Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Islamic Art, Cairo the capital



Islamic Art chose the old city of Cairo as its capital. As Cairo was one of the main cities in Islamic history, and at the same time the destination of the most profiled artists of that time, it was bound to become the next cultural centre of the world, starting with "El Fustat Mosque" which was the first Mosque not in Cairo alone but the first to be built outside of Arabia. Now known as "Amr Bin El As Mosque Picture below taken by me" it still stands as a witness of the elegance of Islamic Architecture and art.


Islamic Art is considered the art produced by people not necessarily Muslim that lived in Islamic territories in the 7th century onwards, these artists were famous for masterpieces in the fields of architecture, calligraphy, painting, and ceramics, among others.

As is well known Islamic art is not a religious art but better known as the art of the people who committed to the rich and varied Islamic culture as well. Islamic Art is developed from many sources: Roman, Early Christian, and Byzantine styles were taken over in early Islamic architecture; the influence of Sassanian art—the architecture and decorative art of pre-Islamic Persia was of paramount significance; Central Asian styles were brought in with various nomadic incursions; and Chinese influences had an important effect on Islamic painting, pottery, and textiles.

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Cairo Nile Cruise


Cairo Nile Cruise, It could be the most relaxing and dazzling experience you'll get in Cairo, it doesn't matter if you board a five stars ship or just rent a Felucca from the Nile's shore, and if you are lucky enough to be there just before sunset I'm sure you would be more then happy to watch the sun set over the waters of the great and ancient river that was once holly for the Egyptians.

Don't forget to take your camera with you, because the first time I took a Cairo Nile Cruise I didn't have my camera on me, so I missed a lot of photos I should have taken, If you're into photography follow my advice and take your camera with you. The image above is one of the hundreds that I took to make a gallery of the Nile River, I later edited it using photoshop so that it matched the theme of my graduation project which was about Cairo. Although it is not from a boat but it still is one of my favourites because I took it from the same spot where I first met my girl friend, and it gives you an idea of what you will be seeing, and I hope you enjoy your Cairo Nile Cruise.

Sunday, December 21, 2008

Net Blackout In Egypt


Egypt went off-line yesterday "Saturday morning 20th Dec. 2008" due to breaks in the under water cables "near the shores of Italy" that carry the DSL Signals to Egypt from France. Not Egypt alone faced the problem, but also parts of the Middle East, and South Africa.

I kept on searching for my good old "US Robotics Fax Modem", remember that? but I couldn't find it so I had to wait until the connection came back later that night.

Being forced to be off-line for me is an experience that I haven't had before and I with that doesn't happen again.

What would you do if you suddenly were forced to stay off-line?

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

In Alexandria

Alexandria is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest Egyptian port on the Mediterranean sea and as one of the oldest cities in the world it holds treasures that landmark the old civilizations, also has a rare nature, and great weather through the whole year.

Alexandria is more then five thousand years old, with hundreds of touristic sites like Pharoahnic, Greek, Roman, Islamic, Coptic, and modern monuments. Many great gardens and rocks can be found also in Alexandria.

The greatest witness of a history full of civilization is "The Library Of Alexandria" that was recently rebuilt to stand as one of the most important libraries in the world. Alexandria is also well known for its spectacular beaches and resorts and sunny weather through the four seasons.

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Egypt's Arts... Sand In A Bottle

Glass is not just that window or mirror we have in our houses, it's also an art and a craft that is hard to master, Egyptians are known to have mastered the art of glass for thousands of years. Glas is made from the pure white sand that comes from the deserts of Egypt, so it was easy for Egyptians to get quickly inspired by the Idea of mastering the art of glass. Either by hand made moulded bottles or by filling a glass bottle with coloured sand. Which is a craft that is admired by all of Egypt's visitors alike.

The art of glass is one of the oldest crafts known to the Egyptians, even nowadays you can find street sellers selling their cheap bottles that they made at home, while elegant and beautifully crafted bottles are sold at fancy bazzars and antique shops.

It is said that taking a bottle full of sand home with you from Egypt is just like taking a peice of Egypt home with you, with all the elegance of history, and greatness of the Pharaohs, so if you do visit Egypt some day be sure to take a nice bottle full of sand home with you.

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Egypt Climate

The Climate Of Egypt
Egypt has a great climate through the whole year, in the winter Luxor & Aswan are the best place to go to enjoy the sunny atmosphere and warm climate, also Cairo in the winter is a cosy city to be in with the temperature rarely going below 16 degrees Celsius which is almost 61 Fahrenheit.

In the summer I always visit the Egyptian North Coast which is full of fabulous resorts and also a great summer climate, or I just go to the Princess of the Mediterranean "Alexandria".

But for a enjoyable climate all year round you should choose Hurgada & Sharm El-Sheikh those two cities facing the red sea have a climate too hard to resist, They also have a high profile in means of tourism and diving and beautiful sites and landscapes.

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

The Most Beautiful Temples On Earth



Abu Simbil, the city of love and beauty, the capital of culture, a city which holds in its folds the most beautiful and amazing temples in the world..

They are the famous temples of Abu Simbil, and the Ramsis the 2nd temple, which he had built to honour the god of love and beauty “Hat-hoor”, then he gave it to his most beloved wife the beautiful “Nefertary”.

Abu Simbil became famous when the High Dam was built in Aswan across the Nile River, because these temples were threatened to drown in the Nile, If it weren’t for the 51 countries that held together with Egypt in order to move the entire structures to higher grounds, the world’s culture will stay forever thankful to these countries.

Now, the reason why these are the world’s most extraordinary temples is that they were carved into the body of a mountain a structure like that isn’t found anywhere else on earth.