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Saturday, September 14, 2019

DR.Sayouh September 14, 2019

comingup -- Must-see events around the world

comingup

Must-see events around the world

October

1 National Day Fireworks, China

Celebrating its sixtieth anniversary, National Day commemorates the founding of the People's Republic of China with its annual display of nearly 23,000 fireworks over Victoria Harbor, Hong Kong.

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2 San Francisco LovEvolution, USA

America's largest dance music celebration blasts its tunes through San Francisco's Civic Center Plaza for the seventh year running. It showcases the latest in electronic, house and hip hop music, attracting nearly 100,000 people from around the world. The event, say organizers, also highlights the principles of love, peace and tolerance. www.sflovevolution.org

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4 Pharaons International Cross Country Rally, Egypt

(October-4) Cars, trucks, 4x4 vehicles and motorbikes hit the desert for a nearly 3,000-kilometer trek through Egypt's five main oases. The event starts and ends at the feet of the Sphinx on the Giza Plateau. The Pharaons rally is part of the official rally circuit for the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile and Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme. www.jvd.it/2010

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6 Armed Forces Day, Egypt

In 1973, Egyptian forces crossed the Sinai Canal in a surprise attack on Israeli forces. Using high-powered water hoses to dissolve the sand fortifications, the Egyptians broke through the Bar Lev line. The victory eventually led to the return of the Sinai Peninsula to Egypt.

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9 Barcolana, Italy

(October 2-9) Europe's largest sailing race sees professionals and amateurs competing in everything from high-tech vessels to weathered dinghies. More than 2,000 boats participate in the race each year in the port town of Trieste. www.barcolana.it

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13 Festival of Lights, Germany

(October 13–24) Berlin shines bright with two weeks of fireworks and light displays, illuminating world-famous landmarks and putting a spotlight on the architectural and cultural attractions of the city. www. festival-of-lights.de

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16 Canterbury Festival, United Kingdom

(October 16–30) Canterbury has hosted this festival since 1929, when it was used to showcase new plays. The festival now also embraces film, dance and musical theatre. www.canterburyfestival.co.uk

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22 Abu Simbel Sun Festival, Egypt

Ramses Il skillfully angled his temple so that light would grace the inner sanctuary twice a year: on his birthday and coronation date. The October celebration commemorating the Pharaoh's birthday, draws visitors from around the world to watch the sunrise flow into the temple. A music festival follows.

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November

5 Sharmarathon, Egypt

The clear waters of Ras Mohammed National Park set the scene for this 21-kilometer race. The sixth edition of the half marathon takes participants from around the world through the protectorate, starting and ending at its gate as runners navigate an unusual racetrack. www.sharmarathon.com

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8 World Travel Market, London, United Kingdom

(November 10–13) The annual World Travel Market (WTM) is a must-attend business-to-business exhibition for the travel industry. Egypt Air is a proud participant in the WTM. www.wtmlondon.com

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9 Cape Times Big Walk, Cape Town, South Africa

With eight different courses ranging from five kilometers to 80 kilometers, the Big Walk is one of the oldest largest mass sports event in the world. Nearly 30,000 people join the Cape Times Big Walk, founded in 1903, every year, with funds raised going to charity. www.bigwalk.co.za

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14 Al-Hajj *

(Est. November 14–19) Nearly 3 million Muslims make the pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Al-Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam.

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16 Eid Al-Adha

(Est. November 16) Also known as Greater Bairam, this four-day Islamic holiday commemorates Prophet Abraham's obedience to God. Muslims sacrifice a sheep and distribute the meat among the less fortunate. Eid Al-Adha is a public holiday in Egypt.

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18 Ficksburg Cherry Festival, South Africa

(November 18–20) The northern town of Ficksburg hosts this festival in celebration of the national cherry harvest, which yields nearly 500 tons of the fruit each year. www.cherryfestival.co.za

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19 Loi Krathong, Thailand

(November19–21) An illuminated boat procession drifts down the Chao Phraya River while cultural performances and other light shows add to the festivities in this annual celebration. The Krathong, or banana leaf cup, is intended to carry ill fortune away and express apologies to the river goddess Ganga. www.loikrathong.net

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30 Cairo International Film Festival, Egypt

Keep your eyes peeled for some big Hollywood names as stars flock to Cairo to attend the thirty-fourth edition of its world-renowned film festival. Egypt has been the filmmaking hub of the Middle East for more that 70 years, and continues this tradition, showcasing a selection of Arabic and foreign movies in this much-anticipated annual event. www.cairofilmfest.org

* Dates and venues are subject to change..

Thursday, September 5, 2019

History of Egypt

DR.Sayouh September 05, 2019

New Discoveries in Ancient Thebes

Luxor has more and more secrets to tell

Written by and photos courtesy of Dr. Zahi Hawass

New and important discoverieskeep emerging from the sands of Egypt. Many of these come from Luxor, known in ancient times as “Thebes', where recent work by an Egyptian team of archaeologists is revealing extraordi* nary material that adds to our under standing of the Golden Age of Egypt, the New Kingdom, during King Tutankhamun's reign.

Foundation Deposits in the Valley of the Monkeys

Since 2007, I have been leading the first-ever allEgyptian archaeological team to excavate in the Valley of the Kings. I have dreamed of such an expedition since I was a young inspector with a

foreign team that was working on the west bank of Luxor. I wrote some articles for Horus magazine about the amazing artifacts that we have found. However, new discoveries emerge! Most recently, our team has

uncovered four intact foundations deposits in the so-called 'Valley of the Monkeys', which is one term for the western arm of the canyons that make up the Valley of the Kings. These deposits, which would have been buried as part of the dedication of a new tomb, include pottery, weapons, tools, animal bones, and other artifacts. It is clear that they were buried as associated with a royal tomb, most likely of the late 18th Dynasty. This opinion is based on the style of the artifacts, specifically the blue pottery dated to the reign of Amenhotep III. They were found near the tomb of the Pharaoh Ay, successor to Tutankhamun. Egyptologists believe that when he became king, Ay, who was then an elderly man, married Tutankhamun's widow, Ankhsenamun, to secure his claim to the throne. I believe that Ankhesenamun's tomb is located in the Valley of the Monkeys, near that of her last husband, and that these deposits may mark its location.

The Tunnel of Seti I

Another major project on which my team has been working in the Valley of the Kings is the excavation of the mysterious tunnel that leads from the burial chamber in the tomb of Seti I far back into the cliffs behind. This was first discovered in October, 1817 by the colorful Italian explorer and engineer, Giovanni

Belzoni, who was the first man to enter this fabulous royal tomb in modern times. However, he only penetrated a short distance into the tunnel. Howard Carter, who was later to go on to discover Tutankhamun's tomb, restored the entrance to this passageway in 19021903, while he was serving as Chief Inspector of Upper Egypt. Nonetheless, he and his team were not able to go very far inside due to the danger of rock falls. In 1960, the Abdel-Rassouls, a local family well-versed in exploring the secrets of the Theban hills (famous, in fact, for discovering a cache of royal mummies - including that of Seti I - in the late 1800s), received permission to work in this tunnel, excavating 136 meters of its length before they gave up, again because of the danger of falling rock. The leader of this expedition, Sheikh Ali AbdelRassoul, told me about that adventure before he died, and encouraged me to continue exploring the tunnel as soon as I could. He was sure that there were great discoveries to be made here. Besides, he was certain that I was the one who would make them.

Egyptologists have long debated the purpose of this tunnel, with the majority believing that it was a symbolic structure connected with the route the deceased king would follow on his way through the underworld, traveling from death to resurrection. On the other hand, Sheikh Ali believed that it led to the real burial chamber of the king, and might still be full of treasures.

My team and I began our work in the winter of 2007. Over the course of two and a half years of excavations we have been able to reveal the tunnel's secrets. First, we carefully studied the geologic composition of the tunnel walls, so that

we could do our best to make sure that our work would be safe. Only then did we begin to excavate, clearing debris from the tunnel. As we worked our way into the downward-sloping passageway, we constructed a framework of steel beams to support the ceiling, and a small railway to transport the sand and stone rubble from the excavations backup to the surface. This railway came in handy in many ways as the work progressed; I even used it myself to get in and out of the tunnel! We also built awooden staircase so that the excavation the excavation team could climb up and down to the excavation site.“

When we reached the part of the

tunnel where the Abdel-Rassouls had stopped their work, we realized that they had begun to diverge from the real route of the ancient passageway. That's why we shifted our course so that we could be back on the correct path. As we cleared the debris in this previously untouched area, we uncovered a number of interesting artifacts, including pottery sherds, two royal shabtis, a small

faience boat, and several inscribed stone fragments bearing the name of Seti I. At approximately 140 m. from the entrance team found three rock cut steps, each about 2.6 cm wide. Thiswas an amazing moment! We were all very excited at this new discovery. We

Restoration work inside the tomb of Ramesses II in the Valley of the Kings, Luxor. Photo: Jennifer Willoughby

continued, and found more and more steps - they were 54 in total. What we had uncovered looked just like the sort of stairway that typically leads down to a royal tomb!

Enthusiastically we continued our work, and began to uncover a second corridor cut from the rock, again with a carefully smoothed floor. On the walls of the first descending passage there was a rock-cut gate with a hieratic (cursive) inscription that reads: "Raise up the door jamb up and widen the passage!" - That was clearly directions to the workmen cutting the tunnel. As we removed the sand and debris from the new corridor we could see that gridlines had been drawn on its left wall, in preparation for some sort of decoration. My assistant, Tarek El-Awady, and I began to believe that Seti I had been building a tomb within a tomb. After that incident I began to visit Luxor more often, and checked with my team every hour when I was away.

Fortunately, another surprise was in store: my team found a second set of

stairs at the end of the new corridor. This new one consisted of 37 steps, with the final step left unfinished. Only one meter beyond this, 174.5 meters from the entrance, the tunnel ended in a blank wall. Based on our study of the unfinished step and the end of the tunnel, we theorized that while the workmen were just finishing the staircase they were informed of King Seti I's death, so they immediately stopped their work. Upon reaching the end of the tunnel and seeing the unfinished work, I was sure that the tunnel was originally meant to be a tomb within a tomb. Due to Seti I's death, his tunnel was never finished.

I was so happy that we were able to : reach the end of the tunnel, and uncov- er all of its secrets. On the last day of the excavation, I was down at the tun-> nel, sitting at the bottom of the second set of stairs and staring at the dead end that lay only a meter away. “This is a wonderful moment to enjoy,", I thought, 'having found the end of the tunnel, but if Sheikh Ali were here, he would be

very unhappy that no golden treasures were found inside', . I was also too tired to move. Therefore, I asked Tarek to help me get inside one of the railcars so that I could go back to the top. The excitement of discovery can also be physically exhausting!

The Tomb of Ramesses II

Seti I's son and successor, Ramesses II ("Ramesses the Great") ruled Egypt for 66 years. After uncovering Seti I's tunnel, we began to wonder whether his son might not have carved a similar structure within his own tomb; and since he reigned for so long, perhaps he had enough time to finish it. Finding a complete example would tell us more about the nature of Seti I's tunnel, and help us solve this ancient mystery. Unfortunately, however, Ramesses II's tomb is in terrible condition, as many flash floods washed through it over the millennia and filled it with debris. Thus we are now completing major restoration work here, before we can search for a possible tunnel inside.

Several new chapters have been added to the archaeological story of Luxor in recent years. The discovery of foundation deposits in the Valley of the Monkeys, may lead to a new tomb, perhaps belonging to Ankhesenamun. The most exciting part of Luxor's archaeological tale is that I was finally able to solve the mysteries about the tunnel of Seti I. The mysterious Luxor has many stories to tell! One of these tales is the salvage archaeological campaign on the Avenue of the Sphinxes, located between Luxor and Karnak temples. It is my hope it will be just as successful as the excavations in the Valley of the Monkeys and the Valley of the Kings.

Wednesday, September 4, 2019

History of Egypt

DR.Sayouh September 04, 2019

Cairo of the Royals

A Man's Dream and the Reality that Lasts for Hundreds of Years

with confident steps, he climbed the stairs at the end of the stone walkway that leads from the elegant mosque to the the mansion residence of that ruler, who named the Palace after his beloved wife and the mother of his sons; "Gawhara'.

He is now pleased with an idea that lurks in his mind. Turning around to face the wall of the castle that is now highly fortified, he toured the horizon that extends in front of him; the colors were ranging from ripe green to other richer shades, wonder ful scattered formations lie ahead, while shades of deep brown lighten up the place in a float manner as if he were looking into his favorite cup of coffee.

He whispered again to himself some other names; yet this time, these were feminine names: Al Mahrousah (the guarded city), Al Quahirah (the victorious city).

Thus the story began; Muham mad Ali Pasha, Mohamed Ali the Great, forerunner of the renaissance of modern Egypt and his story with his glorious city, Cairo.

Muhammad Ali began his proj ect to develop Cairo by expanding and widening its streets, cleaning and repainting them as well as up grading the city administratively, physically and culturally. The new plan of Cairo divided the city into a number of main streets that connect the Castle (the seat of government)

with the areas to the West; such as Al-Rouda, through "Al-Khaleej Al- Masri" (the Egyptian Gulf) at Bab Al- Kharq (known now as Bab Al-Khalq) and the streets of Bab al-Louk, Al- Sayyeda Zainab and all those that pour into Bab Al-Kharq as the center of the new capital.

After the organization of the streets of Cairo, expanding them and planting trees on their sides, it was the time for

naming the streets and numbering the houses.

As the establishment of the Diwans (i.e. Ministries) was one of the most im portant pillars of the administrative thought of Muhammad Ali, he made sure to have an Office of Public Works, which was responsible for the

development of Egypt and its urbanization. We could

also find some Diwans that are designed by Muham

mad Ali in a way that reflects very clearly to the nature of

his civilization-oriented pro

gram; such as the Office of

the Translation and Diwan Al-Mobtada`aat (Creative

works) (i.e. Arts and Litera ture). On top of these arts was

that of Arab Calligraphy, as

Muhammad Ali was greatly concerned with developing

this art.

In his journey to rebuild Cairo, Muhammad Ali con

structed a number of Palaces for his residence and other

buildings to be the premises of his government. He also Ibrahim Pasha, son of Mohamed Ali Pasha and father of adopted the concept of "social Ismael Pasha, and the great commander who lead Egypts responsibility of the institu army to victories, one after another

tions of governance" which is a modern concept of our time, as he has created a number of public water fountains, service buildings and facilities for the people of Cairo including the Observatory of Bulaq, al-Azbakeyya Hose pital and governmental bakeries.

Therefore, there is no wondering that historians calls this man ‘Muhammad Ali the Great ... And indeed, he is the great founder of modern Egypt.

Detail from the Fountain Saray, Mohamed Ali Palace in Shubra

Ismail Pasha ... Another Story in the Love of Cairo

Whenever I walked in the downtown area in the heart of Cairo, I could hear his voice accompanying me in my tours, whispering to me his inquiries about my opinion regarding 'his new Cairo' and whether he succeeded in making it "a piece of Europe", worthy of being the capital of a great country like Egypt, and worthy also to be visited by his guests and friends, who are infatuated with this country.

The man is none but my great friend, Ismail Ibrahim Mohammed Ali, known to everyone as the famous "Ismail Pasha", or "Khedive Ismail Pasha", "the Khedive of Egypt".

He told me that in his early days in education, when he was sent by his grandfather in an educational mission to Europe, he frequently read and heard some painful remarks about Cairo made by the European travelers. They would say: "It is better to hear or read about Cairo rather than visit it. If you drink water from the Nile once, you must return to your country for medical treatment".

He said to me, as his face changed, that he had heard this saying once and thus he decided to change this image for good. I did not know that he is the

one who invented the argument that lasted for hundreds of years later as he,

Ismail Pasha Khedive of Egypt, is the Hone who first said, "Whoever drinks from the Nile of Egypt once must return to it again and again".

To make his dream a reality, Ismail Pasha did his best to create a city that is worthy of being the capital of Egypt and its people, and of course marking his achievement as well.

"Born with a golden spoon in the mouth", the best example of this characteristic is Ismail Pasha. Ismail was the grandson of Muhammad Ali Pasha, and son of inspiring military leader Ibrahim Pasha who led the Egyptian military to achieve great victories in every battle fought under his leadership when he was the commander of the Egyptian army under the Ottoman Empire and under the rule of his father Mohammed Ali Pasha. , The founder of the dynasty, Muhammad Ali Pasha, sent his beloved grandson to Europe on a scientific mission to Paris; and thus he joined the famous "Saint-Cyr" Military College. Out there, the young Ismail was described by one of his teachers as a "unique and rare model for a man who is born to rule and perhaps to make history".

Ismail Pasha began his rein by the abolition of bonded labor system, which has burdened the Egyptians for long. He kicked off the trade lib famous "Orman" orchards that covered an area of 465 acres, all decorated with rare trees. He also built the Saray (Palace) gardens of Giza, which extended till the site of Abbas Bridge. Over an area of fifty acres of the orchards, the famous Zoo was set up later on.

Bearing in mind to highlight Egypt's image of civilization and modernity, Khedive Ismail built a museum for Egyptian antiquities in the courtyard of Azbakiyya. Khedive Ismail was the man of the impossible, the man who boldly faces obstacles, insisting on the

realization of his dreams that are evident from the art of architecture, stressing that his hobby – as he said to me - was "brick and cement". Therefore, he received the decree by the Ottoman Sultan granting him the title of "Khedive", means "the brave knight".

Written by Neveen Ahmed

History of Egypt

DR.Sayouh September 04, 2019

The Citadel of The Guarded Capital

Between the People of the City and the Governor's Mansion

Mohamed Ali Mosque was moved to the Citadel.

The Fatimid fort, with its Palaces, was the headquarters of governance in the era of the Fatimids. When the power went to the Ayyubid dynasty, the headquarters of the government was moved to the Citadel.

When I stand before this great edifice, I come to discover that I need something greater than a time machine. This one day will not suffice to tour a whole historical era. Yet, I badly need to take this opportunity to visit the minds of those great people. I wonder how they were so talented and successful to choose this place as the site of the Capital. They selected a marvelous design; not only to make a great fortress, but also to create an architectural wonder that stands for thousands of years.

Saladin, this intelligent man had a genius military sense as he surrounded himself with distinguished men, such as the Secretary of State Baha'eddin Karakush, who has capitals been entrusted with the task of building the Citadel. Karakush wanted to immu nize Cairo against potential risks, and so he transferred the headquarters of the Fatimid rule to the fortress; to the Citadel.

Karakush also renewed Cairo walls as he made them made of stones and not just clay bricks, and he extended these walls to surround not only Cairo the capital, but also all previous Egyptian (al-Fustat, al-Askar and Al-Qtaea).

If you are interested to start the jour ney, you must choose one of two inlets:

The first would be “al-Bab al-Gadeed” (the New Door), which was built by Muhammad Ali Pasha to replace the stairs runway door (which was the main gate of the Citadel). The Pasha decided to do so because he noticed that this runway and that of the "Inkishareyya" (the word refers to the bulk of the Ottoman army that is made of young men raised by the Caliph to be professional warriors) were not practical or appropriate for the passage of - vehicles and guns on wheels. Therefore, the Pasha paved the way for the ascendance and decadence from the Citadel. This new road is now known as the “New Door Street” or “Sekkat al-Mahgar" (the Quarry Road), overlooking the facade of

the Northern Gate. On the other hand, the western facade overlooks the “Inkishareyya” door and the old bureau of Books Archives (the Citadel registry log). This forefront area is characterized by its details that truly represent the architectural excellence of that time, as well as a commemorative plaque that reads: “O' you, the One Who opens closed doors!”. There area is also decorated with symbols of the Egyptian army, its units and weapons in the era of Mohamed Ali Pasha.

The second inlet would be the route of Bab al-Mokattam (also called the Mountain door). It was called so as it faces the cliffs of the Mokattam Mountain, i.e. the area that is now known as the gateway of Salah Salem. It is rumored that

when Muhammad Ali Pasha came to power, he paved the way between this door and his Citadel at Mokattam Mountain. Most of the features of this door and large parts of the wall are now lost.

The northern section of the Citadel is the first part of it that faces the land beneath, therefore, it was essential to fortify

this part with great towers. This area was allocated basically as a residence for the soldiers, training them and to prepare them to join the army. You can see the wonderful antiquities and the greatest monuments there, such as the Suliemani yah Mosque (Sareyat al-Gabal Mosque).

The place out there breathes the spiritu ality that separates you from the physi cal earthly world and welcomes you to the world of a spiritual magic, where the past puts the hallmarks of splendor on the scene. This mosque is characterized by it sharp slim Minaret (known as 'the pen cil'). Another monuments is the “Harim Palaces” ("Harim' means 'women'), which are three palaces that were mistakenly known by that name (Harim Palaces) while in fact they were built as houses for the orphans of the family of Moham med Ali, and the Mamluk princes. This area now includes the Military Museum, which tells the story of the Egyptian military since the Pharaonic era till the present day. Next to the Harim Palaces, there is “the Red Palace”, which was built to be the premises of the College of Engineering, and then it became the headquarters of the War College until it was moved to Abbasiya.

The soldiers' space is separated from the Sultan's royal space by the Citadel Gate (Bab Borg al-Quella), which is now known as the Military Museum Gate.

At this arena before the door, the princes used to wait for a permission to enter.

The name comes from the tower that was built by al-Zahir Baybars and then demolished by Sultan Qalawun to build in stead his the famous green dome, which stands before us at the forefront is the roy al part of the Citadel, facing the mosque of al-Nasir Muhammad Bin Qalawun, one of the most beautiful and celebrated

. mosques for its majestic character. This mosque stands immediately in front of the most famous and central building in the area that attracts the eyes of visitors; the Mosque of Muhammad Ali. There is a common mistake usually made by many people as they call it “the Citadel of Muhammad Ali”, while in fact it is the Citadel of Saladin. The error is caused by the famous silver domes built in the famous Mosque of Mohammed Ali Pasha, which are based within the walls of the Citadel and thus became a hallmark of the Citadel of Saladin. The Mosque of Mohammed Ali Pasha has been established following the Ot toman-style of mosques in Istanbul. It is truly a masterpiece from inside and out side as well. To tell you the truth, if you became interested in visiting this mosque, you will not have time to visit the rest of the features of the Citadel; this captivat ing mosque will keep you for long explor ing its beauty and figuring out the secret of its greatness. Have you been deeply astonished of · magnificence and luxury of the place?! You are now prepared for another sur prising and astonishing monument,

al-Ablaq Palace. This palace, which you might assume that there are lots of mysterious stories filled with magic and mixed with myths stand behind it, has a living witness for all of its history. The witness is the old tree that stood by it, void of any leaves for a very long time. This brings to my mind the phrase “Trees Die Standing". We now have a date with another wonder; the well of Yousuf, which is not only a marvelous construction, but also a mark of miracu lous engineering, which commends this establishment to fulfill its mission. Or dinary people believe it is attributed to

the Prophet Yousuf (Joseph) (peace be upon him), but the fact is that the name refers to the father of Saladin, whose name was “Yousuf Al-Ayoubi”.

The most distinguishing feature of this sphere is the “Gawhara Palace”; and its name is said to refer to “Gawhar” wife of Muhammad Ali Pasha, who is pampered as Gawhara (meaning a “Gem”).

The palace comprises several complex rooms and each room has tales and stories, even each piece of furniture has its own archaeological historical significance. The Citadel ends by the Sultan's stables, where Bab al-Azab stands, the most beautiful among all Citadel gates. It is attributed to al-Azab soldiers (who are basically a platoon of the army that used to live in this place). This door/gate was previously known as Bab al-Silsela (the door of the chain). Although al-Azab door is not used by visitors of the Citadel today, it still exists standing with its two glorious towers majestically overlooking the Citadel Square beneath (Saladin Square), where the Eid (Feast) prayers were held, and the Sultan used to review and inspect his soldiers and meet the ambassadors. This place was also the site where the celebrations and processions are held; the most famous of which was the official parade of al-Mahmal that was coming out of the Citadel walls carrying every year the new sheets for the holy Kaaba donated by the Sultan of Egypt.

Saladin was not only an intelligent politician or a skilled military leader; he was also a genius man with a vision as he allowed for the first time the people to live within the walls of Cairo. Thus, he managed to provide security for Egypt, not only through walls, towers and warriors, but also by the best power that could defend this country; its people...

Written by Neveen Ahmed