"Flame of Hope" visits Egypt for Global Torch Run The "Flame of Hope" for Global Torch Run in Egypt. Cultures merged on 2 July when the Special Olympics “Flame of Hope's” arrived in Alexandria, Egypt, protected in its miner's lamp and transported by DHL. In a scene worlds away from Athens, its first stop was the Library of Alexandria, the site that for so many years held some of the world's most significant history and works by great intellectuals such as Plato and Socrates, before perishing in a fire centuries later. Today, the library stands again, in the shape of the sun, strong and full of knowledge. The flame shared these similarities, burning brightly as it passed hands before kicking off the Torch Run through the city. As the torch depicting Chinese dragons breathing fire blazed gallantly, Special Olympics athletes from Egypt and China carried it next to a dock on the Mediterranean, where it sailed to the Qaitbay Citadel, and was met with celebrations of Egyptian pharaoh dances by Special Olympics athletes. Athletes carry 'Flame of Hope' as it sails to Qaitbay Citadel. Excitement rose as the Alexandria celebration ended and the flame, safe in its lamp, boarded a DHL van for its next destination-Cairo. Police escorts cleared the way for athletes and the flame to make the two-hour journey on to Azhar Park and the Citadel of Cairo, one of the most popular tourist attractions and recognized sites on the city's skyline. This stop was quick, but the flame was met with loud cheers and enthusiasm, with cultural explosions of interaction between athletes from China and all parts of the Middle East, their enthusiasm not even phased by the language barriers. The torch's final destination in Egypt was the magnificent Pyramids of Giza. As dusk approached, the torch arrived at the celebration site, and as night fell, the flame bobbed up and down in the darkness, then passed through the crowd to light the waiting cauldron. "Flame of Hope" arrives in the land of the pharaohs. Then in an array of beams and flashes, lights and fire lit the pyramids, with fireworks igniting in the background. The scene reached its peak as the 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games logo – “The Eye” – burst onto the middle pyramid, arousing cheers from the guests and athletes. Egypt's First Lady Suzanne Mubarak addressed the athletes and guests, showing her support of the “Flame of Hope” and sending it onward to continue its journey. After Athens and Egypt, the flame headed off to its 4 July visit to London, England, burning brightly in its miner's lamp. Photo Gallery Return to Global Torch Run home page