Arrival & Opening Ceremony |
Coming from all horizons, the Arab youth met at Constantine, the city known as the City of Knowledge ever since the days of the great reformer Imam Benbadis. |
Arrival of the first participants. Here on the picture, brothers from Irak, Syria, Sudan, Libya, Jordan, Tunisia.. |
The registration was handled courteously and swiftly by the Sirius Secretariat. |
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The official opening by the local authorities. Here Dr.Chibane the Mayor of Constantine addressing the audience. At the far right is Eng.Khalil Konsul, the General Secretary of the Arab Union of Astronomy and Space Sciences. |
Also at left is M.Mezaouda, the APW Vice President representing the Wali of the Constantine Governorate. |
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Prof.Boukhalkhal, President of the Emir Abdelkader University giving a welcoming speech. |
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A gift presented by the Syrian brothers of the SAAA to our Association: An authentic hand made Damascene astrolabe. |
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Talks constituted a sizeable part of the Meeting’s program. A long list of speakers talking about almost everything under the Sun and beyond.
See here a list of the talks. |
Dr.Basurah head of the Astronomy Depart, King Abdelaziz University at Djeddah |
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Dr Musalam Shaltout from Helwan Observatory in Egypt,
and vice president of the AUASS |
And from the Lebanese Astronomical Group (LBG)… |
Mohamed Ousseiri, president of the Syrian SAAA |
Natheer Talal from Jordan |
The inimitable Prof.Guessoum from the American University in Sharjah |
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Dr.Omar Fikri from the Alexandria Library, Egypt |
Fouad Anane, President of the Jeunes-Science Assoc. in Djerba, Tunisia |
Left to right:A.Teyahi from SAT-Tunis, S.Kalli from Msila Univ, and B.Hamdi from the Celestial Cupola Assoc. at El Oued . |
Left to right: Eng.Ibrahim Khidr from JAS, Dr. Bushra Kassim from Baghdad Univ., and Prof.A.Bouldjedri from Batna Univ. |
 Here from left to right: Dahar Kheireddine from El-Battani, Wissam el-Hussein from SAAA, and Dr.Kamal Aboud from Baghdad University |
Dr.Sharafeddin from Khartoum University |
Sorry that not all the speakers’s pictures are available. |
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A large exhibition was held at the Malek Haddad Cultural Palace for the benefit of both the participants and the general public. |
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The el-Battani Astro Association stand from Oran. |
The Sirius stand |
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The Lebanese stand… well staffed |
More Lebanese, Tunisians… and Algerians |
Details of the SAT- Tunisian stand. |
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Workshop going on directed by Abdelhafidh Teyahi from the SAT… |
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A talk by Samer Bayazid from SAAA at right while standing at left is Dr.Guessoum presenting the speaker and introducing the topic. |
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Another astrophysics workshop directed by the Tunisians from the SAT. |
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Discovering Algeria, Its History and its Development
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The Museum of the Moudjahid at Constantine |
Visit at the Moudjahid’s Museum |
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Mr.Boucem, The War veteran Director of the Constantine Wilaya handing a trophy to the Eng.Konsul, the AUASS General Secretary. Between them slightly behind stands the Museum director.
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“Trait d’union” between yesterday and today |
The participants in front of the Museum. |
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Prof. Badjadja, from the School of Architecture at Mentouri University and head of the restauration project, giving an on the spot lecture on the Palace historical and architectural importance and the personality of Hajj Bey Ahmed who fought valiantly the French invaders. |
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Despite the fierce resistance of its inhabitants, Constantine fell in the hands of the French army in 1837 by breaking its defense in the place still known today as “La Brèche” not far from the Ahmed Bey Palace. (Painting by Horace Vernet) |
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More on the history of Ahmed Bey Palace here |
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The Oued-Hamimime Industrial Complex |
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Visit to the Massinissa Mausoleum at El-Khroub |
This is the tomb of Massinissa (238-148 B.C.) the last Numidic king before the Roman conquest. It is a UNECO classified site which hasn’t revealed all its secrets. |
An eerie view of the mausoleum. Linking the past with the present. |
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And thus ended one of the most significant Arab gathering of the International Year of Astronomy 2009.
To see a report on the AUASS meeting in Khartoum see this link here |
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Eng.Khalil Konsul giving a speech in the name of Dr.Naimiy, president of the AUASS. 
