Digging deep into history

Manote Tripathi

The Nation

Cairo, Egypt

 If you love watching documentaries on the National Geographic and Discovery channels, chances are that you might have seen this silver-haired man climbing into a tomb under the sands, boasting about his latest dig or complaining about ancient artefacts that have not been returned to Egypt yet.

 To certain sections of the media, Dr Zahi Hawass comes across as a hothead bent on preserving ancient Egypt and fighting anyone who might think otherwise. But not many know that Hawass is just a friendly chap who loves technology - the very thing that has helped reveal more clues in his archaeological pursuits that in turn result in great contributions to Egyptology.

 It was for this aspect of his career that Thailand's prestigious Bansomdejchaopraya Rajabhat University last month gave Hawass an honorary doctorate in management in the Golden Room of the now-restored Manyal Palace, or the palace of Mohammed Ali, on the island of Manial, in Cairo.

 The event coincided with the presentation of the Koosang Koosom Award of Recognition to Hawass by former senator Dumrong Poottan, the founder of 30-year-old Koosang Koosom magazine, for his lifelong commitment to preserving Egyptian artefacts as well as for his contributions to the world.

 "In his position as secretary-general of the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities as well as director of the Egyptian Mummy Project, Hawass has been a determined advocate in the fight to regain Egypt's lost treasures and preserve those endangered by the environment and mass tourism.

 "We are grateful to him for being a generous contributor to the world of Egyptology, archaeology, history, ethnology and other sciences. He has shared his work and discoveries not only with his fellow Egyptians, but also with the international community," Dumrong said during the award citation.

 The presentation of the degree and award brought together a multinational crowd of diplomats, academics, archaeologists and those interested in Hawass' work. Present at the ceremony were Thai Ambassador to Egypt Noppadon Theppitak, Dumrong and his team, president of Bansomdejchaopraya Rajabhat University Assoc Prof Supol Wuthisen as well as Thai journalists.

 "Dr Hawass has done so much for humanity, adding to our knowledge of the mysteries of ancient Egypt. He has revealed the secrets of the past and we know there is more to come. Just recently, he found a new pyramid in Saqqara," the ambassador said.

 The university had been considering Hawass for the honorary degree since last year, and the final decision was made just a week before the degree was given, the envoy said.

 He said Hawass is well known in Thailand because of his many discoveries like his identification of the Hatshepsut mummy, the Tutankhamun mummy and the Valley of the Golden Mummies in Bahariya.

 In response, Hawass said he was deeply touched by the ambassador's kind words, before adding that he was amazed that at a time of upheaval Thais were still fascinated by the world of the pharaohs, which shows their awareness and appreciation of culture and history.

Hawass is no stranger to Thailand. He visited last year to deliver a lecture on ancient Egypt and a few years before that, accompanied Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn to the Great Pyramids when he was fascinated by her grace and generosity.

 "I have met many distinguished people in my time, but princesses always capture my heart. Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn is an amazing lady. She is intelligent, genuine and unpretentious; her people look at her as if she is a goddess. When I was in Thailand, at the house of Ambassador Ashraf el-Khouli, I noticed how the cook, maid and the guests were looking at the princess: their eyes were brimming with love. I could tell that they felt blessed to be in her presence.

 "During the tour Princess Maha Chakri wrote down almost every word I said about the pyramids. I also told her about the secret doors inside the Great Pyramid. As I spoke, she was silently absorbing everything and looked like a person deep in thought. It was as if she didn't want to miss a single word. I was sure she felt the magic and mystery of the site. When we went to see the Sphinx, she looked up and was mesmerised. I felt the princess could only see one thing - the Sphinx," Hawass noted in one of his articles.

 At age 62 and as secretary-general of the Supreme Antiquities Council, Hawass has no plans to retire. He remains active in his attempts to preserve colossal monuments and artefacts as well as unearth new evidence.

 "So far what we've unearthed accounts for only 30 per cent of what exists under the sands," he said, adding that he was particularly proud of his latest discovery - a tomb believed to be that of Cleopatra and Mark Anthony located 50 kilometres west of Alexandria. He found several coins featuring the legendary queen's image at the site.

 "We need to conduct more scientific tests to prove that the tomb belongs to the queen," he said, explaining that tests could all be done in Egypt now, thanks to his successful campaign in establishing two DNA and CT-Scan labs.

  Besides Cleopatra, he believes the body of Alexander the Great lies buried somewhere in Alexandria, but he said, for the moment, Cleopatra remains his top priority. "She's a beautiful lady," he explained.

 Watch this space for a full-length interview with Zahi Hawass and more articles on ancient Egypt.

 (The writer travelled to Egypt courtesy of Koosang Koosom magazine.)