MARK TAYLOR/Stuff
The Ancient Egyptian Garden opens to the public on Tuesday morning. It was formally opened on Monday.
News of Hamilton Gardens’ latest attraction could spread around the world – that’s if a prominent visitor has her way.
The Ancient Egyptian Garden was formally opened by Egyptian ambassador Dina Farouk El Sehy and Hamilton mayor Paula Southgate on Monday ahead of its public unveiling on Tuesday.
The $1.7 million feature depicts a temple garden from Egypt’s Middle Kingdom period.
El Sehy expects New Zealand’s Egyptian community – estimated to be 6000 – 7000 strong – will flock to the garden over the coming weeks for a “special reminder” of home.
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“Everything is so well done, from the colours, to the plants that would have grown inside the temple garden. Every detail is here, it’s so impressive,” the ambassador said.
Hamilton Gardens is Waikato’s number one attraction, drawing about one million visitors a year in pre-Covid times.
MARK TAYLOR/Stuff
Hamilton mayor Paula Southgate, left, and Egyptian ambassador Dina Farouk El Sehy explore Hamilton Gardens’ newest attraction.
El Sehy hopes the Ancient Egyptian Garden will inspire New Zealanders to visit her homeland. It could also draw overseas visitors to Hamilton.
“I will spread it and tell everyone that New Zealand has made this garden and that Hamilton Gardens now includes an ancient Egyptian garden.”
El Sehy said people the world over are fascinated by Egypt’s culture, its ancient past – and its secrets.
“Egypt’s history is ancient, it’s uninterrupted, and it goes back at least 7000 years. Plus it has a bit of mystery. People ask how were the pyramids constructed?”
MARK TAYLOR/Stuff
The Ancient Egyptian Garden is a faithful reproduction of a temple garden from Egypt’s Middle Kingdom.
The Ancient Egyptian Garden was envisaged and designed by former Hamilton Gardens director Dr Peter Sergel. As part of his research, Sergel travelled to Cairo, Egypt, in 2018 and met with four leading experts in ancient Egyptian gardens. The visit was arranged by the Egyptian Embassy.
Sergel also consulted with Egyptologists at Oxford University and in New Zealand to ensure the garden’s every detail was as authentic as possible.
“We’ve had to make compromises,” Sergel told about 100 guests gathered outside the garden’s imposing walls on Monday afternoon.
“We couldn’t, with our building codes and climate, have plastered mud brick walls. Although we had slaves to bring in these blocks,” he quipped.
MARK TAYLOR/Stuff
Egyptologists from overseas and New Zealand were consulted during the design of the Ancient Egyptian Garden.
The garden itself features a rectangular “step pool” bordered by gardens. Grape veins will eventually climb up and over the garden’s pergolas. At the far end is the front facade of a temple.
Fish will be added to the pool once the pH level is balanced.
Southgate said the new garden adds to what is already a world-class attraction. Council staff and contractors worked tirelessly to ensure the Ancient Egyptian Garden could open on time, she said.
Visitors to the garden enter from the newly created Palm Court. A new toilet block has also been built next to the Palm Court.
