Launched earlier this month, a photography competition aiming to spotlight Egypt’s underwater treasures through the eyes of emerging photographers was concluded this week as part of the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities’ two-day Sunken Cultural Heritage Festival.
Those entering the competition were invited to capture artefacts that have newly emerged from the Mediterranean seabed and are currently displayed at the Graeco-Roman Museum and the Alexandria National Museum in Alexandria.
“The response was overwhelming,” said Ahmed Reheima, assistant minister for human resources development and general coordinator of the festival.
He said that 155 participants from Egypt and six other countries including Kuwait, Sudan, Algeria, Belarus, Spain, and South Africa had submitted more than 750 photographs in the competition. A jury of fine arts professors and archaeologists from the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA) had evaluated the entries, ultimately selecting the top 10 winners.
Reheima described the competition as a vivid example of how the visual arts can be integrated into cultural promotion, highlighting the fact that the competition not only engaged young talents but also helped to raise awareness of Egypt’s underwater heritage on both the local and the global levels.
The prizes are designed to deepen the winners’ ties with Egypt’s cultural legacy. They include free trips to archaeological sites and museums arranged by the Egyptian Tourism Authority, as well as complimentary entry permits to museums and heritage sites provided by the SCA.
“This initiative reflects the ministry’s commitment to encouraging creativity while ensuring that Egypt’s underwater heritage is celebrated and shared with the rest of the world,” Reheima said.
* A version of this article appears in print in the 28 August, 2025 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly
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