By Manal Abdel Fattah
The Cervantes Institute in Cairo, in cooperation with the Embassy of Mexico in the Arab Republic of Egypt, opened the “Time of Redemption” exhibition, which displays heritage manuscripts from the Mayan civilization and highlights the looting of cultural and archaeological assets that many nations have suffered from.
In the presence of author Jose Ibaraguirre, and Ali Mohamed Abdel Latif, professor in the Department of Spanish at Minya University.
The opening witnessed a prominent diplomatic presence, headed by Ms. Leonora Rueda, the Mexican Ambassador to Egypt, and Eduardo Fragoso, the Mexican Cultural Attaché, as well as a high-level delegation from the Spanish Embassy, the embassies of Latin American countries in Cairo, and members of the Spanish Cultural Center (Cervantes Institute).
The event included a presentation of the book “Tiempo de restitución”, published in 2023, in the presence of author Jose Ibaraguirre, and Ali Mohamed Abdel Latif, professor in the Department of Spanish at Minya University. The book traces the journey of one of the heritage manuscripts of the ancient Maya civilization – which lasted for about 3,000 years in the present-day lands of Mesoamerica – known as the “Dresden Codex,” which moved from its home in the Yucatán jungles, in Mexico, to pass through the Spanish imperial court via France, Belgium, Austria, and Italy. , finally arriving in Germany, where he escapes the devastation of World War II.
This is in addition to discussing the necessity of the challenges of working to restore the country’s cultural assets – which is an urgent issue for many countries, including Mexico and Egypt.
For her part, Ms. Leonora Rueda, Ambassador of Mexico to Egypt, expressed her pride in the cooperation between the Cervantes Institute – which is hosting the exhibition, within the framework of its close cooperation with the embassies of Spanish-speaking countries in Egypt, and stressed the necessity of efforts to recover the various antiquities of nations that have been smuggled over the years.
To appear in other places in the world, praising the various efforts that support the restoration of the cultural heritage of the civilizations that originated on the land of Mexico. She also stressed that recovering these assets is a concern shared by both Egypt and Mexico.
It is noteworthy that the exhibition continues until the end of this March, and receives the public free of charge from 10 am to 4 pm daily, except for official holidays and public holidays.
