CAiro , May 11. The ancient Egyptian queen Cleopatra was not black, the American streaming service Netflix wants to distort the history of Egypt, Magdy Shaker, chief archaeologist at the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, said.
The documentary Queen Cleopatra starring Adele James, a black British actress, premiered on Netflix on Wednesday. Even after the release of the trailer in April, the film was heavily criticized in Egypt.
«An American platform seeks to distort Egyptian history by presenting a documentary about the life of Queen Cleopatra starring a black actress,» Shaker said.
Speaking about the goals of the film, the specialist expressed the opinion that the West is thus «trying to distort civilization with the desire to interfere in it.» At the same time, Shaker stressed that the West failed to ignite the conflict of civilizations. “Queen Cleopatra was of Macedonian origin, so she cannot have African roots,” the archaeologist noted, adding that this is understandable from the images and history of that era.
Queen Cleopatra came from the Macedonian Ptolemaic dynasty, she ascended the throne at the age of 18. Cleopatra was known for her sharp mind, education and fatal charm. Her image in history is shrouded in legends about numerous dramatic love affairs. In 30 BC, Cleopatra and her beloved Roman general Mark Antony reportedly committed suicide shortly after their defeat at the Battle of Actium against the Roman Emperor Octavian. Presumably they were buried together. The burial place of Cleopatra has not yet been discovered.