A statue of Hany Shaker will stand in the Cairo Opera House square
The acting Minister of Culture announced the statue at the opening of the 34th Arab Music Festival, which this year is dedicated to the singer.
A statue of Hany Shaker, the singer known across the Arab world as the Prince of Arab Song, is to be put up in the square of the Cairo Opera House in Zamalek. Dr Abdelaziz Konsowa, Minister of Higher Education and acting Minister of Culture, announced it on Tuesday 20 October at the opening night of the 34th Arab Music Festival and Conference on the Opera's Main Hall stage, Masrawy and CairoScene reported.
This year's festival is dedicated to Hany Shaker, and its opening night was a tribute to his songs and his long career. The minister said the statue is meant to keep his memory and his art in front of the next generations.
No date has been given for the unveiling, and the sculptor has not been named; the ministry said only that the work will be carried out in the coming period.
The Arab Music Festival itself carries on at the Opera House until 30 October, with tickets sold at the Opera's box office and on its website. The Opera square is open to visitors on concert nights, so the statue will be easy to see once it is in place.