Zahi Hawass
Archaeologist

?When I was young I found the spirituality of Egypt in the Nile, as I was born in a village facing the river. Things changed when I fell in love with archaeology; the Pyramids and the Sphinx suddenly became spiritual. When I go inside the Pyramids alone I can feel a strong power. It is this power that gives me answers to questions that I never had answers to before," says Dr. Zahi Hawass, secretary general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities and the director of excavations at the Giza Pyramids and Bahariya. "The Pyramids certainly have a spiritual value. If you set your eyes on them and you start thinking about your future and your past, it is simply incredible."

Hawass did not plan to be an archaeologist?and certainly not one of the most recognizable archaeologists in the world. In the beginning, he wanted to be a lawyer, but after only a year of studying law he felt uncomfortable, so he transferred at random to the Faculty of Arts. "I attended the Archaeology Department without any emotions. At that time archaeology did not touch my heart at all,? he says. When he graduated from college and went to the Antiquities Department he looked at the archaeologists there and found them "old, boring, ugly, and lazy," he remembers. He decided not to continue in archaeology, and chose to pursue a diplomatic career.

But he failed the oral exams. "Oral exams need connections," he shrugs. So he returned to the Antiquities Department, and it was only at this point, when he was sent to an excavation in area, that something magical happened: "I met two says, "Hagg Mohamed and Reis, also known as ?Doctor?. They had huge experience, without any education. One day they told me, 'We need you to come, because we discovered a tomb,' and they began to teach me how to excavate. While using my brush my hand touched something; it was the statue of Isis, the goddess of beauty and love in ancient Egypt!" excitement still clear in his voice. "When I looked at the fantastic piece I was holding, I immediately fell in love with archaeology; that became all my life since then.? Suddenly he becomes fascinated. "The gifts the sand generously gives us are magic! When I discover a statue my heart beats fast and my eyes shine, because I know I am the first one holding a piece of art that no one else has seen in 4,500 years. That is a moment that I cannot describe," he says.

Famous for wearing an American hat that once brought him good luck, Hawass has made major discoveries at the tombs of the Pyramids builders and more recently at the Valley of the Golden Mummies in Bahariya Oasis.
His attitude toward his job can be summed up in the advice he gave to some schoolchildren while on a recent visit to "First, give your PASSION to your work. Make from a small job a big job. Second, never waste your time in fighting anyone. Don't lose your energy in fights, but invest it in success."
Hawass?s role requires him to balance the rational and the emotional. When discovering something new; which part comes first? "There are three moments," he explains. "Before the discovery I must think hard, therefore the rational part comes first. During the discovery passion comes immediately. After it, professionalism prevails."
Hawass believes that because of his work, Egyptian history is better known to the people of the world?including Egyptians themselves. "When I walk around, people talk to me all the time, they watch me on TV, they ask me questions," he says. "Thanks to the media, 1 think Egyptians now know more than before, even the poor people."

Egyptians are proud of their history, and yet there are vast differences between ancient Egyptian culture and present-day attitudes. "We have to know that the past is history before religion," says Hawass. "The Egyptians look at the past culture as their heritage. That culture began and ended before modern religion. Egyptians are aware of this evolution and they accept it. If you understand the past you have a good future," he says with determination.

Hawass is busy promoting the future of his country: "I am pushing the new generation. I want the children to visit the museums and the new exhibitions. I want to make everyone in Egypt know that we controlled the world five thousand years ago. If I put this in the heart of every Egyptian, this country will soon progress!"