New Delhi

OTT giant Netflix finds itself in yet another controversy as Egyptians slam the depiction of the historical figure Cleopatra as a black African. A Netflix documentary series titled African Queens: Queen Cleopatra did not go down well with the viewers as a lawyer filed a complaint that the show aims to “erase the Egyptian identity”. In fact, a top archaeologist insists that Cleopatra was “not black” but “light-skinned”. 

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The lawyer alleged that the series included visual material and content that violated Egypt's media laws and accused Netflix of trying to "promote the Afrocentric thinking... which includes slogans and writings aimed at distorting and erasing the Egyptian identity".

The controversy ballooned after the actress playing Cleopatra on the show said, "If you don't like the casting, don't watch the show." The producer of the Netflix production also said that "her heritage is highly debated".

Cleopatra

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Meanwhile, historically, Cleopatra was born in the Egyptian city of Alexandria in 69 BC and became the last queen of a Greek-speaking dynasty founded by Alexander the Great's Macedonian general Ptolemy. She succeeded her father Ptolemy XII and ruled until her death. Afterward, Egypt was taken over by the Romans. 

As for her heritage, Cleopatra’s mother’s origins are unknown and thus some historians believe it's possible that she was an indigenous Egyptian or from elsewhere in Africa.

The trailer for Cleopatra was released last week and has ever since courted controversy around the queen’s depiction. Zahi Hawass, a prominent Egyptologist, and former antiquities minister told the al-Masry al-Youm newspaper: "This is completely fake. Cleopatra was Greek, meaning that she was light-skinned, not black."

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"Netflix is trying to provoke confusion by spreading false and deceptive facts that the origin of the Egyptian civilisation is black," he added.

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