Inauguration of the Alexandria Center for Hellenistic Studies
and of the Exhibition Approaching Heaven with Icons of the Velimezis Collection and the Benaki Museum
Thursday November 27, 2008 The inaugural ceremony of The Alexandria Center for Hellenistic Studies was held at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina Conference Hall . The inauguration was held under the auspices of Mrs. Suzanne Mubarak, Egypt’s First Lady. This opening ceremony included an “Approaching Heaven” exhibition from the Velimezis Collection of Post- Byzantine Icons which is under the auspices of H.E. Dr. Karolos Papoulias, President of the Hellenic Republic.
For this occasion, several High-profile figures from Egypt and Greece, professors and students came to attend the addresses presented by Dr. Ismail Serageldin, Director of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Mr. Theodoros Kassimis, Hellenic Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, His Beatitude Theodoros II Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa, Mr. Anthony Papadimitriou, President of the Alexander S. Onassis Public Benefit, Mrs. Marianna Vardinoyanni,, Founder and President of the Vardinoyannis Foundation, and Dr. Okasha Abdelaal , Vice President of the University of Alexandria. The program was then concluded with a lecture delivered by Professor Nano Chatzidakis, Scientific Curator of the Velimezis Icons Collection afterwhich the guests were ushered to the Exhibition Hall.