Exclusive to Travel Yalla
Minister of Tourism Hisham Zaazou today witnessed the sun aligning with the face of King Ramses II in the "Holy of Holies" of the Great Temple in Abu Simbel, a unique astronomical phenomenon that occurs twice a year, on October 22 and February 22.
In this context, Hisham Zaazou said the phenomenon reflects the genius of the ancient Egyptians and the civilizational heritage they left behind, which surpasses its counterparts around the world, stressing that using such important events to promote Egypt as a tourist destination would make a real difference in restoring tourist traffic. He noted that the promotional campaign set to be launched within days pays great attention to the cultural tourism product, and Zaazou invited tourists to visit Egypt and share their experiences with friends and acquaintances in their home countries.
Zaazou pointed to the importance of maximizing the benefit of familiarization trips for leading tour operators and international media representatives in sending reassuring messages that life in Egypt is proceeding normally and stably.
The event was attended by Minister of Antiquities Dr. Mamdouh El-Damaty, Minister of Irrigation Dr. Hossam Moghazi, Aswan Governor Major General Sameh Yousry, a number of executive leaders, representatives of the private tourism sector and a large number of tourists of various nationalities who came especially to watch this unique phenomenon.
In a related context, the French delegation currently in Egypt on a familiarization trip organized by the Egyptian Tourism Promotion Authority took part in the celebration of the sun aligning with the face of Ramses II, and folk troupes participating in the celebration performed artistic and folkloric shows.
For his part, Philippe Folliot, a member of the Defense Committee and head of the French-Egyptian Friendship Committee in Parliament, expressed his happiness at being in Egypt, stressing the depth of Egyptian-French relations. He added that Egypt and France are waging a war against terrorism and that the best way to support Egypt is to support it economically, in development and in tourism, calling on the French people to visit Egypt and its eternal monuments.
On the sidelines of the celebration of the sun alignment phenomenon at Abu Simbel Temple, the ministers of antiquities and tourism opened the Abu Simbel Museum, which includes three statues, placed in the temple's VIP hall, of three international figures who contributed greatly to saving the Nubian monuments.
