All posts by Islam ElShazly

CRAFT OF THE TWO HANDS

Few arts have been associated with being lady-like as embroidery, crocheting, and cross-stitch. It was considered a sign of refinement. And while there is no decisive evidence of crocheting before its popularity in Europe during the 19th century [source: Wikipedia], embroidery and cross-stitch have been around for a very long time. Embroidery has been dated as early as the 5th century BCE, and Cross-stitch is considered the oldest form of embroidery and can be found all over the world.

In Egypt, as in the rest of the world, these crafts have been traditionally passed down through generations, unfortunately, at some point this tradition almost all but died out, the faster the pace of life become, the less patience younger generations had for learning such delicate arts. Which brings us to the bright point of this post: Coralique, a grandmother/granddaughter team that is reviving this lost art in Egypt. Read more…

UNSEEN EGYPT: LANTERN SLIDES PLACES WEEK V

Long before the relocation of Philae, the temple would get flooded, especially in times of a high inundation levels. Travellers would sail through the temples in boats, which is very evident in their inscriptions high up on some of the columns. The temple and the island of Philae have been a source of wonder for millennia; Philae is mentioned by numerous ancient writers, including Strabo, Diodorus, Prolemy, Seneca, and Pliny the Elder.

They would not be the last of the travellers to marvel at its wonders. Read more…

UNSEEN EGYPT: LANTERN SLIDES PLACES WEEK IV

In the 1960s, after the Nasser Regime disastrously insisted on building the Aswan High Dam, Nubia was submerged and with it lost a lot of Nubian heritage and more architectural marvels got buried under water than they were able to save. An international project was initiated by UNESCO in order to save what can be saved. A gargantuan project to say the least! Read more…

UNSEEN EGYPT: LANTERN SLIDES PLACES WEEK III

In the 19th century, with the rise of Egyptology due to the the invasion of Egypt by Napoleon Bonaparte. The subsequent publication of Description de l’Égypte between 1809 and 1829, a race of sorts took shape. It was a race to acquire Ancient Egyptian artefacts and antiquities by national and private collections; a viciously competitive endeavour that eminated from ruthless ambition on all sides involved, particularly among the British and the French. Read more…

UNSEEN EGYPT: LANTERN SLIDES PLACES WEEK II

Somewhere along the way, and a few thousand years, monuments such as Karnak fell into disrepair. Between the ever relentless sands of the desert reclaiming its territory, the Nile’s inundation, and the passage of time, they almost faded out of memory. Every now and then through the millenia, travellers and explorers would stumble upon an obelisk here, or statue there, and if they were persistant and lucky enough, maybe a pylon and gate into a mysterious past. Read more…

FIRE UP YOUR ENDURANCE PART II

It took what seemed like forever, but here it is, part 2 of Fire Up Your Endurance. This involoves the Category II exercises for another 9 weeks; they are significantly harder and they do push your body to its limits. If you persevere, however, the rewards are enormous.

As with part 1, I have edited some sections of the text so it is not heavily military-centric, the workouts themselves have been left as is for maximum benefit. The great thing about them, is that they can almost be done anywhere, which is particularly the point if you are travelling or on vacation… No excuses! Read more…

UNSEEN EGYPT: LANTERN SLIDES PLACES WEEK I

Lots of reasons prevented any writing in the second half of 2013, mainly the state of affairs in Egypt after the bloody coup of June 30th of that year. Everyone had high hopes for Egypt to emerge trimuphant after the rosey days that followed the Jan25 revolution. But it seems that the people didn’t really understand what freedom is, what it means, and most of all, what it takes to keep it. They failed, and Egypt was lost. Hopefuly the next time the people rise up, they will have learned from their mistakes. Read more…

FIRE UP YOUR ENDURANCE PART I

Back in 2004 a friend of mine forwarded a link to me for a progressive two category workout routine that he had found on the Navy SEALs’ website, unfortunately it’s no longer available on their site… I checked.

It’s all about building endurance; however, getting muscular, stronger, and faster, are great by-products of following the programme as close as possible, to the best of your abilities. Bear in mind that it was designed for those in their late teens to early twenties (the age most likely to apply and be accepted for SEAL training), anyone wanting to raise their levels of endurance and fitness to the maximum would definitely benefit from its intensity and variety. Read more…

I KNOW FIRST AID…

By Islam El Shazly
Photography by Islam El Shazly

How many times have you ever been in a situation where all of a sudden you or someone around you needed urgent emergency medical assistance but there was no one to help, because no one had a clue how to save or help that person? I know I’ve been there at least a couple of times! Read more…

WDNESDAY NOSTALGIA: LANTERN SLIDES – WEEK IV

By Islam El Shazly

Peering back into history to find the beauty of a time gone by is a very delicate affair, an affair that if not done with a sensitive eye and an attentive heart, could end up being a very short lived fling.

As Agatha Christie put it:

Read more…