Dr. Zbigniew E. Szafrański’s farewell party in Deir el-Bahari

A farewell party for dr. Zbigniew E. Szafrański was held at the end of the latest season of the Polish-Egyptian Archaeological and Conservation Mission at the Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari.

Guests gathered in the “Polish House” (also called the Metropolitan House), where the mission’s members have been living for nearly 60 years during fieldwork seasons. Among them were representatives of the Ministry of Antiquities and members of other archaeological teams, among others, German, Australian, Spanish and Italian working in the region. The function was held as a token of thanks for Dr. Zbigniew E. Szafrański, who had been the director of the Mission for 20 years. In 2020 was succeeded in this role by Dr. Patryk Chudzik.

During Dr. Szafrański’s term, several important parts of the temple were opened to visitors, including the Upper Terrace of the Temple, the Solar Cult Complex and the Bark Hall in the Main Sanctuary of Amun. Thanks to the efforts of Polish experts, the Hatshepsut Temple, a UNESCO-listed monument, is among the most visited tourist destinations in Egypt.