Venezuela and Egypt strengthen cultural ties

Published at: 02/07/2025 08:15 AM

As part of the 21st Venezuelan International Book Fair (FILVEN 2025), which will be inaugurated this Thursday, July 3, the National Library welcomed the director of the Alexandria Library of the Arab Republic of Egypt. Dr. Ahmed Abdallah Zayed Hegab.

During the day, Dr. Zayed Hegab held a working table with the Deputy Minister of Identity and Cultural Diversity, Ignacio Barreto; the director of the Autonomous Institute of Library and Library Services (IABNSB), Jorge Berrueta; and the most excellent ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt to Venezuela, Kareem Amin; as well as with other authorities in the national library field.

The authorities also took a tour of the facilities of the National Library, which included an exhibition dedicated to indigenous heroic resistance in Venezuela and its harmonious relationship with the environment, as well as an exhibition of part of the collection of rare books and ancient manuscripts preserved on parchment. This visit allowed the illustrious guest to get to know up close the documentary and patrimonial wealth protected by the Venezuelan institution.

In recognition of his outstanding career and within the framework of the 191 years of the National Library, the board of directors awarded Dr. Ahmed Abdallah Zayed Hegab the “Merit Order Button in its only kind”, as an expression of cultural brotherhood between Venezuela and Egypt and in homage to his work at the head of one of the most emblematic libraries in the Arab world.

In addition, the Deputy Minister of Identity and Cultural Diversity, Ignacio Barreto, said that the meeting was a good opportunity to learn about and exchange impressions about both cultures and to be part of the documentary treasures protected by this institution, so important for Venezuelan documentary heritage.

“We are now going to try to find some agreements to bring the National Library of Venezuela closer to the Library of Alexandria. Venezuela and Egypt, two peoples that consider themselves friends, we are peoples that are in constant collaboration with each other, and Egypt, which is the guest country of FILVEN and brings us very important guests”.

For his part, Dr. Zayed Hegab expressed his satisfaction with the visit and reception. “I am very happy to be here at the National Library of Venezuela, it is a pleasure that this year Egypt will become the guest country of honor at the Venezuelan Book and Writing Fair, in which we are going to participate and we are going to give a conference on the Alexandria Library on July 4 at 4 p.m. in the Egypt room,” he explained.

Zayeb indicated that the Alexandria Library is an ancient library built in the 3rd century BC, and was reinvented in 2002 and is now considered one of the largest libraries in the world; “we are always happy to have friendly and collaborative relationships with libraries from all over the world,” he said.

Admired by the library complex and the warm welcome, the official noted that he found a very large library, full of books, letters and documents, with a history that is very important for the conservation and distribution of the treasures of knowledge, and a very important cultural heritage that must be preserved.

“We are going to work in the future to establish collaborative and cooperative relationships between the Library of Alexandria and the National Library of Venezuela. The Alexandria Library manages a conservation center, but in Cairo, which has very important capacities in all the conservation of material and intangible cultural heritage. There are also short films or short videos about conservation, some of which can be seen inside the National Art Gallery at FILVEN,” he said.

MINCULTURA PRESS