Valley of the Kings (film) what he was doing; the head cameraman (Robert Surtees) was directing the film. Then the crew wasn't getting paid and our great cameraman told them that we were all going out on strike until everyone got paid. Believe me, the money showed up. The film's world premiere took place simultaneously on 21 July 1954 in Cairo and Alexandria (as well as New York City). It marked the first time an American film had a world premiere in Egypt. The film shows the Abu Simbel temples as they had existed for 3000 years, before they were relocated due to the construction
Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1958, and became the Executive Secretary to its International Action Committee for the Preservation of Nubia in 1961. This initiative brought together archaeologists from Eastern Europe and the West at the height of the Cold War. The construction of the Aswan Dam threatened ancient Egyptian treasures including Abu Simbel, the temples of Philae and Kalabsha, and the Christian churches of Nubia. He would later describe it as "one of UNESCO's great achievements" because of the challenging historical context in which it took place—in particular the ongoing tensions in the Middle East and