The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) and the Egyptian Ministry of Culture officially concluded the celebration of Cairo as the Culture Capital in the Islamic World, at the Hanager Arts Center of the Egyptian Opera House, and organized the award ceremony of the first category of Turathy Photography Contest and inaugurated the exhibition of the works participating in the contest.

The ceremony, which saw the presence of officials, ambassadors, public figures, writers, thinkers and high-level artists, kicked off on Friday, March 10, 2023, with the national anthem of the Arab Republic of Egypt, followed by a documentary film, entitled “Cairo, Culture Capital in the Islamic World,” documenting the activities held in the framework of this celebration throughout 2022.

In her address, Dr. Nevine Al-Kilani thanked ICESCO for its great support of the celebration activities, pointing out that they were unique activities, which covered different areas of arts, and it was an opportunity for Cairo to show its status among the Capitals of Culture and publicize its history and respect for various civilizations and cultures.

She added that the choice of Cairo was the result of its unique position as a meeting place of cultures through successive eras, an important center for culture and creativity and a point of cultural exchange between the East and the West.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of ICESCO, began his address by thanking His Excellency Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi, President of the Arab Republic of Egypt, for his efforts to promote the various aspects of culture, indicating that 159 activities were carried out during this celebration.

He reaffirmed that ICESCO has supported the dreams of Cairo in its aspiration towards the future and implemented several programs in this framework, including training sessions on the use of artificial intelligence applications in the preservation of historical heritage treasures, scholarships for the preservation of antiquities, and teachers training program through the project of international professional certification in teaching.

He also pointed out that Cairo conveyed a message through his celebration to stress its intention to restore its influential historical role, promote its cultural influence and renew cultural action. He thanked all those who contributed to the success of the celebration, and concluded his address by reciting a poem he had written for the occasion, entitled “The Capital of Capitals.”

Afterward, Dr. AlMalik and Dr. Al-Kilani paid tribute to the members of the jury of the Turathy Photography Contest and awarded the prize in its first category on architectural and urban heritage of Cairo, launched by ICESCO and the Egyptian Ministry of Culture, represented by the National Organization for Urban Harmony. The first prize was awarded to Mr. Mustafa Al-Shorbagi, the second to Ms. Doaa Adel, and the third was awarded to Ms. Amal Matar. The encouragement prize went to Mr. Fadi Qudsi and Ms. Marwa Hussein. The second category prizes on the heritage of the Islamic world cities will be awarded during a ceremony, to be held at ICESCO headquarters, in Rabat.

The award ceremony was later followed by the inauguration of the exhibition of the Turathy Contest, which includes the participating works.