The Nabat newspaper polled young Egyptians on different topics around the New Year. I was honored they chose me as Character of the Year, and especially so because the choice was made by the young people of Egypt. Many people think that young Egyptians do not know about their antiquities or care about preserving them. However, the fact that they chose me for this award shows that they care about who I am and what I do. The young people love the monuments of Egypt and obviously care about preserving them. This makes me very happy, because its shows that in the future there will be people sho will care for the ancient Egyptian monuments.

 

When I met the reporter at Khan el-Khalili, we sat together in the Fashawy Café, which is one of the oldest cafés in Cairo. Located within the narrow, winding streets of the market, this charming café is furnished with antiques and filled with locals and tourists drinking tea and smoking sheesha. I sat with the reporter, who interviewed me, asking questions about my life – my friends, people I admire, and how I came to be in my position. After the interview, we walked around the market and people who recognized me came up to speak with me and express their support of my work. Then we walked through the El-Hussein mosque, which is an important site in the Islamic history of Cairo.

 

On Sunday night, I went to the offices of the paper to receive the award. They held a question and answer session, where I had a dialogue with many young people about archaeology and issues in Egypt. Then they presented me with the plaque and I spoke about the importance of young people in preserving our culture, because they are the future of Egypt.