The embroidery, partly sewn and partly painted on silvery cloth (silk?), depicts the Biblical story of the discovery of the infant Moses in the bulrushes by the Egyptian pharaoh's daughter (Old Testament, Exodus 2, verses 1-10). This religious theme has been executed with a light touch, and the glowing colours of the women's Greek style clothing and the exotic vegetation make it almost gay. The melodramatic setting is like a scene from a silent movie or a popular print, and the pose of the maid-servant in the red dress is quite theatrical.

Curiously, none of the figures seem to be paying any attention to the main character, Moses himself, who sleeps serenely in a whicker basket. The pharaoh's daughter, prays with eyes to heaven, while her maid seems more interested in the blue sphynx; the enigmatic one looks shiftily away, as if to say "it's nothing to do with me".

The scene could equally be interpreted as depicting Moses' god-fearing mother and her sister hiding the three month old baby. The pharaoh had ordered the death of all newborn Jewish boys. The Bible only identifies the mother as "a daughter of Levi" and the father merely as "a man", not exactly a glowing pedigree for the father of Israel, although the local midwives Shiprah and Puah are named.

After 400 years of Turkish occupation and the loss of most of their former territory, Greeks can identify well with the story of the Jews in captivity and exile under foreign opression. Like the Hebrews they are also proud not to have lost their faith during occupation by many foreign powers.

Kastellorizo Cultural Museum

The cultural museum in the mosque, officially known as the Historical Collection of Kastellorizo, displays local costumes and crafts as well as images, information and a multimedia presentation about the island's history.

Opening hours:
Tuesday - Sunday 8.30 - 15 hours.
Mondays closed. Entrance free.