A Study on the Role of Hellenistic Coins in Promoting Religious and Cultural Tourism through the Publication of Two Gold Coins of King Lysimachus from the Egyptian Museum

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Lecturer at Tourism Studies Department- Pharaohs Higher Institute for Tourism & Hotels- Giza - Egypt

2 Assistant Professor, Department of Tourist Guidance- Pharaohs Higher Institute for Tourism and Hotels- Giza- Egypt

Abstract

Hellenistic coins are among the main material sources that reflect the political, religious, and cultural dimensions of the Hellenistic period, which began after the death of Alexander the Great (Ἀλέξανδρος) in 323 BC. Rulers at that time realised the importance of coins as a means of propaganda to confirm their legitimacy and consolidate their influence, which contributed to strengthening the cultural and religious identity of their kingdoms. Today, promotion represents one of the vital elements in supporting the tourism movement by highlighting information about sites and religious and cultural attractions, and demonstrating their status and significance to different peoples. In this context, the role that the two gold coins of King Lysimachus (Λυσίμαχος) — one of the most prominent successors of Alexander the Great and ruler of the Kingdom of Thrace — preserved in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, can play in promoting the religious and cultural tourism product emerges. These two coins can be employed in innovative promotional campaigns to attract tourists and highlight the value of this unique numismatic heritage. From this standpoint, this study aims to shed light on the touristic and promotional dimension of Hellenistic coins in the contemporary period, and to answer the question about the extent to which the minting and circulation of these coins influenced cultural and religious tourism during the Hellenistic era, and to explore the possibility of employing them to promote cultural and religious tourism at present. The study relied on a field questionnaire that was distributed electronically to experts and academics in tourism, history, and archaeology, with 128 valid questionnaires collected. The results indicated that there is an impact of employing King Lysimachus’s coins in promoting tourism in Egypt, by increasing the number of tourists interested in cultural and religious tourism. Based on this, the study recommended the importance of using and including images of rare coins, such as those of King Lysimachus, in advertising campaigns that promote Egypt as a cultural and religious tourism destination, within international promotional programmes through global platforms and tourism exchanges.

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