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Within the framework of fruitful cooperation between the Faculty of Archaeology at Ain Shams University and the Center for Documentation of Cultural and Natural Heritage (CULTNAT) - affiliated with the Cultural Outreach Sector of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina - a scientific seminar entitled “The Art of Heritage Documentation: From Experience to Innovation” was held on Wednesday, April 23, 2025.

The event took place under the patronage of Prof. Mohamed Diaa Zain El-Abedeen, President of Ain Shams University; Prof. Ghada Farouk, Vice President for Community Service and Environmental Development; and Prof. Hossam Tantawy, Dean of the Faculty of Archaeology. The seminar was coordinated and supervised by Prof. Basem Mohamed, Acting Vice Dean for Community Service and Environmental Development, and Dr. Nawal Gaber, Acting Vice Dean for Education and Student Affairs. It was attended by undergraduate and postgraduate students of the faculty, along with a distinguished group of specialists and individuals interested in the preservation of Egyptian heritage.

The seminar commenced with a presentation by Dr. Ayman Suleiman, Director of the Center for Documentation of Cultural and Natural Heritage, entitled “Twenty Years of Documentation: The Journey of CULTNAT in Preserving Egypt’s Cultural and Natural Memory.” In his talk, Dr. Suleiman outlined the Center’s vision and objectives in documenting all forms and fields of Egyptian heritage, emphasizing the importance of safeguarding this legacy for future generations.

Following this, Ms. Amira Seddiq delivered a presentation titled “Documentary Heritage: Risks, Preparedness, and Sustainability,” in which she addressed the challenges facing documentary heritage and stressed the necessity of risk management to ensure its sustainability and protection.

Engineer Mohamed Nabil shared the Center’s experience in developing modern digital applications to present heritage content via mobile phones. His lecture, entitled “The Role of Research and Development in Digital Heritage: The CULTNAT Experience,” highlighted the significance of integrating technology into heritage presentation using contemporary and engaging methods.

The seminar concluded with a lecture by Dr. Tarek Hawass on “Artificial Intelligence in the Service of Heritage,” in which he discussed the applications of AI technologies in generating textual and visual content. He shed light on the rapid advancements in this field and their role in supporting the documentation of Egyptian heritage.