Greece is the Guest of honor at the 53rd Cairo International Book Fair, which today opens its gates in the Egyptian capital, hosting publications of 125 countries from around the world.
The participation of Greece as guest of honor in the 53rd Cairo International Book Fair is organized by the Hellenic Foundation for culture for the Greek Ministry of Culture and Sports with the support of the Greek Embassy in Cairo, while the planning of the cultural program, the HFC collaborated with different culture and educational institutions such as: the bibliotheca Alexandrina, Cavafy Archive / Onassis Foundation, Hellenic Cultural Center of Cairo, Education Coordination Office of North Africa and the Middle East as well as the Greek Communities of Alexandria and Cairo.
In the most prominent position of a global panel of cultures from 125 countries around the world, showing their love for their book and authors as well as their works, in their languages or even translated into Arabic, is found by today and for two weeks Greece, as a guest of honor in the 53rd Cairo International Book Fair.
Greece, represented by the President of the Hellenic Foundation for Culture Mr. Nikos A. Koukis, with works by writers who transmit its culture around the world, highlights the entire Greek book production, through a Greek pavilion created by the Greek Foundation for Culture, in collaboration with the Greek Ministry of Culture, connecting history with today and tomorrow, using advanced digital augmented reality methods, where Greek history comes to life through electronic screens, inextricably linked to the magical world of the Greek book.
From this morning, on the first day of this great exhibition, which is one of the largest in the world and certainly the most important in the Arab countries, many visitors stood in front of the Greek pavilion that is dressed in blue and white, reading works by Greeks. Authors even translated into Arabic, which shows in practice the penetration of Greek literature in Egypt and the Arab reader in general.
In the huge exhibition that takes place at the Cairo International Exhibition Center, in the new Cairo, the Greek Pavilion dominates among the most important pavilions, with the Greek culture “uniting” with the Arab and especially the Egyptian culture, in an Organization that has a significant contribution from the Onassis Foundation, the Greek Embassy in Egypt, as well as the Greek Communities of Alexandria and Cairo with their important publications.
Equally important are the authors who are expected to visit from tomorrow and be the focus of special events, dedicated to the Greek book but also the coexistence of Greek and Arabic literature: Persa Koumoutsi, Amanda Michalopoulou, Alexandros Kitroeff, Dimitris Sotakis and Lida Varvarousi.
Greek books translated into Arabic, books by the Alexandrian poet C.P. Cavafy, children’s publications, historical and literary books as well as digital programs are available to visitors.
It is noteworthy that shortly before the official visit to the Greek Pavilion of the exhibition, the President of the Hellenic Foundation for Culture, Mr. Nikos A. Koukis, gave a warm welcome to his Egyptian counterpart, the General Secretary of the Supreme Council of Culture, Dr. Hisham Mahmoud Azmi, who expressed his admiration for the Greek presence at the 53rd Cairo International Book Fair.
The Egyptian Prime Minister Dr. Mustafa Madbouli expressed his admiration for Greek book production at the pavilion of Greece, which is the guest of honor of the 53rd Cairo International Book Fair.
With warmest words, the Egyptian Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouli welcomed the Greek presence at the 53rd Cairo International Book Fair, with Greece being the guest of honor in the most important corresponding event in the Arab world.
“We are proud of the cooperation with Greece”, the Prime Minister of Egypt emphasized during the warm reception reserved for him by the President of the Hellenic Foundation for Cultural Mr. Nikos Koukis, in the presence of the Greek Ambassador in Egypt Mr. Nikos Garilidis.
The Egyptian Prime Minister was accompanied by a number of Ministers, including the Minister of Culture, Ms. Inas Abdel Dayem, the Minister of Antiquities and Tourism, Dr. Khalid El Anani, the Minister of Environment, the Minister of International Cooperation and the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
It should be noted in particular that the Minister of Immigration and Egyptian Expatriates, Ms. Nabila Makram, expressed her warmest congratulations for the participation of Greece as a guest of honor, characterizing the Greek publications as a sample of the “NOSTOS” initiative, which essentially shows the “union” of the Greek culture with the Egyptian and Arabic culture in general.
It is important that the exhibition is visited every year by about two million of book lovers, with Greece this year being the focus of events that conclude on February 7 and which will feature presentations of Greek publications, reference to Greek book production, a special chapter on Greek children’s books and of course the authors who have strongly associated their name with Egypt, such as Constantine Cavafy.
Finally, it is worth mentioning the innovative presence with an interactive culture path from the International Festival of Digital Arts of Greece, which invites visitors with the augmented reality in the world of Greek museums, bringing to life in front of them the ancient Greek and modern monuments, and exhibits.
