Friday March 29th, 2024
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New Botched Nefertiti to be Dismantled

Authorities did not appreciate the 'modern' take on Nefertiti statue at the entrance of Minya, while pressure from social media has influenced the decision to take it down.

Staff Writer

New Botched Nefertiti to be Dismantled

The bust of the Egyptian Queen Nefertiti is pure perfection; the renowned masterpiece shows the beautiful queen in all her glory, exuding power, elegance and ancient mystery. One could stir up an artistic debate and say that one artist decided to put a hip new spin on the bust... Others (or most) would simply say it’s a hideous monstrosity. Minya governor Gamal Kenawi had commissioned the local government administrative unit to build a statue of Nefertiti at the entrance of the town of Samalout. Lo and behold, residents were both bewildered and perturbed to find a statue of a distorted and somewhat cross eyed Nefertiti at the entrance of their beloved city. Having caused an uproar on social media and beyond with many quite simply disgusted by the grotesque and disproportionate features of the statue, the governor ordered it to be taken down the very following day and for those in charge to be investigated.

Kenawi added that the entrance had previously been a rubbish pile and this was part of the governorate's effort to replace the wasteland with a symbolic statue... Unfortunately the statue evoked the wrong kind of symbolism.