James Purtill
Cairo’s geology: A history of how limestone became Cairo
Environment
May 8, 2012
Cairo’s geology: A history of how limestone became Cairo
Under Cairo’s asphalt, under the reverberations of its street traffic, rocks are flowing, compacting, shearing and warping. The city…
Students accuse veterinary school of animal cruelty
Environment
May 3, 2012
Students accuse veterinary school of animal cruelty
Two Cairo University veterinary students-turned-whistleblowers have made allegations of animal cruelty at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. It is the…
At St. Catherine, tourism struggle indicates deeper issues
Life & Style
April 30, 2012
At St. Catherine, tourism struggle indicates deeper issues
The buses come from Sharm el-Sheikh. Mercedes, Scania, Volvo — the streamlined, high-torque vehicles are parked side by side on…
Hurghada association marks Earth Day with island makeover
Environment
April 22, 2012
Hurghada association marks Earth Day with island makeover
An Egyptian NGO is mounting an expedition to clean up the almost inaccessible Abu Monkar Island near Hurghada, to mark…
Saint Catherine’s flourishing medicinal growers
Environment
April 17, 2012
Saint Catherine’s flourishing medicinal growers
All around Saint Catherine, in tiny spring-fed gardens, the Jabaliya Bedouin are cultivating medicinal plants. Just 10 years ago this…
Cogs in the wheel: A day in the life of a fasakhany
Life & Style
April 16, 2012
Cogs in the wheel: A day in the life of a fasakhany
Egypt is a massive living organism — a web of ticking clocks, each set to a slightly different millisecond. With…
Endangered species: Gebel Elba’s dragon tree
Environment
April 7, 2012
Endangered species: Gebel Elba’s dragon tree
For years, anecdotal reports had been filtering out of the Gebel Elba Protectorate that its ancient population of dragon trees…
‘Black Nile’: An extraordinary journey from Lake Victoria to Rosetta
Environment
April 5, 2012
‘Black Nile’: An extraordinary journey from Lake Victoria to Rosetta
As Sudan negotiated its Comprehensive Peace Agreement, foreign correspondent Dan Morrison journeyed down the Nile from its headwaters at Lake…
SunGlacier could produce water from air in the Egyptian desert
Environment
March 31, 2012
SunGlacier could produce water from air in the Egyptian desert
A Dutch artist intends to create a glacier in the Egyptian desert to inspire solar powered solutions to climate change.…
Drumming away, Han Bennink in Cairo
Art news
March 18, 2012
Drumming away, Han Bennink in Cairo
Han Bennink looks amazed to find himself under a bridge in Cairo. The famous Dutch drummer and multi-instrumentalist is making…