The renowned Egyptologist and former antiquities minister Zahi Hawass was invited by the Bulgarian tourism ministry and the Egyptian Embassy to take part in the celebrations on 9 and 10 February in Bulgaria marking the 90th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.  

 

During the celebrations Hawass will deliver a lecture about ancient Egypt in an attmept to promote tourism in Egypt. 

 

The lecture is entitled “Pyramids, Mummies and New Discoveries,” where Hawass promised to reveal the mystery behind the early death of the boy king Tutankhamun.

 

On the fringe of the event, the University of New Bulgaria honoured Hawass with an honorary doctorate degree.

 

The president of the university, Professor Plamen Bochkov, described the event as an important moment for the university to present Hawass with an honourary degree.

 

Egypt's Ambassador to Bulgaria, Manal El Shinnawi, noted that the bilateral relations in 2016 will be marked by more intense cooperation in the fields of tourism and culture.

 

During the two day event, Bulgaria's Culture Minister Vezhdi Rashidov will meet Hawass.

 

The honourary doctorate degree that Hawass received is his sixth. He has previously received honourary doctorates from Bulgaria, Thailand, the Dominican Republic, Portugal University, as well as the American University in Cairo.