Egypt Offers Two Festivals Unveiling Both Old and New Treasures (Abu Simbel Festival and Cairo Video Festival)

Both natural phenomena and human endeavors are being celebrated at both the Abu Simbel Festival and the Cairo Video Festival in Egypt, where visitors can enjoy the beauty and wonder of Egyptian treasures both new and old.

The Abu Simbel Festival offers one of the world’s most spectacular sights: the temple of Ramses II, according to Cairo-based Egypt enthusiast Ahmed Nashaat. Ramses II erected his temple at Abu Simbel because he knew that the building’s internal chamber would light up twice a year: in October, around his birthday on the 22^nd of the month; and on the anniversary of his rise to his throne around the 22^nd of February. The Abu Simbel Festival celebrates the pharaoh’s architectural egotism and precision in the temple, which is considered to be the most awe inspiring of the multiple buildings he erected.

During the festival, crowds in the temple watch shafts of light creep across stone at sunrise, thus clearly exposing Ramses’s, Amum’s, and Ra’s statutes. Upon arriving at the temple, visitors will notice the temple’s four 108-feet-tall statues of Ramses, and as they enter the temple, they will see flowery pillars as well as scenes of Ramses’s family. Then, they can join together outside in drinking, visiting markets, eating, dancing, and simply enjoying music.

Another avenue for exploring the unparalleled art, culture, and music in Egypt is the eighth edition of the Cairo Video Festival. The festival will feature events and programs through February 28^th all across the city of Cairo, including a whopping 119 works that are being showcased from 63 countries. The events include screenings at Zawya Cinema and the Institut Francais. The festival’s programs and events will take place from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Medrar, located at 7 Gamal El Din Abou El Mahasen Street in Garden City.

For more information about the Abu Simbel Festival and Cairo Video Festival, contact: