President Türk opens exhibition on Slovenian school sisters and emigrants to Alexandria

Kromberk, 4.7.2009  |  press release

The President of the Republic of Slovenia, Dr Danilo Türk, today opened an exhibition at Kromberk Castle entitled Hidden Faces of Alexandria – school sisters and Alexandrian women. In his opening address, Dr Türk said that the exhibition exposed the fates of many young women and mothers who had come to Egypt, driven by the need to earn a living and support their families. School sisters and Slovenian emigrants living in Alexandria are closely connected, and the ties between the modest women from the Primorska region and wealthier Egyptian families are still present, stressed President Türk. He went on to add that the Slovenian material heritage in Alexandria, which we owed to these emigrants, was highly regarded both in Slovenia and Egypt. In this respect, he expressed his delight at the planned official visit by the President of Egypt, Hosni Mubarak, to Slovenia, which will contribute to further development of mutual relations between the two countries.

Dr Türk observed that our times have been considerably marked by migration. While on one hand the possibilities of living a decent life are far from being the same all over the world, on the other hand the innate ability of women and mothers to support their families is equally strong. Dr Türk also touched on the positive aspects of migration. He said that everyone who enters another world should first accept the way of living, language, tradition and culture of the new environment, while at the same time bringing a piece of their homeland, habits, customs, songs and culture to it. Intercultural dialogue, which is generated spontaneously, thus increases tolerance for those who are different and enables coexistence, regardless of the language, political affiliation or religion of an individual. And all these are the foundations of peaceful coexistence in a global world, he said.

“With their stories and now faded photographs, the Alexandrian women teach us that ties between different countries, such as Slovenia and Egypt, can also be developed from many stories of brave women – Slovenian school sisters and Alexandrian women. There are not many such bridges, and therefore it is our duty to preserve and maintain this heritage,” Dr Türk concluded, with the hope that the exhibition would attract many visitors.