Zahi Hawass: King Of The Pyramids. National Geographic TV (2002)

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for thousands of years the sands of Egypt have drawn a soldiers scholars and adventurers from around the world today this land of hidden treasures has produced a charismatic son a guardian of ancient secrets and a rarely gifted archaeologist his name is aji Hawass and he holds a unique job in his hands like all of Egypt's monuments this is storage okay I'm ready to warm up our subject we're going to stand right here all right that looks good up or down what's up there to stay there we go are you gonna fly away good good tell me the story again I'm the king of the pit we bow in front of it [Music] south and west of Cairo when the pyramids lies the Sahara or GABA Egypt's Western Desert in the middle of this bone-dry landscape is something unexpected water Bihari our oasis 200 miles from Cairo has been an important settlement for thousands of years to this day it's a self-sufficient desert out it was here in 1999 the dr. Zahi Hawass announced his greatest discovery to the world an astonishing series of tubes beneath the sand he named it the valley at the golden mummies this is a beginning of a tomb where mystics this is the entrance of the tomb and therefore this whole thing under the fan will uncover the whole tool the all Egyptian team had found more than 200 money many ism richly gilded from the greco-roman period some 2,000 years ago looks like a young lady a young beautiful lady from the eyes and the eyebrow and ears and what if we can think which was alive maybe 18 20 years I never thought that I would welcome his mum is like this nor could he predict the reaction that followed it's so typing like an adventure how could you say that ultimately reliable Hammond dr. Zahi discovery was a sensation and put him at the center of an international media friendly over a hundred thousand copies sold it they for the first time his passion for archaeology was revealed to a global audience I said to myself I found it I found it I found my lover at collision like his friend and fellow Egyptian Omar Sharif dr. Zahi is now world-famous he revels in this glory in this being known everywhere that traveling about them being an important person but Fame and ambition don't come for free when you are not famous you wanted him but when you become famous you will hit it you never have a private eye number in your life people always look at you no freedom then you will no one would like same [Music] dr. that he has managed to keep his wife and two grown-ups under the limelight but it's taken a toll on him Stanislav infernicus biting box excavated the administration bring them but provision it's really too much for me the sometimes I get tired [Music] downtown Cairo today the he Hawass is a powerful man he's in charge of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities and he's ultimately responsible for all of Egypt's priceless archaeological treasures from choosing Carmen's relics to the temples at Abu Simbel and Karnak dr. Zahi is the gatekeeper as the protector of this ancient heritage she has many threats to contend with rampant tourism pollution environmental hazards and urban sprawl he also oversees the seemingly never-ending task of excavating documenting and preserving new finds today at the bar area ro ASIS for example a team is slowly uncovering another labyrinth of hidden tombs in the coming weeks they'll be searching for burials perhaps a skeleton or even a well-preserved money but all the time closely monitored from Cairo but office work has never been doctors are his true passion this is like my favorite place the burial chamber underneath is like the bedroom of the king in his cell the Step Pyramid at Saqqara is more than four and a half thousand years old and it's one of the sites where dr. Zaki has made major new discoveries is like the first visit the king is buried underneath is taking this and steps to visit son gun this afternoon dr. Zahi is off-duty his love for archaeology never far away with him as a friend Sabine Huber a Swiss diplomat they intended that time to find a burial chamber and this why they cut until they reached that they went down the solid rock the school shaft 12 meters down the couple until they did reach the main burial chamber of the parameter I'm realizing that I'm very very lucky to have been going around by him personally to feel his enthusiasm and his knowledge and all that he knows this is wonderful so beautiful you can see people coming out from the stream that cry it's like a story then the story begins when you listen to him it's not only listen to that it's a list what he says because he has listed and they have seen so many things he communicates for you to be transmitted to you like it's life and you have been bringing offering the hunting in the marsh the hunting birds and Oscar catching fish all of this are the idealistic life that the deceased would life have a past life but the oldest mummy that we know of exists religion is look at underneath that chart if you will come after me I will be sure that the curse of nether will not rest on you you can imagine how it is because you can explain Rita with the colors with the movements what people did and that makes it bringing back to real life now this is dated back 4300 years ago isn't she wonderful you know I believe that nama shouldn't be shown in museum mummies should be some in there too and that's why I would like to leave this money in that place [Music] [Music] back in downtown Cairo dr. Zahi divides his time between his main office and a second one five miles away at Giza in the shadow of the Great Pyramid there's a little family it's never been a place to quiet contemplation rather than make a family less idle in Caracas oh look there's a doctor he is busy the whole day he doesn't have a second to first nest lookin for new people and phone calls more people more phone calls [Music] Nashua a bear doctors are his assistant knows him better than most or invent rod he's a straightforward person hates life but at the same time it's difficult to know what's going on in his mind into that I've interviewed before McCall he wants you to understand and empathize with him from the expressions in his eyes - b.o.b is an alumni you get angry with someone like once a bigger beard Isaac when he's angry his face turns very red and he bangs on the desk of his man and even then this voice gets louder and it gets very aggravated I've had to know they'll all get to pay I sometimes think it is must hurt from all the phone calls [Music] [Music] the dr. Zahi protecting these ancient monuments to the heartfelt responsibility [Music] he finds sanctuary inside the Great Pyramid itself if anyone will ask to be a question what is explosive place your heart I will say this place [Music] if I need scape from anything if I need to find the solution of problem I come to this place alone and meditate [Music] and it close my eyes and think about the pocket [Music] always I find a solution [Music] another day and another battle with Kairos relentless traffic dr. Zhang he is heading out of town on family business to the dummy at region in the Nile Delta [Music] sangeeta Watts was born here in 1947 [Music] today he's come back for a flying visit to the old family home [Music] it's a lot of is it the king of the pyramids is viewed with a mixture of awe and affection alongside the roots of this village and the people that we live with the moon does look like a part of your family everyone here I know we're on here a minute everyone here a love and this why this place which I grow up it gave me everything in my life and I owe that people here in the village are all my success how can that is this is my root and what's really important if you want to be successful you never forget your roots if you forget your roots your matter [Music] when I go there I always remember my childhood [Music] I was running everywhere [Music] playing soccer football everywhere [Music] going in the farm and eating books taking a book in denial [Music] that was a very tightly childhood [Music] dr. za his younger brother Mohammad Abbas was still lives in the area when a Korean condom as children we grew up on the farm even the Polish immigrant I always went to the farm but they didn't like going very similar what do captures out of the law or animal my father didn't get angry with him even though he was never behind earlier I was more repeating my father died when I was in the age of 13 and my father gave me two important things in my life he told me to be a brave man never afraid of any human being and the second thing is to be honest because he said if you're honest no one can get you today I bokura evil there he was the leader on the football field when for example they were choosing the team and he did the choosing with anything between him and his friends they always looked up in the middle and they loved uncle we go all his friends relied on him for everyone to cool the Haggadah me how to know an attorney ought to be his ambition was to live in the Cairo and electronics and sure enough the Youngs are he soon left the village Alexandria University after graduating in archaeology za he goes first job at the somewhat dusty Department of Antiquities in Cairo there is no one has any kind of ambition they sit at the offices I didn't see in archaeological work then I said to myself I do not think that I Bronx this place but a year spent out in the field changed his perspective and I felt in love in our culture and from that time I made it as our College it to be my love in the 1980s Zahi Hawass studied for his doctorate in Egyptology at the university of pennsylvania he also went in front of the camera for the first time hello my name is rahi Hawass I'm from Egypt and I'd be working in the first TV show I was not able to talk could I didn't know what can I say I was so gimballed in front of the camera which is a site that had been working for the last six or seven years in Egypt it is a strange that 10 or 15 years he has all this knowledge and he probably was quite shy he probably didn't talk that much it's extremely how people do develop through through having an audience my plan I have lots of plans after seven years in America and having gained his PhD then now doctors are he had indeed relaxed a little continuum editorship elements and because there is lots of sides that I like to excrete the game but maybe would be other plans that will change that I will tell you this about this plan later back in the baha'i releases the atmosphere is electric dr. Zahi team has been busy just half an hour ago this ceramic sarcophagus was uncovered it's greco-roman and around 2200 years old and even more exciting another roughly cut out of limestone and older still limestone is not locally available it must have been brought from a quarry near Cairo at some expense the sarcophagus appears to be intact and may contain the mummy of a high-ranking official in two days time dr. Zakir will come for a first look at the new findings seven does one more he was released for many years tourism has been one of Egypt's largest foreign currency earners bringing in tens of millions of dollars each year [Music] one guy people have come here to learn to realize their dreams and to simply gaze in wonder but back in the 1980s and 90s trouble was brewing for the Giza Plateau and for Zahi Hawass a raft of hugely popular books and articles speculated on long disputed questions who built the pyramids why and when in their book Ian Lawson and Chris Oberle Herald describes some of the theories the pyramid being a massive energy generator have giant water pump built by people from other planets mirror the belt guard Bryant they'll think ml thousand he stayed by the skies of Atlantis peloton Aidan claims a secret tunnel eat all the records that kind of thing an almighty battle quickly developed between the so-called new ages and a furious dr. Zahi Hawass why the people will say supper Clint all this lesion about distinct sand its dates the lost civilization it Phoenicians but the new ages fought back Graham Hancock is a best-selling author of alternative history I went through several years of enmity at a distance with him when when a great deal of mud was thrown in in both directions he was felled himself I think very much under attack from the alternative history brigade which he might like to call the pyramid yet when I began to answer them back they made it like a Bethel as I think I'd leave with inundated with tens of thousands of letters of complaint and indeed an email campaign was started and I was instrumental in it factors viscose tea news conspiracy theories advantage are there or are there not chambers underneath the Sphinx was a very negative campaign and many people around the world found it found it very sinister caused him a lot of problems information was being concealed this look do I don't agree with him on that they know they're lying and covered up and hidden and they began to expect me push this is undiplomatic because he speaks his mind some of them were doing this piece in their books he was over strenuously defending his position in short it was a mess and it was damaging for Orthodox Egyptology but dr. Zahi was not to be distracted he'd always been lucky in his excavation there was one extraordinary morning at Giza that he'll never forget an American lady was riding a horse and delegate the horse felt down about 3 meters discovered the small mud very cool what the horse discovered turned out to be no less than the sight of the tombs of the pyramid builders themselves my heart was in Joey my eyes was shining this discovery return of struct estrus unique scenes that we'll never see before making offerings to give it to the deceased this was the base of a villain that was supporting the feeling the way that she's holding not an extension we know that pyramids only for kings and queens no one else can built the pyramid but now my discovery can show pyramid began to be for everyone if you can afford it dude but the King can afford this from limestone but the workman is a poor man he can afford this from mud break then everyone now can go for the afterlife even the poor people can prepare the tools for eternity like kings and queens in summary dr. Zahi suggests that the pyramids weren't built by spaceman or even slaves but by the willing people of Egypt in honor of their kings in his search for the truth and his ongoing discussions with the new ages he was supported by fellow archaeologist dr. mark Lehner he sort of began as a dialogue with the new ages I'm afraid the DA he took up the call to arms more than I did I sort of retreated him to into my serious work but ah he has had a dialogue but it's important for legitimate archaeologists to engage these people to understand what they're saying and then to address what they're saying rather than just to stiff-arm them like and ignore them completely now not every scholar has to do that but it's important that some scholars do and though he does and he does it really well dr. za he's defensive Orthodox archeology has been fueled by his passion and his imagination close our eyes and go back 5,000 years ago we can imagine what's happening here [Laughter] [Music] willkommen coming from a poor people in the morning earlier they go works cutting the spoons other moving the stone they come in the evening they sing their beer bread they've done the same I feel that I'm living and the time of this peak because I'm with them all the time understand the apartment dr. za he's understanding is under 10 to the fierce pride in his ancestors achievements Egyptian gave to the world lit glaciation science and technology that no escape no other civilization could do that this patriotism has prompted dr. Zahi to bring young Egyptians into the field of archaeology Mansu oberek is a former pupil you want to work with him you want to you love to work with him for nothing you know and this is a nice thing in the character of dr. J he is great he has a great personality to let you work with him for nothing and this is good you know I mean I'm not talking about money or something like that but you know you just want to work with a because you like him and this is a unique thing in his caliber those young people will carry the same responsibilities and I believe they will be better than me in defending and protecting this place [Music] back in downtown Cairo it's Friday the Islamic day of rest and dr. Zahi is heading for a favorite haunt Nakano Khalil bazaar it's a place for smoking and quiet reflection if you are successful you'll have enemies if you are nothing you'll never have enemies if you want to be a good actor deliciousness you have to be a fighter but a fighter in a good way dr. Zahi fight with the new ages is largely over there's a new spirit of cooperation in the end what words are he and I decided to do was to continue to disagree massively over the issues but not to dislike one another as people and this is what I find exceptional about Zahi Hawass when I do something like fighting with someone i finish it one minute after I do it he is prepared to be friends with somebody and yet disagree with them then I can continue working because I use every minute in my life from 9:00 in the morning and in 6 o'clock working after 6 o'clock 2 hours at home to relax [Music] after that they go to pick my friendís and we soak and I took about something else except a solution [Music] tonight the Mina house hotel is hosting a dinner for dr. Zahi and his friend [Music] he has this talents helping people to be friends with in so quickly I love much people who are extra men and this extra what he feels he said he doesn't I'm is not diplomatic I like sorry because he's a date to the fun and he's lively and it was never boring and what I succumb to engage in a debate and he won't shut you up might yell and shout but one can have an actual discussion as they were watching to wrong and he went to have not beat you ever again after that is one of the very few friends that doesn't miss a time to pick up the phone and say Happy New Year every birthday happy whatever they say and this is something very touching especially for a man so busy like that his greatest weakness is the his love for beauty I love that there is an outrageous the wonderful person and an adventurer and romantic and an internationalist and is rejection but also throughout the world and quickly to say that fascination sometimes might being something between the rights to offering and but here is someone who is releasing to the other side but you know sometimes me to i am right you know my weakness is friendship sometimes I give the people that they trust too much and I give my love anyone with a life and that's not good you have watch out sometimes and that is how you that they give sometimes everything that people develop [Music] the time has come for dr. Zahi to make the three-hour drive to Berea [Music] what's fuckin cool the team have asked him here to see the newly found sarcophagi and to make some decisions [Music] should they be open [Music] what preparatory work still needs to be completed how long will it take [Music] a decision is reached tomorrow dr. Zahi leaves for a business trip to the United States on his return in two weeks time he'll come back to open the sarcophagi until then excavations will continue Seattle Washington State [Music] dr. Zahi is an explorer in residence at the National Geographic Society and he's here for the start of a lecture tour at the United States I think I have a duty in my life that they want the public to understand our tradition across the u.s. there's a willing audience tonight two and a half thousand people will fill the Benaroya Hall to hear dr. Zahi please join me in welcoming the man National Geographic effectively noses mr. Puritan Donnie Hawass it's a big event and nothing is left to chance [Music] you have only when you lecture you have to fill that this is your first time and this why you do it good if you make one small mistake you can lose the audience and if you the audience like that you're just will try to take the people who is make my adventure working with me in the excavation and feeling all the discover that I made them lead them to understand listen [Music] we've got about five maps on okay the for my election I don't talk to anyone it's like training [Music] I Triple E and I if you go to anything and you trust your sister and you're sure of it you will never make it good there lot of people please join me in welcoming the man National Geographic affectionately knows as mr. Puritan [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] doctors are his first tactic is to get the audience to laugh at the expense of one new ages strange obsession from Los Angeles a man came to see me and he asked can I take a photograph of your bathroom and I said why is it everyone say at 12 noon you leave your office and you go to the bathroom and you go from a tunnel to the gates parameter I know that you will not see my bathroom now but this is the bathroom [Music] it will be catalyzed as dr. Zahi speaks the audience is gently transported him into an ancient [Music] extremely passionate about what he does he absolutely loved it and he wants to share it with the entire world former students Janis Cameron has experienced the excitement first time he has incredible energy and incredible enthusiasm he really knows how to communicate that we need to see everybody in the audience assistance completely absorbed at every moment there he has become an actor he's become a major star he's an actor so it's it's not fiction completely it's a little bit there's a little bit of fiction in the sense that it's all true what he speaks about but he's learned how to make the story better Egypt's hero has really magic and curriculum and this.y always there is new things discovered the last two things are so much fun hello our you'll be aligned with lines and lines of people that come to approach him and how he gives this person the full attention for as long as you can it's great to work with I he's impetuous he creative very fun opinionated this a very energetic person who loves his work immensely and can transmit that love when he speaks I found it was almost lutely charming is a rascal but a nice rascal hello Eureka the twinkle in his eye is just amazing it only is unbelievable I predicted might hear him and I'm really really hoping with him [Music] waha RIA two weeks had gone by and the time has finally come to open the sarcophagi a National Geographic film crew is here to record the event yet another tomb was discovered yesterday with a promising looking sarcophagus inside [Music] the tomb itself is black from years of sewage seeping down from the bottoms of houses above the most common experience now the author will damage everything when you lose everything there is many things has been lost but at least something we can say the feelings before a discovery like this it's impossible to explain it too because this is like discovering the unknown [Music] you I don't think there is anything existence care message was rocked when they put their hand inside they took the certificate out and they put dirt inside and they put it back then no one will know anything that anything is falling a disappointment but the ceramic sarcophagus discovered just a few weeks ago appears to be sealed the one that we found at developable demand has this published to spoil them the piece is the first [Music] Alice oh it's only its color stead of paying for the mummification they pay to make a coffin like this but they did not cover it with linen and they did look at the mouse but the mouse is already existing one sarcophagus to go and potentially the most interesting but dr. Zahi calls for a 10-minute break the feeling before a discovery like this it is impossible to explain it you it makes me to dream with them and I don't feel who's around me I only think about the discovery just being with him is memorable every used to be so present whenever you're with him although he's my boss in work but I feel that he's like my brother I feel he is everything to me brother father had a friend the loved one everything in one's life his extraordinary passion for Egyptology is I've never seen anyone so enthusiastic about any subject and it's almost as well he's identified himself with with the Pharaohs of old to form of madness is gone and becoming more and more mad the Mad Professor he's getting to be [Music] there it is when we discover when in fact I prefer this because you know that since antiquity since two thousand five hundred years ago that no one tortured this one [Music] [Music] this tactic now I can see the money inside from that hole it looks at me please rise Oh Zach yeah she's something with the I wear it open and find out inside the surface damage especially lemon I get annoyed why not very [Music] [Music] a faceless Egyptian woken after two and a half thousand years and offering clues to an ancient life puns always have secured the music that the person who died exists 2500 years ago still exists in front of us and what we have to know after all this personal study what didn't they maybe did something good that we should do and this why it's very important to know our kills you because our courage is preserving and studying the past for understand your future dr. Zahi and his team will listen to the Mummy's story and soon gently return it to the grave thirty years ago when I used to tell people that I'm an archaeologist they never understood it but I think now they know the value of our courtesy now there is big change our everyone they took of apertures [Music] in the salons of Cairo the king of the pyramids continues to hold court [Music] in Egypt and around the world this charismatic man has won friends and enemies admirers and rivals [Music] but the last word must go to his son Kareem's are he Hawass where does his father get his energy from Oh big Egyptian deals [Laughter] [Music] [Music]

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Channel: Karen Davies

Views: 22,569

Rating: 3.5667753 out of 5

Keywords: Zahi Hawass, egypt, egyptian, archaeologist, national geographic, truth files, pyramids, king tut, mummies

Id: hdnPBsdP5HM

Channel Id: undefined

Length: 49min 2sec (2942 seconds)

Published: Thu Aug 03 2017

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