The Magic of Egypt: A Conversation with Dr. Zahi Hawass

Famed Egyptologist and archaeologist Dr. ZahiHawass shared his enthusiasm for the “magic of Egypt” and its ancient history in an interview with the Egypt Forward campaign. Dr. Hawass, who was recently appointed by the United Nations as an ambassador for global cultural heritage, states, “Egypt is a magical country. Every day you have secrets coming out of the sand.” Recent discoveries in Egypt support his words: In March, wood from a boat built 4,500 years ago for Pharaoh King Khufu was unearthed near the Great Pyramid at Giza. In April, Egyptian archaeologists discovered six mummies, wooden coffins and more than 1,000 funerary statues in a 3,500-year-old tomb near the southern city of Luxor, and the country unveiled a newly restored granite statue of Ramses II, the most powerful and celebrated of the ancient Pharaohs. The Los Angeles Times said it best when they wrote that Dr. Hawass “has been the living face of ancient Egypt, an ambassador for long-dead Pharaohs who uses his high-wattage personality, telegenic showmanship and knack for wading confidently into controversy to preserve both their star power and the monuments.” Watch the interview with Dr. Hawass here: