mountain located on Luxor's West Bank based on a French design and using the latest equipment from Europe. The project is scheduled for completion by the end of October. It will make brilliant use of the ravishingly beauty of Al-Qurnah and its surroundings that comprise a large number of the world's most important monuments, including the Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut Temple, the Nobles Cemeteries as well as the Memnoun Colossus. The subtle lighting of the mountain will be reflected on the surface of the Nile, creating a beautiful mise en scène. Dr Ismail Kazem, a prominent Egyptian-American radiation oncologist has recently received a much coveted accolade in the field of his specialisation. Crowning an illustrious career which spanned almost half a century, he was recently made a Fellow of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO). "ASTRO Fellows are some of the most revered and accomplished members of the radiation oncology community and receiving this distinction is a great honour," said Anthony Zietman, MD, ASTRO president and radiation oncologist at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. Members of ASTRO are eligible to become a Fellow if they have been part of the society for at least 20 years. Dr Kazem, who graduated from Ain Shams' medical school in the late 1950s, moved to the Netherlands 40 years ago where he established his fame as one of the top people in his specialisation worldwide. He later moved to the US where he continued his pioneering research and is now retired in Florida but continues to work in an advisory capacity for various prestigious oncology institutions. At the Catholic Cultural Centre, headed by Father Boutros Daniel, a large celebration entitled "Egypt: Citizenship" was held in the presence of a galaxy of public, political and religious figures where Afro-Asian Lawyers Federation President Esmat El-Merghani was honoured by Father Armia Adli, deputy archbishop of Shubra Al-Kheima, for her relentless efforts in reinforcing national unity. Among the attendees were Sheikh Ali Abdel-Baqi, secretary-general of the Al-Azhar Islamic Research Academy, who was also honoured, Father Daniel and former chairman of the Bar Association Sameh Ashour. photo: Ayman Barayez Moroccan Ambassador to Egypt Mohamed Farag Al-Dokali hosted a lavish reception at the garden of the Moroccan Embassy in Zamalek celebrating the king's coronation. The reception was crowned by the presence of Minister of Social Solidarity Ali Meselhi, former foreign minister Ahmed Maher, Secretary- General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities Zahi Hawass, Qalioubiya Governor Adli Hussein, Saudi Permanent Representative at the Arab League Ahmed Al-Qattan and Deputy Saudi Ambassador Mohamed Nosseir. Veteran actors Mahmoud Yassin and Ahmed Abdel-Wareth, Moroccan singers Gannat and Laila Ghofran as well as Arab and foreign ambassadors were present. photos: Nasr Attia A prestigious inaugural ceremony was held at the Cairo Opera House for the Mexican photographic exhibition "World Heritage Sites in Mexico". The travelling exhibit showcases 40 photographs of the 29 sites recognised by UNESCO in Mexico, including the archaeological zone of Monte Albàn (Oaxaca) and the pre- Hispanic cities of Teotihuacan (State of Mexico). The ceremony was attended by Mexican Ambassador to Egypt Mar�a Onate Munoz, general manager of museums, galleries and theatres at the Cairo Opera House Faiza Abdel-Moneim, Assistant Egyptian Foreign Minister for the Americas Ezzat Saad and Mexican Embassy First Secretary and Consul José Antonio Mendoza Labra. At the Brazilian Embassy, an esteemed reception party was held to bid adieu to assistant to the Brazilian military attaché in Egypt Leonir Reina and to welcome his successor Joao Auri Cavallini. Among the attendees were Deputy Brazilian Ambassador to Egypt Henrique Dos Santos Weber and members of the Brazilian Embassy. photos: Abdel-Hamid Eid Mesmerising Nubian singer Mohamed Mounir rocked the stage at Zomoroda village on the North Coast. Thousands of Mounir 's fans hastened to catch the concert where they enjoyed a delightful night to the melodies of their beloved singer. Mounir sang old and new hits as well as a number of less known songs. In a humane gesture, director of the Catholic Centre Father Boutros Daniel and actresses Nashwa Mustafa and Mirna Walid paid a visit to the Children's Cancer Hospital known as 57357. Daniel, Mustafa and Walid along with an Italian delegation spent a day with the children, drawing smiles on their faces. A thrilling exhibition of watercolour paintings by Indian painter Kashi Nath Das on monuments of India was opened last week by the Ministry of Culture's First Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Cultural Relations Hossam Nassar, Indian Ambassador to Egypt R Swaminathan and his spouse, director of the Maulana Azad Centre for Indian Culture (MACIC) Suchitra Durai at the centre's premises. Born in Kolkata in 1973, Das is one of India's prominent young painters. After spending his early years in Kolkata and winning recognition at the state level for his artistic works, Das moved to Delhi and joined the College of Arts at the University of Delhi where he won wide recognition. The 25 original paintings currently on show are artistic representations of some of India's most famous monuments, such as the Taj Mahal, the ancient River Ghats of Varanasi, and the magnificent sandstone forts of Rajasthan. ( see Listings p.5 ) The Fifth Egyptian National Theatre Festival presided over by Ashraf Zaki concluded its activities in a lavish ceremony at the Cairo Opera House. The festival honoured a galaxy of theatre stars, including veteran mother figure actress Karima Mokhtar, theatre diva Said Saleh, head of the Ballet Institute Magda Ezz and late theatre critic Farouk Abdel-Qader. The closing ceremony was hosted by media figure Poussy Shalabi and featured an operetta that starred actress Leqaa El-Khamisi. Minister of Culture Farouk Hosni along with Zaki distributed the awards. The Best Actor Award went to Sami Maghawri for his role in the play Al-Shutar (The Clever Ones). Best Director went to Mohamed Safwat for his play Al-Qessa Al-Muzdawaga L Doctor Balmi (The Double Story of Doctor Balmi). Meanwhile, the Best Script Award was shared between Atef El-Nemr for the play Agayeb (Huh) and Nabil Khalaf for the play Wattan Al-Gonoun (A Nation of Craziness). Youssra Karam took the Best Actress Award for her role in the play Odeib w Shafiqa (Odeib and Shafiqa). Among the attendees were Director of the Cairo Opera House Abdel-Moneim Kamel, actress Samira Mohsen and actor Ahmed Nabil.
