The protest of Egyptians and Greeks on the new face of Cleopatra

Charso Press: The trailer of a documentary about “Queen Cleopatra” that will be released on Netflix next month has sparked criticism and controversy across Egyptian platforms.

The depiction of the dark-skinned queen who ruled Egypt and was of Greek descent has caused controversy.

This trailer was widely attacked by the Egyptian people; Because they believe that the movie “Queen Cleopatra” is trying to promote the “Afrocentrism” movement to show her as a black fanatic and claim that the origin of Egyptian civilization is African.

Activists of various platforms have accused Netflix of falsifying the history of ancient Egypt and described what this network has done as an attempt to steal the history and civilization of Egypt and its relation to other civilizations.

Twitter also mocked Netflix’s decision to portray Queen Cleopatra in this way, saying that this portrayal of Cleopatra is far from the way she was known among the Egyptians and even the Greeks.

Netflix was criticized not only by Egyptians but also by Greeks; Because Cleopatra is also a part of their civilization. Historian Paul Antonopoulos wrote: “It’s ridiculous that this teaser emphasizes the dark color of Cleopatra’s skin, not that she was the Greek queen of Egypt. »

A large number of Africans have also criticized what this global platform has done and said: History cannot be presented in such a “false” manner. They went on to describe what happened as a terrible crash for the platform.

The majority of people believe that Cleopatra is of Egyptian descent; But the fact is that he belonged to the Macedonian family of Ptolemy, named Ptolemy I.

Twitter activists believe: Netflix is ​​indirectly trying to change history and falsify it. This is why it is said that Cleopatra, the queen of Egypt, had dark skin like Africans, to help the African American movement and suggest that the ancient Egyptian civilization was an African civilization with dark skin.

“Netflix is ​​indirectly trying to change history,” said Amal Aqeel, a famous Egyptian blogger. Therefore, he claims that Cleopatra, the queen of Egypt, was a brunette. To confirm his fake narratives, he calls the ancient Egyptian civilization an African civilization.

Documentation

According to historical documents, Cleopatra was not only of Greek descent, but also spoke Greek and was familiar with Greek customs. The Ptolemaic dynasty ruled Egypt for 300 years. Ptolemy I ascended the throne after the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC.

In addition to Greek, Cleopatra also spoke the languages ​​of Egypt’s neighboring countries. Only the descendants of Ptolemy were interested in learning the language of the ancient Egyptians, wearing their traditional clothes and participating in their ceremonies, which made them popular among the people, regardless of their foreign origins.

Exaggeration and defense

On the other hand, some felt that there is an exaggeration in these criticisms; Because the characteristic of heroism is not far from Egyptian women and this has nothing to do with falsifying history.

The documentary “Queen Cleopatra” will be released on May 10 on Netflix. This documentary was made by Will Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett.

Netflix announced that the documentary is part of a series of documentaries chronicling the lives of prominent and creative African queens, starting with Queen Cleopatra. In fact, the first part of this series of documentaries is dedicated to Cleopatra: the most famous and powerful woman in the world.

Netflix defended itself as follows: Cleopatra is misunderstood; Because she is famous as a bold and beautiful queen who was exemplary in intelligence.

The trailer of the recent documentary has been the subject of many scientific discussions; Because she is considered one of the most powerful and greatest female kings in the history of the world.

Cleopatra was a member of the Ptolemaic dynasty. The Ptolemies were a family of Greek descent that ruled Egypt after the death of Alexander in the Hellenistic era. Throughout their history, the Ptolemies spoke Greek and refrained from speaking Egyptian. This is why in the official documents of the court, such as the Rashid Stone (the Rashid Stone or the Rosetta Stone) in ancient Egypt, in addition to the Egyptian language, Greek is also used; But Cleopatra learned the Egyptian language and introduced herself as the person in whom the Egyptian goddess Isis has dissolved.