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3. A Journey Through the Mystery of Cleopatra at the Arab World Institute in Paris

In Paris, the Arab World Institute is currently hosting The Mystery of Cleopatra (“Le Mystère de Cléopâtre”), an exhibition that takes visitors on a fascinating journey through the history, art, and fiction surrounding Egypt’s last queen. This immersive experience invites the public into Cleopatra’s enigmatic world.

Among all the women in history, Cleopatra has stood apart through her aura of mystery, her carefully cultivated image, and her lasting legacy. She has been woven into the fabric of history as both a femme fatale and a sovereign: a queen, a seductress, a shrewd politician, and an enigma. In Paris, the Arab World Institute is currently presenting The Mystery of Cleopatra, an exhibition worthy of the myth, one that transcends historical facts and embraces legend.

What remains of Cleopatra VII Philopator is sparse but significant: a handful of coins bearing her likeness, papyrus documents signed in her own hand. Yet these rare traces alone sketch the portrait of a highly educated ruler, a strategist, and a queen of a flourishing kingdom in an ever-changing world. At the time, Alexandria, capital of an Egypt under Roman protection, was renowned for its scholarship, trade networks, and cosmopolitan spirit.

Cleopatra’s reign is remembered for her foresight, her economic reforms, and her fierce defense of Egypt’s independence. For twenty years, she maintained a delicate balance through a mix of political maneuvering and romantic alliances.

The defeat at Actium in 31 BC sealed the fate of her alliance, both political and romantic, with Mark Antony against Octavian. Their pact aimed to counter Octavian’s growing power, but it ultimately stirred distrust in Rome. After their defeat, both Antony and Cleopatra took their own lives, leaving Octavian sole ruler of Rome and paving the way for the Roman Empire. Cleopatra’s suicide marked the end of an era, but also cemented her transformation into legend; an act of passion and patriotism that transcended history.

Roman writers, driven by misogyny and political motives, did not stop at victory alone. They crafted a distorted image of Cleopatra: venomous, hateful, foreign, aggressive, and dangerously seductive to powerful men. She became the archetypal “Egyptian” woman embodying the supposed perils of luxury and exoticism.

Reduced to a supporting role in tales about Caesar and Antony, this image endured through centuries, fueling a perception of Cleopatra as more temptress than tactician, her figure eroticized in Western art as an Orientalized Eve.

Cleopatra has inspired artists across every medium: painters, writers, sculptors, composers, directors. Her dramatic suicide remains a recurring theme in artistic works. She embodies sensuality and death, power and downfall. She has been brought to life by Sarah Bernhardt on stage, and on screen by Theda Bara, Sophia Loren, and Elizabeth Taylor—each portrayal shaped by its era and cinematic style. Cleopatra entered homes through film and television, becoming a modern muse. She has influenced fashion, luxury, and society. Since the late 19th century, she has also emerged as a symbol of feminism, emancipation, identity, and resistance to colonialism. A true queen in every sense, she stands as a symbol of both struggles and fantasies.

The exhibition runs until January 11, 2026.