Author: Jahinda Abd Elhalim

Beneath the martyrs’ obelisk, Egypt’s Modern Art preserves Port Said’s defiant spirit

Interview with Fatma El-Morsy, Pioneering Musician preserving Egyptian folk music across generations

On the strings of the simsimiyya, artist Fatima Al-Morsi has written a unique chapter in women’s history, challenging traditions in a city accustomed to singing for resistance. From the heart of Port Said, the first female simsimiyya player tells the story of an instrument that sings for the homeland and passes on heritage with a melody that sounds like the sea. First, we would like to get to know you better. Who is Fatma Al-Morsi? I am Fatma Al-Morsi, the first woman to play the traditional Port Said simsimiyya, and leader of the folk and heritage arts group Sawt Al-Bahr…

In Al-Hilaliya alley, at the intersection of Al-Hamidi and Al-Gouri streets, the most famous commercial streets in Al-Arab alley, the alley in Port Said governorate, stands Ahmed Al-Saqa, the most famous confectioner in the city. With his cheerful face and smile that reveals his kind heart, he welcomes his customers every day from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. He sells delicious sweets that are enjoyed by young and old alike. Uncle Ahmed Al-Saqa is the most famous and oldest confectioner in Port Said He inherited the profession from his father and has been working in it for more than 50…

In the heart of Port Said stands the ancient Port Said Lighthouse, a testament to engineering genius and navigational vision for more than 160 years. It is not just a lighthouse, but the world’s first large concrete structure and one of the most prominent heritage and historical landmarks worthy of inclusion on the global tourism map. The lighthouse continued to play a pivotal role in guiding ships passing through the Suez Canal until it ceased operations in 1997, after serving global navigation for more than a century and a half.