Live and Let Die

The end seems to be nearing for Nabil Darwish’s pottery museum. The late Darwish — a recognized genius in his field — passed away in 2002, bequeathing his Haraniya workshop as a museum to the government.

In Haraniya, he left behind some 2,000 pieces of pottery. Although the museum is one of the most important sites in Giza and an international tourist destination, the museum is in danger of collapsing after sewage water seeped into its floors and walls.

The local district authority, the Ministry of Irrigation and the Sewage Authority, rallied by Darwish’s wife, have all filed reports requesting the restoration of the building — but nothing is being done about it.

Darwish’s wife has not only waged a campaign against the inaction, but also called for her husband to be recognized through a government award. Her hopes were dashed when officials informed her that awards were only given to the living, not to the dead.

AS ONE museum decays, restoration specialists have their eyes on another at the neglected lake in Ain El-Sira.

Although envisioned as a sea of calm in the midst of Old Cairo, the lake has been run-down for decades. Today, it is slated to become the site of a national museum of Egyptian heritage. The grounds, lying on 50 feddans, should be finished by 2008 and will house the first heritage preservation facility as well as the first national archive.

Although the Minister of Culture had given the go-ahead for the project in 1999, there was a legal battle over the land, which was then registered to Arab Contractors. The two parties have since reached an agreement.

AFTER GETTING up on stage 15 minutes after he was due to begin one of a series of concerts at Alexandria’s Sayed Darwish Theater last month, composer Omar Khairat was asked by a member of the audience to apologize for his tardiness.

Ashraf Talaat Alaa El-Aswany

Ever the gentleman, Khairat complied sincerely — and performed with gusto into the early hours of the morning.

AFTER MUCH persuasion from film director Khaled Youssef, cinema legend Youssef Chahine has agreed to appear in a cameo role as, you guessed it, a film director, in Youssef’s upcoming Wiga.

The movie stars Hany Salama, Sherif Mounir, Menna Shalaby, Hend Sabri, Boshra and Lebanese bombshell Dolly Shahin.

Publishing giant Harper-Collins has approached AUC Press for translation and printing rights to Alaa El-Aswany’s controversial Omaret Yacoubian (The Yacoubian Building).

If AUC Press and Harper-Collins can reach an agreement, the book will be distributed in the United States and Europe.

Since its release in 2002, the novel has become a bestseller in the Arab world. For his part, El-Aswany said that such demand and high circulation give a positive impression of the Arab peoples, particularly at a time when the Arab world is viewed negatively by the West.

Fanan El-Shaab Sayed Darwish (Artist of the People Sayed Darwish) is the title of a new book by Salwa El-Enany, which follows the life of the great musician.

The book, which will be put out by the Ministry of Youth, is written in simple Arabic for children and aims at highlighting Darwish’s musical achievements and pivotal role in Egypt’s musical heritage.

Egypt is about to get its first new national atlas since 1925, when the nation puts out the only official atlas we’ve ever had.

The new project, which is the brainchild of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina and the Egyptian Scientific Center, will update 80 years of geographic changes, seeking out professional services from reputed historians, geographers, geologists, naturalists, economists and marketing specialists. et