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C.P.Cavafy’s poetry and the life mythology of the Alexandrian sage had an impact on all spheres of art. Our philosophy is to collect at the Cavafy Museum as many works of art as possible that are inspired by the poet and thus, the collection could be utilized in various ways, for example, periodic visits of exhibitions in different countries, publishing a multilingual catalogue of the collection etc.

QUESTION: Egyptian Greeks, especially those of Alexandria, are distinguished for their openness to the world, for their commercial and intellectual potential, and especially for their contribution to the progress of Greece through educational and cultural  establishments. In social, institutional and administrative terms their community is consolidated to a great extent around three poles: the Alexandria Patriarchate, the Greek consulate in the city and the Greek Community. These are part of the Greeks of the Diaspora who have a completely different experience than the majority of their compatriots who live in Greece. The wealthy and eminent Egyptian Greeks are distinguished for their cosmopolitanism, they have direct contact with the world economy of their time, live in the political orbit of the greatest power of the late nineteenth century - the British Empire. The expansion of the British market increases entrepreneurial opportunities - especially for Greek traders engaged in tobacco and cotton export. Revived by Mohammed Ali Pasha, Alexandria became the financial and economic capital of Egypt. The community of Egyptian Greeks becomes the cradle of the so-called “national benefactors” and prominent donor families like the Benakis, Averoff., Salvagos, Cotsicas, Zervudakis and others emerged from it.

MARAGOULIS: As you pointed out, the colony of Egyptian Greeks, the advanced part of which included the Alexandrian Greeks, for various reasons has developed into a historical framework in which the dominant force was the British colonial governance model of the Egyptian state. The big capital of the Egyptian Greeks was linked to the English capital in various ways. However, the philanthropy and the so-called “national benefactors” were amongst the fundamental pillars of the system of social welfare underpinning the Greek colony in the nineteenth and the early twentieth century. This ideology motivates the activities of the famous colleges, hospitals, orphanages, nursing homes, charity organizations and others.
The independence of Egypt in the early fifties of the twentieth century marks the end of the colonial era and subsequently leads to the continuous emigration and repatriation of the Greek population because it can no longer find a satisfactory position in the new political and economic conditions. So, it is fair to discuss these issues frequently, looking back to a past of prosperity and rich cultural heritage. However, nowadays there are still profitable companies of young people - second and third generation Alexandrian Greeks who chose to remain in Egypt and to develop their businesses here. Let's hope that the "post-Mubarak" era will benefit their enterpreneurship and will attract innovative investments from Greece with prospects for development that will bring recovery to their potential.

QUESTION: At the last congress of the European Association for Modern Greek Studies in Granada in 2010 you presented a paper entitled "From the Alexandria of "blood ties" to Nasser's Egypt: continuity and rupture in the identity of the Greek community in Egypt" (Από την Αλεξάνδρεια του «αίματος» στην Αίγυπτο του Νάσερ) where you spoke about the formation of ethnic identity related to the reproduction of the image of the Other, of the different one, to whom stereotypic traits and innate qualities usually reprimanded by the  collective We are attributed. Thus the collective We wishes to differentiate from the primitive, uncivilized and barbaric, which is the symbol of the other" as you mention. In this light, you explore the dominant ideology of Egyptian Hellenism in different types of texts (literary, historiographic, autobiographical, publicist, etc.) in perceiving the events which marked the formation of national identity among the Egyptians: the movement of Ahmad Orabi (1881-1882), the Egyptian Revolution of 1919 and the creation of an independent Egyptian state. It reproduces stereotypes according to which bigoted mobs rioted indiscriminately against foreigners, especially against the Greeks. After the movement of the Egyptian officers in 1952 that led to the independence of the country, the Egyptian-Greek intellectuals with Marxist leanings increasingly intensify their anti-colonial criticism and discourse, insisting on the on the decolonisation of mindsets. Could you comment on these phenomena in the light of the recent riots and unrest in Egypt against the Mubarak regime?

MARAGOULIS: I think it is relatively early to look for and analyze the reflections of the unrest in Egypt in Western literature and other forms of art, because the events are too recent. But one could venture to study the "image" formed by the leading print, audiovisual and electronic media concerning the speed and efficiency of their coverage, while the events were still under development. The eighteen days of constantly evolving mass peaceful demonstrations and rallies with undeviating determination and admirable heroism succeeded in forcing Mubarak to resign and lead to the downfall of the cruel repressive mechanism which formed the basis of the previous regime.