Staff Writer
Netflix, the global streaming giant, found itself embroiled in controversy once again as it faces a wave of backlash from Egyptian audiences over its upcoming series, “Queen Cleopatra.”
The historical docudrama, set to depict the life and reign of the iconic Egyptian queen, has ignited a firestorm of criticism and outrage within the country.
Egyptians from all walks of life have expressed their concerns regarding the representation of their cultural heritage and the accuracy of the portrayal.
Zahi Hawass, an Egyptologist and former Minister of State for Antiquities Affairs in Egypt, told the Egyptian media that Cleopatra was of Ptolemaic and Macedonian ancestry, not blonde, and had a complexion similar to that of wine. The documentary’s declared purpose is to demonstrate that black people were integral to Egyptian culture. However, it fails to offer even a single piece of proof that the queen had dark complexion and instead depends on historical inaccuracies and misinformation.
In addition, Hawass said that he was “not against black people, but opposed the attempt to take the Egyptian civilisation and pretend it was African.
The kings were not black and did not have dark complexion, according to the images that still hang on the walls of temples. Being Macedonian, Cleopatra has absolutely no connection to black people. Her features, which include light complexion, a prominent nose, and small lips, are all characterized as Hellenistic Greek in all statues. Additionally, scholars who documented Roman history in Egypt during Cleopatra’s rule confirmed that she had pale skin and solely Macedonian ancestry, according to Hawass.
He continued, “It is further asserted that biological anthropology studies and DNA analysis conducted on ancient Egyptian mummies and human remains have confirmed that Egyptians do not possess sub-Saharan African features, such as skull shape, cheekbone width, nose shape, or jaw prominence.”
According to media reports, a group of lawyers has filed a lawsuit against Netflix in response to the uproar, citing the series’ inaccurate portrayal of Egyptian history and calling for its cancellation or revision. They reportedly filed the case with the public prosecutor earlier this week and demanded that the state obstruct access to Netflix.
The response has already had a noticeable effect, with “Queen Cleopatra” getting a record amount of unfavorable publicity and widespread public uproar.
According to a Forbes report, the series’ predicted audience significantly decreased.
It not only has the lowest audience rating in Netflix history, but it also has the lowest Rotten Tomatoes audience rating (2%).
