Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts, NorwichAncient Egypt has inspired passion and awe in the western world for centuries – yet this confused show wants to chide us for it Visions of Egypt is a blockbuster having a breakdown. It argues that modern racism towards Egypt began with the Battle of Actium in 31BC when Octavian defeated Mark Antony and his lover Cleopatra, the ruler of Egypt, and annexed it. The Romans looted Egypt’s art, “demonised” its queen, and “laid the groundwork for western perceptions … that still persist today”. But to claim that ancient Rome still influences perceptions of Egy ..read more

Egypt’s classical wonders are off limits but a royal tomb is one of four sites where 3D modelling gives us a fascinating glimpse of antiquity Say what you like about lockdown, it encourages exploration. This week the Egyptian Tourist Board invited the world into the 5,000-year-old tomb of Queen Meresankh III: free entry instead of the usual charge of 50 Egyptian pounds (around £2.50) and not a single tour group jostling for space. The tour is one of four virtual trips of historic Egyptian sites being promoted during lockdown. Beefed up with 3D modelling by Harvard University, this is true vica ..read more

Egypt’s vast, much-delayed museum is scheduled to open in 2020. But while Tutankhamun’s treasures are being readied for tourists, some critics see the building as a vanity project In the vast, shade-dappled atrium of Egypt’s new Grand Egyptian Museum, construction work surrounded a colossal statue of Ramses II, his left foot striding forward and fists clenched in readiness. Staff welcoming visiting journalists doled out assurances that the towering ancient sculpture was safe from the ongoing building works. On its journey to the new museum last year, the statue was accompanied by 11 horsemen i ..read more