As part of NMEC’s responsibility to preserve and promote the tangible and intangible cultural heritage of Egypt, the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization organized on Saturday, October 23rd, 2021, a live workshop for the general public, on the Art of Diorama. The event has witnessed a remarkable interaction among the museum’s national and international visitors, especially the youth, who were keen to follow up on the live work and document it on social media. The workshop introduced the museum’s visitors to the basics of constructing a small-scale diorama, from sketches to complete scenes. In addition, NMEC’s visitors had the chance to briefly learn about the history of Diorama, which dates back to 7000 years, where ancient Egyptians have depicted sceneries from their lives and daily routine using small-scale, three-dimensional figures. The word “Diorama” was invented in the 19th century as a type of picture-viewing device, that depicts a landscape, typically showing historical events, nature scenes or cityscapes, with a number of miniature, three-dimensional figures, that are set in lifelike poses, and viewed through a peephole, usually manufactured for purposes of education or entertainment. Dr. Ahmed Farouk Ghoneim, Managing Executive Director of NMEC highlighted that Diorama is widely used in major natural and history museums, as well as in cinemas and theaters, to convey a narrative for specific scenes, aiming at inspiring and educating the public.
