Mena House Oberoi Hunting for History

As part of a comprehensive renovation project, the Mena House Oberoi is collecting photographs, documents, souvenirs and other tokens from the historic hotel’s 120 years. Memorabilia will be displayed during a grand re-opening gala slated for 2008.

Built as a hunting lodge for Khedive Ismail, the Mena House was converted to a hotel in 1885. For more than a century, the hotel has hosted the upper crust of Egypt and the world, from weddings to war conferences.

The Mena House’s three-phase, LE 195 million renovation encompasses every aspect of the hotel, including rooms, main lobby and swimming pools. A Banyan Tree Spa will open on site.

The hotel will continue to receive guests until Spring 2007, then will close for approximately a year to restore the Palace areas.

For more information about donating memorabilia to the Mena House, contact Tarek Lotfy, assistant director of sales and marketing, at (02) 383-3222.

Courtesy Wadi Evironmental Science Center Students learn about the sun as a renewable energy source at the Wadi Environmental Science Center.

Kids of all ages are invited to show off their artistic and inventive talents as part of Egypt’s first ever national World Environment Day activities. An environmental fair featuring contests to create vehicles, toys and artwork will be held on Saturday, June 3, at the Wadi Environmental Science Center.

World Environment Day, promoted by the United Nations Environmental Programme, is observed each year on June 5 to create international awareness of the environment and generate political attention and action. The theme for 2006 is Deserts and Desertification, with the slogan “Don’t Desert Drylands.”

In Egypt, local NGOs, schools, government agencies and the private sector are sponsoring the environmental fair. The main events include a renewable energy vehicle race where contestants design and build their own non-polluting vehicle; a film festival where students 12-18 years old create short movies about environmental concerns and possible solutions; a drawing contest for kids 6-12 years old and a toy-building contest using recycled materials sponsored by Club 2/3, a Canadian NGO. Musicians will perform on a solar powered stage.

Spread over four thematic villages representing earth, air, fire and water, the fair will feature information kiosks, educational games, workshops and audiovisual presentations about pressing environmental issues facing the world today, such as pollution, waste management, water, biodiversity and clean industry processing.

Getting ready for race day with a vehicle that doesn’t pollute.

The World Environment Day activities are supported by the Egyptian Ministry of State for Environmental Affairs and the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency.

The Wadi Environmental Science Center is located on a 1,200-feddan olive tree plantation, 54 kilometers north of Cairo along the desert road of Alexandria. For more information about the fair, visit the World Environment Day Fair’s official website: www.wesc.org/wed

Some 330 monuments rescued from the Mediterranean waters off Alexandria, including three five-meter tall colossi, are on exhibit in Berlin through September. According to Zahi Hawass, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, Egypt will get LE 6 million in return for displaying its breathtaking artifacts during the four-month exhibit.

The true mummy of Egyptian Queen Hatshepsut was discovered on the third floor of Cairo’s Egyptian Museum, Hawass revealed during a lecture at the New York-based Metropolitan Museum of Art in March. The museum is hosting an exhibition of 270 Hatshepsut artifacts through July 9.

Egyptian archaeologists have uncovered new monuments dating back to the pharaohs’ Middle Kingdom in Al-Fayoum governorate, the Ministry of Culture has announced. Chief among the relics is the temple of Madi City, the only temple remaining from that time period.

An Egyptian-Spanish archaeological expedition working in Luxor has unearthed a 34-meter-long parlor belonging to Gihoti, a workers’ superintendent in charge of decorating temples and galleries during the reign of Queen Hatshepsut, 1502-1487 BC. A game board was also excavated in a nearby room.

SunAir, the Orascom-owned charter airline company, started domestic services in April with a variety of routes between Cairo, El Gouna, Luxor, Sharm El-Sheikh, Aswan and Abu Simbel. Tickets are available for individual passengers or charter groups of up to 64 persons. For more information, contact tel: (02) 335-7440, or e-mail sales@sunair-eg.com.

The first direct Paris-Taba charter flight launched in April. According to Minister of Tourism Zohair Garana, the new line will attract more tourists to South Sinai.

Members of Lufthansa’s ‘Miles & More’ frequent flyer program can now collect 500 miles for each night spent at a M?venpick hotel or resort, with double miles awarded during the month of May.  et