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Under the patronage of Dr. Ahmed El-Ansary, Governor of Fayoum, and Prof. Yasser Magdy Hatata, President of Fayoum University, Prof. Assem El-Essawy, Vice President of the University for Community Service and Environmental Development, witnessed the Fayoum Heritage Festival, which comes within the framework of the International Day for Heritage and Handicrafts. In the presence of Prof. Ashraf Abdel Maboud, Dean of Faculty of Tourism and Hotels, Prof. Moustafa Abu Hamad, Head of the Department of Tourism Studies and Festival Coordinator, and a number of deans and vice deans of colleges, faculty members, members of the House of Representatives, tourism industry men, employees and students, , Monday 13/ 5/2024 in the conference hall of the Central Library.
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Prof. Assem El-Essawy stressed the necessity of the university adopting a project to document the heritage of Fayoum Governorate and making it available on the university’s website, to be an official window for those wishing to view and obtain reliable information about the heritage areas in Fayoum Governorate.
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He pointed out that Fayoum Governorate is one of the governorates rich in archaeological and cultural diversity throughout the ages. It includes archaeological evidence from various different time periods. He praised the idea of organizing the festival, and called on the students to work and raise awareness of the importance of preserving heritage, whether material or moral.
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Prof. Ashraf Abdel Maboud pointed out the great importance that the Faculty of Tourism and Hotels attaches to the cultural heritage of Fayoum Governorate, as it is one of the oldest cities in the world. He explained that the festival includes an exhibition of heritage crafts, such as pottery products from the village of Nazla, products from the village of Tunis, wicker products from Alellam village, and silk products In the village of Desia, products of the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority, Ayady Misr products, and products of the Fayoum Women’s Union for Handicrafts.
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The festival also includes a number of workshops on the role of heritage and handicrafts in tourism development, as well as a workshop on the challenges facing handicrafts, a workshop on food heritage, and a workshop on marketing Egyptian handicrafts globally.
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For her part, Dr. Mervat Abdel Azim, Member of the House of Representatives, said that Egypt has a cultural history and cultural components that need to be highlighted and cared for. She called for the need to develop awareness of how to deal with tourists and not exploit them.
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She pointed to the Malaz Amen project being implemented in Fayoum Governorate on an area of 2,000 acres, which is an integrated heritage project aimed at protecting endangered animals.
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Prof. Moustafa Mahmoud Abu Hamad spoke about the tourism industry and its role in providing significant economic returns by providing hard currency and job opportunities, and tourism development also contributes to development projects.
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He explained that heritage tourism represents an important part of tourism in general because of the heritage aspects and great cultural components that Fayoum Governorate contains, as the city of Fayoum is the oldest inhabited Egyptian city, and the sixth oldest city in the world.
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He added that the festival aims to shed light on the soft power of Fayoum Governorate, and raise awareness of the importance of preserving heritage and civilization.
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Mr. Hisham Al-Gazzar, Deputy Chamber of Handicrafts and member of the Federation of Industries at the Ministry of Trade and Industry, praised organizing the festival, which sheds light on handicrafts and heritage in Fayoum Governorate, stressing support for all those working in this field and working to market their products.
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While Mr. Hisham Wahba, member of the Chamber of Tourism Establishments, emphasized the importance of awareness of heritage and encouraging communities to maintain appreciation for their heritage, history and culture, and promoting the values of belonging and adherence to authentic values. He called for the necessity of providing workshops and training to work on supporting and developing handicrafts and heritage.
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Mrs. Manal Mahmoud, planning officer at the Permanent Cultural Dialogue Authority, said that the festival works to protect heritage from extinction, reminding of the necessity of preserving it, directing attention to archaeological areas and preserving identity.
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On the sidelines of the opening of the festival, an artistic performance was presented by the Arab Fayoum Band affiliated with the Palace of Culture, and the festival’s sponsors and participants, including body members and students, were honored.
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