The Danish Cultural Week 2011

The Danish Embassy in Beirut welcomes you to the official Danish cultural week 2011, celebrated for the first time ever in Lebanon.

In 1761 the Danish King sent six men to the then unknown and mysterious Arabia. Their mission was to spend two years exploring the Arab world. Seven years later, when everyone had given up hope of ever seeing them again, Carsten Niebuhr returned as the sole survivor. This is the story of a journey that, against all odds, was to go down in history as an epoch-making encounter between Denmark and the Arab world.

250 Years later the journey continues.

“I am very proud and honored to dedicate this festival, not only to Carsten Niebuhr, but to all of the Danes and Lebanese who, since the time of Niebuhr have explored, shared and benefited from each others’ culture, history, talents and lives – and to the ones who are keeping this important exchange alive. The bond between The Arab World and Denmark and between Lebanon and Denmark continues to grow stronger and this festival is a manifestation of all the things we share and all the things we can offer each other. I invite all Lebanese and Danes to share with us this celebration of our two cultures and the important gift of knowledge about this region, that Carsten Niebuhr left for the Danish people to nourish on and widen even further for the years to come” – Jan Top Christensen, Ambassador of Denmark.

The Danish cultural week 2011
Remembering “Carsten Niebuhr”

”Respect, dialogue
and curiosity were the
successful ingredients
on the journey.”