Book of Travelogues and Photo Reports "Jordan by bicycle: My personal journey" by Nora Mihailova
On June 18, at 6 p.m., the book of travelogues and photo reports "Jordan by Bicycle: My Personal Journey" will be presented in the "Mission" gallery at the State Institute for Culture at the Minister of Foreign Affairs. This is the first printed edition of a Bulgarian author dedicated to the Kingdom of Jordan, one of the most remarkable Arab countries in the Middle East, with a huge cultural and historical heritage. The author Nora Mihailova is the wife of Ambassador Dimitar Mihailov, head of our mission in the period 2019 - 2023. Nora is currently working at the Diplomatic Institute of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the "Cultural Diplomacy" department. The presentation is part of the program of the State Institute for Culture "Writing Diplomats".
“Jordan by Bike: My Personal Journey” contains 24 photographic narratives detailing Nora's experiences cycling across Jordan. It was published in English by the Jordanian publishing house "Panorama". Its first official launch is in the capital Amman, in March 2023, at the iconic Petra National Trust, hosted by HRH Princess Dana Firas, UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador. The publication was highly commended by the Royal Court of Jordan and received a special letter of thanks from H.W. Hassan bin Talal, former longtime Crown Prince and Doyen of the Hashemite Family.
The reason for writing the book is the lockdown at the beginning of the Covid pandemic, when after the first few hard days with bans, the incredible thirst for life and travel is born. The book recreates a multi-layered picture in which messages about similar values between religions and cultures are interwoven. It contains history, religion, poetry and philosophy - a story about a unique nature and a friendly people.
The book also sends another extremely important message about the role of public diplomacy in the 21st century. How, in the light of the Fifth Industrial Revolution and the development of artificial intelligence, the traditional means of classical diplomacy are also changing, and how an ambassador and his wife must communicate with many people and layers of society through public networks and direct messages, building bridges of understanding and friendship.