EGYPT BETWEEN FANTASY & REALIY



I remember when I was young we used to play a very interesting game that we called "The Fantasy Game". We used to sit around our favourite teacher, and in turn, each one of us would fancy a country named by her and describe it out loud. Our fantasies were based upon the bits and pieces of information that fed our imaginations about each country, either from our little illustrated books, our parents and teachers, or the media in general.

The Eiffel Tower used to pop in my mind whenever I heard the word "France," the kimono when I heard "Japan," and guitars and bullfighting when I heard "Spain". However, I also knew about the fashion industry of France, the great electronic technology of Japan and the great architectural culture of Spain. Back then, I couldn't help wondering how children all around the world would fancy Egypt in our game. What do their parents tell them and what does the media present?

Historical Overview

As I grew up, I was exposed to our country's history, and I never ceased to be amazed at the variety of civilizations that Egypt had been exposed to from the very start and up till today. First, there was our great pharaonic civilization, and the Ptolemy dynasty which lasted until 30 BC when Cleopatra died and Egypt was taken over by Rome. Then Egypt had been incorporated in the Byzantine Empire, and later the modern era started overwhelming Egypt due to the Arab invasion and the introduction of Islam, allowing it to embrace the rich Arab civilization. Then Egypt was ruled by the Turkish dynasty (the Mamelukes), and it shifted on to become an Ottoman Empire since 1517. Throughout the ages, the Egyptians have managed to guard and protect their sovereignty, and a sudden interest in Egypt by the outer world, mainly the west, was spread.

I was always amazed at the great interest shown worldwide for our country, which leads us all to the knowledge of how strategically important it is both geographically and politically. In short, I allowed myself to think that there's not a person on this earth who doesn't know how great this country is. However, investigating the matter didn't exactly match my expectations; on the contrary, the total opposite was discovered! It seems that only one civilization was introduced to the world, since I discovered that the Egyptian image in most foreigners' eyes is trapped within our three pyramids, a desert and camels! No doubt every Egyptian is vastly proud of his pharaonic civilization; these people had almost achieved the impossible! However, I'm also sure that like myself, no Egyptian would ever disregard our current civilization and our modern development as a country that's maintaining its strength on an international basis. Now let's see what foreigners think!

"do you live in a pyramid?"

Egypt In Their Eyes

Let's start with a story sent to me by 12-year-old Faten Moussa. "My father comes from Egypt and my mother from Spain; I live in New York. Whenever people ask me where I'm from, I tell them and they're more interested in my father's country. But they ask me really stupid questions like do you live in a pyramid? Are you going to marry a mummy? Is Egypt all a desert? And of course I say NO! I tell them most of the mummies are in the Egyptian museum, and actually, scientific development hasn't yet reached the level of enabling us to marry mummies! I guess that's due to the information stating that when the pharaohs died, they were mummified and put in pyramids or tombs together with their belongings in preparation for the afterlife."







Alexandria: the wonderful old days

The sense of awakening that Alexandria is living today inspires every Alexandrian to revive the beauty and glory of Alexandria. The change that is taking place in Alexandria today invites us to take part, as much as we could, in this cultural awakening. That is what Hany Farid is doing through his photography exhibition; he's reviving the good old feelings of the good old days when serenity and glory prevailed. "Gallery 99" is the name of Hany Farid's exhibition.
Hany Farid, who is in his forties, is half-Egyptian, half-Belgian. He was born in El Wayly, Cairo, and graduated from the Faculty of Agriculture, Alexandria University. He also graduated from the Faculty of Tourism & Hotels in Brussels University, Belgium. He started collecting stamps when he was eleven, then he started collecting old stuff like cards and paintings. However, he seriously collected old photos and cards ten years ago, then he thought of showing Egyptians what their country was like in 1920.
The exhibition contains about 65 photos of Alexandria from 1900 till 1920. When you look at the photos, you can see a lot of things that you just can't see except in black and white films. In one of the photos you can see the old carriages of the tram and the small buildings made of wood, which looked as if they were part of Texas. The funniest thing is that one of the visitors found a picture of his grandmother's house on Rosette Street! He remembers the balconies there because his head used to be stuck between its bars when he was young.