The Statue of Liberty (Liberty Enlightening the World; French: La Liberté éclairant le monde) is a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor in New York City, in the United States. The copper statue, designed by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, a French sculptor, was built by Gustave Eiffel and dedicated on October 28, 1886. It was a gift to the United States from the people of France.
Yet, if you review history carefully there is an Egyptian connection. In the late 1860s, Bartholdi approached Isma’il Pasha, Khedive of Egypt, with a plan to build a huge lighthouse in the form of an ancient Egyptian female fellah or peasant, robed and holding a torch aloft, at the northern entrance to the Suez Canal in Port Said.
Sketches and models were made of the proposed work, though it was never erected. There was a classical precedent for the Suez proposal, the Colossus of Rhodes: an ancient bronze statue of the Greek god of the sun, Helios. This statue is believed to have been over 100 feet (30 m) high, and it similarly stood at a harbor entrance and carried a light to guide ships.
Yet, this idea never continued due to Franco-Prussian war.
With this history in mind, ICSB Egypt (aka Maksaby) under the Presidency of Ahmed Osman worked closely with the ICSB International Office to support the ICSB World Conference. We are proud to announce that Tatweer Misr will be sponsoring the ICSB Opening Reception on Wednesday, June 15th.
Tatweer Misr, established in 2014, is an Egyptian shareholding real estate company, that capitalizes on a wealth of industrial and real estate experience. The unique vision of Tatweer Misr in the development of real estate projects focuses on building upon and assimilating the stunning natural environments of the areas in which they are located. Perfect for Egypt.
We also welcome Dr. Ahmed Mohamed Shalaby, Managing Director & Board Member, Tatweer Misr. Dr. Shalaby is also a Professor of Architecture and Urban Development at the Department of Architectural Engineering at Cairo University, Egypt. He received his Ph.D from Cornell University.
Please join us to welcome Tatweer Misr to ICSB and we hope they build an Egyptian Statue of Lights!
To learn more about TatweerMisr: http://www.tatweermisr.com/
Thank you Maksaby and TatweerMisr and see you soon!
ICSB