Johannesburg – I live in the world of the pharaohs, said Egyptologist Dr Zahi Hawass.
“It’s not enough to just like or love something. If you have the passion for it, you will go far. It is everything,” he said.
The colourful, rich history of Egypt was enough to make Hawass dedicate his life to discovering more.
“When I was young, I wanted to be a lawyer, but after reading the textbooks, I hated it. I then went to the faculty of arts and chose archaeology even though I knew nothing about it,” he said.
He took on an uninspiring government job.
“I was sent out to do excavations and I did not understand why I had to leave Cairo to go to the desert,” he said.
One day, a workman found a tomb and trained Hawass. While cleaning a statue discovered after searching through the tomb, he fell in love.
Hawass is in the country to give two multimedia presentations about his adventures in archaeology.
When he is not excavating, he is writing books and travelling the world.
The presentations are part of the “Tutankhamun – His Tomb and His Treasures” exhibition on at Silverstar Casino in Mogale City.
Some of the major discoveries Hawass has made include the Tombs of the Pyramid Builders in Giza and the Valley of the Golden Mummies at Bahariya Oasis. He discovered two unknown Old Kingdom pyramids and rediscovered the pyramid of the 6th Dynasty queen Khuit and another pyramid that belonged to a 5th Dynasty queen.
“The history of Egypt isn’t just the history of Egypt – it’s the history of the world,” he said.
Included in his many accomplishments is leading the search for the tomb of Cleopatra and Mark Antony, supervising major conservation projects and also receiving an Emmy from the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for a special on ancient Egypt.
Hawass believes that preserving the past means children will have a good future.
“When the children come here they will learn and understand better about the history that captured the hearts of people all over the world,” he said.
The Egyptian revolution caused a setback in the building of what Hawass says would have been the largest museum in the world, the Grand Museum where he planned to showcase artefacts of King Tutankhamun.
He said archaeology was becoming more popular with the youth and in the last two years, he had seen interest in it grow all over the world.
“People love the idea of Indiana Jones. Archaeology is an adventure. George Lucas came to Egypt and asked why my hat was more popular than the one worn by Harrison Ford in the movies. I told him my hat was genuine,” he said.
Hawass’s hat became an idol for archaeology and raised money for a children’s museum in Cairo.
As an Egyptian archaeological news spokesman for CNN, Hawass has used his expertise to educate others and strengthen interest in archaeology through research projects, publications, TV documentaries and lecture tours.
His presentations at the exhibition will see Hawass talk about the search for the tomb of Queen Nefertiti, new insights into the tombs in the Valley of the Kings and provide information on the research into the tombs of Cleopatra and Mark Antony.
Some more historical discussions will include the great pyramids and the Sphinx, the discovery of the family of King Tutankhamun and how he actually died among other topics.
The exhibition itself started in December and has already hosted 25 000 people. Visitors get to experience the reconstructed tomb of Tutankhamun, his treasures and over 1 000 replicas of artefacts.
“This exhibit is unique. It shows how it all happened – the originals will never travel,” he said.
The exhibition, which ends in March, will take visitors in to the mystical world of ancient Egypt. It has already been seen by over 5 million people.
“I want people to get the thrill of discovery and the magic of pyramids out of my lecture.”
For more information visit www.silverstarcasino.co.za