Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi, June 25: The Order of the Nile, which is Egypt’s highest state honour, was presented to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday. The honour was given to PM Modi by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi in Cairo.
This is the 13th such top state honour that PM Modi has received in the past nine years from different nations around the globe.
The ‘Order of the Nile’ is a pure gold collar made up of three square gold units bearing pharaonic symbols, according to the website of the Egyptian Presidency. The first unit resembles the idea of defending the state against evils, the second one resembles prosperity and happiness brought by the Nile and the third one resembles wealth and endurance.
A circular gold flower embellished with turquoise and rubies links the units together. A hexagonal pendant with Pharaonic-styled flowers, turquoise, and ruby jewels hangs from the collar.
The website said, the pendant’s centre features a protruding symbol that symbolises the Nile, which unites the North (represented by the papyrus) and the South (represented by the lotus).
PM Modi is in Egypt on his first official state visit. It is the first time an Indian Prime Minister has visited the continent since 1997.
President Sisi and PM Modi met earlier today and signed memorandums of understanding.
The Prime Minister also paid respects to the Indian soldiers who valiantly fought and lost their lives in Egypt and Palestine during the First World War by visiting the Heliopolis Commonwealth War Cemetery.
At the cemetery that houses the Heliopolis (Port Tewfik) Memorial and the Heliopolis (Aden) Memorial, PM Modi presented floral tributes and signed the visitor’s book.
A little over 4,000 Indian soldiers who lost their lives fighting in Egypt and Palestine during World War One are remembered at the Heliopolis (Port Tewfik) Memorial.
The Heliopolis (Aden) Memorial honours more than 600 Commonwealth forces who gave their lives in the First World War to protect Aden.
PM Modi visited the Al-Hakim mosque, which dates back to the 11th century and was recently refurbished with assistance from the Dawoodi Bohra community in India. Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah, the 16th Fatimid caliph, is honoured by having his name given to the mosque.
