President Milanović unveils Croatian-Egyptian Cultural Exhibition in Alexandria

Croatian President Zoran Milanović is on a working visit to Egypt, where he participated in two major cultural events.

On Saturday night, he joined world leaders in Giza for the opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum, a billion-dollar, state-of-the-art complex showcasing Egypt’s ancient heritage.

“Yesterday in Cairo I witnessed history in the making,” President Milanović said. “The world was once again faced with the immortal, eternal, and archetypal beauty of Egypt - the only civilization in history embedded in almost all others. Croatia also has a special connection with Egypt and the distinguished city of Alexandria. It’s little known that the Republic of Dubrovnik opened its consulate here as early as 1515.”

On Sunday in Alexandria, Milanović unveiled a new exhibition on Egyptian culture in Croatia at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, titled “Echoes of Egypt: Sphinxes in Croatia” . Organizers say cultural outreach programs like this help smaller nations, such as Croatia, strengthen ties with larger partners around the world.

Daniel Rafaelić, a diplomatic advisor and Egyptologist, emphasized the importance of cultural diplomacy: “In some ways it can accomplish much more than traditional diplomacy and political activities. Cultural connections transcend both the past and the present and can open many more doors for Croatia than we might realize.”

The exhibition presents Egyptomania in Croatia over the past 2,000 years. Tomislav Kiš, director of the exhibition, explained: “It features photographs of the most representative sphinxes, from ancient Egyptian examples at Diocletian’s Palace to 19th- and 20th-century versions.”

The exhibition will remain open at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina in the coming weeks, highlighting the long-standing cultural and historical connections between Croatia and Egypt.