"Description de I'Egypte", one of the rare collections in the National Library of Albania, was exhibited on Tuesday in the spaces of the Opera and Ballet Theater, as part of the "Egyptian Culture Week", in the presence of the Minister of Culture of Albania, Elva Margariti, and her Egyptian counterpart Nevin El Kilany.
"'Description de l'Egypte' is one of those few exhibitions that attracts the universal interest of people of letters, historians, painters, collectors, people of archives. It is a collection that has its starting point in the expeditions sent by Napoleon Bonaparte, in the 18th century and that discover a world unknown to us Europeans", Margariti is quoted as saying, Albanian media report.
Minister Margariti emphasized that the exhibition organized by the National Library is a sign of hospitality for the Minister of Culture of Egypt, Nevin Al Kilani.
"But on the other hand, 'rediscovering' this collection has been a rediscovery for us as well," she is quoted as saying.
Publishing photos from the exhibition on social networks, the minister said that this is a rare collection on Egypt, "worked with so much finesse, preserved in very good conditions" which attracts not only to learn more not only about the publications or the techniques used to create the images, but also about their origin. "But these are not the only rare books, which we still do not know in our library and which hide another story in their pages, besides the one written on them. Very soon we will open another space, what we once called the 'Library Annex', which after the restoration of the historic building damaged by the earthquake, will turn into an active center dedicated to books, where you can learn more about these rare books, but also a center for dialogue, for young people, adding the digital element", said Margariti.
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The collection, as written in the exhibition description, contains 844 engravings, the work of some of the most famous artists of the time. It marks not only the beginning of Egyptology as a scientific discipline, but also the birth of a passion for the art of ancient Egypt throughout the Western world. For its exceptional typographic quality, beauty and content, this famous work constitutes one of the pearls of the collection of rare publications of the National Library of Albania. With its 11 volumes, which are brought to this exhibition, various aspects of ancient and modern Egypt are covered. This is the first time that this collection is presented to the Albanian public.
Legend: “Description de I'Egypte” – one of the rare collections in the National Library of Albania that dates back to the expeditions sent by Napoleon Bonaparte in the 18th century to Egypt – has been exhibited for the first time to the public.
