What's happening?

Cleopatra is EgyptA country linking northeast Africa with the Middle East. 's most famous queen. She was born more than 2,000 years ago.

Now, a new programme about Cleopatra has had a mixed reaction - because the actress who plays Cleopatra is Black.

The new NetflixA television and film streaming service. People pay each month to watch programmes on Netflix. programme is called African Queens: Queen Cleopatra.

Now, some people in Egypt say that Netflix is trying to rewrite the country's history.

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Nobody knows exactly where Cleopatra's mother was from. But her father was from Macedonia in EuropeThe second-smallest of the world's continents. It has a population of 746 million. , and coins from the time show her as a Greek woman.

Some in Egypt are even calling for Netflix to be banned.

Now, others say the argument tells us more about the world today, and how we think about race and identity, than it tells us about Cleopatra.

Yes! Most people do not read history books. They get their ideas about the past from watching TV. And so TV shows should be as close to the truth as possible.

No! It does not matter whether Cleopatra was Black or not. Her story has been retold in many different ways. What matters is that she keeps inspiring people.