Cleopatra had “white skin and Hellenistic characteristics,” Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities insisted Thursday in an ongoing debate about a Netflix series in which the ancient leader is depicted by a Black actress. The upcoming drama-documentary, Queen Cleopatra, stars Adele James as the beautiful historic monarch. That casting decision has provoked a backlash in Egypt, where people have accused the streaming service of rewriting history. In a statement, the antiquities ministry said “Bas-reliefs and statues of Queen Cleopatra are the best proof” that she was white. Mostafa Waziri, head of Egypt’s Supreme Antiquities Council, said depicting Cleopatra as Black was tantamount to “a falsification of Egyptian history.”
