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An interview
with Dr. Zahi Hawass Especially for
Ask-aladdin.com
 Dr.
Zahi Hawass is the
Secretary General of the
Supreme Council of Antiquities. Born in
Damietta, Egypt on May 28, 1947 . He was the
General Director of the Giza Pyramids and
Saqqara and Bahria Oasis from 1987-98.
Hawass studied in both Egypt and the United
States, receiving his Bachelor of Arts
Degree in 1967 and his Diploma in 1980 in
Alexandria, Egypt. Then he went to the
University of Pennsylvania for Egyptology
and received his Master of Arts Degree in
1983 and earned his Ph.D.in 1987.
Hawass has been a consultant
for several documentaries, films, television
specials and magazine stories throughout the
years. He has taught courses and given
lectures in both Egypt and the U.S. and
holds several committee appointments. He is
a Member of the Board of the Cairo Museum,
the German Archaeological Institute, the
High Council of Culture (History and
Archaeology), the Fellowship Committee,
E.A.O., the Committee for the Restoration of
the Sphinx and several others.
Hawass very strongly supports
the restoration of the Sphinx. He stated
that the Sphinx has "cancer" due to the
"wrong restoration." The restoration plan
Hawass has implemented includes moving the
parking area, picnic area and vendors away
from the monuments
and adding a ventilation system to the
Sphinx to decrease the trapped moisture from
the visitor’s breath. Much of the
restoration plan has been implemented
already. With Zahi Hawass at the head of
this task it is sure to be finished.
Along with restoration,
Hawass is also in charge of excavations. He
has uncovered many interesting sites, such
as the tomb of the workers at Giza. He has
also found an unusual statue and some new
views of life through the art in the
pyramids. He believes there is much more to
find under the sands of Egypt.
Our
interview with
Dr. Zahi Hawass
Ask-aladdin:
Could you explain what it was that made you
become an Egyptologist?
Dr. Hawass:
I became an Egyptologist after realizing
that law school was not my passion. I
studied Graeco-Roman archaeology at
university instead. At the age of 20, I
joined the Antiquities Department in Cairo.
Ask-aladdin:
Which name do you prefer to
use, Khufu or Cheops? (I have heard you use
both, but I know you have to work to a
“script”, which is written by others when
doing television work!)
Dr. Hawass:
I would use Khufu.
Ask-aladdin:
Thinking about question 2, do you
think that Ancient Egyptian names should be
standardised to one spelling
Dr.
Hawass: Yes, I
think ancient Egyptian names should be
standardized.
Ask-aladdin:
Do you agree with the “European” influence
that seems to be invading Egypt’s Red Sea
resorts?
Dr. Hawass:
The Red Sea resorts are beautiful and should
be enjoyed by everybody. Everybody has the
right to enjoy them, including Europeans and
Egyptians.
Ask-aladdin:
What one thing would you do to make
Egypt more attractable to visitors?
Dr.
Hawass: I would
make more highways and motels in Minya and
Sohag. These are areas not normally visited
by tourists. There is more to Egypt than
Luxor and Aswan. There are also many
archaeological sites in the oases and
deserts, which would be more accessible
through highways.
Ask-aladdin:
What monuments in Egypt do you think
is missing from the usual tourist routes?
Dr. Hawass:
Approximately 75% of the ancient Egyptian
monuments are missing from the usual tourist
routes. Sites such as Tell el-Amarna, Beni
Hassan, Tuna el-Gebel, Nekhen, and Gebelein
are typically not included on the tourist’s
visit to Egypt.
Ask-aladdin: What
is your favourite Egyptian City /
Town? And why?
Dr.
Hawass: My
favourite city is Cairo. I have favourite
places that I like to go – restaurants and
cafés – that have become a part of me. On
Fridays, I like to go to a favourite café.
Ask-aladdin:
What is your favourite Ancient
Egyptian monument? And why?
Dr. Hawass: My
favourite Egyptian monument is the Great
Pyramid. Until today, it still has many
mysteries to reveal.
Ask-aladdin: Do
you have a favourite period in
Ancient Egyptian history? If so when and
why?
Dr. Hawass:
My favourite period of Egyptian history is
the Old Kingdom. My interest in this period
is based upon the pyramids and my
excavations at Giza. My work at this site is
revealing answers to many questions
concerning the Fourth Dynasty.
Ask-aladdin:
Do you have a favourite person in
Ancient Egyptian history? If so who and why?
Dr. Hawass:
My favorite person in ancient Egyptian
history is Khufu, builder of the Great
Pyramid. His great monument still holds many
secrets.
Ask-aladdin:
What advice would you give to anyone coming
to Egypt?
Dr.
Hawass: I would
advise anyone coming to Egypt that it is a
very safe country – safer than any other in
the world. In order to appreciate its
beauty, people must come into contact with
the Egyptians, which one does not normally
do on a tour.
Ask-aladdin:
Where is your
favourite holiday / vacation destination?
Dr.
Hawass : I
never take a vacation!!! |
