CAIRO - For anyone who missed out on the Egyptian revolt, with all its pains and joys, or wants to relive these historic moments in Egypt's history, they should head to el-Sawy Culural Centre in Zamalek. El-Sawy is hosting an exhibition of 320 photos of the 18-day revolt, launched on January 25 by Egyptians to topple President Mubarak, who then resigned on February 11. Around 300 protesters were killed and 1,000 more injured in clashes with the police. “We invited people via Facebook to send us their photos of the revolt, so we could make an exhibition about it,” says Mohamed Aboud, co-ordinator of exhibitions at the Centre. “We received 600 photos in three days. We chose the best ones in terms of quality and not portraying violence,” he told The Egyptian Gazette. The exhibition, entitled “Egyptian Revolt”, also includes photos of children who participated in the revolt and of some of the placards raised by the protesters, highlighting their demands. The photos are taken of the demonstrations in both Al Tahrir Square in central Cairo and in the coastal city of Alexandria. There are also a number of photos of the Egyptian flag, the police and the army. One of the most striking photos is of a little boy holding a small Egyptian flag with the word Erhal (Leave) written in black on his small forehead, as his father carries him on his shoulders. There's another photo of a little girl, carrying a sheet of white paper, on which is written in Arabic: “Tomorrow is the demonstration of a million.” Nearby, there is a photo of a boy aged around nine carrying a drawing of the Crescent and the Cross, to stress that Muslims and Christians are united. Meanwhile, there is another snap of a man chanting a slogan against Mubarak while holding a piece of bread. He's complaining that many Egyptians can't even afford to buy bread. An eye-catching group photo of Egyptians praying together reflects the tolerance of this unprecedented revolt. In addition, there are photos of people each carrying a piece of paper, on which is written their dream. Under the photo, the name of each person is also written. A young man of small stature called Ali dreams “of being an army officer to protect his country and its people”, while an older man, Ibrahim, says: “I hope Egypt will be free of garbage.” Then there is Nasser, in his mid-thirties, who hopes to get a taxi licence, so he can work as a driver to feed his daughters. And Dina wishes that “the day will come when Egyptians won't think of emigrating at all”. The exhibition runs till February 28, while Aboud is thinking of adding some of the photos of the martyrs to it. “The exhibition is a wonderful way of describing the Egyptian revolt,” Samia Farouq told this newspaper, while admiring the photos. As I look at each photo, I recall the spirit of the revolt and its success. I can almost hear the protesters chanting.”
