Egyptian Cultural Day
The Egyptian Cultural Day promotes the heritage, food, music, dance and people of Egypt with all Australians. Partnering with the Australian Egyptian Forum Council, which has been organising an annual celebration in Sydney for 20 years, the Egyptian Cultural Day at the Chau Chak Wing Museum brings together the largest collection of Egyptian antiquities in the southern hemisphere with its modern descendent communities.
Enjoy hourly talks from the perspective of members of the Egyptian diaspora in Australia, try Egyptian cuisine, view artworks by Camille Fox, enjoy traditional live Egyptian music and folkloric dance, as well as take part in a range of family activities, including face painting.
Program
| 11:00am | Event opens |
| 11:30am | Farrah Dance Artists performance on the forecourt |
| 12:00pm | Talk: 'The legacies of the ancient Egyptians' by Professor Rifaat Ebeid (in English and Arabic) |
| 12:30pm | Farrah Dance Artists performance |
| 1:00pm | Talk: 'Daily life in ancient Egypt' by Bakhoum Solhey, former inspector of the West Bank, Luxor (in Arabic) |
| 1:30pm | Live Egyptian musical performance |
| 2:00pm | Talk: 'Modern perspectives on ancient Egypt (linking past and present)' by Shahy Radwan, Egyptian heritage specialist (in English and Arabic) |
| 2:30pm | Live Egyptian musical performance |
| 3:00pm | Talk: 'Ancient Egypt at the Chau Chak Wing Museum' by Ali Ibrahim, Curatorial Assistant, Chau Chak Wing Museum (in English and Arabic) |
| 4:00pm | Event closes |
There will be a range of activities for kids and families all day, including:
- Face painting
- The opportunity to handle genuine archaeological artefacts from Egypt
- Speak to archaeologists and historians about the collections
- Arts and crafts activities (write your name in hieroglyphs + colour-in and cut out your own ancient gods and goddesses)
- Listen to ancient Egyptian mythological stories
- Learn to play Senet and other ancient board games
Visit Sounds Cafe on the day for these Egyptian specials:
- Ful Wa Ta’ameya (Egyptian Falafel) with pita and dips
- Lamb Kofta/Kebab with rice and Dips
- Basbousa (Cake served with cream)
Plus, there will be two marquees on the forecourt serving homemade Egyptian cuisine including:
- Fetir Meshantat (Egyptian pancakes)
- Koshary
- Falafel
- Kebabs
- Basbousa
- Egyptian beverages
The Egyptian Cultural Festival is presented with the Australian Egyptian Forum Council.