Zahi Hawass: “Fire of Anatolia” at the Giza Pyramids
/_ April 15th 2009 _/
On Saturday, April 11, I attended the opening night of a week of performances by the Turkish dance troupe “Fire of Anatolia.” The show was a retelling of the story of the Trojan war through various types of dance, including ballet and traditional Turkish folk dance. I gave permission for this performance to be held at the Sound and Light theater at the Giza Pyramids under the auspices of Cairo’s Opera House.
There were many VIP’s in attendance at opening night. Even Mrs. Suzanne Mubarak, Egypt’s First Lady, was there. Minister of Culture Farouk Hosni and Mr. Abdel Moneim Kamel, the director of the Cairo Opera House, were present as well. Mustafa Erdo?an, the director, honored Minister Hosni and Mr. Kamel before the show began, presenting them with certificates mentioning their support of culture and the arts. He then recognized me, presenting me with an award in honor of my role in promoting culture in Egypt.
The beautiful costumes and strong rhythms were definitely the highlights of the first half of the show. I must say, though, that there was little about the dancing that struck me as distinctively Turkish. I could see elements that I associated with Romanian and Lebanese traditions, among others. Unfortunately, I had to leave at intermission to be at another engagement. The day after the performance, General Essam Abdel-Hady, the head of the Sound and Light company, called me about the show. The director had asked him if we could turn off the lights on the pyramids and Great Sphinx, and project the image of the Turkish flag over Giza. I told him “absolutely not!”
