24 December 10, 2017 Travel www.thearabweekly.com

Agenda

Dubai: Through December 13

The Dubai International Film Fes- tival is a celebration of Arab and international cinema. In its 14th edition, the festival showcases more than 120 films from Holly- wood, Bollywood and elsewhere. A parallel programme includes seminars, debates and meetings.

Tunis: Through December 16

Carthage Theatre Days is an an- nual festival that features plays from the Maghreb, Africa, the Middle East and Europe. In its 19th edition, the festival takes place in Tunis and other loca- tions in Tunisia.

Abu Dhabi: Through December 23

The Abu Dhabi Food Festival is a celebration of international cuisine. With events across Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Al Dhafra, the flavour-filled event features many activities, such as street One of the ancient relics as it was lifted out of the water in years ago. (Heba Abdel Salam) feasts, fine dining experiences and cooking demonstrations by some of the world’s most cel- ebrated chefs. ’s sunken Dubai: Through December 31

“La Perle” features 65 artists performing amazing stunts and relics help aerial antics above an on-stage pool filled with 2.7 million litres of water in a state-of-the-art, custom-built theatre. The show tourism sector takes place at Al Habtoor City. Egypt: Through December 31 Amr Emam treasures, which she described as “forgotten wealth.” The Sphinx Festival explores “Submerged antiquities have and promotes the cultural arts of Cairo not received enough attention,” Egypt. It includes music, dance Abdel Salam said. “They can turn and poetry performances, ethnic housands of ancient rel- into a lifeboat for our tourism sec- costumes, workshops and Egyp- ics under water off the t o r.” tian dance classes. The festival coast of Alexandria have Abdel Salam and her colleagues takes place at various venues, turned diving into a pro- conduct daily diving tours near including the ancient Sun fessional obsession for Egypt’s underwater treasures, Temple, Cairo and the Egyptian THeba Abdel Salam. something she said she hopes will oasis. Abdel Salam does not, however, help the country’s flagging tour- dive in the Mediterranean Sea off ism trade. Dubai: Alexandria only because of a pas- The great palaces and temples Through April 7 sion for diving but out of a love for of ancient Alexandria, founded by exploration and archaeology, par- Alexander the Great, remain under Global Village is a large seasonal ticularly for Egypt’s underwater water. This reportedly includes cultural event that offers an ar- the submerged palace complex of ray of festivals, shopping and Queen , the remains of entertainment in an open-air the 137-metre lighthouse — one of A Roman-era bust under the water in Bay in Alexandria. theme park. This entertain- the seven wonders of the ancient (Heba Abdel Salam) ment and shopping destination world — and numerous busts of involves more than 70 participat- Cleopatra’s son, Caesarion, and ing countries presented in more her father, Ptolemy XII. to take tourists to them. them without diving. than 36 pavilions. Participants “If included in tourism promo- One theory is that an earthquake The museum would have fea- can enjoy more than 50 rides and tion programmes, the sunken hundreds of years ago caused the tured an inland structure in Abu 26 restaurants offering food from treasures can attract millions of city to be submerged. Another is Qir Bay with visitors reaching the around the world. tourists,” said Ashraf Sabri, the that a rising Mediterranean gradu- sea floor through underwater -fi head of the Alexandria Sub Ma- ally engulfed the city of ancient breglass structures. However, the Abu Dhabi: rine Diving Centre, which has Alexandria. plan proved too costly, said Ehab December 14-27 started a campaign to promote Regardless of the reasons, the Moussa, head of the Tourism Sup- Egypt’s submerged treasures. remnants have lain under water port Alliance, an independent un- Al Dhafra Festival is a major “Divers from around the world for so long, Abdel Salam said, they ion of tourism experts who work to regional and international event would love to come here and provide a strong draw to millions promote Egypt’s tourism sector. inspired by the Emirati authentic see these rare treasures,” he of divers looking for a new chal- Moussa said there were sunken Bedouin spirit. It features more said. lenge. There are, she said, close to treasures in places other than Al- than a dozen heritage activities Over the past two decades, 45 million certified divers in the exandria, including the northern and competitions, including a divers and archaeology experts world and they have the opportu- city of Damietta. “There are also camel beauty contest, with a surveyed close to 11,000 antiq- nity to see ancient sights that have submerged antiquities in the Red total prize value of more than uities of all types in one site east remained relatively undisturbed Sea,” Moussa said. $12.8 million. of Alexandria, known as Abu Qir for centuries. “They [submerged antiquities] Bay. are an important part of the lost Muscat: Only 20% of the artefacts were history of our country,” he added. January 18-February 10 excavated, experts said, and dis- Over the past two Egypt’s tourism sector started to played at national museums and decades, divers and see signs of recovery after a year of The annual Muscat Festival takes abroad. “Sunken cities: Egypt’s hardship induced by the downing archaeology experts place in Amerat Park and Naseem Lost Worlds” was an exhibition of a Russian passenger plane over surveyed close to Gardens. The programme in- at the British Museum showcas- Sinai in 2015. However, a knife at- 11,000 antiquities of all cludes poetry sessions, lectures, ing underwater discoveries that tack at the popular Red Sea tour- forums, concerts, storytelling gained widespread popular and types in Abu Qir Bay. ist resort of Hurghada, which left evenings, plays, art exhibitions critical interest. two German tourists dead and four and other shows. As for the remaining antiqui- “Divers would need a week, others wounded, was expected to ties, which include many statues at least, to tour all the sites sub- hit the tourism sector hard. considered too heavy to exca- merged under the water here,” Ab- Egypt’s underwater treasures We welcome submissions of vate, the Alexandria Sub Marine del Salam said. “Some sites would could still be a draw. “There are calendar items related to Diving Centre is more than happy take several hours to tour.” great relics lying under the water cultural events of interest to In 2008, Egyptian antiquities au- here… I know of people who are travellers in the Middle East thorities considered constructing more than ready to come to visit and North Africa. The statue of a female student an underwater museum in Abu Qir the ruins of ancient Alexandria, an Please send tips to: belonging to the Roman era. Bay to protect the relics and give exquisite centre of ancient civilisa- (Heba Abdel Salam) [email protected] visitors the opportunity to tour tion,” Moussa said.

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