Dr Basam Al Shamaa says it would be a big mistake not to participate CAIRO: A researcher in Egyptology and ancient history is encouraging all Egyptians to participate in the international poll to choose the new Seven Wonders of the World. He stresses that our participation won't harm the status of the Giza Pyramids and could boost Egypt's position as a major tourist destination. Dr Basam Al Shamaa, a well-traveled and popular lecturer on ancient history, highlighted the subject on Thursday to a packed hall at Al Sawy Cultural Center. The event marked a growing interest in the relationship between tourism and archaeology, following the recent debate triggered by an initiative to vote for seven new world wonders to be announced on July 7, 2007 in Barcelona. "Despite the suspicions and conspiracy theories reeking behind the project, the Pyramids of Giza will be the undisputed eternal world wonder, explained Al Shamaa. "I don't blame the Supreme Council of Antiquities and other cultural authorities for not ruling out conspiracies, but we stand to benefit from that poll more than most people imagine. "The mammoth edifices have been speaking volumes for themselves since time immemorial, noted Al Shamaa. Al Shamaa's lecture aimed to raise awareness about the issue. He said that it was enough to access www.newsevenwonders.com to test his theory. "We don't stand to lose anything by participating. On the contrary, we will be worse off if we opt to boycott the poll, he stressed. "Imagine what will happen if 25 percent of the computer-literate American population voted for the Statue of Liberty? We cannot simply decide to be absent from the race. Twenty-one sites are included in the poll, with each thumbnail linking to tens of pages giving information about the competing site's history, travel tips and a slew of tourist-related details. "We can use our intellectual property rights to benefit from the promotional tools allocated for the competition, which consist of items like T-shirts featuring the pyramids and a balloon that will be flown over each site to encourage votes. "Egypt could exploit the situation by manufacturing these promos. It's a good business incentive for local factories and will promote tourism, Al Shamaa said. He added: "If our cultural officials continue to have doubts they can organize a different competition under the auspices of the Unesco, which should select experts to supervise the entire process. "This could go side by side with the New Seven Wonders, but you can't simply boycott it after it has gained such momentum, noted Al Shamaa. Al Shamaa believes that it is necessary to choose new wonders since most of the old ones no longer exist. "But new criteria and guidelines should be laid down to help people make the right choice. The idea of world wonders was the brainchild of Greek historian Antipatter who once asked his companions about which constructions they believed were miracle buildings. "Since Antipatter and his companions were Greek, most of the ancient seven wonders were Greek, including the Alexandria lighthouse which was built during the Greco-Roman era, said Al Shamaa. "It's about time to revive the issue in a globalized world, where people are starting to know each other.
