Culture
The people’s friend or foe?
July 24, 2012
The people’s friend or foe?
Sixty years after the 1952 revolution, the legacy of both President Gamal Abdel Nasser and his regime remain fraught territory.…
‘Judgment Day’ leaves the reader to judge TV imam
July 23, 2012
‘Judgment Day’ leaves the reader to judge TV imam
The imam who narrates Rasha al-Ameer’s “Judgment Day” is pulled in at least six different directions. The novel’s central character is…
Let the music play on: Arab music from the turn of the century finally finds a home
July 22, 2012
Let the music play on: Arab music from the turn of the century finally finds a home
In the mountainous Lebanese village of Qurnet al-Hamra is a musicians’ haven: a state-of-the-art studio specialized in digitizing, researching and…
Critic’s pick: Ramadan jingle is 6,000 years old
July 20, 2012
Critic’s pick: Ramadan jingle is 6,000 years old
“Wahawy ya wahawy/Eyaha/We kaman wahawy/Eyaha” — these are the introductory lyrics of our most popular Ramadan jingle. My brother and…
A young Egyptian writer retires
July 19, 2012
A young Egyptian writer retires
Kareem al-Sayyad, a 31-year old Egyptian writer, recently announced his retirement through a Facebook event, saying that he would devote…
Egypt retrieves rat mummy from Germany
July 18, 2012
Egypt retrieves rat mummy from Germany
Cairo International Airport’s cargo terminal received an ancient ptolemaic casket including the mummy of a rat on Tuesday, which had…
A trip down memory lane
July 18, 2012
A trip down memory lane
Take a walk down Mahrany Street in the Cairene neighborhood of Fagala and it might feel strangely familiar. One mechanic’s…
Enough is enough
July 17, 2012
Enough is enough
Sexual harassment has been a long-standing problem in Egypt. But since the street protests broke out last year, women have…
Egypt’s ‘Poet of the Short Story’ dies at 75
July 16, 2012
Egypt’s ‘Poet of the Short Story’ dies at 75
Mohamed al-Bisatie was born on a night of rains, thunder and lightning near Lake Manzalah in Daqahlia Governorate. He arrived…
Another art exhibition on informal settlements hopes for change
July 14, 2012
Another art exhibition on informal settlements hopes for change
The southwest tremors of the Kalkan earthquake felt in Cairo on Monday were feeble compared to those of 1992. But…