The Swiss embassy in Cairo is running a lantern exhibition celebrating the holy fasting month of Ramadan, which begins Thursday, at al-Azhar Park in Cairo from June 15 to July 15.
The exhibition, called “How to Renew a Tradition”, aims to “celebrate Ramadan by presenting lanterns that fuse artistic elements from both Swiss and Egyptian cultures.”
According to the embassy’s statement, lanterns are also a celebratory feature at the famous annual Basel Carnival, known as Fasnacht, which is marked between February and March every year.
It said the Cairo exhibition seeks to combine Egypt and Switzerland’s lantern traditions.
“Swiss artist Tarek Moussali and eight Egyptian artists will merge their creative skills in a one-week workshop to produce 10 colourful lanterns.”
“Ramadan and its lanterns are a great opportunity to bridge Swiss and Egyptian traditions and celebrate both cultures. The different shapes and designs of lanterns show us how innovative artists in different cultures and in different times have shaped our traditions,” says Markus Leitner, Ambassador of Switzerland to Egypt.
