A lecture about the demise of the Greek Egyptian Hellenism will be presented by architect John Georgiou, at the Greek Centre, on Thursday 24 August 2017, as a part of the Greek History and Culture Seminars, offered by the Greek Community of Melbourne.

John Georgiou will discuss the presence of the Greeks in Egypt since the nineteenth century -the establishment of the Greek communities, with special reference to community governance, and the relationships with the Greek Orthodox Church and the Greek State.

According to Georgiou, contrary to popular belief that Nasser’s revolution in 1952 led to the massive exodus of the Greeks in Egypt, this was only a decisive final phase of a fluctuation of movement over a long period of time, shaped by responses to various forces.

The presentation will explore the context of the presence of the Greeks in Egypt within the broader peripheral Hellenism or Hellenism of the Diaspora, particularly in the Arab-speaking Middle East during the various phases of its history. The issues of identity and education will be seen through the links of the Greeks with other ethnic communities. Some comparisons with the Greek presence in Australia after World War II will also be made.

The presentation will include some personal observations and experiences to illustrate the effects and consequences of the decline of the Greek presence in Egypt after World War II.

John Georgiou is an architect, urban designer, lecturer, writer, broadcaster, President of the Melbourne Branch of the International Society of Friends of Nikos Kazantzakis and General Secretary of the Greek-Australian Cultural League of Melbourne. He is a keen researcher of Greek Literature and Culture. Born in Alexandria, he completed his secondary education in the Averoff Gymnasium of the Greek Community and began his tertiary studies at the University of Alexandria before migrating to Australia where he completed his studies in Architecture and Urban Design.

When: Thursday 24 August 2017, 7:00pm
Where: Greek Centre (Delphi Bank Mez, 168 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne)