In celebration of the 150th anniversary of Dom Pedro II’s first visit to Egypt, the Brazilian Embassy in Cairo inaugurates in November an exhibition of 19th century photographs gathered by the emperor during his stay in the country. There are 90 reproductions in high resolution, rare records of an Egypt undergoing transformation.
Dom Pedro visited Egypt twice, in 1871 and in 1876, a story I told in sheet a few years ago. He was enthusiastic about the region’s history and studied Arabic. On these visits, the emperor collected hundreds of photographs – and took his own as well. The material is now part of the Dona Thereza Christina Maria collection. Both the collected photographs and Dom Pedro’s notebooks are recognized by Unesco as a record of the memory of the world.
In an article published in Egypt’s leading newspaper, al-Ahram, Ambassador Antonio Patriota wrote that the exhibition serves as a reminder “of how Egypt has fascinated every corner of the world.” “It is also an incentive for Brazilians and Egyptians to continue to join forces in promoting culture, for the benefit not only of our societies but also of a wider global audience.”
The exhibition “Back to Egypt: A Brazilian Collection of Photographs” is on display from November 3rd to 30th at the Gezira Art Center, in the Zamalek neighborhood. In addition to the organization of the Brazilian embassy, the exhibition has a partnership with the Ministry of Culture of Egypt.
