New York's cultural diversity showcased in Tunis

09/03/2008

Tunisia's National Library hosted an exhibition that showcases the architectural heritage of New York City. Visitors said the exhibition was an opportunity to build cultural bridges between the US and Tunisia.

By Mona Yahia for Magharebia in Tunis – 09/03/2008

[Getty Images] New York City's Empire State Building is illuminated with green lights in honour of Eid-al-Fitr in October 2007. A photo exhibition of New York architecture, highlighting the city's cultural diversity, opened on Tunis on Wednesday (March 5th).

New York's architectural heritage was put on display in Tunis with the Wednesday (March 5th) opening of a photo exhibition at the National Library.

The "Architectural Heritage of New York" exhibition will enable Tunisians to discover the US city through photographs of many of its landmark structures.

Visitors can view some 80 black and white photographs of façades and interior views structures including museums, libraries, theatres, universities, houses, trade centres and parks located throughout New York's five boroughs. Many were built in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Appearing for the first time in Tunisia, the exhibition provides what many visitors say is an opportunity to build cultural bridges between the US and Tunisia.

Attendee Sonia Mbarek, a Tunisian artist and musical festival director, said, "I have visited the city of New York twice. The first thing that attracts you is the cultural diversity and its richness. In that city, you can note that all the residents, despite their different nationalities, co-exist in peace. I think that such events in particular and the culture in general contribute to bringing peoples together. New York is an excellent example embodying the principle of bringing peoples together and encouraging cultural and civilisational dialogue through its landmarks and the cultures it represents."

Meanwhile, student Soumia Fkih told Magharebia, "In my mind, the city of New York has always been a modern city; a city of money and business, without any heritage. However, this exhibition has changed all the previous ideas that were on my mind. In fact, I formed another picture of that city away from the political aspects and the September 11th tragedy."

"Events such as this exhibition reflect openness to one of the cultural aspects which every national library must encourage, and through which, openness toward the other is encouraged," said Samia Kemerti, director of the National Library. "I invite the youth to visit the exhibition in large numbers. It is like travelling to the city of New York, as the exhibition includes a lot of information and a different perspective of the city."

Tunisian Minister of Culture Mohammed Azziz Ben Achour, who opened the exhibition along with the US Ambassador to Tunisia Robert F. Godec, expressed his admiration for the cultural and architectural heritage of US cities, especially New York.

For his part Ambassador Godec said the event was part of the fruitful cultural exchanges existing between the two countries.

The exhibition runs through March 15th