Eo

Cultural policy
in
Egypt
by Magdi Wahba
Unesco Paris 1972
Studies and documents on cultural policies
In this series
Cultural policy: a preliminary study Cultural policy in the United States by Charles C. Mark Cultural rights as human rights Cultural policy in Japan by Nobuya Shikaumi Some aspects of French cultural policy by the Studies and Research Department of the French Ministry of Culture Cultural policy in Tunisia by Rafik Said Cultural policy in Great Britain by Michael Green and Michael Wilding, in consultation with Richard Hoggart Cultural policy in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics by A. A. Zvorykin with the assistance of N. I. Golubtsova and E. I. Rabinovich Cultural policy in Czechoslovakia by Miroslav Marek, Milan Hromadka and Josef Chroust Cultural policy in Italy A. survey prepared under the auspices of the Italian National Commission for Unesco Cultural policy in Yugoslavia by Stevan Majstorovic Cultural policy in Bulgaria by Kostadine Popov Some aspects of cultural policies in India by Kapila Malifc Vatsyayan Cultural policy in Cuba by Lisandro Otero with the assistance of Francisco Martinez Hinojosa Cultural policy in Egypt by Magdi Wahba To be published Cultural policy in Finland The serial numbering of titles in this series, the presentation of which has been modified, was discontinued with the volume Cultural policy in Italy
OOf. oo/. / (61)
Published by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
Place de Fontenoy, 75 Paris-7e

Printed by
Presses Universitaires de France, Vendome

1972
International Book Year
LC No. 72-80864
Unesco 1972 Printed in France
SHC.71/XIX.14/A
Preface
The purpose of this series is to show how cultural policies are planned and implemented in various Member States. As cultures differ, so does the approach to them; it is for each Member State to determine its cultural policy and methods according to its own conception of culture, its socio-economic system, political ideology and technological development. However, the methods of cultural policy (like those of general development policy) have certain common problems; these are largely institutional, administrative and financial in nature, and the need has increasingly been stressed for exchanging experiences and information about them. This series, each issue of which follows as far as possible a similar pattern so as to make comparison easier, is mainly concerned with these technical aspects of cultural policy. In general, the studies deal with the principles and methods of cultural policy, the evaluation of cultural needs, administrative structures and management, planning and financing, the organization of resources, legislation, budgeting, public and private institutions, the training of personnel, institutional infrastructures for meeting specific cultural needs, the safeguarding of the cultural heritage, institutions for the dissemination of the arts, international cultural co-operation and other related subjects. The studies, which cover countries belonging to differing social and economic systems, geographical areas and levels of development present, therefore, a wide variety of approaches and methods in cultural policy. Taken as a whole, they can provide guide-lines to countries which have yet to establish cultural policies, while all countries, especially those seeking new formulations of such policies, can profit by the experience already gained. This study was prepared for Unesco by Magdi Wahba, Under-Secretary in the Ministry of Culture, Associate Professor of English, Cairo.University. The opinions expressed are the author's and do not necessarily reflect the views of Unesco.
The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Unesco Secretariat concerning the legal status of any country or territory, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitations of the frontiers of any country or territory.
Contents
9 16 29 38
The assessment of cultural needs Administrative and financial structures The Ministry of Culture The conservation of the cultural heritage
53
76
The diffusion of culture

State patronage and the training of cultural agents
84 87
Conclusion Appendix: Organizational charts
The assessment of cultural needs
After the semi-colonial dispensation of the first half of the twentieth century
the Revolution of 1952 was faced with the task of giving substance and direction to the aspirations of the majority. Once political independence was achieved, it became imperative to lay the foundations of a community with a new-found awareness of its social and economic needs. The laying of the
foundations of a political awareness which could initiate political actions and democratic control of government was the first sign of cultural action. In a situation of revolutionary change, politics is the first expression of the increased self-awareness and exploration of the possibilities of the national identity that are the beginning of culture. In February 1962, ten years after the Revolution, the late President Gamal Abdel Nasser submitted a National Charter to 2,000 elected representatives of the people. It incorporated ten chapters which provided a basis for political action for the following ten years. After reviewing the history and the recent events of Egyptian national life the Charter proposed 'a system of democratic socialism at home, of the realistic pursuit of Arab unity at the regional level and a foreign policy based on peace, the exposure of imperialism and international co-operation for the sake of prosperity'. The National Charter was widely discussed and hammered out article by article until it became the instrument for the formation of a political organization, the Arab Socialist Union. This organization, with its broad base of popular support, became an integrated structure for the expression of political opinion. On 25 March 1964 a provisional Constitution was put into effect defining the United Arab Republic as a 'Socialist Democratic State'. Then on 30 March 1968, in response to a truly inspiring movement of solidarity among the people, the late President issued a statement of policy which constituted a document of self-reappraisal and an expression of the determination to pursue the path of democratic socialism with an increasing faith in the creative power of the people. These three documents are the basic
texts in which the shape and direction of the present national life have been recorded.
What of the cultural needs of the people in this context? Let us first attempt
an unadorned picture of Egyptian realities. The population in 1952 was just

under 21.5 million. In 1970 it rose to just over 32.5 million. The rate of
increase between 1952 and 1960 was 2.38 per cent. Between 1960 and 1970 the rate rose to 2.54 per cent. The total area of the country is approximately 386,000 square miles of which only about 5 per cent is normally habitable or cultivable, the rest being desert. Within this small area, more than
18 million live on the land and more than 14 million in cities. The government is actively aware of the dimensions of the population problem. Every
large project since 1952 has been undertaken with a pronounced awareness of this demographic explosionthe High Dam, industrialization, family planning, Liberation Province are all, in effect, attempts to sustain this daily struggle against the ruthless stranglehold of backwardness and poverty. The two five-year plans were implemented against terrible odds. Open hostilities, constant harassment and economic pressure are some of the
obstacles which had to be contended with between 1960 and 1970. It is surely a measure of the heroism and determination of the Egyptian people
and of the socialist pattern of development that so much has been achieved in such difficult circumstances.
The first slogan that was daubed on the walls of Cairo in 1952 was 'Raise
your head, my brother, the age of slavery and imperialism has passed . . .'. Perhaps these simple words will provide a key to the plan of action which
was to embrace every aspect of Egyptian national life. The twin calls of
national and socialist liberation could only be heeded by a people with a
sense of pride and confidence in its human dignity. This need, then, to rise
to the occasion was the basis on which everything else could be built. The ability to accept change and to understand the dimensions of the problem is certainly stimulated by the raising of cultural standards. But, where should we begin? What are the true latent cultural needs of a society which
may express a demand for the acquisition of culture simply as a weapon in

the struggle against imperialism and backwardness ? The reality of the situation of a people emerging from long years of oppression and foreign rule demands that there be absolute frankness and an absence of false pride in the assessment of their cultural level.
Cultural needs and the cultural level Periodically, since 1925, illiteracy had been regarded in Egypt with a mixture of despair and frantic activity. Still the problem remained. It had
imperilled all schemes of educational reform. The Ministry of Education succeeded in lowering the illiteracy rate although the actual number of
10
TABLE 1
Total
Vearl persons aged 10 and over
Illiteracy
Illiterates aged 10 and over Illiteracy rate
Male 87.0 84.8
Female
Total
1907
7 848 024
1917 1927 1937 1947 1960
9 161 944 10 268 404 11 603 488 13 489 946 17 914 323
7 277 303 8 357 461
98.6
8 816 601 9 885 300 10 407 972 12 587 686
76.1 76.6 66.1 56.6
97.7 95.6 93.9 88.2 83.8
92.7 91.2 85.9 85.2 77.2 70.3
1. Figures for the years 1907-37 were taken from Progress of Literacy in Various Countries, Paris, TJnesco, 1953 (Monographs on Fundamental Education, No. VI).
people who cannot read and write has continued to increase steadily with the increase of the population (see Table 1). In 1966 the picture was still alarming. The number of illiterates is
officially given as 13,362,610 persons between the ages of 10 and 40, that
is a rate of 63 per cent. The rate falls steadily but the demographic explosion relentlessly yields increasing numbers. The government, however, has not remained idle in the face of danger. A call to mobilize all resources was made in 1964 when a literacy plan was worked out by the General Department for Fundamental Education and Literacy in the Ministry of Education. The plan was to be implemented at a cost of (E)16 million spread over fifteen years. It was estimated that by 1971, 1.25 million illiterates would have passed through the ministry's adult education classes. Although the Ministry of Education is principally responsible for this campaign the government has mobilized every other ministry, the Arab Socialist Union, the trade unions, the rural co-operative societies and all the corporations in the public sector to make absolutely sure that their employees and members should all be literate by the end of the third five-year plan.
The role of television

In 1964 a pilot scheme was set up to use television in the struggle against illiteracy. The experiment was conducted by the Ministry of Education in
co-operation with the Unesco-sponsored Community Development Training Centre for the Arab States at Sers-el-Layyan. It did not prove an unqualified success, however, and a new plan is under way to cover an experimental area corresponding approximately to Greater Cairo where the illiterates answering the specifications of the experiment total 600,000. Unesco is helping both financially and with expert advice in the implementation of the initial stages of the project. 11
Development in Egypt has been geared to every aspect of national life. The economy, education and the social services have been fitted into a series of five-year plans which are already providing the first results of growth and increased productivity. Cultural action is part of this development process and its results, although slower to appear, are already beginning to yield fruit. However, the essential dual nature of cultural action in Egypt must always be borne in mind. For it is an action which must supply the promotion and create the stimulation which go with modernity, while it must also succeed in awakening the minds and the sensibilities of large numbers of people who have laboured for centuries under the burden of colonialism and oppression. Cultural action in the cities is different from that undertaken in the rural areas. Starting with the village we can observe more clearly the basic cultural needs of a community. In 1969 a team of sociologists headed by Dr. B. M. Fahmy and A. M. Abdel Rahman was commissioned by the Ministry of Culture to conduct a socio-cultural survey of an ordinary Egyptian village called El Marazeeq in the Giza governorate. Some results of the field survey in El Marazeeq1 According to the 1966 census, the population of El Marazeeq was 4,323 (2,210 male and 2,113 female). In 1969, a sample survey showed an average illiteracy rate of just over 60 per cent. The rate rose to 85 per cent for those persons over the age of 60 who had not benefited from the schooling or adult education classes begun after the Revolution of 1952. This village had electricity, running water from an artesian well, a community centre, a dispensary with a resident doctor, a local branch of the Arab Socialist Union, an agricultural co-operative society with 1,396 members and a tractor (for which the driver had to be borrowed from the neighbouring village) and two primary schools, one with 456 pupils (359 boys and 97 girls), the other with 262 pupils (210 boys and 52 girls). When a survey of the houses in the village was made, certain interesting results were reached concerning what might be termed rather vaguely 'instruments of culture': 38 per cent of the households possessed radio sets (mostly transistors); 7 per cent had pictures on their walls (mostly cut-outs from magazines and printed verses of the Koran in fine calligraphy); 1.6 per cent had actual paintings; and 14.4 per cent (i.e. thirty-six families) had books, booklets and magazines of some description. Not a single household owned a television set.2 Television could be watched at two of the village's cafes and at the community centre. . .
1. From an unpublished report in Arabic entitled 'Cultural Development in the Countryside', United Arab Republic, Ministry of Culture (Cultural Field Surveys, 1969). 2. op. cit., p. 77.
12
TABLE 2
Approbation of recreational activities

w I, * umber o approvals * Percentage ^ totaj , /- sample (250) Percentage of educated persons
Activity J
Religious songs Wireless programmes Religious festivals and fairs Excursions to town Travelling story-tellers and poets Drum rhythms Mawwal songs Television programmes Horse-dancing Cinema
Entertainers at weddings
187 181 131 130

122 116 112 107 88 82
75
74.8 72.4 52.4 52.0

48.8 46.4 44.8 42.8 35.2 3 . 3 8
30.0
25.7 27.7 26.0 3 . 10

23.0 22.4 25.0 36.5 28.4 40.2
24.0
Rebeck-playing
Itinerant brass bands
73
51
29.2
20.4
30.1
29.4
Theatre Football
Circus
41 30
15
1 . 6 4 1 . 20
6.0
48.8 33.3
40.0
Puppet shows
Conjurors
14
13
5.6
5.2
21.4
38.5
Peep-shows Monkey tricks

Female dancers
10 9
8
4.0 3.6
3.2
1 . 00 1 . 11
25.0
Clowns
3.2
5.0
Source: 'Cultural Development in the Countryside', p. 146-7, United Arab Republic, Ministry of Culture (Cultural Field Surveys, 1969).
On being asked for their approval of certain entertainments during their leisure time a sample of the villagers established a significant order of preference (see Table 2). The prevalence of religious interests over any other is immediately obvious. So is the preference of wireless to television programmes, and cinema to theatre. Those may be interesting indexes in establishing the tastes and cultural needs of a relatively small rural community.
Cultural demand
National figures can be just as helpful in discovering what the vast majority
of the people, in both rural and urbanized communities, really prefer. A certain pattern of sensibility can be elaborated and a cultural action planned effectively in the light of these needs. Some figures taken from the latest available statistics published by the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (June 1970) may give us an indication of the cultural demand if not the cultural needs of the people. 13
TABLE 3
Circulation of periodicals for the year 1966/67

Arabic Other languages Total
Type of periodical
No. of
periodicals Circulation
No. of
No. of
Daily
270 000 6 9 6 4 154000 19000 9000 4000
270 000
Weekly and
fortnightly
Monthly
Bi-monthly and quarterly
14 14929000 67 4 385 000 42 13 310 000 76 000
20 15083000 70 4 404 000 48 17 319 000 80 000
Other
Source: Statistical Indices for the UAR1932-1968, p. 230-1, Cairo, Central Agency for Public
Mobilization and Statistics, November 1969 (in Arabic).
TABLE 4
Circulation of newspapers for the year 1966/67

Arabic Other languages Total
Type of newspaper
No. of No. of
newspapers Circulation
No. of
No. of
Daily
Other
5 28341000
17 503000
400000
12 28741000
17 503000
Source: Statistical Indices for the UAR1952-1968, p. 230-1, Cairo, Central Agency for Public
Mobilization and Statistics, November 1969 (in Arabic).
To the end of 1966, 368,710 television licences were issued in Egypt. Of these 259,055 were issued in the greater Cairo area alone. Since the
transistor revolution it has not been possible to provide figures for radio sets (which do not require licences), but it is generally believed that there must be approximately one radio set (transistor or electrical) for every three inhabitants! The press, long a consecrated form for political and cultural action in the Arab world, is certainly as effective a medium as radio or television. The circulation figures indicated in Tables 3 and 4 do not make allowances for the large audience which a newspaper reader can gather around him in a village cafe, for example. There is still a very lively tradition of reading aloud in rural areas. Attendance figures1 may also be given for other types of cultural activity to indicate the growing interest in forms of cultural action which are
1. Figures taken from Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics, Cultural Statistics, pamphlets 50-311 (July 1969), 12-311 (May 1970), and 14-311 (August 1970).
14
clearly examples of interests that are essentially the result of Westernization. The following are the number of cultural institutions in the United
Arab Republic for the year 1968/69 (attendances given in parentheses): 31 theatres (459,892); 280 cinemas (65,786,000);! 53 museums (2,031,000); and 439 libraries (8,698,000).
The elements of a cultural policy
The figures and tables mentioned above are an attempt to give certain insights into the cultural situation. They are not in any way a systematic evaluation of needs, latent or otherwise. Apart from conceptual and statistical difficulties in the way of a realistic assessment perhaps it would be more useful for the reader to become acquainted with the actual mechanism of cultural action. This mechanism will be studied as a response to the challenges of the cultural needs and demand in the ever-changing situation, which is that of a developing country. Certain general guiding principles do, however, emerge. Perhaps they could be summarized as follows, in order
to indicate what the elements of a cultural policy can be in a state of

dynamic change. To increase awareness of the continuity of culture in Egypt, while strengthening links with the humanistic values of other cultures. To contribute to a sense of solidarity between the rural and urban populations by the encouragement of common cultural action and the affirmation of common cultural values. To enable all citizens to enjoy the right to participate freely in the cultural life of the community. To ensure that the quality of cultural action should not be sacrificed to the requirements of quantitative dissemination. To create a situation of fruitful dialogue between the intellectuals and the majority of the people. To provide the intellectuals with a sense of self-fulfilment within the community. To ensure the patronage of the arts without creating a sense of totalitarian oppressiveness. To ensure that the alienation of the creative artist should not be overcome at the expense of the alienation of the public. To create intelligible links between cultural and socio-economic development. To provide systematically for the training and encouragement of agents, for both the creation and the dissemination of culture. To reconstruct a system of cultural values based on a progressive humanism from a synthesis of national and universal cultures.
1. Figure for 1966/67.
15
Administrative and financial structures
In order to implement the principles which inform State policy in matters of culture, a certain distribution of cultural responsibilities became absolutely imperative. The multiplicity of the agents responsible for cultural matters is part of the natural organization of a country in a state of dynamic growth; a general plan could fit the various cultural activities together as part of the democratic socialist transformation of Egyptian society. There have already been two five-year plans which have made ample acknowledgement of the multi-faceted nature of cultural action and, now, on the threshold of the third five-year plan, the co-ordination of these efforts is being undertaken. Action is undertaken by governmental, political and voluntary bodies, but this chapter will be concerned only with those bodies which fall within
the province of the State budget. It is convenient to classify the governmental bodies which are concerned with cultural action in two main groups: (a) ministries primarily concerned with cultural methods; (b) ministries which include cultural departments. There are also ministries which have certain specialized cultural responsibilities. Before this division is related to a general pattern of community needs, it would be as well to explain what is meant by this threefold grouping. A separate chapter will be devoted to the policy and activities of the Ministry of Culture, but this ministry is not solely responsibleothers share in both its general and its specialized activities (e.g. the ministries of national guidance, of tourism and of youth). Moreover, there are the ministries concerned with secular and religious education, where the cultural content of the curricula is important in spreading an awareness of the potentialities for cultural enrichment. A third group provides training and information in order to maintain
and improve various intellectual and manual skills (e.g. labour is concerned with workers' culture, health with practical hygiene, agriculture with the spread of important notions for the development of agriculture; and so on). 16
Ministries primarily concerned with cultural matters

THE M I N I S T R Y OF C U L T U R E
This ministry, founded as an independent entity in 1958, is no longer fragmented among the different ministries through their cultural departments but is a separate unit committed to organizing State intervention for the following purposes:1 The preservation of the nation's heritage in all its aspects. Creating conditions for the nationwide enjoyment of this heritage in its various manifestations: the written word, national archives, antiquities, museums, folklore and the traditions of artistic and literary creation. The study of cultural realities and the establishment of an inventory of the sources and media of culture. The widest possible dissemination of cultural services. Discovering hidden talent and the encouragement of artistic creativity. The reactivation of provincial and rural cultural life. The enrichment of the national culture by cross-fertilization with foreign cultural values and the best presentation of that culture abroad in the interest of international cultural co-operation. The development of institutions and academies for the better training of cultural agents and the fostering of artistic talent. The patronage of the arts, letters and social sciences in order that they may fully contribute to the objectives of a democratic socialist society. The provision of expert advice to all public authorities in matters concerning the arts or cultural values. The actual description of the ministry and all its agencies will be given separately, but it should be observed here that it bears specific responsibility for State patronage of the arts and for the four functions of cultural action, namely, preservation, dissemination, training and the encouragement of creativity.
THE MINISTRY OF NATIONAL GUIDANCE (MINISTRY OF INFORMATION)

This ministry (renamed the Ministry of Information as from November 1970) is divided into two main sections: the Television and Sound Broadcasting Corporation; and the State Information Service. It is, of course, concerned with the organization of the mass media with a view to ensuring the cultural and political education of listeners and viewers. Presidential Decree 62 (1970) gives the precise description and jurisdiction
1. Ministry of Culture, Department of Planning and Research.
17
of the Television and Sound Broadcasting Corporation. Article 2 states the

following objectives: To ensure that television and radio are used only in the national interest and in the service of the people. To develop the notion of broadcast information on a basis of recognized ethical principles. To create a congenial atmosphere for the fostering of literary and artistic talent and encourage the untrammelled expression of honest opinion. To make available a forum for any person to voice public demands and draw attention to the problems of daily life.
To develop programmes beamed overseas.

To raise the technical and artistic standards of all television and radio workers. To develop television and sound broadcasting according to the latest scientific techniques. The combining of radio and television into one large corporation is intended as a step towards providing these services with the financial independence and freedom of action which are essential if the corporation is not to
be swamped by bureaucratic rigidity. The extent of this freedom can be

observed from a quick perusal of Article 3 which allows the new corporation the powers that are normally enjoyed by a business concern in the private sector. The corporation is governed by a board of trustees under a chairman
of ministerial rank appointed for five years by Presidential Decree. The

Minister of National Guidance, however, could be called upon to express opinions and recommendations as a member of the board. Should it prove
necessary he may also issue directives which must be sanctioned by the board as soon as possible. The State Information Service is responsible for collecting, reproducing and disseminating information about Egypt for diffusion abroad, or information from abroad concerning Egypt for diffusion at home. The service has access to all the means of mass communication although it does not own these means itself. It is concerned also with the enlightenment of world public opinion with regard to the political positions adopted by the Egyptian government. Visiting journalists and workers in other information media are received by the information service and provided with all the facts they may require. The service also has a public relations aspect as it is responsible for arranging interviews and visits at home and abroad. Its press and publications duties include the preparation of books, booklets and prospectuses on various subjects concerned with social and economic progress in Egypt. These publications are used at the information desks attached to Egyptian diplomatic missions and in tourist centres within the country. These publications are designed primarily as simple introductions to various topics, the service also makes a larger range of facts and data available for more serious research. Another function is that of projecting an image of Egypt abroad which corrects the distortions of tendentious propaganda
18
while avoiding the pitfalls of extravagant self-praise. From the purely cultural point of view the service is able to provide an interesting selection of tape-recordings of speech, music and song, slides of archaeological sites and
photographs and press material for use in feature articles. There is also a rich documentary film archive. The service is under a director-general with the rank of vice-minister, appointed hy Presidential Decree. He has recently also taken over the function of official spokesman for the government, holding weekly press conferences for Egyptian and foreign newsmen. This dual responsibility is not necessarily part of his duties and functions. However, in recent years the experiment has proved successful, supplementing the news service with statements bearing the full authority of a high-ranking person of responsibility in the State. The director-general is assisted by four controllers-general, each with his own responsibilities.1 Controller-General of Information and Publications (responsible for news bulletins, press and publications, editorials, information). Controller-General of Information for Overseas Distribution (responsible for information centres and press offices abroad, services, overseas relations, foreign journalists, transport and communication). Controller-General of Home Information (responsible for local communication, local information centres, services). Controller-General of Information Programmes (responsible for films and visual media, photography and design, printing, stores and archives).
THE MINISTRY OF TOURISM
This ministry is concerned with the organization and planning of the tourist trade in Egypt. It does not have the functions of a travel agency (of which there are two in the public and forty in the private sector). The ministry is a planning and organizing body with the following functions. Planning of a policy and programmes for tourist promotion at home and abroad. Providing all the information and advertising material for the encouragement of tourism in Egypt. Preparing and contracting international tourist agreements. Providing services and public-relation facilities at sea ports and airports for the reception of tourists.
Organizing and taking part in international tourist conferences and seminars. Supervision of hotel accommodation and control of tourist services in the
public and private sectors. Promotion of hotel management studies and the training of hotel personnel.
1. Information kindly supplied by the Ministry of National Guidance.
19
The minister is Chairman of the Corporation of State Hotels, which is run on commercial lines. He is also Chairman of the Higher Council of Tourist Services, a supervisory body concerned with the general planning and control
of the tourist industry, and an advisory body for research and planning.
THE M I N I S T R Y OP Y O U T H
This ministry deals primarily with social welfare, sport and cultural activities for the young up to the time when their formal education ends. It
combines the functions of an extramural studies organization, a Boy Scout movement, an authority in charge of the planning, preparation and supervision of sporting events, sports clubs, hobbies centres and vocational training centres. The range is, of course, very wide and the ministry is as decentralized as possible. Other activities include the organization of youth festivals and youth camps, international and national, in the international movement of student and youth organizations by attendance at conferences and international rallies. A lively documentary film unit attached to the ministry which has produced over twenty short films for the hobbies centres, and twenty longer documentary films on youth festivals and youth camps. Particular attention is being paid now to the young in rural areas, where one of the main problems is finding stimulating occupations for pupils after school hours, without creating family conflicts which might occur if the children are needed at home or in the fields. With patience and a sense of humour and gentle persuasion much has already been achieved.
Ministries which include cultural departments

THE MINISTRY OF E D U C A T I O N
This ministry is responsible for the formal education of children up to the
age of leaving secondary school (usually between 17 and 18). Education is

free at all stages and compulsory at the elementary level. In 1968/69 there were 2,189,000 boys and 1,361,000 girls in the 7,816 elementary schools, working on morning and afternoon shifts; 781,000 pupils in 1,311 preparatory schools; and 473,000 in 531 secondary schools. In 1969, there were just under 5 million children in all schoolsa veritable education explosion; and 123,000 students who passed their school-leaving examination.1 These figures reflect the pyramidal structure of the population. In 1960, 43 per cent of the total population was under the age of 15.2 The dimensions of the task are indeed formidable. Undaunted, the
1. Statistical Abstract of the UAR 1951-19521968-1969, Cairo, Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics, June 1970. 2. United Nations Demographic Yearbook, 1968, New York, N.Y., United Nations, 1969.
20
ministry lias taken up the challenge to eliminate backwardness and obscurantism. It has also embarked on a nation-wide programme of adult education and set 1975 as the deadline by which illiteracy should be eradicated from every province of the republic. Besides this tremendous task the ministry has started a programme for the diffusion of culture among the members of the school population. A desire for culture is regarded by the ministry as an essential condition for the useful absorption of knowledge by the pupils under its supervision. Its aim, therefore, is to produce, at the end of each school cycle, a certain recognized level of culture in each student. It has two means available for this purpose. The first lies in the contents of the actual school programme itself, which try to cover a sufficiently wide
range but also to extend the child's mind gradually from his local interests
to a more universal outlooksocial, intellectual, emotional and ethical. Secondly, in activities outside the school programme; books and other printed material, talks and debates, and organized services within the local community. Reading is encouraged by providing access to books for all pupils in accordance with their ages: books dealing with science, art and literature. Secondary schools now have 584 libraries; preparatory schools, 1,250; for smaller children there are 700 model libraries. No library contains less than 2,000 items. They are not purely academic, being at the service of all the local inhabitants, not only during term but also during holidays, when the schools are used as meeting places for discussions and lectures. When libraries do not exist, circulating libraries are able to replace them to some extent. Each school is organized into groups with varied functions so that pupils can, according to individual taste and ability, share in one or more of these activities. School clubs are encouraged for specific purposes such as sciences or languages, or for more leisurely purposes, such as reading, listening to the radio or watching television. For the holidays there are summer clubs designed to meet the needs of the particular neighbourhood. Both parents
and children can take part in these clubs' activities.

Publications within the schools are of the first importance. Each school publishes an annual review that is written by the pupils. The ministry awards prizes each year for the best efforts. Also important, within and outside the school, are the posters and publications on the walls outside the class-room that give news on subjects of local interest. Each educational division holds an annual exhibition of such papers. School forms often produce their own magazines and these provide matter for the annual review. In addition there are bulletins for special occasions, such as national or religious festivals. Summer clubs aim at profitably filling the students' leisure time. They have cultural, social, artistic and sports programmes. Forty such clubs for boys and twenty for girls are planned for 1970-71 in the various governorates. 21
. Administrative and financial structures
Increasing use is being made of the opportunities provided by schools for organizing community service centres whose purpose is to raise the general cultural level. For a token payment, parents and children can join, and use the facilities provided for various activities. A most important aspect of the schools as community centres are the evening classes which continue the campaign against illiteracy. Many literary, artistic and scientific activities are encouraged. To stimulate interest there are music and art competitions, with prizes. Cultural outings and excursions are considered essential but these naturally vary according to the school cycle, beginning with local outings (walks, picnics, weekends and so on) and gradually extending to more distant localities. The ministry itself organizes trips abroad. Camping is also organized, for a day, over weekends or as a form of seaside holidays. A breakdown of the various school cultural activities is given below.1 Model libraries: for various grades (excluding elementary) in 1964/65 (the
last year for which figures are available)889 libraries.

Model libraries: for elementary-school children (1964/65)677 libraries. Model libraries: for fifth and sixth forms in primary schools (1964/65) 12,992 libraries (i.e. 60 per cent of total number of classes). Number of new titles distributed to school libraries456 for various grades. Central Schools Library in Cairo1,675 new books acquired in 1968/69;
in 1969/70 the library had 49,452 books in stock.

Journalistic activities40,000 wall journals. Clubs50 new clubs organized in 1969/70 for about 8,000 students. Excursions52 major excursions; 2 sports camps for 222 students of both sexes (primary and secondary school); 1 camp for children (529 primaryschoolboys and girls); 375 students undertook responsibilities within the students' union.
THE MINISTRY OP HIGHER EDUCATION
The purely cultural activities of this ministry (as distinct from its responsibility for the administration and planning of universities and higher insti-
tutes) come under the authority of the Under-Secretary of State for Cultural Affairs, and include the following. The organization of cultural and scientific co-operation between Egypt and
other Arab and foreign countries.

The preparation of international conferences and seminars. The organization of cultural competitions among university students in
Egypt.
The diffusion of the Arabic language abroad. Curricula and syllabuses research and studies, national and international.
1. Information from the Ministry of Education, Cairo.
22
The operation of Egyptian cultural centres abroad.1 Liaison between the government and TJnesco. The ministry also deals with international assistance and technical co-operation in culture, education and research. Documentation and research in all matters relating to educational development programmes sponsored by Unesco or other international organizations. The welfare and guidance of Egyptian citizens studying abroad either privately or as members of government missions. The supply of cultural and political material to youth organizations at home
and members of educational missions abroad.

The Minister of Higher Education is Chairman of the Egyptian National Commission for Unesco, and of the Higher Commission for Educational Missions Abroad. The Higher Commission has done some very good work in recent years by instituting a five-year plan for missions, thus gearing the missions plan to the requirements of Egypt during its period of development and industrialization. This rationalization of what used to be a slightly haphazard missions programme is already yielding worthwhile results in the universities and in industry. In the five State universities in 1968/69, there were 142,975 students.
In 1967/68 there were 20,739 graduates and an enrolment of 4,996. The magnitude of those figures is an index of the nation-wide desire for education and qualification which is geared to the State policy of full employment. It is also indicative of the magnitude of the purely cultural tasks undertaken by the ministry.
THE M I N I S T R Y OF S C I E N T I F I C R E S E A R C H
This ministry was founded in 1961 to administer the activities of the various research centres and institutes which have been founded since the Revolution of 1952. The ministry also established an advisory board to draw up a science policy for the nation as well as specialized councils for research development. The National Research Centre and the Atomic Energy Organization (both founded in 1956) come administratively under the ministry. Seventeen institutes deal with specialized aspects of research. The ministry supervises two specifically cultural bodies, the Science
Museum and the Centre for Scientific Documentation. The Science Museum, entirely reconditioned and reorganized, became a modern multipurpose
1. These are multipurpose centres, which serve as bases for the usual cultural activities
such as lectures, films and library services as well as being centres for the diffusion of
Arabic culture and language. Students On missions abroad may also use these centres for recreational and educational purposes. There are two such centres in Libya, two in Somalia, one in Mauritania, one in Nigeria and one in Sierra Leone. There is also a very important Centre of Islamic Studies in Madrid which comes under the same
administration.
23
instrument of scientific culture in 1962. Apart from biology and engineering, a special section is devoted to reduced models and miniature working machines. Schools and training colleges use the museum facilities to provide lively and interesting illustrations for the overwhelming theoretical classroom teaching. Science is brought to the general public by means of film
and slide projections, lectures, demonstration experiments (in which members of the public are frequently invited to participate), and simple lavishly illustrated booklets. The Centre for Scientific Documentation serves various cultural purposes through: (a) a large central library of science and technology, containing a wide range of periodicals and abstracts on research in progress at home and abroad; (b) an international patents centre; (c) the publication of a directory of scientific periodicals in Egypt; (d) the publication of specialized scientific journals and the organization of exchanges with similar journals abroad; (e) the publication, in English, French and Arabic, of abstracts of articles relevant to the scientific and technological problems of the Middle East; (f) the reproduction of scientific documents and material; (g) a vast scientific translation programme for the benefit of academic and industrial organizations.
THE M I N I S T R I E S OF WAQFS AND EL-AZHAR AFFAIRS
The State's concern for the promotion of Islamic culture, both at home and abroad, is embodied in the cultural activities of the ministries of Waqfs (religious endowments) and El-Azhar Affairs. Islamic culture flows through a great variety of channels, from the schools of formal education to the wireless and television programmes and the printed work. But the mosque, that traditional forum for ethical injunction and religious apologetics, is still the most popular. Over 20,000 mosques
are supported and maintained. Each has a preacher, whose functions cover a wide scope. He may proffer advice in matters of morals or religious orthodoxy, preach the Friday sermon to the congregation, give catechism lessons to the young and organize special evening classes for women. His duties may include the supervision of the mosque library, organizing classes for the study of the Koran and the Traditions of the Prophet and he acts generally in an advisory capacity to the community in which he lives. Although there is no priesthood in Islam, the social functions of the imam, especially in rural areas, are not very dissimilar from those of a vicar or curate. To this day, in the village and the small provincial town, the mosque is a centre of enlightenment for a working population that has very restricted means of entertainment and cultivation.
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The Ministry of Waqfs

This ministry is officially responsible for the diffusion of Islamic teaching in Egypt and abroad. Its main cultural functions are 'the spread of Islamic culture, the cultivation of religious knowledge, the revival of the cultural and religious heritage of Islam and the preservation and diffusion of the Holy Koran by means of the printed word and other forms of reproductions'. Within the ministry, two main bodies carry out this policy, the Directorate General for the Diffusion of Islam and the Higher Council for Islamic Affairs. The Directorate General has two departments, the Department of Congregational Mosques and Oratories, and the Department of Technical Affairs. The former is concerned with the maintenance and development of the 20,000 mosques. It may also distribute literature and information in the republic, to serve as material for the Friday sermon and the occasional religious seminars which are held in the mosque. The Department of Technical Affairs is responsible for a monthly publication which is distributed to all the mosques of Egypt. This publication contains discussions of current affairs and matters of vital concern to public opinion in the light of Islamic teaching. It also issues a series of booklets and pamphlets entitled 'The Imam's Library' which includes expository essays on matters of theology and private devotion as well as contributions to Moslem apologetics and pulpit oratory. The Higher Council for Islamic Affairs1 is divided into specialized commissions and has a number of clear objectives. The preparation of a reliable and clear exegesis of the Koran. The collection of the sound and authoritative tradition of the Prophet Mohammad. The publication of periodicals and books in a variety of languages to spread an unadulterated knowledge of Islamic culture and teachings. Islamic diffusion throughout the world through bursaries and grants-in-aid for foreign Moslem students studying at universities and religious institutes in Egypt.
The preparation and supply of comprehensive libraries of Islamic knowledge to academic and religious institutes abroad. The delegation of preachers, theologians and reciters of the Koran to a variety
of Islamic countries, especially during the holy month of Ramadan. Contributing financially and technically in establishing mosques and centres of Islamic studies abroad in co-operation with the Moslem communities which ask for them.
The Ministry of El-Azhar Affairs

This ministry and the Ministry of Waqfs are at present under the same minister, but this is not to say that their functions are identical. The Ministry of
1. See organization chart in Appendix (page 92).
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El- Azhar Affairs has developed from the venerable traditions of the Cathedral Mosque of El-Azhar, the most ancient university in the world (founded A.D. 971) and one of the high places of Islamic devotion and study. It represents an attempt to give administrative shape and modern executive effectiveness to a traditional centre of religious education. Its functions are as follows: Research and authoritative guidance in matters of faith and morals. The development of Islamic education and the supervision of higher studies
in Islamic theology. The refutation of defamatory attacks on Islam. The publication of studies on Islamic doctrine in various languages.
The supply of preachers and religious instructors to Moslem communities and Islamic cultural centres abroad. The reception and accommodation of foreign students of Islamic theology.
The introduction of Islamic culture to foreign visitors. The supervision of religious periodicals. Co-operation with Islamic institutes in various Moslem countries in providing teachers and establishing syllabuses. The supply of copies of the Holy Koran and religious books to the governments of Moslem States.
International cultural co-operation

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the official link between the cultural
organizations at home and their equivalents abroad, and operates through

the Department of Cultural Relations and Technical Co-operation, which in
turn operates through various divisions: planning and research, projects and
technical aid, treaties, the Arab world, Africa, Europe, the two Americas, Asia and Australia, religious affairs, technical affairs and public relations. The department formulates co-operation policy as part of the State's foreign policy, and organizes liaison with foreign organizations, including cultural societies and publishing houses, and advises on international exhibitions and fairs. It drafts projects for technical aid and cultural agreements, supervises executive plans and follows up the activities connected with cultural and technical exchange (such as studentships and bursaries). It prepares the agenda for the meetings of the Foreign Cultural Relations General State Committee and for its sub-committees and provides these committees with the results of its own studies and research.
Cultural budgets
Cultural activities are directed in principle by the Ministry of Planning and by the planning department in the various ministries. Since 1960 there have been two five-year plans, which have been fulfilled in circumstances of
26
considerable difficulty. The third plan is under way. Because of the special circumstances of development and growth, certain priorities have been featured in all three plans. The constant hostilities against the country have made it necessary that defence expenditure should be given first priority. The demographic explosion and the rising demands of a people in a period of socialist transformation make supply the next priority. Thirdly conies productionrapid expansion under industrialization and the emphasis on raising the standard of living. Finally come services, which include culture and education. These priorities are dictated by present necessities but, in a situation of growth such as that of Egypt, it can be suggested with some confidence that services are bound to become more important before long. One reservation must be made, however; culture does not fall entirely into the services sector, and may belong to production rather than services (e.g. publishing and the film industry). Funds allocated for strictly cultural purposes are difficult to group together, and the same budget headings may imply different forms of cultural activity in different ministries. Again, there may be State contributions, tax relief or subsidies in particular cases where a temporary solution is required for an urgent problem, e.g. the State subsidy to the Ministry of Culture to celebrate the Millenary of Cairo. Table 5 shows that the Ministry of Culture alone in 1969/70 accounted for (E)13,669,900, almost one-third of which went to the archaeological
TABLE 5
Sector General administration Academy of the Arts Popular culture National Library and State Archives Archaeology Department of Antiquities Centre of Dociimentation on Ancient Egypt Fund for Financing archaeological projects and museums Service for the preservation of the monuments of Nubia Academy of the Arabic Language Higher Council for Arts, Letters and the Social Sciences Total budget of the Ministry of Culture, 1969/70
Credits for 1969/70 (in (E)) Percentage of total budget of ministry
1 140 000 463 500
525 000 669 000

1 374 400
73800
8.3 3.4 3.8 4.9
360 000 2 488 000 4 296 200 785 000 2 507 000 1 788 000 1 137 000 3 322 000 31.4 0.57 1.8 13.1 8.3 24.3
Editing and Publishing Organization

Theatre and Music Organization Cinema Organization
Source: Department of Research and Planning, Ministry of Culture.
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sector. This is not surprising in view of the vast scale of the problems involved in preserving the national heritage. In plans for the future the ministry intends to devote a larger part of its fund to the development of the houses of culture and rural cultural centres (listed under 'Popular Culture'). If we remember that cultural financing is in fact spread out over a number of ministries with various cultural functions, we obtain a very much more hopeful picture of the finances available for culture, i.e. 7.95 per cent of the total budget (see Table 6). The ministries of national guidance, tourism and youth grouped together with the Ministry of Culture, were 1.4 per cent of the total State budget for 1969/70. It is interesting to note that, in this broader scheme, the ministries of culture and national guidance each absorbed exactly 0.56 per cent of the budget, no doubt a survival of the situation when they were both combined in a single ministry. On the other hand, the ministries of education, higher education, Waqfs, El-Azhar affairs, labour and social affairs, whose activities have an unmistakable cultural
content, account for 6.5 per cent.

TABLE 6
Budgets of ministries with cultural attributions, 1969/70
Credits for 1969/70
in millions (E) Percentage of total State budget
Ministry
Culture National guidance Tourism Youth Education

Higher education
Waqfs El-Azhar affairs Labour Social affairs

TOTAL1
13.6 13.6 6.0 3.0 102.3 28.7 5.7 7.6 2.4 __9.1 192.0
0.56 0.56 0.25 0.12 4.24 1.19 0.24 0.31 0.10

0.38
7.95
1. Total State budget, (E)2,414.6 million. Source: Department of Research and Planning, Ministry of Culture.
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The Ministry of Culture
The Ministry of Culture was reorganized by Presidential Decree in 1971 (see the Appendix, page 88). The main constituents are almost identicalit is not an old established ministry with well-defined traditions and procedures. Being both a service and a development ministry, adapting itself to the changing needs of a situation of growth and enjoying a certain latitude for experiment in its methods, it is constantly exploiting new possibilities and devising new formulae.
Historical background
The Department of Culture in the Ministry of Education was absorbed into
the Ministry of Culture and National Guidance in 1956, which became

responsible for the arts and literature, and the mass media. This arrangement did not prove altogether satisfactory, as the rhythm of cultural progress was necessarily much slower than that of the mass media; besides which the political and information content of 'national guidance' (happily renamed 'information' in 1970) imposed an urgency and a certain measure of discretion which were not at all necessary in long-term cultural programmes. Structural changes and a redistribution of attributions led to the formation of three separate ministries (national guidance, culture, and tourism). Later they were all grouped under a single Deputy Prime Minister in order to ensure a certain amount of co-ordination. For two years (1964
and 1965), a Ministry of Foreign Cultural Relations was set up, and
then reabsorbed into the ministries involved in international cultural cooperation. In October 1966 the Ministry of Culture was formally detached from all ministries engaged in similar activities and placed directly under a minister who was also a Deputy Prime Minister. This was intended to demonstrate the importance which the State attached to long-term planning, and as a recognition of the role of culture in development. A
29
recent decision separates the long-term planning and the executive functions. While the ministry has been given every assistance in performing its executive duties, a new post has been attached to the Presidency of the RepublicAssistant to the President for Cultural Affairs. It is at this level that research and long-term planning is to be undertaken. The Assistant will be concerned with the planning of culture in the widest sense of the term, with first priority to co-ordination between the
various agencies in the State which are involved in cultural activities.

Organization
The ministry is divided into four main sections: (a) the ministry proper; (b) the corporations under the authority of the minister; (c) The Higher Council for Arts, Letters and the Social Sciences, which enjoys a certain autonomy but the minister is its Chairman; and (d) The Academy of the Arabic Language, which, to all intents and purposes, is an independent body; the minister is its Patron.
THE MINISTRY PROPER
After a series of structural changes, the ministry now falls into nine easily
distinguishable sections, each headed by an under-secretary who is directly

responsible to the minister.
The Minister's Office

Apart from its obvious functions as the centre of authority and control, this office is also concerned with the various projects, experimental or otherwise, which require particular encouragement and patronage, e.g. the National Ballet Company, the new tapestry workshop and a large variety of new projects come directly under it. The reasons are not difficult to
understand. A new project or one which has somehow lost some of its initial driving force needs special care and close follow-up. As soon as it can stand on its own feet it is placed under the appropriate agency in the ministry. Under the heading 'New ideas' (page 36), certain projects from the Minister's Office and benefiting from his own patronage and close attention, are listed. The office is also responsible for cinema and theatre censorship which is understood in Egypt not simply as protecting the nation's morals but also as promoting interest in new and unexplored avenues of creativity. The actual censorship is exercised by a censorship board which includes a broad selection of intellectuals, artists, academics and members of the public. The censorship acts, therefore, in two capacities, first, as a gauge of the cultural demand of minority and majority audiences and, second, as a promoter of new ideas and experiments.
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Archaeology
Funds for archaeology are made available by budgetary appropriations or through international co-operation and technical assistance. To the outside world, culture in Egypt is dramatically exemplified by its vast archaeological heritage, which requires a large organization to supervise the multiple activities of digging, collecting, displaying, recording and research. There are probably more different stratifications of archaeological remains in Egypt than in any other country in the world and, although much has already been achieved for the last 170 years by State action and by foreign expeditions, there is still a world of untapped archaeological discovery.
Fine arts
This sector deals with promotion of the arts and their adequate display. The main concern is to organize exhibitions and help promote the living arts in Egypt by providing studio space, art materials, research and publicity at little or no cost. There are at present forty artists' studios, owned
by the ministry, which are lent for indefinite periods to practising artists. Under the patronage of the fine-arts sector, an annual exhibition of the arts is set up in one of the largest halls in Cairo. Works are bought by the State for the Museum of Modern Art, but they are also shown to the other ministries which may also purchase. In 1969, for example, the Foreign Ministry bought (E)5,000 worth of paintings and sculptures for display in embassies abroad. Almost every important theatre, municipal building or house of culture now has a small collection of paintings, and these are prominently displayed in one of its main halls. The faculties of Cairo University now have a permanent open-air exhibition of Egyptian sculpture comprised of items bought with the help of the Ministry of Culture. The sector also finances the dispatch and insurance of deserving exhibitions of Egyptian artists abroad. It thus acts as a patron, a marketing agent and an organizer of museums and exhibitions.
The Academy of the Arts

This groups all the educational and training functions of the Ministry of Culture. It has acquired semi-autonomous status with a rector (under-secretary rank) who is answerable directly to the minister and a senate of the academy. The academy covers preparatory and secondary education, higher education and post-graduate research. Its distinguishing feature is its artistic slant; at the higher level, general educational subjects are abandoned in favour of intensive training in the arts.
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Foreign cultural relations

This sector engages foreign experts where they may be needed in the ministry (and especially in the Academy of the Arts). It helps in the preparation and implementation of the non-educational aspects of international cultural agreements. Some of the commitments involved are best carried out by the relevant authority in the ministry, but in some cases the sector has found it more practical to take responsibility for all stages of the implementation, particularly in the case of foreign exhibitions, film weeks and musical events. A recent addition to this sector has been the U.A.R. Art Academy in Rome which houses distinguished graduates in the arts who are sent to Rome to complete their artistic training.
General administration This is the central office for financial and administrative affairs. It is responsible for all organizational matters and personnel. It has put forward a pension scheme for such non-trade-union citizens as free-lance journalists and self-employed artists and writers, who otherwise have to depend only on the general pension scheme of the State, in which pensions are based on actual years of service.
Popular culture
This represents a most successful experiment in decentralization. It is, to quote Dr. Sarwat Okasha who, as Minister of Culture, initiated this part of the ministry's activities:
It is the Ministry of Culture in microcosm . . . bringing culture to the people in the villages and provincial towns, re-enacting through the houses of culture and the village cultural centres all the functions of the central Ministry. . . .
It is generally regarded as one of the factors for change in provincial and rural society. Although its head office is in Cairo, its action ranges far and wide: seventeen houses of culture in the provincial capitals, twenty-five mobile caravans, 200 village cultural centres and two pilot cultural centres for children. However, it must be remembered that there are twenty-five provincial capitals, 7,000 villages and 33 million Egyptians of whom 6 million are children!
Planning and research

This sector was originally part of the general administration but, in view of its growing importance, it has recently been detached and placed under an
under-secretary. The day-to-day agitation of administrative offices is not a
suitable environment for the long-term and speculative work of planning and research. Another reason for its semi-autonomy is that it works in close
co-ordination with the Ministry of Planning, so that cultural development can be carefully geared to the general growth plan of the State.
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Libraries and archives

Housed in two separate buildings the National Library and the State Archives are under the authority of an under-secretary. The work of this sector of the ministry is undeniably long-term, and requires a certain measure of autonomy. The National Library is being transferred to a new building which has been designed with the requirements of expansion well in mind.
This, briefly, is the present organizational structure. But the Ministry of Culture is particularly sensitive to changing conditions and the requirements of development. Mergers and re-groupings are not unexpected, as the new organization chart for the ministry shows (see Appendix, page 88).
C O R P O R A T I O N S U N D E R T H E ATTTHORITT
OF THE M I N I S T E R
Publishing and printing

After a fairly long series of vicissitudes in the public sector the Publishing and Printing Corporation has become a semi-autonomous body within the Ministry of Culture. The corporation was originally intended to be a financially independent profit-earning organization. It soon became abundantly clear that the State Publishing House must, by the very nature and
quality of its work, be run as a subsidized public service. The compromise solution arrived at recently appears to be satisfactory. The corporation has some purely commercial operations and a number of long-term noncommercial projects. The commercial side of its activities is meant to yield a certain revenue, but any deficit is borne by the State in order to allow it to carry out its essentially cultural plans.
Theatre and music and folk-art

This is a corporation which enjoys the same financial privileges as the State Publishing House. It is commonly agreed that the theatre arts are relatively costly and uneconomical in a developing country but, as their necessity is also universally recognized, the corporation has become almost entirely State-subsidized. Music is run as a purely cultural service. Most concerts are free of charge in order to promote interest, especially among the young.
Cinema
The State Cinema Corporation is run on strictly economic lines, like a

nationalized industry. This is made possible by the commercial success of Egyptian films both at home and abroad. The corporation has a Documentary
33
Tie Ministry of Culture
Film Centre which, offers purely cultural services and which is supported with funds from the commercial activities of the cinema corporation. Although there is a thriving private sector it is the corporation which owns
the total material means of production, such as the studios and the laboratories.
THE H I G H E R C O U N C I L FOR THE ARTS, LETTERS AND THE SOCIAL SCIENCES
This is a consultative body whose president is the Minister of Culture. Its principal purpose is to give advice and offer patronage in all matters pertaining to culture. It has elected and co-opted members and includes the outstanding representatives of the various cultural disciplines. Among its attributions are the supervision of an extensive programme of translation, the holding of international conferences and seminars and the selection of candidates for State awards and prizes. Although primarily consultative, it is also the principal instrument of State patronage and a publisher in its own right of a limited number of books in the humanities.
THE ACADEMY OF THE ARABIC LANGUAGE
This will be described at greater length in the next chapter, but one might point out that its link with the Ministry of Culture is through the patronage and honorary chairmanship of the Minister of Culture. The academy is the highest authority in all matters relating to the Arabic language. It occasionally co-operates with the higher council and other bodies within the ministry in serious and particularly scholarly publications. It is now
engaged in preparing a dictionary of sociological terms, with substantial Unesco assistance.

Cultural policy
The clearest and fullest text on the ministry's cultural policy is the statement made by Dr. Sarwat Okasha, the Minister of Culture, to the Commission for Services in the National Assembly on 16 June 1969.1 The main points are summarized below. The first duty of a ministry of culture is to ensure the widest access to culture and the widest possible participation. To achieve this result, it must place under its authority a number of concert halls, theatres, exhibition halls and cinemas in order to create the actual venue for the public's access to culture without its being submitted to the prohibitive conditions of economic supply and demand. Whenever it has been possible, the ministry has made cultural events absolutely free of charge. Otherwhise, a symbolic
1. Published by the National Library (in Arabic).
34
entrance fee is charged. Exhibitions are all open to the public, but there are other events which, for reasons of educational promotion, are made almost free. Such, for example, was the International Festival of Documentary and Short Films in 1970 when an entrance fee of half a piastre was charged in order to encourage a vast public to take an interest in this apparently rebarbative form of cinema art. Participation in cultural action is one of the distinguishing features of a ministry of culture, for it cannot exist merely as a sort of glorified State impresario. It must be a receiver if it is to become a true transmitter. A ministry cannot create an individual genius or even an artistic movement. It can, however, create the atmosphere and the means which will allow talent and genius to flourish. Cultural policy is not an independent phenomenona plan which can be devised exclusively for culture in a developing society such as that of Egypt. Culture is closely related to education and the general ethos of a country, which is itself an outcome of the system of life and the degree of economic development. It is essential therefore that cultural planning be part of the over-all plan of development. The exercise of the sensibility and the intellect which is the result of cultural development makes a real contribution to the raising of productivity in a given society. One of the pitfalls of cultural planning is the temptation to patronize, to lower standards under the mistaken impression that the widest dissemination of cultural values involves a necessary simplification or vulgarization. Dissemination is a matter of finding channels for cultural action, not a sacrifice of quality to the demands of quantity. In other words what the Ministry of Culture diffuses must always be of the highest quality, without any concessions to shallowness. Culture in Egypt must be based on exchange. The cultural heritage must be preserved and nurtured, but it must also be open to a situation of dialogue with influences from abroad. A ministry of culture can help to create this dialogue, and by means of cultural exchanges, the cross-fertilization of the cultural heritage with modern and alien cultures can be achieved. Cultural planning in a developing society cannot allow for decentralization immediately. A certain degree of centralization is necessary to ensure that the ministry is able to initiate, and that it can control with a minimum of fuss and red-tape. Naturally, decentralization or, even better, polycentrism, is a desirable objective, but until a suflicient 'acculturation' has been achieved, planning must rely heavily on a central controlling agency. One of the survivals of a situation of neglect and laissez-faire has been a tendency to regard cultural action as nothing but a form of production, the promotion of cultural goods for a consumer whose attitude towards
them may be dictated by extra-cultural considerations. This belief does not,

of course, tally with a socialist approach to the problems of a developing society. The ministry regards itself duty bound to establish as firmly as possible the notion that culture is essentially a service rather than a commercial product.
35
In the present period of development and national emergency, the ministry prefers to concentrate on the improvement of the instruments already established rather than embark upon new and costly projects. It is commonly admitted that the new cultural projects such as the complex of museums to replace the old museums of Egyptian, Coptic and Islamic antiquities must wait for more prosperous times. Research, study and the perfecting of what is already in operation are probably as important as an expansion which might be too rapid. The ministry therefore regards its activities as divisible into the timesequence of the past, the present and the future. The past implies all the activities devoted to the protection and preservation of the cultural heritage. The present is a convenient expression to cover the living arts and
their promotion. The future, of course, is the prospect of all the ministry's
training programmes. A separate chapter will be devoted to each of these facets.
New ideas
The 'retrenchment and reform' being practised at the ministry do not imply the total abandoning of new projects. Some have been initiated, but others are still at the blueprint stage. The Palace of the Arts. This is a vast eleven-storey building which is under construction in Giza. It was designed by a group of architects from
Italy and Egypt. This building is to house the Museum of Modern Art, a Gallery of the History of Art in Reproduction (colour prints and plaster casts), the National Film Society, two projection halls for 1,000 persons each, a Library of Art Books, a Record Library with a large auditorium and cubicles for individual listening, an Art Centre for Children, eleven artist's studios, two multi-purpose exhibition halls, a small theatre for experimental productions, and a lecture hall. The Roman Amphitheatre in Alexandria. This was recently excavated and restored by an expedition of Polish archaeologists. It is being prepared for productions of Roman comedies and Greek tragedies, with modern lighting but no decor. This small open-air theatre is in the centre of the town but its position excavated out of a hill of debris makes it acoustically satisfactory. Concerts can be given by string quartets and soloists without disturbance from the noise of traffic. The Solar Boat Museum. This is a small, air-conditioned hall specially built beside the Pyramid of Cheops to display the Solar Boat which was discovered near by. The Tapestry Centre. In Ancient Egypt the twin arts of weaving and tapestry formed a thriving industry. Experiments with folk-weaving and tapestry are still most successful today, as all will know who have visited the exhibitions of peasant children's tapestry and weaving from Harraneya
36
under the supervision of Ramses Wissa Wassef. These children's tapestries have been shown in New York, London, Paris and most of the capitals of Europe. The ministry has revived this ancient art along modern lines. Weavers have been sent on study missions to the French workshops of Les
Gobelins and Aubusson to learn more sophisticated techniques of tapestryweaving, and are now back in a tapestry centre in Helwan near Cairo. They are producing the first modern tapestries inspired by tapestry cartoons designed by Egyptian artists. The Youth Orchestra. This is an orchestra formed by the students at the Higher Institute of Music. They have given a few public performances which were much appreciated. Ultimately, this orchestra will provide a testing ground for future players in the Cairo Symphony Orchestra. At present, however, it provides an opportunity for students of music to learn to play together and to gain a wider experience of music than can be learned
in the class-room.
Provincial Museums. Duplicate and supernumerary archaeological objects in the stores of the four great museums of antiquities in Cairo and Alexandria will be gradually housed in smaller museums now being built in the capitals of the governorates. Two already exist: it is estimated that by the end of 1975, twenty-five will be open to the public.
Son et Lumiere at Karnak. The tremendous success of son et lumiere at

the pyramids suggested the idea of producing one in Karnak. There was a problem of presentation, however, for a static show would not be satisfactory. An interesting alternative has been devised, to accompany the spectator in the course of a gentle walk through the site, culminating in a grand finale at the Sacred Lake. It should be in operation towards the end of 1971. Ancient Egyptian Drama. A modern dramatic presentation (with masks, mime and speech) of the religious dramatic texts still surviving from Ancient Egypt will be set up near the Pyramid of Chephren. It will utilize the most recent methods of dramatic production, with an edited, reconstructed text derived from the hieratic rites of the Mystery of Isis and Osiris. The Higher Institute of Art Criticism. The dearth of arts administrators and promoters prompted an attempt to remedy the situation by providing a course in the appreciation of the arts. This post-graduate course is intended as an initiation into a deeper knowledge of the visual arts, the history of art, the theatre arts, cinema and music. Entrance is by competitive examination. After one year, devoted to a survey of all the forms of artistic expression, students are expected to specialize in one of the following disciplines: music, cinema, the visual arts, or drama; a diploma is awarded. The institute has attracted a large number of people who are not necessarily engaged in cultural work, but who want to extend their taste and acquire a deeper understanding of the arts.
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The conservation of the cultural heritage
The ancient land of Egypt, long recognized as the cradle of civilization has, in the course of its history, played many roles in the initiation, development and transmission of cultural life. It is a commonplace to stress the extraordinary vitality of the ideas which emanated from that first example of organized human society on the banks of the Nile. From Egypt to the West, by way of Greece and Rome, there is a generally accepted pattern of historical progress. Egypt was not only a transmitter of civilization, but also a receiver of what was often that same basic culture refashioned abroad. The receptivity of the Egyptian people was, however, constantly tinged with a capacity for re-absorption and a genius for naturalization. The Hellenism and the Latinity which flourished in Egypt had a quality which distinguished them from those that were known anywhere else in the world. In Egypt one empire succeeded another, sinking into the rich land and producing a superimposition of archaeological strata which is perhaps unique. Egypt today is a vast open-air museum of civilizations. The migration of peoples and the cross-fertilization of the Egyptian ethos with a tremendous diversity of cultures and religious traditions have created an extremely rich fund of folklore and archetypal patterns of thought and sensibility.
Archaeological sites and monuments

THE D E P A R T M E N T OF A N T I Q U I T I E S
No country has as vast and well preserved a collection of antiquities covering so many milleniums as has Egypt. Its monuments cover 5,000 years from all the various periods known as Ancient Egypt and on through the Ptolemaic, Graeco-Roman and Coptic to the last 1,000 years of Islamic masterpieces that have no parallel in the world of Islam. Active government care started well over 100 years ago, and the Ministry of Culture,
38
conscious of its responsibilities for preserving and cherishing a heritage of

such variety and richness, is continuing this noble tradition.
The tasks of preservation, restoration, protection and maintenance are

alone immense. In addition, there are the problems of adequate display and of storage for the purposes of both the general public and of students, as
well as the control and organization of the never-ceasing search for the remains that still lie buried in countless numbers within the valley, on its
desert fringe and in the oases.
It goes without saying that the department's activities are many and
various. They come under the control of the Under-Secretary of State for
Antiquities, whose responsibilities may most simply be indicated by listing the sections that he directly supervises: the Department of Antiquities itself; the Centre of Documentation on Ancient Egypt; the Fund for Financing Antiquities and Museum Projects, three general departments
(Egyptian antiquities, Coptic and Islamic antiquities, and technical affairs); Antiquities Museums Section, a Centre of Models and Casts (on sale to the public), and a Centre for the Restoration of Antiquities (these last two being sub-sections of technical affairs). At the centre for restoration a new laboratory is being built with thoroughly up-to-date equipment so that it can exploit the rapid advance in scientific methods, so essential if the many hazards are to be avoided to
which both old and new acquisitions are increasingly exposed. The French
Government has donated the equipment for the Carbon-14 dating of ancient
objects, a scholarly resource for which Egypt has so far been entirely
dependent upon facilities abroad. The department maintains inspectors who are in charge of all the archae-
ological sites and districts in Egypt, each of whom has a considerable

number of guards (ghaffirs), who actually live on the sites of various
monuments. The inspectors are responsible for investigating and recording

any new finds that may turn up by chance or through deliberate excavation
within their districts. An inspector from the department is always attached

to any foreign expedition. Expeditions and visiting scholars can always rely upon the maximum possible co-operation from the department and its officials. The restoration and preservation of Islamic antiquities constitutes a large part of the department's work. It has now established a school for
training the young in the ancient crafts, with the object of creating a new
generation of skilled workers, the need for whom is increasingly felt as the
old skills decay. In addition, agreements have recently been signed with the French and Polish Governments, the first for co-operation in restoring old houses in Cairo and Rosetta, the second for documenting and repairing Cairo's Islamic buildings and converting some of them into cultural centres. Another agreement of considerable interest is that between the department and the French National Research Centre to set up a co-operative Franco-Egyptian Centre at Karnak. Its task is to excavate, restore and
39
record the vast Amon enclosure of temples. This long-term project is now actively in operation. The Polish Government is co-operating at Luxor, on the west bank, where a three-year co-operative project is in operation to restore Queen Hatshepsut's beautiful temple at Deir el-Bahari. New local museums are being built for the benefit of tourists and
scholars. For tourists, and also as part of the cultural programme to revivify
the past, there are the son et lumiere presentations at the pyramids and in
Saladin's Citadel in Cairo, and another to be shortly inaugurated at Karnak.

The constant aim, here as elsewhere, is to present Egypt's long panorama of history and art as forming an integral part of man's culture as a whole and not merely the isolated story of events in the Nile Valley.
THE CENTRE OF DOCUMENTATION ON
ANCIENT EGYPT
The need had long been felt for a complete archive of all the ancient Egyptian monuments which would be available to scholars and students and at the same time serve as a centre from which photographs, plans, texts and models could be obtained. The centre was organized in 1955, in cooperation with Unesco as an adjunct to, but separate from, the antiquities
department, and its work was intended to begin with fully recording the
tombs on the west bank at Luxor. A beginning was in fact made with the
tomb of Queen Nefertari, wife of Ramses II, but this had to be discontinued
because of the overriding demands of recording the monuments of Nubia before they were submerged by the rising waters behind the High Dam.
Its work in Nubia was concluded in 1955, including a great part of the rock
inscriptions, after which the centre turned its attention once more to the Theban necropolis. Unesco has continued to supply annual assistance in the form of experts and materials. Members of the technical staff went to France to receive training, and the centre now provides many servicesphotographs in colour and in black-and-white, casts and models of a precise excellence, copies of texts
sold at a low price but made by philologists of the highest international

reputations, and scholarly publications of complete temples and other records made by the centre or under its auspices. These works are at present
dealing progressively with the monuments of Nubia. The centre also produces excellent Christmas and greeting cards in
addition to well-written and well-illustrated brochures in various languages on interesting subjects concerned with Ancient Egypt. The printing is done by the centre itself, a task for which it is admirably equipped. It has all the photographic equipment needed for developing and enlarging to any size. In recording a solid monument, it makes use of photogrammetry, so that it is able to reproduce in model form any object, scene or building with the utmost accuracy. Its architectural section produces exact plans, sections and drawings of all the buildings studied.
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The centre is faced with an almost endless task, but one that is of the greatest value, the more so since so many of the tombs and other monu-
ments in Egypt are suffering sadly from chemical and various physical changes. Man too, one regrets to say, as everywhere else, has also caused much destruction and dilapidation. Saving the monuments of Nubia
No event in archaeology has excited such world-wide interest as has the campaign to save the monuments of Nubia. Moreover, no such campaign has ever been conducted on such a scale or with such a remarkable degree of close, generous and friendly co-operation by so many nations and learned institutions working in harmony with Egyptian colleagues. TJnesco, at Egypt's request, launched the 'International Appeal' on 8 March 1960, the government having decided that, given the short time available before the lake behind the High Dam drowned the whole of Nubia, it was quite impossible for Egypt alone to achieve the task. The response was splendid and, ten years later, the work was almost complete. The only large remaining project was, however, an important one: that of saving the beautiful buildings that adorn the island of Philae above Aswan. The plans, nevertheless, are complete, and the work was scheduled to begin by the end of 1970. It will take five years, and the cost of transferring and re-erection will amount to the equivalent of U.S.$12 million, of which the Egyptian Government will contribute one-third. Unesco has been the channel of international aid, but the actual work has been controlled or supervised by the Ministry of Culture to ensure that the project be carried out in accordance with the set programme. The Service for the Preservation of the Monuments of Nubia has done admirable work, in providing facilities and co-operation for all the expeditions for the survey, excavation, documentation and preservation of the monuments of Nubia. With the assistance of the antiquities department, they have been instrumental in removing and reconstructing six of the temples and saving other monuments. Three other temples have been reconstructed with international aid. The temple of Derr was due to be completed by 1971, after which there will remain only Wadi es-Sebua (a three-year task) in addition to the rock inscriptions and reliefs salvaged from various sites. Above all, however, there remains the salvaging of Philae from the rising waters. Abu Simbel has, naturally enough, excited the most lively attention. It was not only the most costly, but it was also the most dramatic and ambitious of all the Nubian projects. Its total cost has been U.S.$41 million, of which the Egyptian Government has contributed more than one-third. All who have seen these two temples so splendidly rebuilt on their own site cannot but consider this money to have been well spent. The vast lake spreads hundreds of miles to the south and in some places almost to the limits of the horizon. But from just above the High Dam
41
southwards, here and there, preparing for the climax of Abu Simbel, there
rise groups of temples, most of which, as a result of devoted care and modern techniques, are more beautiful than they were before. They are
monuments in which Egypt itself can take pride. They are also monuments to Egypt's devotion to its past and to the invaluable aid of Unesco and of all those who so sincerely believed that Nubia was part of the cultural inheritance of mankind and who were prepared to contribute their money, time and expert knowledge to its salvation. Four of these temples have gone abroad to Turin, Leyden, New York and Madrid as eternal tokens of Egypt's gratitude. They will stand in these famous cities for millions to see, remembering the long journeys they have made in both time and place, and yet, despite that, remembering also that man has but one ancestry and one history.
The Academy of the Arabic Language
One of the happy consequences of the impact of the West on Egyptian life and thought has been a serious revival of linguistic studies. In its literary classical form, the Arabic language has the qualities of a language spoken and read by nearly 100 million people; among whom the special position of Arabic as the medium for Divine Revelation has given the language a quality of sacredness which sometimes borders on rigidity. With the advent
of Western influences, especially in technology and science, a certain readaptation of the language to modern requirements became imperative. Furthermore, the constant tension between universal classical Arabic and local colloquial dialects1 was uppermost in the minds of linguistic reformers. In order to contribute both to the enrichment and to the scientific recording of the language, the Academy of the Arabic Language was founded by the Egyptian Government in 1932. In 1934 the academy began to hold regular meetings of twenty members, of whom ten were Egyptian scholars, five scholars from other Arab countries and five foreign orientalists. Although the academy is now presided over by the Minister of Culture, it enjoys a very large measure of autonomy and financial independence, guaranteed by a special charter. At present there are sixty elected members of the academy of whom forty are Egyptian and twenty from other Arab countries. There is also a sizeable number of foreign corresponding members. The principal objectives of the academy can be listed as follows: (a) enriching the vocabulary of Arabic in order to meet the requirements of modern science, technology and the humanities; (b) standardizing the new technology in the Arab world; (c) applying the rigour of scientific method to the study of Arabic dialects, past and present; (d) editing and publishing the classics of Arabic philology; (e) analysing the various sugges1. Reminiscent of the tension between Katharevusa and Demotiki in modern Greek before the reforms of Psicharis.
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tions concerning the reform of Arabic grammar and the writing script; and (f) compiling a standard dictionary of classical literary Arabic, upon historical principles, according to the latest lexicographical practice. The academy holds a weekly meeting for its Egyptian members and an annual plenary conference at which corresponding members from the academies of Damascus, Baghdad and Rabat generally attend. The work of the academy is carried on in commissions of about twenty specialists each, which provide the weekly meetings with an agenda of items of linguistic interest. Thousands of new terms in science and the arts are regularly
Arabicized and defined in these commissions. Technical vocabularies are

produced regularly and then combined in book form. There are already specialized dictionaries devoted to technical terms, engineering, geology, the terminology of modern everyday life, philosophy and linguistics in print and many others are in preparation. Studies of the grammar and rhetoric of Arabic are also produced in commission. Among the major publications of the academy are a Dictionary of the Terminology of the Koran, a Concordance to the Koran and a medium-sized
illustrated Dictionary of the Arabic Language in two volumes, which has

proved to be the standard work of reference for the language enriched by all its neologisms and new coinages over the last thirty years. This dictionary which is already being reprinted, is a condensed version (still commensurate with the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary) of the Dictionary of
the Arabic Language, of which only the first volume has been published to date.
The academy issues a journal of linguistic studies contributed by its members and by a panel of invited scholars. Periodically the lexicographical
work in commission is collected and published as an aid to scholars. Twelve

such volumes have already appeared. On the premises of the academy there is a library of about 10,000 books on linguistics and allied subjects, constituted in great part by exchanges between the academy's publications and those of learned societies abroad. The library also contains an important collection of unpublished dissertations and ancient manuscripts on microfilm, i
The authority of the academy is involved in all matters relating to the

Arabic language which is, of course, probably the most precious part of the national heritage. Intimately related to the Islamic tradition, it is a language which reached a remarkable maturity with the advent of Islam. The model for linguistic correctness and stylistic excellence is still the Koran. The role of an academy therefore is mainly lexicographical and morphological; and there is very seldom a need to approach syntax, unless it be for purposes of explanation or comparison. In its work on new coinages the academy has, in the past, been accused of a proclivity towards 'ink-horn
terms', but, for some time now, this is no longer true. The new terminology of the academy, especially in technology and medicine, has been absorbed into the living language with very little difficulty. This healthy trend in the
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academy's work is due in particular to the influence of its President, Dr. Taha Hussein, the doyen of Arabic letters, and to its Secretary-General, Dr. Ibrahim Madkour, the distinguished philosopher and author of an authoritative trilingual dictionary of philosophy.
Arabic music
Oflicially sponsored scientific interest in Arabic music dates back to the International Conference on Arabic Music which was held in 1932. Before that time musicologists and practising musicians would meet at what was called the 'Oriental Music Club' (founded in 1925) to exchange views on matters relating to the preservation of the heritage of Arabic music. In time, this club developed into an Institute of Arabic Music Studies with a serious course of study culminating in a diploma. In 1966 the institute was incorporated into the Academy of the Arts after having been raised to the status
of a higher institute (comparable to a university faculty). The Higher Council for Arts, Letters and the Social Sciences (founded after the 1952 Revolution) set up two permanent commissions to promote ways and means of preserving the national musical heritage and the national folk arts. One of the principal themes of discussion and study was the reorganization of Arabic musical education in schools and institutes. The council awards a number of State prizes every year for Arabic music. In 1969, Urn Kulthum, the grande dame of Arabic classical song for the last forty years, received the highest State cultural award. Prizes and grants are also given for musicology and the editing of ancient treatises on Arabic music. It is noteworthy that the National Library also has a publishing programme for the editing of manuscripts on Arabic music. The Bursaries Department of the Ministry of Culture provides at least two bursaries a year for promising Egyptian musicologists or composers of classical Arabic music. The State broadcasting and television services are, of course, the most popular media
for Arabic music. This monopolizes about 50 per cent of the 3,388 hours of
sound broadcasting per month and about the same percentage of the 863 hours of television transmission per month. There is a permanent Arabic music orchestra for radio and television and a choir which includes parttime and full-time members. Perhaps the most interesting development in the last few years has been the formation in 1968 of the Classical Arabic Music Ensemble by the Ministry of Culture, to help ensure the preservation and revival of the traditional Arabic music heritage. Dr. Samha El-Kholy, the distinguished Egyptian musicologist and educationist, writes:
The Ensemble is an enhanced form of the old takht; it adheres strictly to its old
instruments.... The Ensemble comprises a choir, of some twenty male and female voices, singing traditional vocal forms in unison, and aa instrumental group of
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about twenty instrumentalists. Abdel Halim Nuweira conducts it in its regular fortnightly concerts given in the new Sayed Darwish concert hall, where it performs classical art music in its authentic, purely monodic form.1
The success of the ensemble can be gauged from, the rapid sales of its first long-playing record for the Ministry of Culture. Seats are always difficult to
find at its fortnightly concerts in the Sayed Darwish Hall (1,200 places),
and its tours of the capitals of the Arab world in 1968 and 1969 have been in the nature of a triumphal progress. In 1968 the ensemble won a first prize at the Algiers Festival of Arabic Music. The ministry organized a second international conference on Arabic Music in December 1969 as a culmination to all the cultural events which marked the Millenary of Cairo. A volume of essays and studies contributed to the conference was due to appear in 1971. Certain conference recommendations were circulated very widely to musicologists throughout the Arab world.
Folklore
The danger of cultural alienation threatens any society which has been subjected to colonialism in any of its forms. The impact of the West on Egypt was not, however, of a nature to accomplish what President Boumedienne of Algeria has called 'soul genocide'; except among a very small minority, the Egyptian people have remained in uninterrupted communion with its language and with its religious tradition, which are part of the very texture of everyday life. The danger was not one of a dominant culture stamping out an enfeebled primitivism but of a cultural dialogue threatened occasionally with temporary failures of communication. That is why the preservation and promotion of Egyptian folklore does not imply an exploration of the half-forgotten and irrelevant, but rather the making of an inventory and the study of what is known and unmistakeably alive. The principal purpose of the Ministry of Culture here is to apply modern scientific methods to a culture which is part of the living spiritual life of the people. The Higher Council of Arts, Letters and the Social Sciences. This formed a special commission to provide a coherent plan of study and action plan for the folk arts, and help to bring practising folk artists into direct contact with scholars and anthropologists. After a rather long discussion of definitions and categories, the commission, did establish a plan for the encouragement of folk artists. One of the annual State prizes was awarded for a work of the imagination, artistic or literary, directly inspired by an unadulterated national tradition; another was instituted for actual practitioners;
1. 'Music' in: Mustafa Habib (ed.), Cultural Life in the United Arab Republic, p. 195,
Cairo, United Arab Republic National Commission for Unesco, 1968. 45
a third was for anthropologists or folklorists who had made original contributions to the scientific understanding of some aspect of the national folklore. These prizes have been awarded regularly for the last ten years. The commission was instrumental in organizing a Conference of Arab Folklorists (1958) to discover points of similarity and differences in the folk traditions of various parts of the Arab world. Methodology and field work were also discussed. One recommendation was that various centres of
folklore studies should be established in the Middle East and North Africa. This recommendation was taken up by the Ministry of Culture almost
immediately. The Centre for Folk Arts. This is a centre for study, research and systematic field work. Among its surveys in the early sixties were a description of the folklore of Nubia before and after the migration caused by the building of the High Dam, a study of the effect of industrialization on the folklore of rural communities living near Cairo, and a survey of the crossfertilization of folk traditions in the transplanted and mixed communities of the New Valley. The major activity, however, is a long-term programme of field work throughout the country. By means of the cinema, photography, magnetic tapes and index cards the manners, customs, arts and oral
tradition of the people are being recorded in the centre's archives. These already contain 2,000 colour slides, 5,000 black-and-white photographs, 25 documentary films and 900 hours of tape recordings. The centre is also very active in organizing exhibitions of Egyptian folk art, sending them overseas, for instance to Mexico, Japan, the United Kingdom, Hungary and Cuba. It has also been represented at thirty-three international conferences
and seminars.
The centre has a lively role in the exchange of information and experts. It has already received nine foreign ethnologists and folklorists from Hungary, Poland, Germany, Syria and Lebanon. Professor Tiberiu Alexandru, the distinguished Romanian ethno-musicologist, conducted an expedition for the collection and recording of the folk music of Egypt. The results of his work during two years at the centre was a selection of the most interesting of his recording on two long-playing records issued non-commercially by the Ministry of Culture. On a second expedition he concentrated
on the songs of Nubia, and the results of his survey have appeared on a
10-inch long-playing record which is also being circulated non-commercially
by the ministry. Folk music is still very much the main source of inspiration
for Egyptian composers of popular songs and of orchestral arrangements

for folk-dance companies. The sophisticated compositions of a new generation of Egyptian composers, expressing themselves in the Western musical idiom, often draw inspiration from the melodies and rhythms of Egyptian folk music. The centre has recently placed its collection of some 2,000 items of folk arts and crafts in a special museum which now occupies eight rooms in a restored, early sixteenth-century caravanserai called Wikalet El-Goury.
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Here, the public can see craftsmen working with tlie traditional tools of their trade. Some are permanent employees of the ministry; from time to time, craftsmen from outlying regions are invited to spend a few days in the museum and demonstrate their methods of work.1 In 1968 the centre was attached to the Academy of the Arts in order to make it the nucleus of a Higher Institute of Ethnology and Folklore Studies. It is still in process of conversion but a syllabus of graduate studies in theory and practice has already been elaborated. This will also be a centre for training field workers in collection, cataloguing and study methods. The Review of Folk Arts. This is a quarterly periodical, brought out by the State Publishing Organization affiliated to the Ministry of Culture, and edited by Dr. Abdel Hamid Younes, Sometime Professor of Folk Literature at Cairo University and Under-Secretary of State for Popular Culture. This journal is devoted primarily to research but it is also a precious record of much of the oral tradition which can only be heard on tapes. One of its purposes is to act as a forum for exchanges of views and information for scholars throughout the Arab world. A section devoted to abstracts in English of the articles published in Arabic has made the Review an important medium of scientific and cultural exchange. Folk dancing. The revival of the folk tradition of dancing is regarded as a sacred trust by the Ministry of Culture. It has incorporated two folk dance ensembles into the Theatre and Music Corporation: the Reda Ensemble, and
the National Folk Dance Ensemble. Adopting the ethnologist's approach, both have done research into the vast heritage of Egyptian folklore from the Nile Valley and the desert, from the delta and the oases. On this basis, the choreographer ethnologists have devised dance numbers into which the original dancing figures were incorporated. Modern orchestration and the sophistication of the dancing have not spoiled the spirit of these dances. Furthermore, these folk dances have been used to depict the hopes, habits and sentiments of the people in a variety of colourful ways. The Reda Ensemble and the National Ensemble have toured twenty-five countries, demonstrating the universal appeal of folk dancing.
Museums
The Ministry of Culture is responsible for two types of museums: the historical museums and museums of antiquities; and the art museums (the ministry's terminology). The museums of antiquities come directly under the jurisdiction of the Department of Antiquities. There are four major museums of antiquities in Egypt: Ancient Egyptian Antiquities; Coptic Antiquities; Islamic Antiquities (all three in Cairo); and the Graeco-Roman and Hellenistic Antiquities (in
1. This experiment has been extended to other restored mediaeval houses.
47
Alexandria). These represent the four great civilizations of the Nile Valley, not only as repositories of the masterpieces but also as 'dynamic' museums (to borrow a term from modern Senegalese muscology) in which the evolution of civilization is presented in all its multifarious aspects. The artefacts, the weapons and the household ware of each succeeding period are linked to the spirit of the age, which produced some of the world's most splendid
masterpieces. The original layout of these museums dates back to a more classical concept of functions and display techniques. Museums are nowadays being used for a multiplicity of educational and cultural purposes which require a totally new outlook on preservation and display. Some of the history teaching in schools now takes place out of school in the museums, and the show-cases and display cabinets have to be rendered more attractive to the eyes of young scholars. In 1959, all the Cairo museums of antiquities were to have been grouped in one area, with each period of civilization housed in a separate series of pavilions. The historical continuity was to be demonstrated by the latest museum methods. To quote Dr. Sarwat Okasha, the minister who originally conceived this dynamic scheme of presentation:
. . . the visitor would be able to view a period in its multiple aspects, or a theme in its historical evolution, or the development of an idea by passing from one building to the other. Aside from its complete presentation of the successive civilizations in the Nile Valley, this complex of museums would also help the visitor to make his own approach to the historic past and form his own impressions. . . .
Unfortunately, the project had to be shelved because of budgetary priorities, but it is hoped that it will come into being. The art museums come under the under-secretary responsible for the
fine arts and museums. They constitute a variety of what, at first sight, may appear to be disparate elements. In Cairo, there are eight of them which include only four collections which can be described as being strictly related to the fine arts. The Moukhtar Museum houses a collection of seventy of the sculptures of the late Mahmoud Moukhtar, who was the first prominent sculptor of the Egyptian artistic renaissance during the early decades of this century. The Nagy Museum near the pyramids is in the original studio of the late Mohamed Nagy, one of modern Egypt's most distinguished painters. All the artist's most important work has been placed on permanent exhibition in this small museum. The Museum of Modern Art is in temporary premises, while a modern building is still under construction. It is a retrospective exhibition of Egyptian art over the last seventy
years. The collection is the result of successive purchases by the Ministry of

Culture and of bequests by the artists themselves. This museum therefore records the development of artistic taste from the first appearance of a
modern movement in the arts in Egypt. Perhaps the most valuable collection is the one offered to the State by the late Mohammed Mabmoud
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Khalil and his wife. They were throughout their lives passionate art collectors and connoisseurs of nineteenth-century European painting. French impressionists and nineteenth-century Orientalists and an eclectic choice of early Dutch and Flemish masters make this an extremely valuable collection indeed. The ministry has catalogued and rearranged it, grouping the paintings according to period or school. This museum is frequently visited by students and schoolchildren as part of their history of art courses. Four other museums can be more properly described as museums of civilizations in its various aspects. The Gezira Museum has three important
collections, one of the history of glass from Roman to Islamic times,

another of Islamic metalwork, ceramics and textiles, and a third of paintings by famous European artists (from Rubens to Picasso). This museum can be used for various study purposes by educationists and art historians. The Museum of Egyptian Civilization is a compendious introduction to the evolution of civilization in Egypt from prehistoric times to the present day. Apart from a respectable selection of artefacts, tools and weapons of archaeological interest, the museum also presents Egyptian history in a series of dramatic dioramas. Two museums specialize in the political history of twentieth-century Egypt. They are the Saad Zaghloul Museum (The House of the People) which is a historical museum of the 1919 nationalist Revolution against the British occupation, prepared in the very house of Saad Zaghloul, the leader of the 1919 Revolution. Then there is a small museum dedicated to the earlier nationalist leader, Mustafa Kamel, which houses his library and a display of early photographs and holograph manuscripts. In Alexandria there is appropriately a Naval Museum housed in the Kait Bey Citadel, giving an illustrated naval history of Egypt from Pharaonic times to the present. In Mansoura there is a small museum of the Arab resistance to and final victory over the Crusaders in the House of Ibn Luqman where Louis IX of France had been held captive by the Arabs. All these museums with their diversity of collections are in fact instruments of culture which are being used dynamically by teachers and students. A glance at the statistics for 1968, for example, shows that about 250,000 visitors were registered in the museums of antiquities, while an average of 112,000 went to the art museums. Although thousands of tourists were among them, it is noteworthy that the average age of visitors was 13!
Libraries and archives1
The National Library (Dar-ul-Kutub) was founded in 1870 as part of

the general movement of modernization in the second half of the nineteenth century. For more than fifty years it remained the principal source of
1. This section is the condensation of a memorandum, prepared by Dr. Mahmoud el-Shenity, Under-Secretary of State for Libraries and Archives in the Ministry of Culture.
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information for scholars and general readers in Cairo. In 1925 the first modern university came into being. This university, now called Cairo University, houses a special library of printed books. In 1958, when the Ministry of Culture was established, libraries and archives became two of
its main concerns. The ministry became responsible for the National Library (1.5 million books), the National Archives and the Public Libraries Administration. The main objectives are as follows. First, to lay a solid foundation for comprehensive library services within a national network, which comprises different types of libraries, closely coordinated to constitute the national apparatus for information storage and retrieval. The National Library forms the nucleus of the nation-wide system for the preservation of materials and the needs of research. There is already a central public library in the capital of each of the twenty-five governorates. This library has branches in small towns and service points in adjoining villages, which are one of the most effective instruments of permanent education in the country. Second, to create an adequate national service for historical archives in relation to the modern and contemporary history of Egypt. The existing collections of the National Archives are being organized systematically and housed in a central building in Cairo. Archival material in the various ministries and government departments is being channelled towards the National Archives. Foreign collections are scrutinized systematically to obtain microfilm material relevant to the history of Egypt. Work has started on the provision of a network of local archives in the provincial capitals. Finally, to .establish a number of research centres for bibliographic organization, documentation and the restoration of materials. Existing centres include the following. The Centre for Editing and Publishing Arabic Manuscripts. About fifty scholars and research assistants are engaged in producing reliable editions of important Arabic manuscripts on history, literature, language, music and science. About twenty volumes have been published
in the last two years.
The Documentation Ce?itre for Contemporary Egyptian History. This groups about one hundred historians and research assistants who are working on the sources of Egyptian history from 1914 to 1952State archives, court records, parliamentary reports, published or unpublished memoirs, and so on. The National Centre for Bibliographical Services. This publishes the UAR National Bibliography in co-operation with the Catalogue Department of the National Library. It is now computerizing the National Library Catalogue in order to produce a general catalogue of acquisitions over the past 100 years. Automation problems are being studied in cooperation with Unesco. The Centre for the Preservation of Documents. The invaluable collections
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containing over 70,000 codices, of which a large proportion are from
500 to 1,000 years old, require constant attention and care. The unique collection of nineteenth-century newspapers and periodicals filling thousands of bound volumes has to be protected against acidification and wear and tear. A biological and chemical laboratory and a restoration (manual and mechanical) unit, constitute the main departments.
NEW BUILDINGS
New buildings to house the National Library, the National Archives and the technical centres mentioned above will include a conference centre, exhibition halls, microfilming laboratories and a printing press. The first part of the programme (the National Library) was due to reach completion at the end of 1971. Already the handsome modern building overlooking the Nile is a welcome addition to the Cairo skyline.
The Millenary of Cairo

The thousandth anniversary of an important metropolis like Cairo is not a date to be passed over lightly. In spite of the state of critical tension which existed after the hostilities of June 1967, the Ministry of Culture decided to prepare actively for the -marking of the Millenary of Cairo. This was not only to be a cultural event of the first order but also an affirmation of the people's faith in its attachment to the cultural heritage of Egypt and to the values of modern civilization. The Millenary was celebrated in seven different ways. An international colloquium on the history of Cairo, which was inaugurated by the late President Gamal Abdel Nasser. The proceedings are being published separately in Arabic, English and French. An international conference on Arabic music, the second of its kind in the twentieth century. In addition to various recommendations, it provided the ministry with a very interesting volume of essays and studies for
printing.
An international round-table meeting on the planning and architecture of Cairo, held in a small, early nineteenth-century palace within the ramparts of the Citadel of Saladin. An international exhibition of Islamic art in Egypt from A.D. 969 to 1517. This exhibition grouped for the first time some two hundred works of art preserved in Egyptian museums and collections in London, Paris, Vienna, New York and Berlin. The illustrated catalogue, printed in
Arabic and English, has become an important work of reference. Twenty capitals of friendly countries shared the twelve months of 1969 among themselves to produce a series of cultural events of the highest quality in the theatres and exhibition halls of Cairo.
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The State Publishing House and the National Library sponsored a series of important books on the history of Cairo. Perhaps the most ambitious
was the beautiful art book produced by the State Publishing House, The 1,000 Years of Cairo, produced in Arabic, English, French, Russian,
German and Spanish. A vast programme of restoration of the mediaeval architecture of Cairo was undertaken by the ministry in conjunction with archaeological expeditions from France and Poland. A special effort was also made by national dramatic companies and film units to mark the anniversary of Cairo with artistic performances of a
particularly high standard.
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There are many channels for culture, some of which do not appear obvious at first sight. In rural communities, for example, there is an audience for light entertainmentcomedy or farceon television. It does not take very long for a peasant audience to imitate what they have seen only fleetingly on television or in the films shown by mobile cinemas. The serials, the thrillers and the spectacular shows, whether foreign or local, are indirect, almost subliminal, introductions to standards of taste and behaviour which may take the innocent viewer on a very long journey of discovery. Radio and television have this extraordinary power of suggesting patterns of behaviour and even moral values, which are not part of the familiar tradition. In contrast, the press is less powerful, because it relies much more on the imagination and on the rapid comprehension of the formal sentence patterns of even modern literary Arabic. Radio is a compelling voice, added to that of the sermon and oral tradition. The cinema, certainly before the advent of television, was a very popular school of manners and morals for the early wonder-struck audiences, especially far from the metropolis. With television a view of life other than that lived by the viewer is constantly before his eyes, and the various admirable attempts to reproduce his life and to speak to him in a familiar idiom do not for one moment hide the endless vistas of an unfamiliar landscape of human behaviour. The mass media are part of the everyday life of all but a few citizens of Egypt. The tremendous impact of this 'multiple transmission' of opinions, information, ideas and the arts is difficult to gauge during a period of development and transition. Necessarily, the mass media sometimes spread a high degree of passive acceptance which is unstimulating and unproductive; sometimes the public is made to feel insecure and alienated by the multitude of contradictory voices, all highly authoritative and persuasive
(such is the spell-binding effect of the printed or the broadcast word!),

sometimes the public feels afflicted with a general withdrawal of interest, caused by a creeping sense of cynical disbelief. But the positive aspects of
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the mass media are far more vital and impressive. The stimulating education 'without tears' which can be derived from the mass media is infinitely more
effective than the traditional modes of communication. While no one would suggest that the library or the museum should be superseded by the television set it is nevertheless true that, in periods of rapid expansion and development, much more is achieved by the mass media than by more traditional methods. The government is not unaware of the tremendous instrument of progress and culture which it possesses in television and broadcasting. The press, however, is not controlled by the government; it is considered both an instrument of opinion and political expression and a forum for culture and the arts. The press is owned by private companies, political organizations, trade unions, or the Arab Socialist Union, but not necessarily the little reviews or literary periodicals. Neither type would stand a chance of financial success in the free market, and it is the State Publishing Organization affiliated to the Ministry of Culture which has undertaken to publish and circulate eight of the periodicals which have the least likelihood of popular appeal. The theatre creates another problem. Broad comedy and farce are extremely popular and economically viable, but the classics of world theatre, opera and ballet, serious plays by Egyptian dramatists and the experiments in drama which appeal only to a minority audience must be the responsibility of the Theatre and Music Organization (also affiliated to the ministry). This is also true of serious music by Western composers and of the music of a new generation of Egyptian composers in a Western idiom. State patronage, in short, must extend to all the channels which cannot continue to flow if hampered by commercial obstacles. A broad selection of the various means of the dissemination of culture by government bodies is described below.
Publishing
The publication of books receives attention on a national scale as being basic both to education and to culture in the wider sense. Egypt's largescale book-publishing industry is also seen as a means of promoting intellectual and emotional unity between all Arabic-speaking countries. The export of books (general literature and text-books) is worth the equivalent of 4 million sterling. There are, however, other works for which there is a demand both inside and outside the Arab world, in particular books concerning religion, which have their special appeal in all Islamic countries,
such as Afghanistan, Indonesia, Iran, Pakistan and so on. In all, some

60. per cent of the total book production is exported. In recent years there has been a notable increase in the number of books published, this being the result of expansion in education and the struggle
54
against illiteracy, in Egypt itself and in other Arabic-speaking countries.

The government has therefore been obliged to give increasing attention not only to publishing but also to the marketing of books. Bookshops have been
established abroad in various capitals as well as in Egypt itself, even in the

smaller provincial towns. The Union of Publishers is composed of public and private organizations concerned with publication and distribution. It has at present 100 members. The Arab Socialist Union also runs a network of publishing organizations which are members of this union. The Arab Federation of Publishers was set up in 1968 and to it belongs the Union of Publishers and a similar Union in the Lebanon. It has also established affiliated branches in other Arab countries. Close attention is being given to changes in taste and to readers' requirements. Book production had long been limited to religious and literary works. This is now no longer the case. The new society, for example, shows a marked and increasing interest in science and technology. Nevertheless, special care is also devoted to the preservation of the classics and to the publication of well-edited manuscripts. Another notable change in taste is
the demand for translations of foreign plays.

There are at the moment some 30,000 titles actually in print in Egypt, the annual production totalling about 1,000. Each edition averages 4,000 copies. Popular books, of course, run into tens of thousands. Editions of school books amount to 100,000 copies. A recent development has been the large-scale publication of children's books, in which some publishers now specialize exclusively. Many are printed abroad in Italy and Japan so that children may have well-produced and colourful books to enjoy at a subsidized low price. One influence which it is still difficult to assess but which will doubtless prove of importance to the publishing industry is the increasing co-operation between various Arab States in education and in the unifying of their
educational programmes. This is bound to have a marked effect upon the circulation of Egyptian books abroad.
The State Publishing House, better known as the Egyptian Organization for Editing and Publishing, is a non-profit-making organization which is affiliated to the Ministry of Culture. It publishes books of a scholarly or minority appeal which would not be commercially attractive to private firms. It also commissions serious academic editions of the classics of Arabic literature and science, and brings out a series of university textbooks at low, heavily subsidized prices. The State Publishing House owns a number of
well-equipped and up-to-date printing presses and is able to produce its own
books economically. Throughout the Arab world there are agencies and distribution centres for these books. Trade is lively, with buyers throughout the Islamic world, especially for books on religion, 'and the Arabic
classics. Although it welcomes competition from other publishers in Egypt,

55
especially in matters of distribution, the State Publishing House is more strictly dedicated to a long-term cultural programme where the profit motive is not the prime consideration. A vast network of relations with serious book publishers abroad had been established, and art books are now being produced in co-operation with publishers and printers in France, the German Democratic Republic, Hungary, Italy and the United KingdomThere has been a new departure in children's books, where the most beauti-
ful examples of book production are made accessible to a very wide public
of children at cost price. The State Publishing House sponsors the annual International Book Fair held in Cairo every January. This is a cultural event of the highest importance as a meeting place for publishers from all over the world, but it is also one of the most significant events in the history of education in Egypt. Books at reduced prices from all over the world are made accessible to the public. This is especially true of university textbooks and works of academic research. The success of this annual book fair is one of the memorable achievements in the modern history of Egypt. In January 1970, the fair had over 1 million visitors.
A number of subsidized reviews are brought out by the State Publishing
House, from such specialized bodies as the medical profession or university faculties. But there is a category of semi-highbrow periodicals which cannot
be published by private means. It is this category that is of particular
interest to the State Publishing House: Al Katib (The Writer) edited by

Ahmed Abbas Saleh is a forum for socialist opinion and literary experiment; Al Fikr al Mo'aser (Contemporary Thought) edited by Dr. Fouad Zakareya is a review of philosophical research; Al Megallah (The Review) edited by Yahya Haqqi is devoted to literary and art criticism; Al Masrah (Theatre) edited by Salah Abdel Sabour and Al Sinema (Cinema) edited by Saad el Din Wahba are self-explanatory; Al Kitab arArabi (The Arabic Book) edited by Ahmed 'Issa is devoted to librarianship and bibliography; Al Funun al Sha'biya (Folklore) edited by Dr. Abdel Hamid Younes is a specialist journal of ethnology and folklore; Turath al Insaniya (The Heritage of Mankind) edited by Dr. Fuad Zakariya deals with the classics of East and West. These semi-specialized periodicals have been cited at length in order to give an idea of the range of themes for which subsidized journals are issued by the State Publishing House. While it engages in some commercial work (especially in printing), the overriding concern of the ministry is to make book production of quality accessible to as wide a public as possible by means of the cultural action of the State Publishing House.
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Tte diffusion of culture
Cinema
The history of the Egyptian cinema began in 1917 but film-making did not emerge from a phase of timid experiment until 1924 when the Misr Company for Acting and the Cinema was formed as a joint stock company largely financed by the Misr Bank. In 1934 the Misr Studios were completed and Egyptian films could then be shot and entirely processed by Egyptian technicians in Egypt. This marks the beginning of the tremendous expansion of the Egyptian cinema, an Arabic-speaking cinema which was to reach audiences throughout the Arab world and as far afield as Africa south of the Sahara and the Far East. The relatively long tradition of film-making in Egypt was recognized by the government, which made the judicious decision that a public and a private sector should be allowed to function side by side. The private sector owns 205 cinemas (out of 380), eighteen film-distribution companies and forty-two production companies against the ministry's single Egyptian General Cinema Corporation. This corporation, which constitutes the entire public sector (except for the production units belonging to television, the State Information Service, various ministries and the armed forces), is run along commercial lines. In fact, as the corporation's main aim is to raise the quality of production and the presentation of prestige films both at home and abroad, the reality of the situation is that it is largely a nonprofit-making organization. This is a natural concomitant of the ministry's policy, which tends to promote the making of better-quality films even at the expense of box-office success. The corporation is the result of a series of nationalizations of large cinema companies and the acquisition by purchase of some private studios. It covers the production and distribution of films, and the management of a cinema circuit. In 1966 the corporation came into being as an independent organization controlled by the Ministry of Culture. It was at first a loose association of four companies in various sectors of the industry. Then in 1969 it acquired a new status as a single organization divided into sectors. The corporation is not simply a film-production unit working on its own account; it also subsidizes production in the private sector in cases which may merit special encouragement and financing. It also sponsors a young generation of film-makers, especially the graduates of the Higher Institute of Cinema, for films which might not find a ready response among the more commercially minded producers of the private sector. The importance of its production can be judged from the figures given for 1968 when 6.5 million metres of film (colour and black-and-white) were developed in its laboratories. However, this figure includes the films of the private sector, because all laboratories are owned by the corporation. This footage was projected in Egypt and exported to all Arab countries and to a large number of others such as France, Belgium, Spain, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the United States and Venezuela. The most
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important regular importers of Egyptian films are the Lebanon, followed by the Sudan, Jordan, Syria, People's Democratic Republic of Yemen, Libya and Kuwait.
D O C U M E N T A R Y AND SHORT FILMS
For many years documentary and short films were produced haphazardly by a number of different ministries or by film studios working on commission or for profit. In 1957, however, Republican Decree No. 149 was issued forming a documentary film unit in the Department of the Arts (then part of the Ministry of Education). This was the first sign of official recognition of the educational and cultural importance of this kind of film.
In 1960, the documentary film unit was attached to the State cinema
industry, embarking upon a difficult career in different branches of the then
nascent State industry. However, in 1967, a fully fledged National Centre

for Documentary and Short Films was established as an autonomous unit in the State Cinema Corporation. The national centre became a school of cinema for the young graduates of the Higher Film Institute who required a period of rigorous training before embarking on a career in the industry. The centre was a non-profit-making organization, subsidized by the State Cinema Corporation and producing films which certainly contributed to raising the standard of taste among the average film-makers and film viewers. The centre's films are shown in all the State-owned circuit of cinemas in Egypt, sent abroad to film festivals and to cultural centres attached to Egyptian diplomatic missions. In the summer of 1970 one of the centre's
films, The Eloquent Peasant by Shady Abdel Salam, won a first prize at the
Venice Film Festival. Apart from the centre, an Arab Agency for Cinema
(founded in 1969) also produces documentary and short films. The agency,
however, is commercial, and produces a large number of films on commission for commercial firms, advertising agencies and television. It is also a marketing and distributing agency for full-length Arabic films from both the private and public sectors. An interesting new departure has had a tremendous success: the animation films which are produced for young audiences or for advertising purposes at the cinema or on television. There are now, in fact, four animation
film units in the public sector, three affiliated to the Ministry of Culture (the
centre, the agency and the Misr Studios), and one in the Television and Broadcasting Corporation, affiliated to the Ministry of Information. Recently, however, the cost of production of animation and cartoon films has proved so high and their commercial success so widespread, that the centre's share has been taken over almost entirely by the Arab Agency for Cinema, which has a greater capital turnover and better distribution
facilities. In 1969, four cartoon films were produced by TJ.A.R. Television, four by Misr Studios and two by the Arab agency. 58
As for documentaries and shorts, thirty-five films were produced in Egypt in 1969, as follows: (a) Arab Agency for Cinema, 20; (b) National Centre for Documentary and Short Films, 5; (c) Cairo Film Production Company (also affiliated to the Ministry of Culture), 3; (d) State Information Service, 5; (e) private sector, 2.
THE S C I E N T I F I C FILM L I B R A R Y
This was founded as an autonomous body under the Ministry of Health in June 1962. Its purpose was to collect or to produce films which could serve as teaching aids in universities and higher institutes where scientific subjects are best taught with the help of visual aids, especially to large numbers of students. These films have been extremely successful in medicine. From 1962 to 1970 the Scientific Film Library has produced 150 short films on various aspects of surgery, gynaecology, urology, neurosurgery, cardiology and dermatology. Besides these, fourteen films were made on dentistry. The majority of these films are, of course, highly specialized and are suitable only for faculties, but some have already been shown with noteworthy success on television.
THE VISUAL IMAGES TECHNICAL CENTRE
This centre was set up in the Ministry of Culture in 1964, to elaborate ways and means of using the visual image to promote scientific, cultural and educational purposes of national importance. Unesco is following the progress of the centre very closely, and providing much of the assistance needed for this pilot project in accelerated acculturation. The centre's film library, set up in accordance with the system recommended by the International Federation for Film Archives, contains feature and documentary films from the Arab countries, with detailed catalogues and indexed information about the role of the cinema in the Arab world. The centre issues technical books on film-making and the cinema industry, and a film journal which publishes research on matters relating to the utilization of cinema for cultural and educational purposes. It organizes seminars and conferences, and sponsors a small film, society.
THE FILM LIBRARY ('CINEMATHEQUE 5 )
This was set up by the Ministry of Culture in May 1970. It is to be the National Film Archive of Egypt as soon as it completes its collection of Arabic feature and documentary films from the earliest days of Egyptian cinema. The library has already acquired the nucleus of selected classics of world cinema. It proposes to use this material in order to establish a museum of the history of Egyptian cinema from its earliest beginnings to the present. It is affiliated to the International Federation of Film. Archives.
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FILM S O C I E T I E S
The history of film societies in Egypt goes back to 1938 when a group of university students organized their own discussion group on the cinema. Other societies sprang up sporadically immediately after the Second World War, but none were to last for more than a season or two. In 1956 the Department of Fine Arts, then part of the Ministry of Education, instituted the first film society, with regular meetings in Cairo and Alexandria. This society made tremendous headway in creating a serious interest in cinema and in familiarizing audiences with the film classics and the styles of the great directors. At present there are twenty-two film societies in Egypt. The leading two are the Film Association (founded in 1960) and the Cairo Film Society (founded in 1968) both of which are in Cairo. The first is an independent voluntary association partly subsidized by the Ministry of Culture but the second, with a membership of 1,326, is a pilot society founded by the ministry as a model for other societies elsewhere in the country. Both issue a weekly pamphlet. An Alexandria film club (330 members) and a Mansourah film club (450 members) both work in close co-operation with
the parent body in Cairo. Other societies include the Journalists' Film Group (founded in 1968) and the Maadi Film Society (founded in 1968) which is run by the pupils of the State secondary schools in Maadi (one of the suburbs of Cairo). The Visual Images Technical Centre also runs a small
film society. The smallest (thirty-five members) and newest of societies in the Cairo area is the New Cinema Group, founded in 1969, composed mostly of young cinema enthusiasts who hold weekly discussions on such subjects as commercialism in Egyptian cinema, the censorship and the creative artists, the battle of the generations, and so on. The Houses of Culture which the ministry has set up in the provinces are centres of lively interest in the cinema. At the fourteen film societies
attached to these centres, the inhabitants of provincial towns and rural
areas have an opportunity of seeing the world classics and of discussing points of interest in the films with a panel of film critics or specially trained discussion leaders and cultural promoters (animateurs).
THE FILM-MAKERS' UNION

This is a trade union which has quite a long history. After the Revolution the voluntary association of film-makers (founded in 1943) was organized into a powerful union for the protection of the interests of all workers in the cinema industry in both the private and public sectors. This union now has an active membership of 672.
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PUBLICATIONS ON THE CINEMA
The ministry has taken the lead in publishing books and periodicals on the cinema, through the agency of the State Publishing House200 books have been issued and there is a regular monthly journal as well. At a moxe commercial level, three magazines for film fans are published privately, and sometimes include an interesting critical column. Translation of English and French works on the cinema has a long history, dating back to 1936. The works of the major cinema historians and film critics are now being read by students at the Higher Institute of Cinema in excellent Arabic translations.
Theatre
In spite of its distant origins in Ancient Egyptian religion, the drama has not been part of the cultural heritage preserved by the people of Egypt. The birth of the Arabic theatre about the middle of the nineteenth century, in Egypt and Syria almost simultaneously, is one of the results of the Western impact on the Arab world. The theatre is now happily naturalized and has assumed a very important part in the cultural life of the country. To generalize about the last hundred years or so of Egyptian theatre, three clear traditions can be distinguished; melodrama, vaudeville or farce, and poetic drama. The first found its best exponents in George Abyad and Youssef Wahby, the second in Aziz Eid and Naguib el-Rihani and the third in the National Theatre Company which performed the poetic plays of Ahmed Shawky and, more recently, of Aziz Abaza. The modern movement in drama begins with Tewfiq el Hakim, whose limpid prose is an excellent vehicle for the semi-philosophical and allegorical themes of his plays. It is significant that when the ministry embarked on widespread theatrebuilding after 1958, it named the theatre devoted to the modern Egyptian experiment in legitimate theatre after Tewfiq el Hakim. The idea of a people's theatre, untrammelled by the limitations of a middle-class ethos, emerged after the Revolution of 1952. A decree issued in 1958 set up the Egyptian Corporation for Theatre and Music.1 This
was a semi-autonomous organization, placed directly under the minister,
to administer State-owned theatres in Cairo and Alexandria; implement a dynamic plan for the construction of new theatres; and organize the employment and maintenance of repertory companies and experimental theatre groups. In music, the corporation administers the Cairo Symphony
Orchestra and any orchestras, choirs or instrumental groups formed later.
In 1967 a further decree was issued reorganizing the corporation in such a way that provincial and rural theatres were withdrawn from it and placed directly under the authority of the Under-Secretary for Popular Culture. Its full name is now the Theatre, Music and Folk Arts Corporation.
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Folk-dance ensembles, a ballet company and an opera group were soon to come under its authority. The ministry is particularly keen on the theatrical arts, as the theatre has achieved recognition in Egypt as one of the most vital ways in which people can gain cultural experience. This democratic aspects, with its reliance on collective creativity by dramatists and performer alike, and its stimulation of audience participation, prompted the tremendous wave of enthusiasm for the theatre in Egypt. The theatres run by the Theatre andjMusic Corporation and their seating capacity (in parentheses) are as follows: opera (760); National Theatre (700); Muhammad Farid (750); Al-Gumhuriya (724); Balloon Theatre (1,640); Puppet Theatre (370); July 26 Theatre (400); Nile (Floating) Theatre (870); Sayyid Darwish Concert Hall (1,150); Sayyid Darwish Theatre, Alexandria (1,000); National Circus (2,500), This gives a total seating capacity of 10,864. The private sector owns two theatres in Cairo and nine in Alexandria, with a total seating capacity of 5,523. In the rest of the country the private sector owns nine theatres, mostly in the provincial capitals.
THE CAIRO OPERA H O U S E
Since 1869, foreign companies have been performing in this delightful little Italianate theatre, and talented Egyptian artists and companies have now joined their number. In 1967 an Egyptian Opera Workshop was created by the Ministry of Culture. It has given performances of Gliick's Orfeo and Puccini's Madame Butterfly and La Boheme, in conjunction with the Cairo Symphony Orchestra.
THE NATIONAL CIRCUS
This is one of the particularly successful ventures of the Theatre and Music Corporation. Over the last ten years, it has built up a staff of trainers, acrobats, clowns and trapeze artists which is unicpie in the Middle East. There has been, of course, a very intensive exchange of circus acts with foreign circuses. The German Democratic Republic and the Soviet Union have both provided expertise and technical assistance. In 1967 the National Circus began a series of visits abroad, and individual acts have been shown
in'Berlin, Copenhagen, Moscow, Paris and Stockholm.

THE PUPPET THEATRE
Puppetry is an old folk tradition throughout the Middle East, but is was not until 1958 that the ministry decided to introduce modern techniques
of puppetry into the Egyptian theatre. Experts from Romania helped to set up a well-trained group of Egyptian puppeteers who put on specially
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commissioned puppet plays. A number of poets, playwrights and writers for children contributed to the puppet master's repertoire. Today the puppet theatre with its plays and musical comedies drawn from the rich resources of the folk heritage has become the children's theatre par excellence. It gives regular shows in Cairo in its own specially adapted hall, but it also tours the provinces and gives open-air shows in village schools and on the communal threshing floors of the smallest hamlets.
THE 'POCKET' THEATRE

This is a small theatrical company which puts on experimental or avantgarde plays by Egyptian and foreign authors. It is trained to perform in small areas and sometimes it gives performances in cafes or in a room, or out of doors in a side street. It believes that theatre must become part of the texture of our conscious lives and that audience and players should live through the dramatic experience in close communion with each other. Much interesting work has been presented by this experimental yet highly professional group. Many other theatres tend towards specialization, but none are actually exclusive in their choice of plays. The National Theatre with its State repertory company does tend to limit itself to the classics and to the more lasting productions of the modern Egyptian dramatic movement. They have regular performances of Shakespeare and Moliere and, within the last two years, there have been memorable productions of the Choephoroi and Agammemnon, Goldoni's Servant of Two Masters, Gogol's Revizor; Brecht's The Caucasian Chalk Circle and Tchekov's Uncle Vanya. Although these plays were given in Arabic, their Egyptian producers benefited throughout rehearsals from the technical advice of dramatic consultants from abroad. Thus, a purely Egyptian production of those plays was given, but the foreign consultant was there to make sure that no untoward liberties were taken with the original text. Apart from their repertory of the world's classics the National Theatre also stage Arabic poetic works and the masterpieces of modern Arabic drama.
I N T E R N A T I O N A L CONFERENCES
ON THE THEATRE
Egypt regularly takes part in theatre conferences, including the conference held in New Delhi in 1966 to discuss relations between Asian and Western drama. Egypt is always represented at the Unesco round-table meeting on Drama held every year in Beirut in November. Egyptian drama critics attended the Berthold Brecht Conference in Berlin in 1968. The annual meeting of Arab dramatists held in Tunis and the Dramatic Arts Festival in Damascus are both attended regularly by Egyptian dramatists and drama groups. This regular participation in international conferences is prompted 63
by the ministry's desire to keep Egyptian dramatists and critics abreast of developments in ideas wbich have revolutionized opinions concerning all matters related to the theatre. Egypt attaches particular value to its close links with the International Theatre Institute, which recently held a meeting on Arab Theatre in Cairo itself.
Music
The ministry has assumed a very large part of the responsibility for the wider appreciation of the Western tradition in music throughout the republic, and something should be said about the tremendous and ever-growing appeal of Western music to the public and to composers and instrumentalists alike.
THE CAIRO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Late in 1955 Frantz Litschauer, an Austrian conductor, was invited to Egypt to form, a new symphony orchestra. In 1958 this orchestra was transferred from the Broadcasting Organization to the Theatre and Music Corporation. It then had sixty-five players. Now there are nearly one hundred of whom about sixty are Egyptian. The ministry has a long-term programme for increasing the number of Egyptian players in the orchestra. This increase is naturally tied up with the rate of growth of the number of graduates from the Music Academy and from the other music-training institutes. It is estimated that by 1975, there should be enough qualified Egyptian musicians to Egyptianize the Cairo Symphony Orchestra entirely. At present, there is already a student orchestra, attached to the academy, which has given some very promising public concerts. The Cairo Symphony Orchestra's aim, since its foundation, has been to create a wider appreciation of the great classics of music. It invites conductors of international reputation and famous soloists to take part in
its performances. The late Charles Munch, Aram Khatchaturian, Gika

Zdravkovitch, Richard Blareau, Arturo Wolf-Ferrari and many others have
conducted the orchestra which, during the season, gives weekly concerts at the fully air-conditioned Sayed Darwish Concert Hall (1,150 seats) near the Pyramids of Giza. This hall is a splendid example of its kind. The orchestra plays there every Saturday to a full house of keen music lovers from all sections of the population. It also provides the orchestral accompaniment to ballet and opera performances by Egyptian and foreign touring companies. In the 1969/70 season, for example, it provided the orchestral accompaniment to the Cairo Opera Workshop's all-Egyptian production of La Boheme and to the National Ballet Company's performances of Daphnis et Chloe,
Prelude a I'Apres-midi d'un Faune and Don Juan. This, of course, is in

addition to the forty-seven concerts given under the baton of Egyptian and 64
foreign guest conductors. Its services are frequently in demand on public occasions, and it is often called upon to play the background music for films sponsored by the Ministry of Culture. The ministry's policy towards the orchestra is to give it every facility to be a true instrument of musical culture for the people. Although affiliated to a semi-autonomous corporation run on semi-commercial lines, it is heavily subsidized, so that it is to all intents and purposes, non-profit-making. Special concerts for the young are given periodically, and the orchestra has occasionally done a tour of the provinces, where no Western music has been performed live before. From time to time the orchestra presents an introduction to Western music, illustrating it with demonstrations of the functions of the various instruments. Its vast educational programme of initiation is presented either free of charge or for an extremely small entrance fee. A chamber orchestra of twenty players has been created out of the symphony orchestra and it performs regularly at free concerts in schools, universities and houses of culture. These are frequently the first introduction to music for an ever-growing audience of music-lovers. There is also a string quartet which has given a number of successful recitals. The Cairo Symphony Orchestra never fails to play works by Egyptian composers, thus rendering a real service to music in Egypt. These have developed a musical idiom which is deeply rooted in the national tradition but which nevertheless aspires to an international appeal. Youssef Greiss (1905-61) and Abu Bakr Khafrat (1910-63) were the pioneers. But there is now a very interesting group of Egyptian composers whose music is a fruitful fusion between the traditions of East and West. They are Gamal Abdel Rahim, Aziz El-Shawwan and Rifaat Garranah.
THE CAIRO OPERA WORKSHOP
This is of recent formation (1967), but it has already succeeded in putting on three full-scale operas with cast, choir, orchestra, conductor and corps de ballet drawn entirely from Egyptian amateur and professional musicians, singers and dancers. The Opera Workshop, affiliated to the Theatre and Music Corporation, has an independent budget.
THE NATIONAL BALLET COMPANY
This was also formed in 1967 to provide a natural outlet for the graduates of
the Higher Ballet Institute, which is part of the Academy of the Arts. It
now has over forty professional dancers who, as from the 1970/71 season, will be giving weekly performances at the Cairo Opera House. There is a really widespread enthusiasm for the art of ballet in Egyptpossibly because of the frequency with which foreign cultural seasons in the country tended to rely on the dance to overcome the language obstacle. Like music,
and with music, the ballet is a universal idiom which communicates directly
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with an audience, and the ballet season has now become a regular feature of Egyptian cultural life. In 1967 the National Ballet company staged the Fountain of Bakhshisaray produced by the late Leonid Lavrovsky and a programme of excerpts from famous ballets under the supervision of the experts of the Kirov State Ballet; in 1969 they presented a truly memorable Don Juan produced by the Soviet choreographer Vladimir Kusnetsov, and an enchant-
ing double bill of Daphnis et Chloe and Prelude a VApres-midi d'un Faune
produced by Serge Lifar himself. In 1970 the National Ballet presented their first performance of Don Quixote and Francesca da Rimini. Future plans include a full scale Spartacus to be produced by Grigorovitch, the distinguished Soviet creator of this ballet in Leningrad.
MUSIC FROM ABROAD
It is Ministry of Culture policy to ensure that cultural agreements with
friendly countries always include a clause which encourages the visits to Egypt of well-known musical ensembles and orchestras. Individual instrumentalists are also covered by this clause. The ministry is particularly conscious of the need to accustom the ear of the public to as large a variety as possible of musical performances. It has accordingly enabled Egyptian audiences to listen to the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra, the Warsaw Philharmonic and the Leipzig Symphony Orchestra. Chamber orchestras, of course, travel more easily, and these have come frequently from France, the Federal Republic of Germany, the German Democratic Republic and Italy. There is also a tradition of foreign opera tours. For 100 years now there has been a tradition of an annual visit by one of the Italian operas. The opera companies of Belgrade, Berlin, Bucharest, have also made successful tours of Egypt. The same is true of ballet. In three seasons, the Bolshoi, the Kirov, the Royal Ballet, the Kiev Opera Ballet, the Paris Opera Ballet, the West Berlin Opera Ballet and the German Democratic Republic Opera Ballet have all given seasons in Cairo and Alexandria. Folk dance ensembles from all over the world have also visited Egypt.
Famous instrumentalists are invited to give recitals and to play with the
Cairo Symphony Orchestra. Again, in three seasons alone, famous names have included the late Samson Francois, Nicole Henriot, Denis Matthews, Pavel Serebryakov, Antonio Janigro and Henri Navarre. . In most cases, concerts and recitals are free, as it is the policy of the ministry to ensure that the largest number of people should be able to enjoy music of quality. Mention should also be made, of course, of the fifteen foreign cultural centres in Cairo and Alexandria where recitals are frequently given by artists on tour. The ministry has always made a point of encouraging the purely cultural activities of these centres, by providing assistancethe loan of instruments and halls and publicity.
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M U S I C ON THE AIR
In 1968 the Cairo Broadcasting Services set aside a special station for Western music. For twelve hours a day this station broadcasts the works of the classical composers, the recordings of concerts and recitals and works by Egyptian composers in the Western musical idiom. Besides this there is a sizeable proportion of good light music and 'pop' and jazz. Western music is less well represented on television, but it is remarkable that a station for listeners in Cairo and Alexandria should produce such a rich and constant flow of the masterpieces of world music. The intention, which is that of accustoming the ear to a music that is alien to the national tradition, is beginning to produce interesting results.
Radio1
With the advent of television, radio has to reconsider the part it can play in the cultural life of the country. It must adapt itself to its own technical possibilities, bearing in mind always that, in general, more people are able to tune in to a radio than can watch televisionparticularly since the development of the transistor radio which has many obvious advantages over the as yet cumbersome television set. Radio in Egypt started in the 1930s on an amateur basis. By 1934, however, the importance of broadcasting had been recognized and it became a State utility. The original service was in Arabic, with an additional programme in European languages for foreign residents in Cairo. Broadcasting now comes under the Ministry of Information and forms part of the Television and Broadcasting Corporation. In 1960/61 there were altogether 98 hours of daily transmission, but this figure has been increasing yearly so that, by 1968/69 there were, on an average, 159 hours of daily transmission. Geographically, Egypt stands at the cross-roads of Asia and Africa, with a Mediteranean sea-frontier and, as might therefore be expected, the different programmes reflect the heritage of past history and also the deep responsibility which Egypt feels towards neighbouring peoples. On a national level, Egypt, in the process of economic and cultural development, has been able to use the radio as a means of disseminating culture, education and information on a nation-wide basis. There are altogether eleven programmes which are described briefly as follows. The General Programme. This is the main service and, by 1968/69, broadcast for 20 hours daily. Light entertainment programmes are allotted
1. Information concerning radio and television is drawn mainly from an essay on 'Radio and Television' by Saad Labib in: Mustafa Habib (ed.), Cultural Life in the United Arab
Republic, p. 127-48, Cairo, United Arab Republic National Commission for TJnesco, 1968.
67
51 per cent of the time; cultural programmes, 20 per cent; religious programmes, 11 per cent; and news programmes, 18 per cent. With the People. This is intended for -women's and youth groups, rural communities, the armed forces, the police, and so on. In 1968/69,
9 hours daily. The Voice of the Arabs. Introduced under the name of 'Voice of the Arabs; Broadcast from Cairo' on July 1953, this programme is intended for Arab peoples everywhereit is therefore both a local and an overseas service. In 1968/69,26 hours of transmission. As well as serving the cause of Arab Liberation, the programmes are economic, social and cultural. The Second Programme. Initiated in 1957, this programme is designed to supplement the other programmes by presenting material of an intellectually high standard. In 1968/69, cultural and technical material, 3 hours daily.
Local European Programme. Originally a programme for entertainment

only, this programme has since developed considerably and, besides
providing light entertainment, has become a medium through which an account is given of the development of Arab Societypolitical, social, economic, cultural and technical. Transmission is in English, French, German, Italian, Greek and Armenian, with news services in all of these languages. In 1968/69, 13 hours daily.
Sudan Corner. This service was inaugurated in 1954 with a 30-minute daily transmission. It has been found extremely popular in view of the particular bonds which link the Egyptian and the Sudanese peoples. Many programmes are recorded in the Sudan where the corporation has an office and studio. A special programme is broadcast to the southern
Sudan in the local dialects. Daily transmission in 1968/69 amounted to an average of 6 hours. Alexandria. Of particular interest to those living in the region of Alexandria and northern Egypt. Alexandria has its own broadcasting and relay station. All of the programmes are in fact relayed from Cairo except for the 7 hours of daily transmission of the Alexandria programme itself. The Special Programme. Otherwise known as the Overseas Programmesthese broadcasts are known under the rubric 'Voice of Cairo'; transmission in twenty-nine foreign languages including English (for India), Hausa, Hebrew, Indonesian, Italian, Somali, Spanish and Swahili, on nine short-wave stations and one medium-wave for occupied Palestine. There are thirty-five programmes which include cultural, educational and religious broadcasts. Arabic by Radio is one of the most popular series. Two daily dictation-speed news bulletins are read, one in English and one in Arabic, of 30 minutes duration each. Total daily transmission time reached 48 hours in 1968/69. The Middle East Broadcasting Station. This news service dates back to 1964. It depends for its revenue on advertisements for goods distributed in 68
the Middle East area. It is the first programme over Cairo radio which is wholly commercial. In 1968/69, 12 hours daily. The Holy Koran. Inaugurated in 1964, this service devotes its programme to recorded recitals of the Koran by famous Egyptian readers. In 1968/69, 12 hours daily. The Music Programme. Founded in 1968, this service transmits daily 12 hours of classical and light music by foreign and Egyptian composers.
EDUCATION AND CULTURAL CONTENT
OP B R O A D C A S T I N G
Under the above-mentioned headings there are also programmes which have a direct educational or cultural impact on the community. School programmes were introduced but, as they were often followed in a haphazard way, they were later dropped. The school programmes in Arabic and English are at present confined to language classes and the critical analysis and presentation of novels and other prescribed reading matter for schools. The service has long been used as a medium for teaching languages to adults. In conjunction with the French Cultural Centre and the Cultural Centre of the Democratic German Republic in Cairo, French- and Germanlanguage courses are taught by radio, accompanied by printed material which can be ordered from the Publications Department of the Broadcasting Corporation.
A functional breakdown of all programmes is given in Table 7 (see

page 72). Educational and cultural programmes come under the heading 'Culture'.
Television
The importance of television in Egypt as in most other countries is undeniable. It is a highly effective instrument for education and culture. The government, fully realizing the potentialities of television, has adopted a policy of cheap television over as wide an area of the country as is practicable. The first and second programmes cover most of the populated areas, the third programme covers Cairo and its neighbourhood only. U.A.R. Television is an independent branch of the Television and Broadcasting Corporation under the Ministry of Information. Inaugurated on 21 July 1960, the service started with one channel only. Daily transmission in the first year was of the order of 10 hours. In 1961/62 the second programme was introduced and in 1963/64 the third. By
1967/68, the total daily transmission reached some 17.5 hours approximately (first programme 8.5, second programme 5.5, third programme 3.5). The corporation receives its funds from five main services: licences (about (E)6 per set per annum); advertising; sale of programmes to other
69
Arab countries; profits from the assembly and manufacture of sets; State appropriations and allocations from the various services budgets. By 1966 there were altogether 368,710 television licences, thanks to a policy of the fullest encouragement. Television sets and equipment were
exempted from customs duty and other restrictions, and maintenance centres were- set up all over the country. Ministries were encouraged to sponsor their own programmes (especially the ministries of health, social affairs, culture and education). Sets were distributed to collective viewing
centres which were sponsored by the television authorities in rural areas.
Television drama, folk-dance and music ensembles were formed to provide
popular entertainment and promote and encourage the development of artists and artistic groups. Television viewing hours were steadily increased and programmes diversified to attract all types of viewers.
Within the three television channels, programmes with a specifically
educational or cultural content can be broken down into four main groups: (a) schools and students; (b) adult language teaching; (c) the literacy campaign; and (d) rural and collective-viewing programmes.
SCHOOLS AND STUDENT PROGRAMMES
Education programmes for schools were inaugurated in 1961: 200 schools

were equipped with television sets and special programmes were given for
three hours weekly in the evening. The length of the morning lessons was reduced so that teachers could answer questions arising from the previous evening's programme. In the following year a morning session of three hours weekly was introduced but was found to be unsatisfactory and was later dropped in favour of general-knowledge programmes. Up to 1966 the transmissions, aimed at schoolchildren and university students during the academic year, consisted of excerpts from the school and university curricula selected by schoolteachers and lecturers qualified to adapt the programmes to the viewers' needs. Other programmes, transmitted in term time and during the summer vacation were aimed at a wider audience. A programme for parents advised them on the psychological problems of
children. Another programme, conscious of the aimlessness of children
during the holidays, advised them how to spend their time constructively. A third programme was devised for the teaching of Arabic, English, French
and German languages.
In 1966/67 the educational programmes were completely revised. Total

transmission time was raised to 14 hours weekly, with special stress on the period from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. The scope was widened to cover many more subjects and a higher academic level was reached. In conjunction with the Ministry of Education the television service is
attempting to improve the educational programmes continuously and
ensure a wider audience by providing more and more schools with television
sets.
70
ADULT LANGUAGE TEACHING
Television is a particularly happy medium for the teaching of languages, and great use is made of the latest audio-visual techniques.
The French and German lessons are of particular interest because they teach both the written and the spoken languages. The English language is taught in two different series; one for foreigners and the other for listeners whose mother tongue is Arabic. The Arabic language lessons are mainly for school audiences. As with radio, the Publications Department has published a series of books to be used in conjunction with these programmes.
THE L I T E R A C Y C A M P A I G N
The advantages of the television screen in reducing illiteracy are only too obvious and Egypt started to introduce programmes with this object in mind as early as 1963. In co-operation with the Fundamental Education Department at the Ministry of Education, the Community Development
Training Centre for the Arab States at Sers-el-Layyan (affiliated to Unesco)

introduced a pioneering experiment in the campaign against illiteracy. The initial use of television proved disappointing but the experience proved more than useful in that it paved the way for a comprehensive and detailed plan for the future development of television programmes more specifically adapted to the needs of illiterate viewers.
RURAL AND COLLECTIVE-VIEWING PROGRAMMES
In 1966 the television authorities introduced rural viewing centres, placed mainly in information centres on the premises of agricultural co-operative
societies. At first there were only 300 sets in use but, by 1968, the number had grown to over 2,000. The programmes sponsored by the Higher Council for Rural Information were not directly cultural. They were rather directed towards re-orientating the farming community so that it should become more familiar with the social and technical requirements of a modern developing agricultural community. This particular objective was not entirely reached, partly because there was very little intensive follow-up of the programmes. For this reason, collective viewing clubs were established and various experiments are being made under the auspices of the television service, the Higher Council for Rural Information, the Arab Socialist Union, local government, the Ministry of Social Affairs and the Ministry of Culture. Table 7 gives a functional breakdown of the programmes of the television service. Although a very high percentage is devoted to pure entertainment, nevertheless cultural activities are more pronounced than in the broadcasting services.
71
The diffusion, of culture
TABLE 7
Functional breakdown of radio and television transmissions, 1967

Percentage of total transmission by function iff Cultural information Enter.
tamment
Service
Hours
__
P month
er
_ ,. . Keliffion
Broadcasting
(local service) Broadcasting (overseas service)
3 388 1 543
14.5 1 . 61 1 . 3 7 33.5
52.8 16.6 45.6 7.2
Television
864
1 . 9 3
1 . 0 9 63.5 6.3
Source: Cultural Statistics: Cinema and Theatre 1966-67, Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics, July 1969 (Pamphlet 50-311 (in Arabic)).
Decentralization
Although a certain degree of centralization is advocated for cultural planning, this does not mean that everything should be centred in the capital. One of the side effects of long years of poverty and ignorance in provincial and rural communities has been a stifling of most forms of cultural life except for religious festivals and village fairs. The prime duty of
a ministry of culture is to contribute to the awakening of a cultural life not

only in the major cities but also in the remotest villages and hamlets. The Popular Culture Sector in the ministry mirrors a natural extension to the public throughout the country. It is the reason why, in 1958, when it first came into being as an independent entity, the ministry immediately embarked on a plan to build and equip houses of culture in every provincial capital. The idea of a house of culture is that it should be a centre for the transmission from the capital, and that it should also be a receiver of local cultural enrichment. It is managed by a promoter of cultural activities
(animateur) whose task is to create a two-way transmission between

creative artists and the public, and between works of art and the public. This is only part of the promoter's task for he has also to stimulate community life by organizing cultural activities for and by the people of his locality. An important item of his programme is the provision of workers' and peasants' education. Next to the secondary school, the house of culture
is the most active centre of permanent education in the provinces.

TRAINING
The training of these promoters is no easy matter. At first, they are selected from the staff of the cultural centres on the strength of their organizational and cultural abilities and their willingness to live far from the capital. Then
72
they are sent to the Unesco-sponsored Community Development Training Centre for the Arab States at Sers-el-Layyan, near Cairo, where they undergo intensive training for two months. They then go to a special pilot cultural centre in Heliopolis, a suburb of Cairo. Here, for about six months, they attend general courses on the arts and on a variety of practical subjects connected with the equipment of cultural centres. Apart from a certain familiarity with the main features of a large number of artistic disciplines, the promoter must be able to repair or modify the equipment in his centre
almost single-handed if need be. After a tough examination, the four candidates with highest marks are sent for six months' training abroad in a country with a well-developed system of cultural centres, such as France, the German Democratic Republic or the Soviet Union. On their return, they are sent on a tour of the houses of culture, in order to reintroduce them into the Egyptian provincial setting. Then, finally, each is appointed as an organizing promoter of a specific house of culture, preferably in an area with which he or she is already familiar.
Organization
At the central planning administration 'popular culture' is divided into nine functional sectors: theatre, music, spontaneous and folk art, plastic arts, mobile caravans, cinema, libraries and lecture courses, the Cultural Centre for Children and the Centre for Village Culture. These sectors operate through a system of decentralization, at three levels: the cultural zone (which corresponds to one of the six administrative 'zones' superimposed on the twenty-five governorates of Egypt); the cultural province (represented by the house of culture in the capital of the governorate); and the cultural centre (a smaller, more adaptable, multi-purpose organization, which can be integrated into any existing local body, such as a social club, a community centre or a school). This functional organization does not imply a division into watertight compartments, but it is an attempt to provide a well-balanced minimum programme throughout the entire decentralized system. In addition to this minimum, spontaneous and local activities and community-training schemes markedly enrich the programmes. The main aim of the central administration is to ensure that a minimum degree of acculturation percolates every year to the communities in provincial towns and rural areas. An idea of the difference between what is
planned and what is actually presented in the houses of culture, cultural centres and mobile units is'shown in Table 8. As the decentralized agency becomes successful, it is encouraged and often subsidized by the governorate which, in many cases, earmarks special funds for the promotion of cultural activities. What the Ministry of Culture initiates is often multiplied many times over through the enthusiastic support of local authorities and .the public. Sometimes support comes more
73
TABLE 8
Functional breakdown of cultural activities planned and carried ont, 1968/69

Number of events planned Number which took place
Sector
Drama Cinema Music Plastic arts Library services (discussion on books) Lectures and 'teach-ins' Children's programmes
400 1540 86
55 75 806 100
391 1804 471 153 245 1 388 425
Source: Dr. Sarwat Okasha, Statement on Cultural Policy, 16 June 1969, p. 152, National Library, 1969 (in Arabic).
directly from a central authority such as the theatre and music and cinema corporations, or the National Library and State Publishing House. But these are all additions to the ministry's initial minimum acculturation programme.
H O U S E S OF C U L T U R E
These may vary from a single palatial building to a series of pavilions. Each is equipped with certain basic utilities, common to all the seventeen houses now in existence: a lecture hall, which can be turned into a small theatre or
a cinema, an exhibition gallery, a library, a workshop for handicrafts and

a fairly large store-room for theatrical sets, lighting equipment and artists'
materials.
CULTURAL CENTRE FOR CHILDREN
This is essentially a study centre which organizes certain pilot schemes in the houses of culture or provincial schools. It works in close conjunction with the ministries of youth and education. Through the various agencies connected with the Ministry of Culture, this centre has succeeded in promoting a small range of books designed specifically for children in rural communities, a budding children's cinema and a repertory of plays written for children or for performance by children.
CENTRE FOR VILLAGE CULTURE
A group of fifty employees in the various sectors of the Ministry of Culture were sent to the Community Development Training Centre at Sers-el-
Layyan to undergo training in cultural and educational organization in

74
rural communities. About twenty of those were then selected by competitive examination to form the nucleus of the Study Centre for Village Culture. They were instructed to make thorough surveys of four villages, representing a wide variety of rural societies. Their studies led to the creation of a pilot scheme which is now in operation in areas having central houses of culture.
75
State patronage for the arts has always been a delicate question in so far
as it raises the possibility of State regulation of the writer or artist. But there are situations in which it is essential, in order to provide the requisite material conditions for artistic creation. This is the case in most of the 'Third World', where, without the State, developing societies would simply
not have a serious theatre or a serious movement in. the arts and literature.
The choice between sterile non-interference and having the possibility of
making an encyclopaedia or a museum of modern art or a symphony orchestra is one which leaves very little margin for hesitation. In pre-revolutionary Egypt, patronage came from the king, in some cases from the princes, but largely from the various departments of the Ministry of Education. The purpose of patronage then was to encourage the publication of a corpus of scholarly (and incidentally very expensive) works mainly in Egyptology, Islamic studies and Arabic history and philology. After the Revolution of 1952 the patronage of the arts was established on a more rational basis. A heightened national pride and the sense of efficiency of the government stimulated State aid with a view to bringing about a cultural renaissance, at a time when universal education seemed to some to have watered down the cultural content because of the widespread demand for it. For the first time in Egypt's history, the State became
truly aware of the tremendous fascination which culture could exercise on the nation's imagination, and for the first time, the organization of cultural
promotion was such that it was aimed at associating the vast majority of the people, and not simply at showing the outside world how clever and 'Westernized' Egyptians could be if they so wished. A yearly holiday was
instituted, called Education Day, which has become the occasion when all
the State prizes are announced (there are now over thirty State prizes for literature and the arts), when every school in the country holds an exhibition of children's art and when the school debating societies enter a competition for an elocution prize and for a written essay prize.
76
The Ministry of Culture is the principal patron of the arts and exercises patronage through different channels.
State bursaries
This is one of the most direct forms of patronage at the disposal of the ministry. Some (E)30,000-40,000 are placed at its disposal every year to provide fellowships and bursaries for promising artists and writers. Not surprisingly, there are few opportunities for them to find the time or the financial support to engage in serious creative work outside their regular jobs. As in most countries, artists and writers tend to gravitate towards the teaching profession or broadcasting or journalism. In order to write or paint, for example, what they need above all is a fairly long period of time with no financial worries and no obligations towards what may be, for a creative artist, uncongenial employment. This is where the ministry can help. On the advice of a well-balanced panel of experts from a wide variety of disciplines, it selects a number of promising candidates every year. These are given bursaries which release them from the need for regular employment for a year, and so are free for creative activities. The ministry does not exercise any sort of control over what the holders of bursaries produce, but if it is sufficiently good, it may be bought and placed in the reserves in the Museum of Modern Art. In the case of literary work, the ministry will recommend deserving manuscripts for publication by the State Publishing
House. Table 9 shows the distribution of bursaries from 1959/60 to 1969/70.

The reader need not be alarmed at the fluctuations in the total number of beneficiaries. Clearly, the funds available are the main factor in determining this number in any one year. The table shows a preponderance, in
TABLE 9 Number of artists and writers receiving Ministry of Culture bursaries from 1959/60 to 1969/70
Arts Literature Cinema Music Total
Year
1959/60 1960/61 1961/62 1962/63 1963/64 1964/65 1965/66 1966/67 1967/68 1968/69 1969/70
5 8 9 17
17
19 24 21 33 12 20
_ 1 2 4 6 16 21 6 18 13 24
_ 1 1 1
1 2 1 1 1 1 4 4 2 1 2
6 11 12 22 24 36 49 31 54 27 47
Source: Department of Statistics, Ministry of Culture.
77
all cases but two, of the arts over literature, but it must be borne in. mind that the heading 'Arts' covers painting, sculpture, pottery, arts and crafts, photography, tapestry, architecture, batik, mosaics and all the arts associated with engraving. The heading 'Literature' covers only prose fiction, literary criticism, poetry and drama. Music and cinema are not as well provided for as might be expected, but then 'Music' refers strictly to musical composition, while 'Cinema' refers to a comprehensive history of cinema in Egypt and not to any of the techniques involved in the making of films. Candidates for the ministry's bursaries may be free-lance, employed by private firms or by the State. The bursary automatically gives them the chance to take leave of absence from their employment, whatever it may be.
Artistic creation
The liberty of the artist is one of the basic beliefs upon which cultural policy in Egypt is based. There is no official art, nor does the ministry regard itself as a partisan of any particular school or philosophy of art. Its function is unmistakably one of patronage and promotion, not of control or propaganda. The ministry is there to provide studio space, artist's materials at a low cost, and facilities for exhibition and display. There are already four good-sized exhibition halls, leased by the ministry, in which artists can exhibit their work without having to pay a fee, and it lends the lighting and supports which the artist can rarely afford to provide himself. In 1968/69 alone, there were forty-six one-man shows and eighty-five collective exhibitions in Cairo and Alexandria. In each of the seventeen houses
of culture there is an exhibition hall for artists from the capital or for the encouragement of local talent. Once a year the ministry presents what is called the General Exhibition of Plastic Arts, which groups works by artists from all over the country. From a special fund of about (E)10,000 a year it purchases deserving works from this general exhibition. It also organizes an annual art fair where the public can buy works of art directly from the artists. It owns or leases about forty artist's studios; more are being prepared in the upper floors of restored mediaeval houses, and there are fourteen at the U.A.R. Art Academy in Rome. Artists' colonies have been built in Luxor and Aswan where the light is particularly pure. These are all lent to artists entirely free of charge.
THE ART AND LIFE C E N T R E
This centre for research and experiment is run by a group of artists under the patronage of the ministry. Their purpose is to evolve a style which derives its inspiration from tradition but yet appeals to the modern consciousness. The centre has staged exhibitions and held seminars on folk-art, the survivals of the arts of antiquity in modern art, the tradition of
78
Egyptian architectural design, and so on. It is housed in a nineteenthcentury Ottoman palace near the Nilometer of Roda. Whatever one may
think of some of the group's more esoteric pronouncements, it is undeniable

that they are making a real contribution towards a profound understanding of the Egyptian artistic tradition.
INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITIONS
Egyptian artists are encouraged to participate in international exhibitions, such as the Venice Biennale, the Sao Paolo Triennale and the Paris Biennale for Young Artists, where they have a chance to achieve wider recognition and they can derive instruction and stimulation from the currents of modern
art. In 1955 the late President Gamal Abdel Nasser inaugurated the
Alexandria Biennale for artists from countries bordering the Mediterranean. This exhibition is held every two years in the Alexandria Museum of Fine Arts (founded 23 July 1954). The ministry provides technical and financial assistance for the packing and insurance of the Egyptian artists' exhibits going abroad, and also nominates the panel of experts to choose the works that are to be sent.
Voluntary associations
There are twenty-one learned societies in Egypt, some of which, like the Egyptian institute, date back to the last decade of the eighteenth century.
Most of these societies are members of an 'Egyptian Scientific Union' which

is subsidized by the Ministry of Scientific Research and the Ministry of Higher Education. The principal channel for State patronage is in the granting of subsidies for the publication of the societies' bulletins and
proceedings.
Where the society is concerned more specifically with matters of an artistic or literary nature, it is the Ministry of Culture which assumes the role of patron, directly or through the Higher Council for the Arts, Letters and Social Sciences. A special budget for assisting literary and artistic societies is controlled by the General Administration of the Ministry of Culture. State patronage provides the material conditions for those who have embarked on a career in the arts, but there is another aspect: the ministry must also try to foster a cultural climate to which society can respond. In this it is greatly helped by the Academy of the Arts and the various training centres.
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The Academy of the Arts
The Academy of the Arts embraces a number of higher institutes located in Cairo. Its purpose is to promote the arts and train specialists, while at the same time observing the national policy of safeguarding Egypt's traditions. It also has the wider purpose of strengthening artistic ties with similar establishments in Arab and other countries. Previous to August 1969, what is now the Academy of the Arts was a group of unrelated institutes whose only common feature was that they all came under the Ministry of Culture. There was therefore no possibility of the comprehensive planning consistent with having a clear general policy. In order to remedy this situation, Presidential Decree No. 78 was issued establishing the academy. It was to consist of the five higher institutes, for music (the Conservatoire), Arabic music, ballet, the dramatic arts and the cinema. Organization was, however, left flexible, to allow the Minister of Culture, with the approval of the Academy Senate, to create new institutes within the academy or to attach existing institutes to it. The Folk Arts Centre has recently become part of the academy, as has the newly formed Institute for Art Criticism. The conditions for admission to the Academy differ from those that apply to normal academic institutions, since traditional examination grades do not cover the special aptitudes desirable in academy students. The
1969 decree empowered the academy to bestow the traditional university

degrees and diplomas.
THE HIGHER NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR MUSIC (CONSERVATOIRE)

This institute provides teaching at three levels, preparatory, secondary and
higher. The preparatory level is for pupils of 6 to 12 years of age who are admitted after undergoing various tests of creativity and aptitude, following which they are placed in the academic year that would correspond to an equivalent grade in a Ministry of Education school.
In order to qualify for admission to the secondary stage the General
Preparatory Certificate or the Preparatory Certificate for Musical Studies is required, and there are also artistic and creativity tests. For the higher
stage, the candidate must possess the General Secondary Certificate or the Secondary Certificate for Musical Studies, and pass further tests to confirm his ability. The courses are not confined to music but cover other subjects normally studied in institutions coming under the ministries of education and of higher education.
80
THE H I G H E R I N S T I T U T E FOR A R A B I C M U S I C
Long established, this institute based its studies on traditional rather than modern methods. Recently, however, it has adopted more modern techniques. The institute is the only one of its kind in the Middle East. It has separate sections in Cairo and Alexandria, and conditions for admission are the same as those for the Conservatoire. There is no preparatory stage, admission being limited to students of the secondary and higher stages only.
THE HIGHER INSTITUTE OF BALLET
This has elementary, preparatory, secondary and higher stages because of the prolonged training requisite for ballet. A physical examination is obligatory prior to admission. Foreign and Egyptian experts supervise the training, but a normal educational programme is also followed. Should a student prove incapable of continuing the course, he or she can be transferred to the equivalent class in an ordinary school.
THE H I G H E R I N S T I T U T E FOR
DRAMATIC ARTS
Teaching is given at graduate level for students of acting and at postgraduate level for students of dramatic theory, acting and stage design (who must hold an appropriate university degree).
THE H I G H E R I N S T I T U T E OF C I N E M A
Originally designed to provide courses up to graduate level only, this institute now also provides post-graduate studies. It has separate departments for scriptwriting, directing, sound engineering, photography, editing, design and production. Teaching is given by foreign and Egyptian experts.
THE ACADEMY'S ACTIVITIES

The academy not only trains specialists, but organizes the concerts, dramatic and ballet performances which are given by the companies attached to the institutes. These are excellent training for students who have to perform in public, and also help to make the general public aware of the work and progress of the academy. Similarly, each year the Higher Institute of Cinema features films on which graduate students have worked, to qualify in their various specializations; many have won the applause of both critics and audiences. The academy's various functions are being increasingly co-ordinated, and students and staff are being trained in active co-operation in sister arts. The public, too, is becoming increasingly aware of its essential
81
TABLE 10
Number of students admitted to the Academy of the Arts
(October 1968)
Preparatory Institute Primary Regular Exter- Secondnal ary UnderPost- Total graduate graduate
Ballet
Male
Female
Conservatoire (Cairo) Male Female Conservatoire (Alexandria)
21 25 12 11 13
24 22 11 10 12 16 ~47
133 74 I3?
14 45 29 66 48 28 6 "142 97
14 22 35 19 85 77 128 44 52 20 ~314 182
32 3 62 6 ~94 9
62 83 236 143 25 33 151 125 28 6 160 47 114 26 ~TT6 463
Male
Female Arabic music (Cairo) Male Female Arabic music (Alexandria)
17 _ 46 53
Male
Female Dramatic arts Male Female Cinema Male
Female
TOTAL : Male
Female
48
74
Source: Rector's Office, Academy of the Arts, Ministry of Culture.
rolean appreciative and critical audience, without which the State's patronage would have little purpose. Internationally, contacts through Unesco and individual countries provide a rich background of comparison and experience, a constant renewal of the creative energy and imagination of which it is the academy's primary purpose to promote. The following is a list of the total number of graduates1 of the Academy of the Arts (June 1969) in the various institutes: cinema, 18; dramatic arts, 39; Conservatoire (Cairo and Alexandria), 3; ballet, 5; Arabic music
(Cairo and Alexandria), 39. This gives a total of 104 graduates. For the
number of students admitted to the academy (October 1969) see Table 10.
Librarians
The librarian's profession was officially recognized in 1954 when a special department of librarianship and archives was created in the Faculty of Arts
1. Details from the Rector's Office, Academy of the Arts, Ministry of Culture.
82
of Cairo University. At first, the department catered only for tindergraduates, but since 1964, advanced courses have also been given. All librarians working in public and specialist libraries are expected to possess a B.A. in librarianship. With the State policy of full employment it has been possible to absorb increasing numbers of trained librarians into the rapidly expanding network of public and school libraries all over the country.
Museum staff The technical staff in museums of antiquities are generally recruited from among the graduates of the departments of archaeology of the universities of Cairo and Alexandria. In Cairo there are specialist courses in Ancient Egypt and in Coptic and Islamic Egypt; Alexandria University caters only for scholars specializing in Graeco-Roman or Hellenistic studies. The assistant keepers and keepers of the archaeological museums are all graduates of one of the departments of archaeology. As in many other countries, museum posts are frequently regarded as research jobs, but actual training in muscology is a matter of experience and practice during employment.
Artists
Cairo University has a Faculty of Fine Arts and a Faculty of Applied Arts,
Alexandria has a Faculty of Fine Arts only. Graduates become full-time artists, or art teachers. Architecture can be studied at the faculties of fine arts and at the faculties of engineering. Many of the graduates from the Faculty of Applied Arts have been absorbed in the cinema industry, the theatre and the arts and crafts centres sponsored by the Ministry of Culture.
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Conclusion
Perhaps it should be stated that this is a conclusion 'in which nothing is concluded'; culture in its dynamic perspective being a movement of
continuous progress and change. The general picture is a proliferation of

services mostly issuing from a central authority. The idea of service is inherent in the socialist transformation of society, but which also implies a response on the part of those served. In many cases, there are still large sectors of the population which are not in a position to respond because of lack of time or resources, but this is all the more reason to accelerate the rational organization of services as an extension of the socialist function of the government. Once a certain amount of planning from the centre has been achieved it is reasonable to expect that decentralization will become
a reality.
Service also implies democratization but, in cultural matters, constant vigilance is necessary to prevent a lowering of standards. The common
fallacy that culture is 'highbrow' is often used to justify a multitude of

compromises. Culture must mean what is best and what is most closely in communion with the profound realities of the human condition. The separation of culture into two categories, one for a so-called elite and a lesser one
for the so-called masses, can only lead to the alienation of everybody
concerned. In the special conditions of development and growth in Egypt, the aim must be the preservation, diffusion and the promotion of culture without any dilution of standards; the training of personnel must have these same universal standards of excellence in mind. Attempts are now being made to resolve the incompatibilities between satisfying urgent needs and long-term planning. The President of the Republic has appointed an Assistant to the President for Cultural Affairs, to elaborate a long-term plan in harmony with the general plan for social and economic development. The Minister of Culture will be concerned more
directly with the actual executive and administration aspects. It is too

84
Conclusion
early yet to say what this new division of functions will give, but it is reasonable to expect that it will progressively yield results. Besides, the fact that cultural affairs have been raised to be the direct concern of an assistant to the president (the only post of its kind) is proof of the tremendous importance which is attached to culture in the over-all development plans of the State.
85
Appendix
Organizational charts
87
Appendix
Ministry of Culture
ill. HI
BV3 S ( 0*0 w
General Orga for Theatre, and Folk Art
i| t
e 2
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88
si
Appendix
Other ministries in the cultural field

Ministry of National Guidance Minister
State Information Service
TI.A.R. Television and Broadcasting Corporation
Ministry of Yontli
Minister
Higher Committee for Youth Welfare
XTnder-Secrctary for Planning and Follow-up
Tinder-Secretary for Services
Tinder-Secretary for Financial and Administrative Affairs
Ministry of Tourism
Minister
Higher Council for the Co-ordination of
General Egyptian
Organization for
Tourist Services
Tourism and Hotels
tinder-Secretary for Planning, Research
Tinder-Secretary for the Minister's Office
and Follow-up
Tinder-Secretary for the Control of Tourist Services
Appendix
18 'i P
IS
.gi g"S
I * I 1 1 1
1 1 1
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PW.S
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RH o H
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s S.SP ?-3 S S id
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o " ri
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Appendix
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Under-Sec Cultural
1
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-B
Appendix
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92
Islamic He
Commissioj Reviving t
^1
Appendix
Ministry of Azliat Affairs

Minister
Academy of
Islamic Research.
Department for Foreign Students" Affairs
Technical Secretariat
Department for Publishing and

Research
Dep artment' for Preaching
Ministry of Scientific Research

Minister
Under-Secretary for Technical Affairs
Science Museum
Centre for Scientific D o cumeut ation
93
Appendix
Ministries 'with sections dealing with particular aspects of cultural dissemination

Ministry of Health
Minister
Central Department for Health and Information
Ministry of Labour
Minister
General Department
Public Relations
for Trade Unions and 'Workers' Culture
Department
Workers' Culture Offices in Labour Departments
Ministry of Agriculture
Minister
Agricultural Information Service
General Department for Agricultural Guidance
Division of Veterinary
Guidance
94
Appendix
Workers* Cultural
Organization.
Board .of Directors
Director-General
Research
General Department
for Institutes
General Department for Zonal Affairs
General Secretariat
for Financial and Administrative Affairs
Institute of "Workers* International Relations Institute of
Trade Union Studies

Institute of
fndustrial Security
Institute of Labour Economics Institute 'of
Social Insurance
Institute of "Workers' Education
95
JIB]

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Cultural policy

Unesco Paris 1972

Studies and documents on cultural policies

OOf. oo/. / (61)

Published by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

Place de Fontenoy, 75 Paris-7e

Presses Universitaires de France, Vendome

Unesco 1972 Printed in France

The diffusion of culture

Conclusion Appendix: Organizational charts

The assessment of cultural needs

The assessment of cultural needs

an unadorned picture of Egyptian realities. The population in 1952 was just

may express a demand for the acquisition of culture simply as a weapon in

The assessment of cultural needs

Male 87.0 84.8

1917 1927 1937 1947 1960

7 277 303 8 357 461

8 816 601 9 885 300 10 407 972 12 587 686

76.1 76.6 66.1 56.6

97.7 95.6 93.9 88.2 83.8

92.7 91.2 85.9 85.2 77.2 70.3

The role of television

The assessment of cultural needs

The assessment of cultural needs

Approbation of recreational activities

187 181 131 130

74.8 72.4 52.4 52.0

25.7 27.7 26.0 3 . 10

Peep-shows Monkey tricks

The assessment of cultural needs

Circulation of periodicals for the year 1966/67

270 000 6 9 6 4 154000 19000 9000 4000

14 14929000 67 4 385 000 42 13 310 000 76 000

20 15083000 70 4 404 000 48 17 319 000 80 000

Circulation of newspapers for the year 1966/67

The assessment of cultural needs

to indicate what the elements of a cultural policy can be in a state of

Administrative and financial structures

Administrative and financial structures

Ministries primarily concerned with cultural matters

THE MINISTRY OF NATIONAL GUIDANCE (MINISTRY OF INFORMATION)

Administrative and financial structures

of the Television and Sound Broadcasting Corporation. Article 2 states the

To develop programmes beamed overseas.

be swamped by bureaucratic rigidity. The extent of this freedom can be

of ministerial rank appointed for five years by Presidential Decree. The

Administrative and financial structures

Administrative and financial structures

Ministries which include cultural departments

This ministry is responsible for the formal education of children up to the

age of leaving secondary school (usually between 17 and 18). Education is

Administrative and financial structures

and children can take part in these clubs' activities.

. Administrative and financial structures

last year for which figures are available)889 libraries.

in 1969/70 the library had 49,452 books in stock.

other Arab and foreign countries.

Administrative and financial structures

and members of educational missions abroad.

Administrative and financial structures

Administrative and financial structures