World Greek Language Day Celebration at the BA
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The Bibliotheca Alexandrina, in collaboration with the Consulate General of Greece in Alexandria, organized a celebration to mark the World Greek Language Day, which included several cultural and scientific activities to highlight the historical and cultural significance of the Greek language and its pivotal role throughout the ages in shaping human thought.
The ceremony was inaugurated by Dr. Ahmed Zayed, Director of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina; Mr. Ioannis Pyrgakis, Consul General of Greece in Alexandria; and His Beatitude Theodoros II, Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa for the Greek Orthodox. It was presented by Ms. Heba El-Rafey, Acting Head of the External Relations and Media Sector.
The program included a keynote lecture titled "The Greek Language and its Role in Preserving Scientific, Literary, and Intellectual Heritage Worldwide," delivered by Dr. Ashraf Farrag, Professor of Comparative Linguistics (Greek and Latin) and former Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Alexandria University. He discussed the contributions of the Greek language in preserving and transmitting human knowledge across generations, its impact on global scientific, intellectual, and literary heritage, and its continued presence in several scientific and literary terminologies that are still in use today.
The Academic Sector’s Writing and Scripts Center also participated with a lecture titled "Preserving Heritage: The Digitization and Study Project of Dr. Zaki Ali's Papyri," presented by Ms. Rana El-Zalabany, a researcher at the Center and member of the project team. The lecture examined a collection of papyri donated by Dr. Zaki Ali's family to the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, which are preserved at the Rare Books and Special Collections Library.
The event was accompanied by a museum display of ten original Ancient Greek papyri, including rare samples containing passages from the ancient Greek translation of selected books of the Old Testament. It also featured the screening of the documentary film The Journey of Writing in Egypt, which sheds light on Greek writings in Egypt, as well as a short documentary on Greek textual heritage in Egypt and worldwide. It concluded with a musical performance inspired by Greek heritage.
In addition, the Alexandria branch of the Hellenic Foundation for Books and Culture presented a selection of books translated from Greek into Arabic, in support of translation initiatives and to further strengthen cultural exchange between the two countries.