site.btaBulgaria and Egypt Celebrate 100 Years of Diplomatic Relations with Music and Culture in Alexandria

Following their performance at the Cairo Opera House, the renowned Mystery of the Bulgarian Voices, the chamber ensemble Quarto Quartet, and Maestro Georgi Andreev gave a concert at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina to mark the 100th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Bulgaria and Egypt.

“Arts and music are a universal language that fosters dialogue between cultures and overcomes cultural and social divides,” said Heba El Refai, head of the Public Relations and International Cooperation Department at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, speaking on behalf of its director Dr. Ahmed Zayed.

Bulgarian Ambassador to Egypt Deyan Katrachev highlighted Alexandria’s key role as Bulgaria’s gateway to the Middle East and Africa. He recalled the journey of the Alexandrian Patriarch St. Athanasius to Serdica for the council in 343 AD, during which it is believed he founded the St. Athanasius Monastery near Chirpan. During the Bulgarian National Revival, a substantial Bulgarian community of entrepreneurs and merchants settled in the Mediterranean city, and after World War II, the Bulgarian royal family emigrated there.

The event, organised by the Bulgarian Embassy and the iconic Egyptian cultural and educational institution, featured renowned Egyptian maestro Nayer Nagui, the library choir, and performances by Egyptian folk instrumentalists. The audience experienced a unique blending and interaction of Bulgarian and Egyptian musical traditions.

As part of the centenary celebrations of diplomatic relations between Bulgaria and Egypt, an exhibition titled “Egyptian Cults on the Black Sea” opened on February 10 at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina. The exhibition is part of the project “Thrace and Egypt in the Greco-Roman World,” led by Dr. Vessela Atanassova of the Institute of Balkan Studies and Centre of Thracology at Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (IBCT-BAS), and will run until February 17.