The Egyptian State Information Service has reacted to criticism of Cleopatra by the British Museum by issuing a statement saying emphatically that "Cleopatra was beautiful," reports said.
Archaeologists at the British museum are challenging the previously assumed belief that Cleopatra was a legendary beauty, said the Middle East.
The museum is preparing to launch an exhibition next month that is raising the anger of Egyptians.
The exhibition will display eleven statues of Cleopatra that depict the famous queen of ancient Egypt as a short, fat and ugly woman. The curator of the exhibition, Susan Walker, was quoted by the weekly as saying that Cleopatra's reputation of seduction was more a "myth and probably mostly nonsense."
Egyptian archaeologist Zahi Hawass was quoted by the Egyptian paper as saying that "the Britons are falsifying the facts of history without scientific basis," said the expert, who strongly disagreed with the reports being circulated about Cleopatra.
"The ancient Greek engravings and the remaining statues of Cleopatra indicate that she was beautiful, well-featured and lissome," he said – Albawaba.com
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