Impressions of Alexandria: The Awad Collection
“Impressions of Alexandria” is a collection of original engravings, lithographs and maps that reveal artists' and travelers', impressions of Alexandria from the 15th to the 19th centuries. It also includes rare photographs of the city from the early 19th century to the mid-20th century, and highlights the cultural life in the cosmopolitan city as portrayed by its prominent writers and artists. The Exhibition is therefore a vivid documentation of the “city, half-imagined (yet wholly real)”, as Durrell describes it in The Alexandria Quartet.
"Impressions of Alexandria" is a permanent exhibition from Dr. Mohamed Awad’s personal collection. Educated at Victoria College, Alexandria, Dr. Mohamed Awad is a lecturer at the Faculty of Engineering (Alexandria University), a practicing architect, historian and founder of the Alexandria Preservation Trust.
The Awad Collection is divided into two sections: Alexandria as seen by Artists and Travelers, and Cosmopolitan Alexandria: a Photographic Memory.
The World of Shadi Abdel Salam Exhibition
Shadi Abdel Salam (1930 -1986) was a distinguished artist and an internationally acclaimed filmmaker. He was a highly creative designer of set decorations and costumes, as well as a screenwriter and director. His work reflects a unique vision of the ancient Egyptian culture as well as Islamic and Coptic heritage.
His only feature film The Mummy (The Night of Counting the Years), placed Egyptian cinema on the map of world cinema since its first showing at the International Venetian Film Festival in 1970. The film won the George Sadoul Prize in Paris the same year, and received excellent reviews from Arab and international critics.
The BA began work on the exhibition in 2002 and it was inaugurated on 15 March 2005, on the occasion of the Diamond Jubilee of Shadi Abdel Salam. The valuable legacy in the possession of the Library includes many of the artist’s design sketches and paintings, numerous cinematic shots from films he directed, as well as some of his personal belongings such as pieces of furniture and his book collection.
Mohamed and Kamel Ibrahim Exhibition for Arabic Calligraphy
Artist Mohamed Ibrahim is one of the pioneers of Arabic calligraphy in Egypt and the Arab world. Together with his brother, Artist Kamel Ibrahim, they established one of the most prominent calligraphy schools: Mohamed and Kamel Ibrahim School for Arabic Calligraphy in Alexandria. Their whole lives were dedicated to raising awareness and preserving the heritage of Arabic calligraphy.
The family of Artist Mohamed Ibrahim, and Artist Kamel Ibrahim himself before he passed away, dedicated their works to the BA to make available to the public.