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hotograph of the granite pedestal of the statue of Khedive Isma’il in Cairo showing the relation of the
pedestal to Tahrir Square and its famous buildings. It was taken in the late sixties.
Thus, the words of writer Salah Issa acquire its meaning and significance in his
article: «The statue of King Fouad that King Farouk issued a decree ordering its
erection in Abdeen Square was removed. During the shock of the sudden departure of
President Nasser, the Council of Ministers decided to put plates on all the institutions
founded in his reign, and to erect a statue of him on the pedestal constructed upon
the order of King Farouk in Tahrir Square for the statue of his grandfather Khedive
Isma’il. Then, the statues of Farouk and his grandfather Isma’il were removed, and the
pedestal remained unoccupied. Anwar Sadat, the successor of Nasser, implemented
neither of these decisions, and the pedestal of Tahrir Square remained statueless.»(26)
In an interview with the late artist Abdel Megid El-Fiqi, a former full-time professor
at the Sculpture Department, the Faculty of Fine Arts in Cairo, further details about
the design stage of the statue were revealed. El-Fiqi said: «Mustafa Metwally won the
competition for the statue of Khedive Isma’il, which was planned to be erected in
Tahrir Square. It was co-designed by artist Samy Farag, a doctor practicing sculpture,
who taught anatomy at the Faculty of Fine Arts then. He made the relief portrait of
artist Ragheb Ayad, currently housed in the Faculty of Fine Arts in Cairo. I have the
only remaining picture of the gypsum copy of this exceptional statue,»(27)
(26) Issa, Salah: You Reap What You Sow, Al-Ayam newspaper, issue no. 8054, Friday, April 29th, 2011.
(27) An interview conducted at the Sculpture Department, the Faculty of Fine Arts in Cairo on Sunday, May
224
pedestal to Tahrir Square and its famous buildings. It was taken in the late sixties.
Thus, the words of writer Salah Issa acquire its meaning and significance in his
article: «The statue of King Fouad that King Farouk issued a decree ordering its
erection in Abdeen Square was removed. During the shock of the sudden departure of
President Nasser, the Council of Ministers decided to put plates on all the institutions
founded in his reign, and to erect a statue of him on the pedestal constructed upon
the order of King Farouk in Tahrir Square for the statue of his grandfather Khedive
Isma’il. Then, the statues of Farouk and his grandfather Isma’il were removed, and the
pedestal remained unoccupied. Anwar Sadat, the successor of Nasser, implemented
neither of these decisions, and the pedestal of Tahrir Square remained statueless.»(26)
In an interview with the late artist Abdel Megid El-Fiqi, a former full-time professor
at the Sculpture Department, the Faculty of Fine Arts in Cairo, further details about
the design stage of the statue were revealed. El-Fiqi said: «Mustafa Metwally won the
competition for the statue of Khedive Isma’il, which was planned to be erected in
Tahrir Square. It was co-designed by artist Samy Farag, a doctor practicing sculpture,
who taught anatomy at the Faculty of Fine Arts then. He made the relief portrait of
artist Ragheb Ayad, currently housed in the Faculty of Fine Arts in Cairo. I have the
only remaining picture of the gypsum copy of this exceptional statue,»(27)
(26) Issa, Salah: You Reap What You Sow, Al-Ayam newspaper, issue no. 8054, Friday, April 29th, 2011.
(27) An interview conducted at the Sculpture Department, the Faculty of Fine Arts in Cairo on Sunday, May
224
