Author: Mohamed Awad

Zat Foundation is reclaiming the Simsimiyya, Egypt’s traditional instrument of resistance, to amplify feminist voices. Through art therapy and rhythmic storytelling, women in the Canal cities are transforming folk heritage into a modern anthem for equality, education, and bodily autonomy.

The visual legacies of Mustafa El-Azaby and Awad El-Khouly, the two master painters who captured the evolving spirit, resistance, and daily rhythms of Egypt’s Suez Canal cities through a lens of memory and academic rigor.

 A new photography exhibition at the Carrousel du Louvre in Paris offers a rare glimpse into the daily lives of Egyptians. Featuring 22 images by Mohamed Kamal and Mahmoud Hawari, “Mysterious Egypt” runs until March 15.

Discover the Zaghloul Mosque in Rosetta, a Mamluk architectural masterpiece and a symbol of Egypt’s resistance against British invasion in 1807, where a single minaret sparked a historic uprising.

Discover Egypt’s wetlands, their role in fighting climate change, preserving biodiversity, supporting communities, and sustaining ancient ecological traditions.

Hammam Azzouz, Rashid’s last public bath, remains closed despite restoration promises, revealing the fragile fate of Egypt’s forgotten architectural heritage.

Exploring the Ottoman houses, French connections, and ancient traditions of Egypt’s Nile delta gem

Egypt’s 164-year-old “Tramway” modernisation plan sparks debate between progress and preservation in the Mediterranean coastal city.

For three thousand years, a wooden lyre has travelled the Red Sea, first strung with animal intestines, later with fishing line, then telegraph wire, finally bicycle brake cables. Each adaptation tells the story of the people who played it: enslaved Africans, pearl divers, fishermen on months-long voyages, and eventually, Egyptian resistance fighters. But when these two traditions met at a festival last October, they discovered they were playing the same instrument in completely different languages.

Cultural initiatives to teach children how to play the simsimiyya instrument have begun in the cities of Port Said, Ismailia, and Suez, in support of registering the instrument on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage List. Some initiatives resumed their activities following the simsimiyya forum, which was recently held in Ismailia. Teams affiliated with the Ministry of Culture and other independent groups presented their performances at the forum. Meanwhile, sesame maker Mohamed Mida was enthusiastic about making additional instruments in preparation for marketing them.