Community Times June/July Issue

Since 1996

June/July 2018

IN TUNE WITH THE COMMUNITY SINCE 1996

This Year’s suMMer Trends skydiving over the PyrAmids

Cherif Morsi: A New TAke oN ModerN desigN A WAlk through the FAmous midAn el gAme3

MahMeYa island: HeAveN iN HurgHAdA

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CONTENTS JUNE/JULY 2018 tOWN tAlK 06

DeStINAtIONS

16

Talk of the Town News

StYle 10

This Year’s Summer Trends

12

Cherif Morsi: A Modern Take on Design

16

Beach Bag Essentials

44

scEnEs Mahmeya Island: Heaven in Hurghada

48

travEl Mongolia: The Land of WellGrounded Mystery

39

Culture 18

Books Summer Beach Reads

20

EvEnts Events You Do Not Want to Miss

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54

FeAtureS

COVER:

mIND, BODY & SOul

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A Walk through the Famous Midan El Game3

28

Skydiving Over the Pyramids

30

How to Efficiently Pack Your Bag

How to Prevent Skin-Peeling After Sunburns

29

COmmuNItY

Since 1996

June/July 2018

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rEal PEoPlE The Father of Obstetrics and Gynecology

36

FiEldwork Donating Beyond the Month of Ramadan

38

AYDE’s Vocational Workshop

IN TUNE WITH THE COMMUNITY SINCE 1996

THIS YEAR’S SUMMER TRENDS SKYDIVING OVER THE PYRAMIDS

CHERIF MORSI: A NEW TAKE ON MODERN DESIGN A WALK THROUGH THE FAMOUS MIDAN EL GAME3

BuSINeSS

MAHMEYA ISLAND: HEAVEN IN HURGHADA

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40

Latest Business News

CuISINe 56

Summer Soup Recipes

SOCIetY 60

Social Events and Gatherings

Publisher Live Colors, Nicosia Managing Partner Najla Riad Associate Partners Ahmed Samy Mohamed Maher

EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT

Editor’s NotE

Editor-in-Chief Moguib Roshdy Acting Editor Najla Riad Assistant Editor Rawan Abdel Latif

WRITERS Engy Magdy, Katharina Froehlich, Mona Bassel and Rehab Saad

Dear Reader

ART DEPARTMENT

Now that Ramadan is over, people are starting to think of the long summer days and vacations. In this issue, we put together several topics that may be of interest to you.

In the style section, we included eight beach bag essentials that are a must to carry with you to the beach. With this in mind, we have added a section on how to pack efficiently so that you can make the most out of your suitcase. We also reviewed the latest trends in summer wear by international designers. So feast your eyes on ruffles, fringes, checks, pastels, and sequins, to name a few.

We are always proud to feature upcoming designers in different fields, a trend that has been on the rise for the past 20 years. !is month, we bring you the talented and creative Cherif Morsi.

Senior Graphic Designer Hania Hindy

SALES DEPARTMENT Sales Director Rania Halim Rana Touban

PRODUCTION MANAGER Enas Adly

ADMINISTRATION DEPARTMENT Distribution Manager Rana Ezzat Salem Tantawi

Office Manager Magda Adib

With summer on our mind, we recommend you read our article in the scenes section on Mahmeya located near Hurghada with its beautiful serene waters.

If you are staying in Cairo this summer, take a walk in Midan El Game’e, which we think is the most comprehensive souk where you can get almost anything and everything you are looking for.

FINANCIAL CONSULTANTS Hazem Abdel Tawab Mohamed Mostafa

Office Clerk Mohamed Adel Office Custodian Ismail Othman Distribution Al Ahram, Next Media

Last but not least, if you are an adventurous type and always seeking to discover new places, take a look at the travel section and read all about Mongolia. We bet many of our readers have not thought of visiting this intriguing country.

Mohandessin, Zamalek, Heliopolis, Maadi, Nasr City, New Cairo, 6 October City, Sheikh Zayed City

Prepress & Printing: Sahara Printing Company

Enjoy the summer season. Always remember that with all the floods, volcanoes, torrential rains and climate changes around the world, Egypt is still blessed as mentioned in all the religions. Take a moment and enjoy your country.

!e Editor editor@live-colors.com Address: 48 Abdel Moneim Hafez Street, Midan El Sabaa’ Emarat, Heliopolis, Cairo, Egypt Tel/Fax: (+202) 2290 8127 - 2415 8762 Mobile: 0100 005 2322 - 0100 005 2323 E-mail: editor@live-colors.com Website: published by LC Live Colors Nicosia, Cyprus

CommunityTimesEgypt

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TOWNTALK Asma’a El Hadary Promoted to Executive Assistant Manager at Staybridge Suites Cairo Citystars Simon W. Stamper, Director of Operations Africa and Area General Manager InterContinental Hotels Group CityStars, announced the promotion of Asma’a El Hadary from Rooms Division Manager at Holiday Inn Cairo Citystars to Executive Assistant Manager.

El Hadary has over 14 years of experience within the hospitality industry, particularly in Rooms Division. She has spent much of her career with InterContinental Hotels Group Cairo Citystars. Commenting on her new appointment, El Hadary said, “It is always very rewarding to be given opportunities to grow and InterContinental Hotels Group has guided me in paving a career of success.”

In her new role, El Hadary will not only manage the operational aspects of the hotel, but she will also lead significant strategies and projects vital to the hotel’s development.

AccorHotels Acquires Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts AccorHotels announced that it has signed an agreement with Mövenpick Holding and Kingdom Holding to acquire Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts, for a cash amount of CHF560 million (€482 million).

Gamba Day at Sofitel Cairo El Gezirah Sofitel El Gezirah organized “Gamba Day” for the executives and the hotel team. This is a Japanese tradition that means living in another person’s shoes. The purpose of this program is to get the experience of working in another department for one day with the staff. This made a great effect on motivating the team and staff by sharing their work experiences and their daily routine.

This marked the second time the management organizes “Gamba Day” and will be applied to all the managers in all the departments later on.

Seen in the picture: Mr. Laurent Betourne, Area General Manager Sofitel Egypt and the General Manager of Sofitel El Gezirah, with the management wearing their new uniforms before starting their assignment with their supervisors.

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Founded in 1973 in Switzerland, Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts operates in 27 countries with 84 hotels (more than 20,000 rooms) and a particularly strong presence in Europe and the Middle East.

Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts also plans to open 42 additional hotels by 2021, representing almost 11,000 rooms, with significant expansion in the Middle East, Africa and Asia-Pacific. The Group, which has highend expertise in the main hotel-related services, employs more than 16,000 people worldwide.

Sébastien Bazin, Chairman and CEO of AccorHotels, said, “With the acquisition of Mövenpick, we are consolidating our leadership in the European market and are further accelerating our growth in emerging markets, in particular the Middle East, Africa and Asia-Pacific.”

Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts will benefit from AccorHotels’ loyalty program, distribution channels and operating systems, which will help optimize their performance. This acquisition further consolidates the current footprint in Europe and in the Middle East and accelerates growth notably in key regions where the Group has been established for many years, such as Africa and Asia.

Coppermelt Brings its Ultimate Dessert Experience to Maadi Coppermelt has opened a highly anticipated new dessert parlor in Maadi, bringing unique sweet and savory baked goods to the neighbourhood for the first time. From cakes and gateaux to utterly delectable konafa and oriental sweets, Coppermelt creates the ultimate taste experience for its guests.

There are already six Coppermelt stores in Cairo and two in the North Coast, all independently run. The company boasts a team of highly skilled bakers, pastry and savory chefs who handcraft scrumptious pastries and sweet and savory food, all made with love.

Each shop has its own essence and character and offers a display of exquisite dessert creations. The contemporary décor uses a pastel color scheme with a hint of copper, offering a touch of elegance.

Safir Hotel Cairo Earns 2018 TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence Safir Hotel Cairo announced that it has received a TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence. Now in its eighth year, the achievement celebrates businesses that have earned great traveller reviews on TripAdvisor over the past year.

Certificate of Excellence recipients include accommodation, restaurants and attractions located all over the world that have continually delivered a quality customer experience.

Share the Meal at Cairo Marriott with MBC Hope and World Food Program As part of Marriott International’s initiatives to support the community known as “Serve 360”, over a hundred guests shared their iftar together at Salon Vert. The aim of the event was to increase awareness on the Ramadan campaign Sharek Iftarek (Share your Iftar) and the “ShareTheMeal” mobile application by World Food Program.

The event was organized in collaboration with MBC Hope and the World Food Program (WFP).

During her speech, UN Goodwill ambassador and superstar Hend Sabry, who has been supporting the initiative since its birth in 2013, empowered guests to use social media for charity purposes, assuring that this is what the application aims for.

The goal of the year is to provide meals for 5000 people in Palestine, Syria and Yemen.

Known for climbing Mount Everest, adventurer Omar Samra together with a large number of influencers and humanitarian activists, along with top heads of WFP, were in attendance.

WFP’s main mission is to secure meals, fight hunger and empower girls in less privileged areas to go to school through providing nutrition for them and their families.

During a workshop, attendees were invited to come up with creative and sustainable ideas to defeat hunger. Guests shared photos on social media to inspire others using #ShareTheMeal.

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TOWNTALK

Farm To Table at The Nile RitzCarlton, Cairo The demand for fresh, locally-sourced ingredients is on the rise and young consumers are trending toward a more health-conscious lifestyle. The Nile Ritz-Carlton, Cairo is joining the movement and adopting a global market trend by bringing organic and sustainably grown food and beverages to the restaurants and dining tables of the hotel.

Owning the “Healthy Eating & Good for You Lifestyle” platforms, The Nile Ritz-Carlton is determined to offer better quality food that is fresher, healthier and one that retains higher levels of nutrients.

The “Farm to Table Brunch” at Culina is a seasonal open-air dining experience that focuses on fresh local foods featuring local produce, fruits and vegetables, quality meats, fresh seafood, honey, dairy products and live music. Brunch is paired with “All You can Drink” local and organic bloody mary, mimosa, sangria or martini, in collaboration with a local beverage sponsor “Al Ahram Beverages”.

A live jazz band sets the tone and an inviting ambiance for friends and family accompanied by kid’s activities and a special kids buffet for a warm family atmosphere. The setting is rustic with a modern twist while the mood is set to emphasize that guests will indulge in everything that is grown and produced organically.

The Nile Ritz-Carlton’s renowned Italian restaurant Vivo will also be celebrating the “Farm to Table” concept by offering Italian seasonal organic and vegetarian promotions. Italian chef Carmine de Luggo will be offering rotating local food specials and promotions, to supplement the regular menu.

InterContinental Hotels Group Cairo Citystars Donates Food Supplies to Arab Sarab Village in Shabrament As Ramadan is the favorite time for families and friends to gather around for Iftar, it is also a time for contemplation and charitable acts.

This year, InterContinental Hotels Group Citystars decided to take a different approach to celebrating Ramadan. The hotel joined forces with Resalet Nour Ala Nour Charity association and visited the Arab Sarab village in Shabrament, Sakkara district on the outskirts of Giza, to distribute basic food supplies that would be sufficient to support the families for two weeks during the holy month of Ramadan.

A team from the hotels’ management and staff visited the villages and distributed the supplies, and were warmly welcomed by the villages’ families.

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STYLE

This Year’s summer Trends Although many argue that winter fashion is usually more appealing, as we welcome in the summer, we can’t help but notice the creative trends that have been introduced during the summer 2018 runways, some of which are bringing back vintage looks that we just love! We have put together a list of the mostseen trends this season for you to enjoy.

SHEER Whether as shorts, skirts, dresses or even coats, using sheer material was a common trend seen throughout many of the famous designers’ runways for summer 2018. The transparent look, that made its debut in the spring, is a very daring option that relies heavily on what you partner with it, as was seen in the collections of Dior and Simone Rocha, among others.

RALPH & RUSSO

DIOR

SEQUINS This trend is about going all out, whether the sequins cover a portion of a sleeve or an entire dress. On every fashion runway, glitter and shine dominated, upping the game of every outfit, turning it from a simple to a bold look. Marc Jacobs, Tom Ford and Oscar De La Renta were only a few of the many designers that used sequins in their collections.

PASTELS TOM FORD

A common trend for the last few seasons, pastel colors never seem to really go out of style, focusing mainly on lilac, pink, lemon and baby blue this summer. These colors were seen on the runways of designers like Chanel, Michael Kors and Versace.

VERSACE

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CHECKS

FENDI

Although usually associated with the winter months, checks are making an appearance in spring and summer collections, bringing back a vintage trend. Often used by brands like Burberry and Fendi, the designers took a different approach to the traditional checks, opting for ginghams, plaids and even checked tights to modernize such a popular look. Checks were also seen in the collections of Alexander McQueen and Loewe, among others.

FRINGES Once again, we witnessed the appearance of another vintage trend that adds volume and movement to anyone looking to make a statement.

Different designers used fringing in a variety of ways, from placing them on necklines to bags to hemlines. Calvin Klein, Celine, Loewe, Saint Laurent and many others have included this trend in their latest collections.

LOEWE

STELLA MCCARTNEY

GIVENCHY

BOLD COLORS Contrasting the previously mentioned pastels is the appearance of bold colors on the runway.

Depending on if you want to go elegant – therefore turning to pastels – or create a statement outfit – where bold colors come in – there is a trend for everyone.

Whether incorporating a pop of color through an accessory, or wearing all yellow, red or green, these bright colors will definitely make it feel like summer. Colors were included in the collections of Givenchy, Stella McCartney and Christopher Kane, among others.

POWER SHORTS Shorts have always been a staple summer piece that you simply can’t avoid. However, a creative twist to the simple summer short is the introduction to power shorts, also known as suit shorts. These usually high-waisted pieces of clothing add elegance as well as volume to your look, and have been seen in the collections of Louis Vuitton, Balmain and Saint Laurent.

ALEXANDER MCQUEEN

VALENTINO

RUFFLES Taking us back in time once again, ruffles brought femininity, volume and movement to the spring and summer runways. Usually incorporated in dresses, choosing a piece with ruffles will definitely add to your looks elegance and style, as seen in the collections of Valentino, Alexander McQueen and Givenchy, to name a few.

YVES SAINT LAURENT

LOUIS VOUITON JUN-JUly 2018 | Ct 11

STYLE

Cherif Morsi: A New Take on Modern Design

By Engy Magdy

E

gypt’s current design industry is flourishing as the market has witnessed increasing competitiveness due to imposed circumstances such as the increasing difficulty in importing furniture, but also because of the growing amount of talented designers, one of whom is Cherif Morsi, who has won many international awards for his unique designs.

Morsi was born in Belgium, where he spent most of his childhood, but studied architecture at Cairo University from which he graduated in 1994.

He has shown continuous development in most of his work whether it is interior,

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graphic, event or product design, and has won numerous international design awards.

One such prize is the Special Mention he earned in the international design competition by the famous Italian household name Alessi.

“To my surprise, my entry Yoyo – a torch with a telescopic stand allowing its user to use it hands-free – was selected, along with ten other projects. It was my first experience with product design and eventually became a milestone for the rest of my career as a designer,” he states.

Creating Designs According to Morsi, it is not easy at all to create an original and somehow purposeful design or product, as it is not just art but rather a whole culture. He further indicates that “a successful design requires originality, design problem solving skills, an appealing look, an economical approach, and most importantly, it has got to appeal to the audience it is targeting otherwise it is just another design that adds little to the vast choices of products already available,” he mentions, adding, “!is equation is always very difficult to resolve for a designer and will keep on getting tougher with the increasing amount of excellent talent coupled with the ever-expanding reach of affordable technology.”

“Being an original designer, or what I prefer to call ‘authorship’ designer, is very demanding, but is essential for any society’s progress as it carries along strong cultural references,” he says.

Collaborations and Achievements Another milestone was his first collaboration with the famous Italian editor Sawaya & Moroni (Milan), for whom he designed his Voodoo ashtray in 2004 as well as the Lunique coffee table in 2008. “To penetrate the international design scene in such fashion is immensely difficult due to the very tough competition, and that collaboration certainly gave me the courage to pursue product and furniture design further,” he adds.

Other collaborations followed with other respected names such as Covo (Rome, Italy) and Droog (the Netherlands), amongst others, ultimately making him one of the few designers from the Middle East to have consistently worked with some of the design world’s most recognized names using his unique approach in mixing both local and international influences in a subtle way.

Local and international publications have written about him under the title of “creative simplicity”.

Morsi is currently focused on sharing his experience with the Egyptian market as a true believer in Egypt’s unique potential.

He thrives to contribute as much as he can in bringing this potential out through honest products. “It is always a great challenge to place designs into the market having to keep in mind the end user’s needs and impulses. Without this, there wouldn’t be design at all,” he explains.

He further explains that each designer has their own way of creating a product as each person’s vision and exposure is different, depending on their own visual observations, conceptions, thoughts, tastes, trials and studies, which is usually what differentiates designers in the market and makes them more unique.

“To create a simple but original, purposeful and aesthetically pleasing design is far more challenging than an overly complicated and decorated one.”

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Morsi clarifies, “I am always pursuing simplicity in my designs, which should not be mistaken for simplistic. To create a simple but original, purposeful and aesthetically pleasing design is far more challenging than an overly complicated and decorated one. I believe it is a non-stop process that keeps evolving as my life experiences and inspirations keep on growing.”

In other words, each designer should keep innovating their skills, which Morsi highlights by saying, “I tend to believe designing is an ecosystem where a living organism keeps on mutating while still keeping the unique DNA each designer carries, just like nature choosing the most direct and simple way of imposing itself.”

Egypt’s Design Scene !e Egyptian design industry is becoming more and more influenced by the “global” style. “!e almost unrestricted access to satellite broadcasting and the internet has reshaped our relationship to design.

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!at, in turn, has created a fertile ground for students, universities, companies as well as end users to improve their surroundings through creative design. As a result, Egypt is starting to witness the emergence of creative talent, forming what I like to call a new Egyptian design renaissance, who are all paving the way for an improved future in the local industry,” highlights Morsi.

“While still burgeoning, there is only room for improvement, especially now that local entrepreneurs, manufacturers and developers are increasingly investing in design. !e next challenge for local designers will be to satisfy the local market first before trying to offer their work globally. Overall, I am very optimistic about Egyptian design,” he continues.

He then goes on to add, “Some consumers will always go for the luxurious option while others will strictly go for the cheapest, and some will adhere solely to aesthetics, buying decorative furniture only for its attractiveness, even if it occupies a huge space or does not correspond to their real needs. Most people do not realize the design tricks behind any given product. Successful designs do not have to be branded or trendy, but could be a very simple, but improved, traditional one, responding to the consumer’s current needs and to each segment. !at is the key and this is when design really comes into play, to awaken consumers’ curiosity.”

Morsi has been exposed to a melting pot of cultures. “I was lucky enough to have been directly exposed to rich and diversified cultures. I was born in Belgium and lived there until I was roughly ten years old, and then returned with my parents to Egypt only to relocate to Tunisia and Morocco, attending French international schools.

Later on, I spent summers training in reputable Belgian architectural practices while still studying architecture in Cairo. !is cultural melting pot has fundamentally shaped my perception in life and in design,” he explains.

When discussing his inspirations, Morsi mentions, “I think there are almost always Eastern and Western influences in my work, even if it is in a subtle, unintentional way. Maybe this is what makes my work recognizable and constitutes the common trait in my designs to date. Life in Egypt, with all of its difficulties and challenges, offers a very different approach to life and design. With enough perseverance and curiosity, an Egyptian designer can turn these challenges into an advantage to his or her work. !ere is a lot Egypt has to offer to designers that can make them unique while still using a contemporary, global design without alienating the local society. It is a large but attainable challenge, in my humble opinion.” !e last thing designers should aim to do is “go with the flow”, which Morsi comments on, saying, “I believe designers should always keep to their own approach and broaden their inspirational sources through other fields. Let us be honest in saying that we do not re-invent the wheel and everyone is always inspired or rather influenced by the current society and culture he, or she, is exposed to. How to translate this inspiration into an original design positively contributing to diversification in ever demanding markets is the key to any further development. It does not need to be too Pharaonic or Islamic for example as this would fall under folklore, but perhaps follow the thought processes behind these great civilizations that could lead to actual solutions to contemporary problems based on past cultures and approaches.”

In conclusion, having simple and creative Egyptian designers like Cherif Morsi could be the catalyst to further expanding the potential of the Egyptian industry to satisfy the local market. Morsi has inspired us with his mixed-culture designs, and most importantly functional products, further proving that Egypt’s design scene is flourishing.

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STYLE

8 Beach Bag Essentials: What to Carry with You

As we welcome the summer holidays and start requesting days off to head to the beach, we tend to sideline deciding on exactly what to take. We have put together a short list that includes what you should be taking with you in order to avoid unnecessary trips back to your room.

Waterproof Speakers

Sunscreen

Who does not enjoy listening to music by the beach? Whether you are a classical music fan, or are into pop or country hits, there is definitely nothing like having your feet in the sand as you doze off to your favorite tunes.

Making sure that they are waterproof is important, as you can then take them wherever you go and even place them right by the water as you swim. You will also avoid thinking too much about where they are and if anyone is getting any water or sand on them.

!is is a no brainer. Even if you are not a fan of sunscreen because it doesn’t help with the tan you are looking to get, preferring to opt for tanning oil or baby oil, packing sunscreen is still an essential. If you get burned easily, spreading some on your face and other highly exposed areas before applying any oil will help protect your skin from any unwanted damages.

!ere are even some speaker sets that allow you to open them up and place your smartphone inside, safe from any splashes.

Snacks Getting hungry while spending the entire day at the beach is pretty inevitable. However, many different foods are not safe to eat after a long period of sun exposure. Try to pack items that do not go bad easily, like nuts or granola bars, which you can snack on occasionally without worrying about their expiry.

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Lip Balm with SPF Sitting in the sun all day rids your body from any moisture, and common reflections to that are dry or chapped lips.

Keeping lip balm in your beach bag so you can access it at any time is essential, along with drinking enough water so you can keep yourself hydrated.

Nowadays, there are lip balms that include an SPF to avoid painful sunburnt lips or blisters. You can even find them in summer shades, if you want the look and the protection.

Reading Material Yes, this is an essential in our opinion.

If you are a book lover, pack that novel or non-fiction piece that you have been meaning to get to, but make sure it isn’t a book with too many plots, as there tends to be a lot of distractions, and so leaving the book every few minutes can discourage you from it. Even if you do not pick up books for fun, you could always throw in a magazine, a word search or even Sudoku that can keep you busy while you lounge in front of the beach.

Water Resistant Wristlet or Pouch !is is essential for holding your keys, money and even phone, keeping them protecting from the sand, sun and water.

You can’t go to the beach without them, but throwing them in a random pocket in your bag is also a risky move that can lead to problems you did not want to handle during your vacation. !is pouch also makes it easy to make small runs, whether to the restroom or the restaurant.

Portable Battery !ere is no doubt that we are in the age of social media and technology, and so, carrying a portable battery where you can charge your phone or speakers is important. Instead of having to head back to your room to charge your phone to make a call, everything you need is right there in your beach bag.

After-Sun Moisturizer or Spray Exposing yourself to salt water and the sun simultaneously will dry out your skin. Keeping after-sun moisturizer or spray close by will help revitalize and refresh your skin, while also helping to prolong your tan. Also, it will help with any irritation, preventing future damage.

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CULTURE Books

Summer Beach Reads

T

he anticipated summer months have finally arrived, and with the closing of Ramadan and the beginning of the Eid vacation, everyone is packing their bags and heading to the beach for a well-deserved break. !at is why we are bringing you titles to read while on the beach or lounging by the pool.

A House for Happy Mothers

By Amulya Malladi

In trendy Silicon Valley, Priya has everything she needs - a loving husband, a career, and a home - but the one thing she wants most is the child she is unable to have. In a Southern Indian village, Asha does not have much - raising two children in a tiny hut, she and her husband can barely keep a tin roof over their heads - but she wants a better education for her gifted son.

Pressured by her family, Asha reluctantly checks into the Happy Mothers House: a baby farm where she can rent her only asset - her womb - to a childless couple overseas. To the dismay of friends and family, Priya places her faith in a woman she has never met to make her dreams of motherhood come true.

Together, the two women discover the best and the worst that India’s rising surrogacy industry has to offer, bridging continents and cultures to bring a new life into the world - and renewed hope to each other.

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City of Friends

By Joanna Trollope

Miller’s Valley

By Anna Quind len

!e day Stacey Grant lost her job felt like the last day of her life. Or at least, the only life she had ever known. For who was she if not a city high-flyer, Senior Partner at one of the top private equity firms in London? As Stacey starts to reconcile her old life with the new - one without professional achievements or meetings, but instead, long days at home with her dog and ailing mother, waiting for her successful husband to come home - she at least has the girls to fall back on.

For generations, the Millers have lived in Miller’s Valley. Mimi Miller tells about her life with intimacy and honesty. As Mimi eavesdrops on her parents and quietly observes the people around her, she discovers more and more about the toxicity of family secrets, the dangers of gossip, the flaws of marriage, the inequalities of friendship and the risks of passion, loyalty, and love. Home, as Mimi begins to realize, can be a place where it is just as easy to feel lost as it is to feel content.

!e girls, now women, had been best friends from the early days of university right through their working lives, and through all the happiness and heartbreaks in between. However, these career women all have personal problems of their own, and when Stacey’s redundancy forces a betrayal to emerge that was supposed to remain a secret, their long cherished friendships will be pushed to their limits.

Miller’s Valley is a masterly study of family, memory, loss, and, ultimately, discovery, of finding true identity and a new vision of home, and reminds us that the place where you grew up can disappear, and the people in it too, but all will live on in your heart forever. .

Into the Water

By Paula Hawkins

In the last days before her death, Nel called her sister. Jules didn’t pick up the phone, ignoring her plea for help, and now Nel is dead. !ey say she jumped, and Jules has been dragged back to the one place she hoped she had escaped for good, to care for the teenage girl her sister left behind.

However, Jules is afraid of her longburied memories, of the old Mill House, of knowing that Nel would never have jumped, and most of all, she is afraid of the water, and the place they call the Drowning Pool.

Little Fires Everywhere

By Celeste NG

In Shaker Heights, a placid, progressive suburb of Cleveland, everything is meticulously planned – from the layout of the winding roads, to the colours of the houses, to the successful lives its residents will go on to lead. No one embodies this spirit more than Elena Richardson, whose guiding principle is playing by the rules.

Enter Mia Warren – an enigmatic artist and single mother who arrives in this idyllic bubble with her teenage daughter Pearl – rents a house from the Richardsons. Soon, Mia and Pearl become more than just tenants: all four Richardson children are drawn to the alluring mother-daughter pair, but Mia carries with her a mysterious past, and a disregard for the rules that threaten to upend this carefully ordered community.

When the Richardsons’ friends attempt to adopt a Chinese-American baby, a custody battle erupts that dramatically divides the town and puts Mia and Mrs. Richardson on opposing sides.

Suspicious of Mia and her motives, Mrs. Richardson becomes determined to uncover the secrets in Mia’s past.

However, her obsession will come at unexpected and devastating costs to her own family – and Mia’s.

The Rules Do Not Apply

By Ariel Levy

Love, Africa

By Jeffrey Gettleman

A seasoned war correspondent, Jeffrey Gettleman has covered every major conflict over the past 20 years, from Afghanistan to Iraq to the Congo. For the past decade, he has served as the East Africa bureau chief for the New York Times, fulfilling a teenage dream.

At 19, Gettleman fell in love, twice. On a do-it-yourself community service trip in college, he went to East Africa - a terrifying, exciting, dreamlike part of the world in the throes of change that imprinted itself on his imagination and on his heart.

When 38-year-old New Yorker writer Ariel Levy left for a reporting trip to Mongolia in 2012, she was pregnant, married, financially secure, and successful on her own terms. A month later, none of that was true.

Levy picks you up and hurls you through the story of how she built an unconventional life and then watched it fall apart with astonishing speed. Like much of her generation, she was raised to resist traditional rules - about work, about love, and about womanhood.

In this memoir, Levy chronicles the adventure and heartbreak of being “a woman who is free to do whatever she chooses.” Her own story of resilience becomes an unforgettable portrait of the shifting forces in our culture, of what has changed - and of what is eternal.

But around that same time, he also fell in love with a fellow Cornell student the brightest, classiest, most principled woman he had ever met. To say they were opposites was an understatement.

She became a criminal lawyer in America; he hungered to return to Africa.

For the next decade, he would be torn between these two abiding passions.

Love, Africa is a tale of passion, violence, far-flung adventure, tortuous longdistance relationships, screwing up, forgiveness, parenthood, and happiness that explores the power of finding yourself in the most unexpected of places.

The Woman in the Window

By A. J. Finn

Anna Fox lives alone - a recluse in her New York City home, unable to venture outside. She spends her day drinking (maybe too much), watching old movies, recalling happier times, and spying on her neighbors. !en the Russells move into the house across the way: a father, a mother and their teenage son. !e perfect family.

But when Anna, gazing out her window one night, sees something she shouldn’t have, her world begins to crumble - and its shocking secrets are laid bare.

What is real? What is imagined? Who is in danger? Who is in control? I n this diabolically gripping thriller, no one and nothing - is as it seems.

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CULTURE Events

EvEnts not to bE MissEd

do’souka rooM art spacE 28 June

Underground band Do’souka have been performing since 2015 and will be entertaining the crowd with their acoustic and folkinspired music at ROOM Art Space.

Time: 9:30 pm

Tickets are available at E7gezly.

tHE MErrY WidoW opEra cairo opEra HousE – Mail Hall 5 to 7 July !e Merry Widow is an operetta that was first performed in 1905 in Vienna by the composer Franz Lehar, and tells the story of a rich widow whose countrymen attempt to keep her money by finding her a husband.

Based on the comic play “!e Ebassy Attche” by Henri Meilhac in 1861, it will be performed by the Cairo Opera Company and Orchestra from the 4th to the 7th of July.

cinEMa – scrEEninG of tHE filM victoria bY JustinE triEt frEncH institutE, Mounira 28 June Victoria Spick, criminal lawyer in full sentimental naught, arrives at a wedding where she finds her friend Vincent, a former dealer. !e next day, Vincent is accused of attempted murder by his girlfriend and the only witness of the scene is the dog of the victim.

Time: 8 pm

art Your Wall ii safarkHan art GallErY up to 10 september

Zorba ballEt alExandria opEra HousE 2 and 3 July

“Zorba the Greek” is a novel that was first published in 1946 and was written by the Cretan author Nikos Kazantzakis. It is the tale of a young Greek intellectual who ventures to escape his bookish life with the aid of the mysterious Alexis Zorba. !e novel was adapted into a play that will be performed by the Cairo Opera Ballet Company at the Alexandria Opera House.

Time: 8 pm

From the modern art category, Kamal Khalifa (1926-1968) and Salah Abdel Kerim (1925-1987) will feature with abstract painting and detailed stagecraft. Several works from Youssef Sida’s (1922 – 1994) abstract calligraphy and bold ink palette offer a refreshingly simplified painting style.

Inji Efflatoun (1924-1989) will feature a deserving variety of her works, and more conventional yet exquisite portraits and nudes, whereas Zakaria ElZeini’s (1932-1993) purposeful exploration of concealed Egyptian folklore and mysticism in his unmistakable art-with-a-message style will also be included.

Ramzi Mostafa (1926-2015) presents pieces that exemplify the almost unrivalled versatility of one of Egypt’s recently deceased painters. !e unique figurative abstraction and palette manipulation of Ahmed Farid, the meticulous layering technique of Ibrahim Khatab’s abstract calligraphy and Karim Abd El Malak’s passion of feminine form will also be introduced.

Leila Izzet will feature her characteristic reverence of the gorgeous shapes and lines of horses. Finally, Alexandrian sculpting duo Sarkis Toosonian and Alfons Louis complete this year’s selection.

Address: 6 Brazil St, Mohammed Mazhar, Zamalek

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CULTURE Events

eStabena banD room art SPace 29 june !e band Estabena brings together artists from different cultures, creating a fusion of music from Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, Spain, France, Lebanon and Syria.

Time: 9:30 pm

Tickets are available at E7gezly

lecture by PhotograPher Sacha VatkoVic: “the faShion Picture Without a tongue” Soma art gallery - 31 el aDel abu bakr Street, Zamalek 28 june

Come participate in a discussion around the world of fashion and beauty photography.

Photographer and visual artist Sacha Vatkovic will share some of his artistic secrets and tackle preconceived ideas.

He is known to challenge, rush, push people to their limits and make them think.

“Shajaret al-Durr” Performance – forSan el Sharq heritage comPany el gomhouria theatre 28 and 29 june

Forsan El Sharq introduces the performance of the famous “Shajaret Al-Durr.” !is is an Egyptian dance group that revives gems of our popular heritage. !e troupe operates under the joint supervision of the Cultural Development Fund and Cairo Opera House.

Time: 8 pm

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!is beautiful meeting is organized in partnership with SOMA Art School where Sacha Vatkovic will exhibit his work for a week.

Time: 7 pm

FEATURE

A Walk Through the

W

hile heading to malls or supermarkets to get your household needs is usually what most people do, sometimes experiencing the old fashion way of shopping can be very entertaining.

Midan El Game3 is situated in Heliopolis, and consists of a collection of streets that are home to an incredible variety of shops. There, accessories and appliances, bookstores, car

buy, and at far more reasonable prices than

books took a backseat in the shop. Is this an population have shifted? That a bookstore that

shop.

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A popular product sold there, and probably the only one this side of town, is the loofah, an organic plant that is used as a shower sponge.

When we stopped at one of the street vendors who sells the product, he let us know that he has been in this business for the past 20 years, and that over this time, he had gotten the proper license, where he pays 1850 L.E. a year, in order to avoid having his cart removed by the police.

their lime and

Shops that sell goods in bulk at cheaper prices are also very common there, perhaps the most known being “Negma Heliopolis” which translates to “The Star of Heliopolis”. There, you buy regularly, such as tissue boxes, toilet paper, house cleaning material and aerosol sprays, to name a few, and so investing in a larger quantity for a lower price is a go-to strategy for most Egyptians.

Household items – from pots and pans, plastic containers, match boxes, kitchen gadgets, trash cans, mops and buckets and every conceivable item you can think of for your home – is located on this street, and are usually offered at fair prices. “Awlad Massoud” is one of several names that have been around for a long time. If you are looking for hardware items like door knobs and hinges, latches, doors handles, bathroom accessories and the like,

their garlic and lime is of much better quality than those found at big supermarkets. Also in great amounts are the fruit and vegetable sellers that are at every corner, whose goods look impressively clean and healthy. Two women sat on the side of the road, who have been there for years, display their vegetables carefully cleaned and peeled, and nicely wrapped in plastic, ready for you to take home and cook.

It must be said that their products look as good

buying those made in China, Emirates, Turkey, Egypt or Italy. The two most popular names for hardware are “El Reda” and “El Araby”.

better.

The oldest grocery store there is “El Rakhawy”, said to have the best white cheese in Cairo.

Along the same street are the Khayamiya shops that have innovated themselves by creating unique products, other than selling fabric, like a fava beans seller with a cart enveloped in khayamiya fabric or a lamp, using that popular material.

As you walk through the alleyways and main streets, you will be hunted by mint, garlic or lime sellers, who claim that their goods are at an incredibly competitive price. However,

Many of the shops are attentive to the people’s interest in tasty smells. Mahmoud Amer, a coffee store, emits a rich aroma of freshly ground beans to anyone remotely close by, and it is strong enough to lure any coffee-lover in.

With a cozy wooden design, the interior of the place is impressive, with a nice seated area for anyone wanting a quick fresh beverage.

!ere is something magical and indescribable about walking through the old streets that house shops which have been around for decades.

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FEATURE

A rare sight we came across was the availability of the antique coffee grinders that are still in working condition.

whether you are looking for a small trinket

After talking to the staff, we found out that they don’t just offer freshly ground beans for Turkish coffee, but also milkshakes, cappuccinos, iced chocolate drinks, and a whole lot of other innovative ideas.

The People

Other shops that rely on the sense of smell are the old-fashioned bakeries that have been open for as long as anyone can remember and offer a variety of breads and biscuits that have long been abandoned by the shelves of the supermarkets, such as el kahk el shamy, pizza dough to take home, and biscuits stuffed with Turkish delights.

One of the popular stores there is the fatatri with its old fashioned oven that produces feteer – what we dub as Egyptian pancakes – that is stuffed with either powdered sugar, jams or a variety of cheeses, and more importantly, frozen ones you pick from the supermarket, besides shredded wheat for your home-made konafa.

you access through an alleyway, but we would recommend you go there solely if you want to for a passerby.

Midan El Game3 is also known for the gold shops galore that are in every corner. So

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something that your heart desires.

Because of the history of the place, most of the shopkeepers have been working there for decades, and have a lot to say. However, it is all about how you approach them that will allow them to open up, and that is when you will get to see that pure Egyptian humor and friendliness that many people believe is in shortage nowadays.

Another interesting observation was that, although many of the sellers try to approach you to encourage you to buy their product, they are not annoyingly insistent, as you see in several places, but rather emit a light sense of humor.

In general, we would highly encourage anyone to take a walk there, even if it is just to admire the historical value of the place that has been there for so long, and where there are shops that have adjusted to tough situations throughout the decades. However, you will handed.

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FEATURE

The History of the Fanous Skydive Egypt

“!ose who don’t jump will never fly” - Leena Ahmad Almashat

Prepares for Adrenaline-Filled Event Written by Katharina Froehlich Pictures by Mahmoud Sharaf

Skydiving Basics Skydiving is not a sport for everyone, as it entails jumping out of an airplane and performing acrobatic maneuvers in the air before landing with a parachute.

It has been practiced since the 1930s and has since become a popular sport for adventure seekers of all ages and genders.

Drop zones are becoming famous all over the world, the most common of which are in Dubai, Kenya or New Zealand. !ere is a whole new crowd of extreme activity seekers trying to get that extra kick through the sport, from teenagers to pensioners. !ere are even events, such as championships, which make the winners become celebrities in the world of skydivers.

With the sport gaining more fame and popularity, it is only natural that many Egyptians are interested in joining in.

Skydive Egypt !e two people behind Skydive Egypt are Mahmoud Sharaf and Mostafa Saeed. Luckily, I had the opportunity to meet Sharaf who let me in on the history of the organization and also explained his personal attachment and dedication to skydiving and parachuting. !e two founders, who have already had a strong connection long before they started their skydiving mission in 2014, know each other since Sharaf’s teen years, when he used to take parachuting lessons with Saeed as his coach. Since then, their relationship has evolved and the idea of founding Skydive Egypt was sparked. By 2014, their dream quickly became a reality.

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Sharaf visited many drop zones, including ones in Morocco, Dubai, Portugal, Spain and Kenya, which have been the inspiration for what he wants to do in his home country.

Unfortunately, an official drop zone has not yet been permitted to open in Egypt. !e reasons that make Egypt an amazing spot to skydive in are numerous. First of all, Egypt is a virgin market for skydiving, which makes it a promising opportunity for the people and entrepreneurs involved, and for skydivers who choose their holiday destinations depending on whether there is a drop zone nearby.

Establishing a drop zone could, therefore, help to promote tourism and also bring a new kind of traveler to the country.

Apart from tourists, there is also a huge number of Egyptians who are interested in extreme sports and skydiving in particular.

What skydiving really needs, apart from perfect views and quality equipment, is the right weather and the perfect amount of wind.

From the 365 days of a year, Egypt has blue skies on at least 360 of them! While the drop zones in other countries, including the ones in Europe and North America, have to close their doors in the winter months between October and April, Egypt could provide a drop zone that is open all year round. So, in a nutshell, there is no better place for Skydiving than Egypt.

According to Sharaf, the preferred location would be in El Gouna, since it is very inviting, with its dazzling architecture, white beaches and deep blue waters that can be visited after a jump to refresh. Generally, El Gouna is a popular touristic spot with great infrastructure that attracts people other than skydivers. !ere is also an airport, which allows visitors to come directly to the spot without the hassle of the Cairo traffic.

Establishing the first drop zone there will bring the promised success and be a great starting point for skydiving in Egypt. More of Egypt’s beautiful touristic places such as Luxor and Aswan, the North Coast and Marsa Alam could also become involved.

To enhance progress, develop connections and establish their presence in the skydiving community, Skydive Egypt initiated cooperation programmes with drop zones in Kenya and Morocco, and is organizing trips for Egyptians who want to begin skydiving. !e whole trip (flights, food, the course and local transportation) costs around USD 2000, and includes all the jumps and the seven trainings that are needed in order to proceed alone. !e dates for the events are mentioned on the official Facebook Groups of Skydive Egypt.

Jump Like a Pharaoh - 22nd to 26th of June Although there is no official drop zone yet, there is a large event coming up from the 22nd of June until the 26th called “Jump Like a Pharaoh Vol. 1”. !is epic event will fulfill many skydivers’ dream: to jump above the Pyramids. !e Great Pyramids, being one of the most miraculous existing wonders of the ancient world, have attracted visitors for hundreds of years. !erefore, it comes as no surprise that for skydivers who are in search of a great location, a jump over such a wellknown masterpiece of architecture and world history could be the highlight of their life.

Apart from the skydiving experience itself, the participants can also note it down in their logbook, which records every jump, keeping track of their development, skills, altitude and the kind of plane used.

If you already have some experience, don’t hesitate and go ahead and register! It may be a once-in-a-lifetime experience, seeing as no one has seen the Pyramids from this angle.

Registration can be done online on the homepage of Skydive Egypt and costs USD 1250 including the accommodation, transport, touristic excursions and the jump itself.

If you are a local in Cairo, you can just pay USD 900 for the three jumps.

Sponsorship Skydive Egypt is currently looking for sponsors and supporters who will gain many advantages, such as directly marketing their company or brand on Facebook or to include their logo in the event, which will have extensive media coverage by ON Sports, DMC, CBC and the Egyptian official channel.

Another possibility is that the participants could jump wearing the suits of the potential sponsor while holding flags for their projects and brands.

Ultimately, the most significant advantage lies in the social and ethical meaning of supporting a new, large project in Egypt. !e support that can be given to the Egyptian youth, and to extreme sports in general, can change previous misconceptions and form new opinions about Egypt.

Contact: http://skydiveedgypt.info/ Facebook - Instagram - Twitter : Skydive Egypt

!e altitude for this event will be an impressive 15k feet jump from the mighty Hercules C130. It is necessary for the participants to have done a minimum of 50 jumps before joining the event in Egypt, in order for Skydive Egypt to make sure that only professionals are participating.

Although 50 jumps may sound like a lot to someone who is not part of the scene, but in fact, Sharaf mentions that most people who are coming have already completed 1,000 in different drop zones around the world. Until now, around 60 people from the following countries are expected: Germany, France, Emirates, Syria, England, Egypt, U.S.A, Canada, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Austria, Sweden, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Poland, Russia, Turkey and South Africa.

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FEATURE

W

hether you are planning a trip abroad or will be spending your summer exploring Egypt, packing the right suitcase is a very important step when preparing for your trip. Many of us are guilty of over packing, a habit that we can’t seem to overcome, even when we try to. For this reason, we have brought you several tips on how to pack your bag as efficiently as possible.

A suitable suitcase is definitely worth spending money on. Try to stray away from designer bags, and opt for more convenient ones. As you know yourself best, you will know what size baggage suits you; whether you need a larger one because you usually travel for weeks at a time, or a smaller one that will easily fit in the trunk of any car or in the cabin of a plane.

Try buying a lightweight, soft one, so that it will be more durable and will allow you the flexibility to shape your bag according to what you are packing.

!is is definitely easier said than done. However, when you pack the day before, there is a higher chance that you feel rushed, end up over packing and even forgetting some of your essentials.

To make sure you have everything you need and not a single extra item, create a packing list with the number of outfits, toiletries, accessories and so on that you will need, ticking them off as you place them in your bag.

Although this seems more time-consuming, it saves you the last minute throw-ins and avoids reaching your destination only to end up remembering you forgot items at home.

While some people tell you to roll your clothes as it takes up less space, and some tell you to fold it otherwise your items will wrinkle, knowing what to roll and what to fold is the ideal situation.

Roll softer garments like t-shirts, underwear, jeans and knitwear, which won’t get wrinkled when tightly rolled, and carefully fold any stiffer fabric like blazers or skirts.

Place the rolled items at the bottom of the bag first, with the folded ones on top. !is will leave you with more room and no wrinkly clothes.

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Not only will this help you avoid packing anything extra, it will also eliminate any worries about forgetting a piece of item that you might need.

When you arrive at your destination, you will not have to waste time planning what to wear with what, or find out that you did not get any shirts to wear on specific pants.

Another space-saving technique is placing the socks you will wear for specific shoes inside them, and then placing them in a bag so that they do not dirty any of your clothes. !is will also protect them from bending or getting ruined by any sort of pressure.

Also, try to never pack more than three shoes: one for casualwear, one for sportswear and one for formalwear. Shoes take up a lot of space in bags, and usually anything extra to the previously mentioned are usually never worn.

Toiletries are also other items that take up a lot of unnecessary space. To limit this issue, you can do one of two steps: look for travelsized items, like small toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner, moisturizer or sunscreen bottles, or buy your favorite ones, and empty a part out into clear, empty toiletry sets that they now sell.

Resealable plastic bags have multiple uses, so be sure to have enough. You can place small valuables like chargers or accessories together without worrying about them falling out or getting lost between the larger items, or place your toiletries inside them to avoid any damaging explosions.

Pack extra in case you need to place a wet item in or for food.

!e latter will not obligate you to use a product you are not too fond of only because of its convenient size, and at the same time you can use your favorite choices without taking up too much space.

Also, avoid packing products that are luxuries and not necessities, as you can go a few days without using them and they will save you even more space. To avoid any spills, you can be extra cautious by adding a layer of clingfilm between the bottle and the cap.

If you are travelling by plane, then pack any in-flight essentials you may need, like chargers, passport and wallet, medication, jewelry and cream in a separate bag, and place it in the front pocket of your cabin luggage so that you can access it easily at any point during your trip.

While some avoid this step in order to save space, it is essential to prepare for emergencies. God forbid if something would happen; you would be ready immediately. Make sure you photocopy your itinerary, your hotel reservation and any insurance documents you may need, and also pack a first aid kit and medication, like antibiotics and pain killers.

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COMMUNITY Real People

the Father oF obstetriCs and GyneColoGy

By Rehab Saad

P

rofessor Naguib Pasha Mahfouz, named “the father of obstetrics and gynecology�, received this title after becoming a pioneer in this field in Egypt and the Middle East.

He started his long medical journey in 1903, and was appointed as the first professor at El Kasr el Aini in 1929, before passing away at the age of 92 in 1974.

Mahfouz established a gynecological outpatient clinic, before developing it to be the first obstetrics and gynecology department in Egypt. He has also established the largest and oldest obstetrics and gynecology museum in the Middle East and Africa in 1929.

Our great novelist Naguib Mahfouz was named after the professor, who helped him come safely into the world.

Contributions to the MediCal industry His scientific knowledge, theories and techniques in gynecology and fistulas surgeries had a great impact on his pupils and his methods are still being applied until today.

Mahfouz also reorganized the school of nursing and midwifery and taught there for 30 years, introducing antenatal clinics at El Kasr Al Aini Maternity Hospital for the first time in Egypt.

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In 1902, he voluntarily joined the team that was assigned to combat Cholera, which had broken out in Assuit. !ough he was only 19 years old at that time and still a student, he managed to trace the source of the infection, which was the polluted water supply.

Mahfouz had similar success in fighting the epidemic in other cities in Upper Egypt.

In 1927, he established the first neonates and antenatal clinic, and after it proved successful, the government adopted the scheme nationwide and opened centers in the deprived areas. Moreover, he established the child welfare section, which was considered the first of its kind in Egypt.

His achievements expanded to other countries worldwide. His constant search for surgical techniques of fistula repair created a positive international reputation, and he was invited to many cities, like London, Edinburgh, Oxford and Geneva, to give lectures and showcase documentaries of his operations.

He was also the ob/gyn of the Egyptian royal family, and in 1937, he was granted the title “pasha” which was the highest honour conferred on a civilian in Egypt. He was also gifted the Medal of Education as well as King Farouk’s Prize for Medical Sciences in 1951.

CompliCated Births Behind his determination to be specialized in obstetrics and gynecology, Mahfouz experienced several complex deliveries himself.

“I went with Dr. Shoukry to his clinic to assist him, where I found a lady lying on the operating table. !ey tried unsuccessfully for two hours to deliver the head with forceps, before I tried to bring down a foot. !ey kept trying until the fetus’ body was detached from the head. Unfortunately, at that time, there wasn’t any Egyptian or foreign obstetricians in Egypt, and the patient died the next day,” says Mahfouz in his autobiography.

Since then, he decided to dedicate his life to help women who were suffering from critical birth cases.

estaBlishing and renovating the oBstetriCs and gyneCology museum Among his achievements was the establishment of the Obstetrics and Gynecology Museum in 1929 at his own expense, which was was first opened to the public in 1932. !e museum included more than 2,000 specimens of a unique collection of medical odds, congenital deformities and the patterns of the development of various diseases. It was described by the famous English ob/gyn Sir Eardly Holland as “a remarkable collection”.

Many of the items exhibited in the museum are embryos that lost the biological battle early and died before or during childbirth.

It wasn’t easy to renovate the museum, as the process required expertise and knowledge of solutions and chemical properties to ensure that the embryos, which were placed in glassware, would not be damaged.

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COMMUNITY Real People

Mahfouz did not only prepare the specimens, but also a detailed guide of the museum that explains each case and classifies it. !e guide explained the different cases, congenital malformations of female genital organs, early stages of pregnancy and ending with congenital malformations of fetuses. !e book wasn’t only used as a guide to the museum, but Mahfouz had put in effort to note all of his scientific knowledge and expertise in describing the samples accurately, to be of use for his students. !e third part of the museum focuses on fetal abnormalities and provides a description for each case. !e integration of electronic coding and updated technology, as well as using digital archiving and interactive screens for re-designs, all helped in the process of recuperating the museum back to life, which was renovated and relaunched on March 20, 2018. !e re-opening of the museum coincided with the start of the annual conference of the ob/gyn department, which was held to commemorate Professor Mahfouz. !e department also established an annual award for major scientific contributions in this field, whether locally or internationally. !e first recipient of the award was Professor Kyprios Nicolaides of King’s College in the UK, whose contributions to Fetal Medicine are substantial.

Honors and Prizes In 1919, Professor Mahfouz was granted the Order of the Nile, and in 1935, he was elected as the Honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of England, which was only granted to five distinguished doctors.

In 1937, he became a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of England, the Academy of Medicine of New York and the Royal College of Surgeons of England.

He was also granted an Honorary Fellowship of the Royal Society of Gynecology and Obstetrics of Edinburgh.

Late President Gamal Abdel Nasser granted him the First Class Order of Merit and the State Prize of Distinction for Science in 1960, and was awarded the highest accolade posthumously by Late President Anwar Sadat.

Publications !e Gynecology Atlas was one of Naguib Mahfouz’s greatest publications, which was published in 1949 in three volumes and a copy was kept in the library in London. !e book contains pictures and slides of all the specimens found at the Obstetrics and Gynecology Museum, and was described by Sir Eardley Holland as “the best book in obstetrics and gynecology”. It covers a wide variety of subjects ranging from urinary and fecal fistule, spinal analgesia, fibroids, ectopic pregnancy, gynecological malignancies, pelvic infections and caesarean sections.

Other books include the celebrated “History of Medical Education in Egypt” which he wrote in 1935, the “Principles of Gynecology” and the “Art of Obstetrics”.

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ADVERTORIAL

Mr. Yasser Shaker with the team

AMBASSADOR TO EGYPT, PUBLIC

ORANGE CELEBRATES 20 YEARS IN THE EGYPTIAN MARKET NICOLE SABA GLOWS IN ORANGE EGYPT SOHOUR

Orange Egypt, the leader in the provision of integrated telecommunications services, celebrated its 20th anniversary in the Egyptian market during the annual Suhoor event organized by the company in the presence of His Excellency the French Ambassador to Egypt Stephane Roumtier.

!e Superstar Nicole Saba and Gihan Abdallah

Eng. Yasser Shaker, CEO of Orange Egypt, welcomed the guests which included a number of senior government figures, telecom leaders, Businessmen, stars and celebrities. !e concert began with a spectacular display of fireworks and sound effects that impressed everyone. Orange surprised the audience with the brilliant Lebanese star Nicole Saba, who sang some of her most famous songs.

At the end of the celebration, Fabrica music band performed a wonderful performance that dazzled the audience and interacted with everyone.

Mr. Yasser Shaker with Dhaffer L’Abidine and H.E.. Stephan Romatet, French Ambassador of Egypt

COMMUNITY Fieldwork

Donating BeyonD the Month of RaMadan

By Najla Riad

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amadan is always the month where most people donate food, clothes and money to needy people. But what about after this holy month where generosity flows most?

!ere are five famous charity organisations that get good recognition with very legitimate causes and who rely on support to be able to continue their work. !ese are: !e Magdy Yaqoub Heart Foundation that is known for its advanced technology in the treatment of heart diseases; Misr Al Kheir Foundation that supports education, health, scientific research and social services; !e Egyptian Food Bank that addresses issues of hunger and food wastage through feeding programs mostly; the Orman Charity Association that specializes in empowering people

through employment programs mostly; and 57357 Children’s Cancer Hospital Foundation which is a state-of-the art hospital that provides break-through treatment to children, not only from Egypt but also region-wide. !ese five organisations have collected a good amount of donations that are somewhere between 100 million and 500 million Egyptian Pounds in the year 2015/2016 (statistics are mentioned in Al Masry Al Youm newspaper). !is doesn’t mean that one should stop donating to their good causes, but there are also other smaller organisations that probably need support and are legitimate enough to donate to.

Baheya Foundation

!is is a non-profitable foundation for the early detection and treatment of breast cancer. !e treatment is provided free of charge to women who suffer the disease, starting from the early stage. Also, donations help with medications for Egyptian women in need.

Alwan Wa Awtar

!is is a non-profit organization registered with the Ministry of Social Affairs with the aim of providing a safe haven for marginalized children where they can nurture their artistic senses, develop their creativity and intellectual abilities and experience self-discovery in a stimulating, non-judgmental environment. !e marginalized communities have little or no access to after-school activities, let alone visual and performing arts, therefore, the organization offers an innovative setting which combines art and nonformal education; a setting that is designed to enrich the learning experience of the children.

Save the Children Organisation

Save the Children works to protect boys and girls from abuse, neglect, exploitation, and violence and ensures that children who are not receiving appropriate, continuous and quality care from family members or caregivers are able to live in a protective environment. !e organisation works in collaboration with government partners, which helps develop stronger national policies and standards to protect children at risk and to provide safe alternative care.

Save the Children also works to ensure that mothers and families have access to health and nutrition services, especially to improve the health status of mothers and children in the most deprived areas in Egypt.

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Care Egypt

CARE’s work in Egypt began in 1954 with the introduction of a nationwide school meals program. !ey are now actively involved in development programs particularly in Upper Egypt, where more than 50 percent of the nation’s poor live, as well as promoting and supporting quality education and girls’ leadership.

The Egyptian Autistic Society

Its mission is to cater to individuals with Autism and their families and to increase awareness and understanding of Autism in Egypt. !e Society starts with an assessment program to find out if the child is on the autistic spectrum or not. !e second step is skills assessment. !e aim of this is to know exactly where the child is on every skill such as communication, social skills, academic skills and behavior. !en, an Individual Education Plan (IEP) is written up for each child. !is is a personal program which aims to improve the child’s weak points and develop further his/her strengths.

A meeting is then arranged with the parents to decide on the best place to implement the IEP. Placement options are usually one of the following; Headstart full time, nursery part/full time with a shadow teacher, school part/full time with a shadow teacher. !e Headstart offers approximately 25 hours of work a week. !e family is expected to cover at least another 15 hours of work. !e Society also provides trained staff to be sent to the home to help parents provide a structured set up for their child. Support for the parents also includes advice on day-to-day issues that arise when dealing with the children. A therapist spends several hours with the child and his family at home teaching them how to do things in the house with the child, like making a sandwich or help clean up.

Helm

Helm, translating to “Dream”, is a non-profit organisation that aims to promote the full inclusion of people with disabilities in all aspects of life, and specifically, to facilitate their employment and ensure that private and public premises are accessible to all. It also provides Career and Counseling Services that utilize every talent, skill and ability, empowering them to become independent and help private and public institutions to become accessible for everyone.

Helm was the first prize-winner in Negma Social Entrepreneurship Competition in MIT, USA in 2013, and was also awarded the Rise Egypt Fellowship, Harvard University, USA for 2014-2016.

Wataneya Society

!e Society helps to apply quality standards in the orphanages, in developing orphan youth to be able to lead and change the societal perspective of orphans. !ey also develop caregivers at the orphanages professionally to learn how to interact with the orphans.

One of their aims is the social inclusion of orphans from an early age, and from here came the concept of the School Program, in which each school adopts an orphanage and helps with several activities to be implemented by the students in the school and the orphanage.

Wataneya has introduced several projects such as “Sanad” to develop a prototype model for orphanages applying the quality standards for care, and “Forsa”, another project that aims at giving orphans equal opportunities and be able to play an active role in the society like their peers of the same age.

Of course, for those who wish to donate to any of the above organisations, I would say it is best to read through their programs and see that there are actual applications to their programs, as well as pay them a visit before the final decision.

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COMMUNITY Fieldwork

VOCATIONAL WORKSHOP AYDE Introduces its Activities to Homeless Children AYDE held a workshop for homeless children at the Horreya institution. Five British University in Egypt students took part in the vocational training for children within a frame of joyful celebrations.

The event encompassed several vocational learning activities such as making accessories, fashion, shoes, ceramics designing and coloring. The workshop is not only about learning, but also served as entertainment to the crowd, including clowns, DJs, drummers and a color fight to create a festive atmosphere.

This workshop introduces children to AYDE center ’s concept and its various activities, with an added benefit of promotion. Several brands are sponsoring the event, like Careem as the official carrier, Samsung, CIB

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and Orange, while partnering with Tahya Misr.

AYDE center is an association for children’s development in Egypt that was founded in 2018, and introduces solutions for street children, providing them with economic independency and securing their future instead of returning back to the streets by the age of 18.

For more information, please visit their social media pages: Facebook: Aydecenter.org Instagram: Aydecenter Twitter: AydEcenter

ADVERTORIAL

MERCEDES-BENZ EGYPT LAUNCHES A NEW PROGRAM FOR CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED VEHICLES Mercedes-Benz Egypt launched a new customer centric program where customers can buy and sell used MercedesBenz cars. Also, Mercedes-Benz owners can trade in their cars for a new one or a used certified car. Every MercedesBenz car included in this Program must pass rigorous safety, mechanical, electrical and history checks before being awarded a 12 months’ warranty, 24hrs roadside assistance, and full service history.

All preowned Mercedes-Benz certified vehicles on display are meticulously checked inside out, under the bonnet and on the road by a specialized Mercedes-Benz technician. MercedesBenz Certified vehicles are only displayed at the Mercedes-

Benz authorized dealerships after been reconditioned to meet the Mercedes-Benz quality standards. !rough this new program, Mercedes-Benz Egypt provides its customers with the best comprehensive experience allowing them to sell their used cars and buy new or certified used cars, all under one roof. In addition, the program provides its customers with several financing options to support the purchase of the certified cars they prefer, rendering this program a perfect option for those who desire to own a Mercedes-Benz.

BUSINESS

Business news Foxconn the iPhone manufacturer meets with Prime Minister

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rime Minister Sherif Ismail met on Wednesday with executives from Taiwanese electronics giant Foxconn Group to discuss potential partnerships in manufacturing, according to a cabinet statement. !e meeting comes one day after representatives of the company, formally known as Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., met with executives from the Arab Organization for Industry (AOI) and ICT Minister Yasser El Kady to discuss a potential collaboration to locally manufacture tablet devices for the Education Ministry.

British American Tobacco invests in Egypt

B

ritish American Tobacco is planning to invest GBP 30 mn in Egypt over the next 12 months to add new production lines to its factories, General Manager Steven Harvie announced. !e company plans to focus on marketing its Pall Mall cigarette brand during the coming period, in addition to developing other products. A portion of the investment will also be used to set up the company’s new head office in New Cairo.

CIB launches digital microloans program for rideshare drivers

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areem drivers can now apply for, receive and repay small loans using CIB’s Smart Wallet application, according to the bank’s Chief Digital Officer Mohamed Farag.

Education Minister Tarek Shawki separately told Al Mal that the Education Ministry received seven offers from international technology companies to supply tablets for schools.

Furthermore, the Ismail Cabinet had announced earlier that the government was hoping to raise as much as EGP 15-18 bn from the first phase of the privatization program, which will run from June to the end of 2018 or early 2019, and see state-owned petroleum and petrochemical industries companies offer additional stakes and list new shares on the EGX. A cabinet committee that includes the ministers of investment, finance, petroleum, and public enterprises is overseeing the privatization program, which include some 23 companies.

Telecom Egypt and Huawei sign agreement

T

elecom Egypt and China’s Huawei Technologies signed a USD 200 mn long-term financing agreement with a number of Chinese financial institutions, including the Bank of China and the China Export and Credit Insurance Corporation (Sinosure). !e four-year loan, which Huawei facilitated for TE with competitive financing conditions,” will be used to finance the roll out of TE’s 4G services and “the deployment of transmission and core networks. TE has several strategic long-term expansion plans to be delivered in the coming years. To achieve such plans it has worked on attaining long-term financing at the lowest possible cost as well as the most convenient payment terms to match cash flow generation. !e news comes as TE is still reportedly seeking a USD 200 mn short-term facility from the African Export-Import

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Bank, which sources said will be used to finance the USD 90 mn acquisition of MENA Cables from Orascom Telecom Media and Technology, as well as other investments in telecom infrastructure.

!e CIB digital loan platform will analyze each driver’s performance based on the number of trips, working hours, and other criteria to tailor individual loans of up to EGP 3,000, which will be repayable over three months. !e ride-hailing app had signed an agreement with CIB last year to manage its cash inflows through the Smart Wallet, which also allows Careem to pay out bonuses and special incentives to its drivers.

Industrial license issuances are up 25x since Industrial Permits Act

C

utting red tape is doing wonders for the industry, with the number of permits for plants growing 25 times since the Industrial Permits Act was signed into law last summer, Industrial Development Authority head Ahmed Abdel Razek said. !e authority has issued 8,400 licenses since the law came into effect versus 340 the year before, he tells Bloomberg

in an interview. !e law effectively cuts the wait-time to receive approval for permits to seven or 30 days (depending on the licensing track) from a previous average of 600 days.

Domestic and foreign manufacturers alike are driving demand for licenses: “A lot of existing investors are expanding, and many foreign investors started to enter the Egyptian market after they found a good investing environment,” he added. “Half of the requests for land on my waiting lists are by foreign investors.”

What’s next for the Authority? Making more land available for industrial use, said Abdel Razek. To attract more interest, the authority plans to offer about 30 mn sqm of land for industrial purposes through 2020, up from 9.5 mn sqm in the period between 2007 and 2016.

China’s GCL Group to establish USD 2 bn solar panel factory with Military Production Authority

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he Military Production Authority signed an MoU with China’s GCL Group to establish a USD 2 bn solar panel factory, according to a Military Production Ministry statement. !e facility will produce solar panels with a projected generation capacity of 5 GW per annum. Panels will be manufactured using local silica sand. !e statement is otherwise scant on details on the project, and does not clarify whether the two sides have reached an agreement on the location or timeline of implementation for the project.

Egypt in the foreign press

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Budget watch

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resident Abdel Fattah El Sisi will reportedly receive the FY201819 state budget “within days” after it comes to a vote at the House of Representatives. !e bill contains a number of scenarios for how to adjust for a potential surge in global oil prices, sources with knowledge of the matter tell Al Mal. !e rise in global oil prices has been a source of concern, as state estimates put the barrel at an average USD 67 in the budget. Oil prices, however, have been on a steady incline, trading at levels not seen since 2014, with Brent crude briefly crossing the USD 80/bbl mark in recent weeks. Some MPs had called on the government to amend its fuel price projections if it hopes to meet its target budget deficit of 8.4% of GDP.

hen not discussing Mo Salah or the recent clampdown on activists, the foreign press appears to have caught the summer vacation bug, and Egypt is high on the radar.

A number of leading publications Enterprise follows have run travel features on Egypt. National Geographic explorer Yukinori Kawae says now is the best time to visit the Giza Pyramids.

Kawae suggests visiting the Giza Plateau in May or June, and particularly on the summer solstice on 21 June, when the sun sets between the pyramids and creates the hieroglyphic sign of ‘Akhet,’ which means horizon.

Source of the above: from the online “Enterprise”

New financing for development of electricity grid

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he government has allocated EGP 25 bn to develop the country’s electricity grid over the next two years, Electricity Minister Mohamed Shaker told reporters, according to Al Masry Al Youm. Ministers also signed off on a USD 198 mn loan from the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development earmarked for the nation’s power grid.

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BUSINESS

Samsung Launches All New Galaxy J-Series in Egypt The new range comes with enhanced display and camera functionality

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amsung Electronics Egypt announced the launch of the Galaxy J4 and Galaxy J6 smartphones in the local market. With sleek designs, powerful cameras, and Super AMOLED screens, the new range delivers high quality performance.

The Galaxy J4 !e Galaxy J4 stands out with its 5.5-inch Super AMOLED display that offers precise color reproduction and a wide color range. Users will be astounded by the lifelike picture quality — it’s perfect for watching movies – and despite the vastness of the display, the streamlined design and compact body ensures a supremely comfortable grip. !e 5MP front camera enables users to get high-resolution selfies that deliver bright, stunning images again and again.

With the adjustable LED flash, dark surroundings don’t have to mean dark pictures anymore as consumers can take glamorous selfies even in low light conditions. It even suggests appropriate themes and background music.

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!e Galaxy J4 has numerous life-enhancing features to simplify the everyday routine; keeping private data safe in its Secure Folder, and easily creating separate messenger accounts.

The Galaxy J6 !e Galaxy J6 continues the trend with its Infinity Design, giving users more display area without increasing the dimensions of the device. Featuring an 18.5:9 aspect ratio, the device provides end-to-end viewing and more browsing space, while the AMOLED screen delivers deeper contrasts and more vivid colors. !e Galaxy J6 features with a 5.6” HD+ display and Samsung’s Super AMOLED display technology. It is encased in an ergonomic design that fits comfortably in the palm of the hand.

Sporting incredible camera capabilities, the Galaxy J6 has a low-aperture lens, allowing consumers to capture sharp, clear photos in low light conditions, without sacrificing image quality at any time of the day. !e Galaxy J6 also comes with a 13MP rear camera, while the 8MP front camera features an adjustable selfie flash, allowing users to snap stylish selfies. !e Galaxy J6 comes with 3,000mAh battery and runs on latest Android operating system – Android Oreo.

ADVERTORIAL

RIVETTE: WHERE GOOD TIMES FLOURISH Extraordinary life experiences stay in our memories forever. People strive to revisit past adventures hoping to recapture a magical moment of the past and thus reflect on who they are now.

Rivette, a state-of-the-art retail area, is located at KM 136 of the Alexandria-desert road – the heart of the North Coast. It is surrounded by the vibrant community of Amwaj and overlooks the astounding sea shores of Sidi Abdel Rahman. It is the place where the good times flourish.

Rivette is spread over a land area of 62000 m2. It promises shoppers, tenants, and surrounding residents to bring all family members together and have them

share their aspirations. It has something for everyone; indoor and outdoor retail, dining, entertainment outlets, and a 1418 m2 kids’ area.

It also features a wide range of furniture shops, food & beverage facilities, and beauty stores that include Mistiqa, Oya Lounge, Al Dayaa, Mawlawiyah, Mopepa, Buffalo Burger, Mazaya, Perk N’ Puff and Abu Auf, as well as Dukes, Vodafone, Intersport, Sketchers and Brush.

With the intention of offering the communities of the area with the best services, Al Ahly for Real Estate Development uses its immense experience and unique capabilities in order to offer a treasured experience that values individuality and caters to a wide range of people.

DESTINATIONS Scenes

Heaven in HurgHada:

The exquisiTe BeauTy ThaT is MahMeya island

By Mona Bassel

As someone who spent their childhood at the likes of Alexandria and the North Coast, visiting Hurghada was a much-needed change of pace. After all, it is difficult to partake in the Mediterranean Sea vs. Red Sea debate when you haven’t been to the latter since you were five. !e coastal city is slowly trying to revive its tourism, an industry that many companies there rely on in order to stay afloat in Egypt’s fluctuating economy.

While hotels and clubs attempt to attract patrons by offering lower prices and all-inclusive packages, one particular gem offers something much more valuable, something priceless: a day in heaven at Mahmeya Island.

THe HisTory In July 1998, a group of ambitious Egyptians decided to create a new attraction that would differentiate itself among the many hotels and resorts in Hurghada. Because they were residents who were already well acquainted with the touristic city, their eyes landed on a secluded island away from the hustle and bustle of the busy coast, and thus the idea for Mahmeya Island was born. Adopting the slogan “Where You Can Plant a Dream”, the founders worked tirelessly to nurture their idea and provide visitors with a one-of-a-kind getaway from life’s stresses and burdens. !is year, the island is celebrating its 20th anniversary.

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Mahmeya means “protected” in Arabic, and earning this name was no small feat. Working under the supervision of the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency, the innovators made it their mission to create an eco-friendly resort that would not impact the spectacular environment around it. Until today, they pride themselves in committing to environmentally responsible, eco-friendly practices, starting with how they park their boats away from coral reefs all the way to how the resort operates on a day-today basis.

The ATmosphere The hisTory

In July 1998, a group of ambitious Egyptians decided Mahmeya means “protected” in Arabic, It’s no wonder that people refer to Mahmya Once you are done gazing intowas the no small feat. Working unde to create a new attraction that would differentiate itself name Island as Heaven in Hurghada.

During the screensaver-like view and you have settled among the many hotels and resorts in Hurghada. Because the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Age boat ride from the beach, you can’t help into your own seating area under the mission shade, to create an ecothey were residents who were already well acquainted with made it their but feel less and less stressed as you watch it is difficult not to jump into the water right the touristic city, their eyes landed on a secluded island would not impact the spectacular envir the buildings and resorts slowly fade away away – but that is a good thing, because then away from the hustle and bustle of the busy coast, and thus it. Until today, they pride themselves in into the horizon. you are onlywas born.you will bethe able to get a environmentally proper view of the the ideaSuddenly, for Mahmeya Island Adopting slogan responsible, eco-frien surrounded by ripples of blue – and a few the founders resort itself from the water.

“Where You Can Plant a Dream,” worked starting with how they park their boats dolphins, if luck is on your side.

You are tirelessly to nurture their idea and provide visitors with a reefs all the way to how the resort oper seeminglyone-of-a-kind in the middle of nowhere, until thestresses Aside from the ground-level one, the resort getaway from life’s and burdens. day basis. island comes into view. includes an additional seating area one floor !is year, the island is celebrating its 20th anniversary. up for those seeking a more private, relaxing Located in the tucked away Giftun Island, experience. Nearby is a bar serving a variety the day-use resort features a sandy beach of fresh and bottled beverages, ranging decorated with straw umbrellas for shade, from fruit cocktails and smoothies to beers as well as a few chaise longues and beanbag and spirits. Visitors can also enjoy a broad chairs. As soon as you get off the boat, you selection of desserts as well as shisha, so can’t help but feel like you have stepped onto there’s something for everyone! You won’t an island in the Caribbean. need to get up to order anything though; the friendly staff members are always around to !e sand is white and soft, and the crystal make sure their guests are taken care of. clear water is shallow near the shore; showcasing very light shades of blue, only A few steps up lead to the resort’s restaurant, interrupted by a few patches of navy blue where patrons can come for lunch after here and there. In the distance, the water swimming and going on supervised gradually turns dark blue; signifying the snorkeling excursions. !anks to the deep waters only experienced swimmers and rich marine life around the island, no two divers have the audacity to approach. snorkeling trips are ever the same; so it is natural to feel hungry after all that excitement!

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DESTINATIONS Scenes

The Food Despite its distance from the beach, it is clear that the masterminds behind Mahmeya Island are keen on offering food made from fresh, high quality ingredients. !eir open buffet and a la carte menu both boast a variety of options for adults and kids alike, but it is the a la carte seafood items that gain the lion’s share of orders, and with good reason. From seafood pizza, platters of shrimp, calamari and fish, and seafood tajines, it can be very challenging to choose – especially when you are hungry after spending so much time in the sun.

Although I don’t generally eat a lot of seafood, I felt like a day by the beach should naturally be complemented by a seafood meal. I ordered the seafood tajine (minus the fish), along with a side of rice, tahini and a green salad. While food in heaven does not come cheap, its price tag was explained when I saw the hefty portions. !e tajine is made for sharing, and it managed to fill two hungry stomachs with leftovers to spare.

Filled with a superb medley of shrimp and calamari in a rich tomato sauce, I knew it was the dish I would choose the next time I came.

You don’t need an expensive plane ticket to enjoy a slice of heaven; you are already there.

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The Beach While the beauty of the island is bound to make people come back for more, it might be difficult for some – especially Hurghada residents – to go there on a regular basis. !e challenge of finding a good private beach in Hurghada when you are not staying at a hotel remains expensive and unfeasible in the long term.

With that in mind, the creators of Mahmeya decided to establish a more accessible piece of heaven for those unable to visit the island: Mahmeya Beach.

Once you pass under the Arabesque-style sign at the entrance, you are faced with the beach on your left, where a variety of yellow, green, blue and orange umbrellas provide shade for comfy chaise longues and beanbag chairs. !e water is only shallow for the first few feet or so, followed by a drop-off point that leads to deeper waters where you can enjoy a quick swim or grab your snorkeling goggles to take a look at the rich marine life beneath the surface. A few steps behind lies a beach tennis court that is fun for kids and adults alike, next to comfortable bed-like seating areas that are ideal for napping or reading.

Behind the court is a green area that includes a few children’s games and showers, but is also perfect for people who would like to tan without getting sand in their hair.

On the right, and in addition to the showers, bathrooms and offices, is the restaurant. Decorated with warm, vibrant colors, the restaurant includes tables and couches

by the sea where hungry patrons can take their pick from a variety of dishes, including breakfast foods, pizzas, steak, pastas, seafood dishes, desserts and more. You could order your food from the comfort of your seating area on the beach and they will let you know when it is ready, or you can order a refreshing beverage delivered to your chaise longue. You can also order your own shisha and enjoy it right on the beach.

I decided to go for a fried calamari platter this time to stay in tune with the seaside mood, and I was pleasantly surprised. !e calamari was crispy, coated with a wellseasoned batter and accompanied by an exquisite tartar sauce. One friend tried the steak, while another opted for the seafood platter and a third decided to go for the seafood pizza, and the reviews were raving all around. !e next morning, we decided to go for one last meal in heaven, deciding on Spanish omelets for breakfast, and the superb quality only went on and on.

The BoTTom Line While places like the Maldives or Hawaii advertise themselves as amazing summer destinations, some Egyptians don’t realize that their country has beaches that are just as - if not more - spectacular. You don’t need an expensive plane ticket to enjoy a slice of heaven; you are already there.

Website: mahmya.com Facebook: /Mahmya.Island or /MahmyaBeach

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DESTINATIONS Travel “From the air, Mongolia looks like God’s preliminary sketch for the earth, not so much a country as the ingredients out of which countries are made: grass, rock, water, and wind.”

- Stanley Stewart, in the Empire of Genghis Khan

Mongolia: The Land of Well-Grounded Mystery

By Katharina Froehlich

M

ost people are unfamiliar with Mongolia, not knowing that it is one of the largest countries in Asia, and is – to many people’s surprise – a beautiful city to visit and explore.

Mongolia is located between China and Russia and is sparsely populated by only around three million people, since most of the country is a deserted landscape.

I often get asked why I took the decision to go to this seemingly uninteresting country, and the answer is that I actually stumbled across it while I was taking a train from Moscow to Beijing. I spontaneously decided to get off for a few days once we reached Ulaanbaatar, which is Mongolia’s capital.

I do not regret my decision to explore it by myself, and here is why.

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The Capital Ulaanbaatar is the largest city in Mongolia. Upon your first visit, you will feel that it is poised on the edge between the West and the East, undecided on which way to go yet.

Getting around in Ulaanbaatar by taxi or private transportation is easy, cheap and does not require a guide. Otherwise, the city encourages you to explore it by foot as many areas are dedicated to pedestrians only.

National Museum of Mongolia Ulaanbaatar is the ideal spot to start off your trip, especially when it comes to learning about the country’s long and impressive history. !e Mongol Empire existed during the 13th and 14th Centuries and was the largest contiguous land empire in history. It was founded in 1206 by Genghis Khan, a very influential ruler who finally united most of northern Asia.

Many objects that have been preserved from this time, like uniforms or war gear, are on display in the National Museum of Mongolia. It was interesting to learn that the Great Wall of China was actually built to protect the Chinese

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DESTINATIONS Travel Ghenghis Statue Complex Around one hour away from the capital, on the Tuul River at Tsonjin, visitors catch sight of a 40-meter high statue of Genghis Khan on a horse. I would definitely say that no visit to the area is complete without a trip to this famous landmark.

I hopped on a bus in Ulaanbaatar and was not actually sure that the driver was taking me to the right place, therefore I would not really recommend this way of getting there if you are not as adventurous. A more convenient process would be booking a half-day tour with a guided group, which will also include lunch.

Prices should not be higher than USD 50 per person.

For more information, you can visit: www.travelgobimongolia.com.

Gandan Buddhist Monastery of Ulaanbaatar I didn’t plan on visiting the Buddhist Monastery until so many fellow travelers recommended it. !e word “Gandan” translates to “the large place of complete joy”.

Entering the monastery, everything felt peaceful and the beauty of the place surprised me, although parts of it had been destroyed during Stalin’s ruling. !e highlight for me was the very artistic 10-meter high golden Buddha statue inside the main house.

Turning the prayer wheels at the end of your visit while you are standing between the monks will give you a sense of peace. A perfect way to end a long day of sightseeing.

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If you are looking for a captivating impression and some high-class dining experiences like those you find in New York or Las Vegas, Mongolia should not be your first travel choice. However, if you desire beautiful landscapes and astonishing nature, it absolutely is the place to go.

Many spots have not yet been touched by people, which will lead to the marvelous nature conversation you will experience upon your visit to the countryside. !e Gobi Desert and Terelj National Park are the best places to go to if you have limited time.

All trips require solid preparation, and I would recommend you plan it with a travel agency such as www.gobitour.com.

Gobi Desert !e Gobi Desert stretches through most of Mongolia and also through a large part of northern China. Up until now, a vast part of the Mongolian population, the nomads, are still living in yurts in the area, which are the traditional dwelling of nomadic families in Mongolia. !e insides of these solidly built tents are painted in orange with colorful symbolic designs that are inspired by nature.

For most of the tourists I met, one of the main reasons behind visiting Mongolia was to leave their “civilized� world behind and to spend a couple of days in a yurt, far away from any phones, social media activities and everything else that can stop them from living to their full potential.

Renting a yurt through a travel agency in Ulaanbaatar is easy, and most of them are well equipped and have all the basics you could need. Also, the best way to discover the endless desert areas is on horseback.

For the more courageous or adventurous ones, I suggest spending a couple of days with a nomadic family in their yurt, which can be arranged for a small fee.

Unfortunately, I stayed with one of these families for just one night, but got to taste the delicious meat dumplings and Airag, which is fermented horse milk - the country’s national drink.

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DESTINATIONS Travel Gorchi Terelj National Park Very much opposite to the sand and stone desert I had just visited, Gorchi Terelj National Park makes you feel like you have miraculously transported to Switzerland, with picturesque green mountains, small lakes and beautiful landscapes of green steppe with unknown kinds of colorful flowers. !is protected area in the north of Ulaanbaatar is well-known for its wild horses, which are fighting extinction with the help of many international wildlife organizations.

While it might be difficult to see wild horses when you are in the desert, they are everywhere in Gorchi Terelj National Park and you can silently watch them roam around in their natural habitat. While being on the lookout for them, you might see something else that is quite bizarre: gigantic statues of authentic-looking dinosaurs that are spread out throughout one area of the park.

For more info, you can visit www.toursmongolia.com

General Information People From my experience, the Mongolian citizens are honest, loyal and very helpful. Upon my arrival, I was quite lost walking around the train station when I realized that the hotel I had booked in advance was a scam. When I asked a group of young Mongolians for advice on what to do, they did not hesitate to help me out by carrying my heavy luggage and finding me a new hotel in the same area, later on inviting me to have lunch with their families.

Weather !e weather could maybe be the biggest hindrance when planning your trip. I made the mistake of not considering the weather conditions during my journey and ended up in the country in the middle of February when the temperatures were as low as -15 degrees Celsius.

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Generally, I would definitely recommend a visit in the summer months, especially for lighter luggage. !e best months to visit are from May to September, with temperatures around 25 degrees Celsius during the daytime.

Transportation and Accommodation In Ulaanbaatar, you will find taxis, however, many people get around using autostop – asking for a ride from a stranger who happens to be going in the same direction. At the end of your ride, you can just pay what you feel it was worth. !is may seem like an unusual way to move around, but on the other hand, it shows how much the Mongolians trust each other.

In the countryside, the best way to get around is by renting a jeep with or without a driver. Otherwise, you could also try to travel by horse or by the yak, a large domesticated wild ox with shaggy hair and large horns.

To find a hotel will usually not be a problem in Ulaanbaatar.

If you are looking for 4 or 5-star accommodation, I would recommend the Royal Mountain Hotel for EGP 1,500 for a double room/night.

Otherwise, Voyage Hotel (EGP 900 for a double room) is a satisfactory 3-star choice.

Festivals If your goal is to really get immersed in the Mongolian culture, there is absolutely no better way than to join the Naadam festival, a sophisticated and eloquent expression of nomadic culture and also the main festival celebrated there. !e three-day celebration takes place once per year in July and is held in every village and town around Mongolia, in which sports competitions such as traditional Mongolian wrestling, horse racing, and archery take place.

Festivals are a significant part of the Mongolian culture and really proved to me that people can live happily in countries where the living conditions, especially the weather, are harsh. www.naadamfestival.com

Hinduism is the main religion in India, occupying 80% of the population, followed by Islam at 14%.

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MIND, BODY & SOUL

How to Prevent Skin Peeling After Sunburns While many of us have been waiting for the summer to finally sit by the beach and get a tan, sometimes relaxing under the sun has its consequences. I believe we have all been there: going back to your hotel room or house not wanting anything within close proximity to you to avoid any increase in pain and discomfort.

Not only that, it is safe to say that most of us dread the unattractive peeling stage that we feel is unavoidable. !at is why we decided to put together a few remedies that can prevent skin peeling.

Hydrate Hydrated skin will be able to repair itself after any dehydration that may have occurred due to sun exposure. It is important to make up for this loss of liquids in your body. We would highly recommend drinking unsweetened ice tea as well as water because both green and black tea hold antioxidants that also help in repairing sun damage.

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Take a Cold Shower Sunburned skin needs cold water to cool it down. However, avoid using any harsh soaps or exfoliators as they may irritate the skin and increase the risk of peeling. Stay clear from bathing with hot water, as it will dry your skin out even more and encourage peeling.

You can also opt for an oatmeal or soda bath to help relieve the burn. Oatmeal baths assist the skin to retain its natural moisture and limits peeling. Stir in three cups of oatmeal into a bath filled with room temperature water, before soaking in it for 15 to 30 minutes. If you do this daily, it is highly likely that you will not peel at all after a sunburn.

Although it sounds strange, a baking soda bath will help in the restoration of your skin’s pH balance, calming down any irritation. Add ž of a cup of baking soda to a tub filled with room temperature water, and soak in it for 15 to 20 minutes before rinsing the mixture off.

Keep a Balanced Diet Although this may not seem like it would create a direct effect, consuming a balanced diet consisted of a lot of water, fruits and vegetables that contain protein, iron and vitamins A, C and E will help your skin heal from the sunburn and reduce the possibility of peeling.

Moisturize Immediately after getting out of a shower, apply a fair amount of moisturizer, focusing mainly on the sunburned areas. However, try to avoid using ones that contain alcohols, retinols and AHAs, which dry out the skin and can cause irritation.

If you want to try more natural remedies, then you can use baby oil, coconut oil or honey. Aloe vera is also a highly recommended option as it is very well known for its soothing properties that prevent infection and help with healing. If you place it in the refrigerator before applying it to your skin, it will be even more effective.

You could also apply tea to your skin as the acids it contains prove to be great remedies. Cool some black tea in the refrigerator before spraying it on your skin, or even place a tea bag on the damaged areas.

Another alternative would be placing white or apple cider vinegar in an empty spray bottle to apply it to your sunburned areas. It will help prevent blisters and peeling.

Finally, you can try soaking a washcloth in some cold whole milk before placing it on your sunburn two to three times a day to help reduce irritation.

Avoid Scratching Although sunburns leave you with a horrible urge to scratch, this will only increase tissue damage, making it impossible to avoid peeling. Whenever this urge sets in, take a cold shower or follow any of the previous remedies to soothe the irritation for immediate relief.

Avoid Further Exposure This should go without saying, that once you feel like you have got a sunburn, it is best to stay away from its exposure, especially during noon, to avoid further damage. Not only will this increase the risk of peeling, it can worsen your burn, making it more painful and uncomfortable. If you must go out in the sun, then apply sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher, and wear protective clothing like hats.

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CUISINE

Summer Soup Recipes Spanish Gazpacho Soup IngredIents: Đ ĐSLICESĐSTALEĐCRUSTYĐBREAD ĐCRUSTSĐ REMOVEDĐANDĐTORNĐINTOĐSMALLERĐ CHUNKS Đ ĐKILOGRAMĐRIPEĐTOMATOES ĐROUGHLYĐ CHOPPED Đ ĐSMALLĐCUCUMBER ĐPEELEDĐANDĐ CHOPPED Đ ĐMEDIUMĐREDĐBELLĐPEPPER ĐCOREDĐANDĐ ROUGHLYĐCHOPPED Đ ĐCLOVEĐGARLIC ĐPEELEDĐANDĐCHOPPED Đ vĐONION ĐROUGHLYĐCHOPPED Đ ĐTABLESPOONSĐVINEGAR Đ vĐCUPĐOLIVEĐOIL Đ 0INCHĐOFĐCUMIN ĐTOĐTASTE Đ 0INCHĐOFĐDRYĐOREGANO ĐTOĐTASTE Đ 0INCHĐOFĐCAYENNEĐPEPPER ĐTOĐTASTE Đ 3ALTĐANDĐBLACKĐPEPPER ĐTOĐTASTE Đ #ROUTONS ĐDICEDĐVEGGIES ĐCREAMĐORĐ BACON ĐFORĐGARNISHĐ OPTIONAL Đ

dIrectIons: Đ 3OAKĐTHEĐBREADĐFORĐ ĐMINUTESĐINĐAĐ SMALLĐBOWLĐWITHĐENOUGHĐWATERĐTOĐ KEEPĐITĐSUBMERGED Đ Đ 2EMOVEĐFROMĐWATERĐANDĐSQUEEZEĐOUTĐ ALMOSTĐALLĐTHEĐMOISTUREĐWITHĐYOURĐ HANDS Đ )NĐAĐLARGEĐBOWL ĐADDĐALLĐTHEĐ INGREDIENTSĐANDĐMIXĐTOĐCOMBINE Đ 5SINGĐAĐSTRONGĐBLENDER ĐBLENDĐTHEĐ MIXTUREĐINĐBATCHES ĐUNTILĐVERYĐ SMOOTH Đ Đ 0ASSĐTHEĐMIXTUREĐTHROUGHĐAĐCOARSEĐ SIEVE ĐPUSHINGĐWITHĐTHEĐBACKĐOFĐAĐ WOODENĐSPOON Đ Đ )FĐDESIRED ĐBLENDĐWHATEVERĐWASĐCAUGHTĐ INĐTHEĐSIEVEĐANDĐMIXĐTHATĐWITHĐTHEĐ SOUP ĐFORĐAĐCHUNKIERĐVERSION Đ 4ASTEĐANDĐADJUSTĐSEASONING ĐTHENĐ COVERĐANDĐREFRIGERATEĐFORĐ ĐHOURĐUNTILĐ WELLĐCHILLED Đ "EFOREĐSERVING ĐADJUSTĐSEASONINGĐANDĐ SERVEĐINĐINDIVIDUALĐGLASSESĐORĐSOUPĐ BOWLS Đ

Zucchini-Basil Soup IngredIents: ĐCUPĐSLICEDĐLEEKSĐ THEĐTENDERĐWHITEĐANDĐLIGHTĐ GREENĐPARTSĐONLY Đ /LIVEĐOIL ĐFORĐDRIZZLING Đ ĐGARLICĐCLOVE ĐCHOPPED Đ ĐSMALLĐZUCCHINI ĐCHOPPED ĐANDĐAĐFEWĐSTRANDSĐOFĐ JULIENNEDĐZUCCHINIĐFORĐGARNISH Đ *UICEĐOFĐvĐLEMON ĐMOREĐTOĐTASTE Đ vĐTABLESPOONĐMISOĐPASTE Đ ĐCUPĐWATER ĐMOREĐASĐNEEDEDĐFORĐCONSISTENCY Đ vĐCUPĐFRESHĐBASIL Đ 3ALTĐANDĐBLACKĐPEPPER Garlic croutons: Đ ĐCUPSĐCUBEDĐSOURDOUGHĐBREAD Đ vĐGARLICĐCLOVE ĐMINCED Đ /LIVEĐOIL ĐFORĐDRIZZLING dIrectIons: Đ 3LICEĐTHEĐWHITEĐANDĐLIGHTĐGREENĐPARTSĐOFĐTHEĐLEEKĐ INTOĐRINGS ĐĐ2INSEĐWELL ĐDRAIN ĐANDĐLETĐDRY Đ (EATĐAĐDRIZZLEĐOFĐOLIVEĐOILĐINĐAĐSMALLĐSKILLETĐOVERĐ

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Đ Đ Đ

MEDIUM LOWĐHEAT ĐĐ!DDĐTHEĐLEEKSĐANDĐAĐPINCHĐOFĐ SALTĐANDĐCOOKĐUNTILĐVERYĐSOFT Đ ĐTOĐ ĐMINUTES Đ °EĐLEEKSĐSHOULDĐBEĐAĐBITĐTRANSLUCENTĐANDĐSHOULDĐ NOTĐHAVEĐAĐBITTERĐTASTE Đ 3TIRĐINĐTHEĐGARLICĐANDĐCOOKĐFORĐANOTHERĐ Đ SECONDS ĐĐ2EMOVEĐFROMĐTHEĐHEAT )NĐAĐBLENDER ĐCOMBINEĐTHEĐLEEKĐMIXTUREĐWITHĐTHEĐ ZUCCHINI ĐLEMONĐJUICE ĐMISO ĐWATERĐANDĐAĐFEWĐ GRINDSĐOFĐPEPPERĐANDĐBLENDĐUNTILĐSMOOTH Đ !DDĐTHEĐBASILĐANDĐBLENDĐAGAIN Đ 4ASTEĐANDĐADJUSTĐSEASONINGS ĐADDINGĐMOREĐLEMONĐ FORĐBRIGHTNESSĐANDĐSALTĐTOĐTASTE Đ !DDĐMOREĐWATERĐIFĐYOUĐPREFERĐAĐTHINNERĐ CONSISTENCY

Garlic croutons: Đ 0REHEATĐTHEĐOVENĐTOĐ #ĐANDĐLINEĐAĐBAKINGĐSHEETĐ WITHĐPARCHMENTĐPAPER Đ Đ /NĐTHEĐBAKINGĐSHEET ĐTOSSĐTHEĐCROUTONSĐWITHĐTHEĐ GARLICĐANDĐAĐDRIZZLEĐOFĐOLIVEĐOIL Đ Đ "AKEĐUNTILĐCRISP ĐABOUTĐ ĐMINUTES Đ 3ERVEĐTHEĐSOUPĐATĐROOMĐTEMPERATURE ĐORĐLIGHTLYĐ CHILLED ĐWITHĐTHEĐGARLICĐCROUTONSĐANDĐAĐDRIZZLEĐOFĐ OLIVEĐOIL

Đ

Carrot-Ginger Soup IngredIents: Đ ĐTABLESPOONSĐBUTTER Đ wĐKILOGRAMĐCARROTS ĐPEELEDĐANDĐSLICED Đ ĐONION ĐDICED Đ 3ALT ĐTOĐTASTE Đ ĐTABLESPOONĐMINCEDĐFRESHĐGINGER Đ vĐTEASPOONĐORANGEĐZEST Đ ĐCUPSĐCHICKENĐORĐVEGETABLEĐSTOCK Đ ĐCUPSĐWATER

Cauliflower and Yogurt Soup IngredIents: Đ ĐMEDIUMĐHEADĐCAULI®OWER Đ ĐTABLESPOONSĐOLIVEĐOIL Đ ĐAPPLE ĐPEELED ĐCORED ĐANDĐCHOPPED Đ vĐWHITEĐONION ĐCHOPPED Đ ĐTABLESPOONĐ­NELYĐCHOPPEDĐFRESHĐGINGER Đ ĐTEASPOONSĐCURRYĐPOWDER Đ ĐTEASPOONĐGROUNDĐCARDAMOM Đ ĐMILLILITERSĐCHICKENĐSTOCK Đ ĐCUPĐWHOLEĐMILK Đ vĐCUPĐ'REEKĐYOGURT Đ vĐTEASPOONĐSALT Đ 3MALLĐSPRIGSĐOFĐCILANTROĐORĐPARSLEYĐORĐTOASTEDĐ SLICEDĐALMONDS ĐFORĐGARNISHĐ OPTIONAL

Đ Đ

Đ Đ Đ

'REENĐONIONSĐORĐCHOPPEDĐHERBS ĐFORĐGARNISHĐ OPTIONAL

dIrectIons: Đ 3AUTýĐTHEĐCARROTS ĐONIONĐANDĐSALTĐINĐMELTEDĐ BUTTERĐOVERĐMEDIUMĐHEATĐUNTILĐSOFTENEDĐ LETĐTHEMĐSWEAT ĐBUTĐDON TĐBROWN ĐABOUTĐ Đ MINUTES Đ !DDĐTHEĐGINGER ĐORANGEĐZEST ĐSTOCK ĐANDĐWATER Đ Đ "RINGĐTOĐAĐBOIL ĐTHENĐSIMMERĐFORĐABOUTĐ Đ MINUTESĐ ORĐUNTILĐCARROTSĐAREĐTENDER Đ 5SEĐANĐIMMERSIONĐBLENDERĐTOĐPUREEĐTHEĐSOUPĐTOĐ DESIREDĐCONSISTENCYĐ ALTERNATIVELY ĐYOUĐMAYĐDOĐ THISĐINĐBATCHESĐINĐAĐTRADITIONALĐBLENDER Đ #HECKĐSEASONINGĐANDĐADDĐSALTĐIFĐNEEDED Đ Đ 'ARNISHĐWITHĐGREENĐONIONSĐORĐHERBS ĐIFĐDESIRED Đ Đ )FĐYOUĐWANTĐTHEĐSOUPĐCHILLED ĐREFRIGERATEĐFORĐ ABOUTĐTWOĐHOURSĐBEFOREĐSERVING

0UREEĐTHEĐSOUPĐINĐBATCHESĐINĐAĐFOODĐPROCESSORĐ ORĐBLENDERĐUNTILĐCOMPLETELYĐSMOOTH 0USHĐTHEĐSOUPĐTHROUGHĐAĐMESHĐSIEVE ĐUSINGĐTHEĐ BACKĐOFĐAĐLARGEĐSPOONĐTOĐFORCEĐASĐMUCHĐOFĐTHEĐ SOUPĐTHROUGHĐASĐPOSSIBLE Đ $ISCARDĐANYĐLEFTOVERĐSOLIDS ĐANDĐTASTEĐTHEĐSOUPĐ ANDĐADJUSTĐTHEĐSEASONINGS #HILLĐTHEĐSOUPĐUNTILĐCOLD 3ERVEĐICEĐCOLDĐINĐSMALLĐBOWLSĐORĐGLASSES Đ GARNISHEDĐWITHĐTHEĐHERBSĐORĐALMONDS

dIrectIons: Đ 2EMOVEĐTHEĐCOREĐFROMĐTHEĐCAULI®OWERĐANDĐ CHOPĐITĐINTOĐ®ORETS Đ Đ (EATĐTHEĐOLIVEĐOILĐINĐAĐHEAVYĐPOTĐANDĐSAUTýĐTHEĐ CAULI®OWER ĐAPPLE ĐONION ĐGINGER ĐCURRYĐPOWDERĐ ANDĐCARDAMOMĐFORĐABOUTĐ ĐMINUTES ĐSTIRRINGĐ CONSTANTLY Đ Đ #OVERĐANDĐSTEAMĐFORĐANOTHERĐ ĐMINUTES ĐSTIRRINGĐ OFTEN Đ 5NCOVERĐANDĐADDĐTHEĐSTOCK ĐĐ"RINGĐUPĐTOĐAĐBOIL Đ ANDĐTHENĐTURNĐDOWNĐTHEĐHEATĐANDĐSIMMERĐFORĐ Đ MINUTES ĐORĐUNTILĐTHEĐCAULI®OWERĐISĐTENDER Đ Đ 4URNĐOFFĐTHEĐHEATĐANDĐADDĐTHEĐMILK ĐYOGURT ĐANDĐ SALT

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CUISINE Cold Cucumber Soup IngredIents: Đ ĐMEDIUMĐCUCUMBERS Đ wĐCUPĐTHINLYĐSLICEDĐGREENĐONIONS Đ ĐTABLESPOONĐLEMONĐJUICE Đ ĐTEASPOONĐLEMONĐZEST Đ ĐTEASPOONĐSALT Đ vĐTEASPOONĐBLACKĐPEPPER Đ vĐCUPSĐVEGETABLEĐBROTH Đ vĐCUPĐSOURĐCREAM dIrectIons: Đ 0LACEĐCUCUMBERS ĐGREENĐONIONS ĐLEMONĐJUICE Đ LEMONĐZEST ĐSEAĐSALT ĐPEPPER ĐANDĐVEGETABLEĐ BROTHĐINĐAĐBLENDERĐORĐFOODĐPROCESSORĐANDĐ PUREE Đ 3TIRĐINĐSOURĐCREAMĐANDĐCHILLĐUNTILĐVERYĐCOLD Đ ABOUTĐ ĐHOUR Đ 3ERVEĐTOPPEDĐWITHĐADDITIONALĐCHOPPEDĐ CUCUMBER ĐGREENĐONION ĐANDĐLEMONĐZEST

Chilled Hummus Soup IngredIents: Đ ĐCUPSĐCHICKPEAS ĐDRAINEDĐANDĐRINSED Đ ĐTEASPOONĐCUMIN Đ ĐCLOVEĐOFĐGARLIC ĐPEELED Đ ĐTABLESPOONSĐTAHINI Đ *UICEĐFROMĐONEĐLEMON Đ ĐTABLESPOONSĐOLIVEĐOIL ĐPLUSĐMOREĐFORĐSWIRLING Đ ĐCUPSĐCOLDĐWATER Đ 3ALTĐANDĐPEPPERĐTOĐTASTE Garnish: Đ vĐCUPĐCHOPPEDĐTOMATO Đ ĐONION ĐCHOPPEDĐ­NE Đ vĐCUPĐCHOPPEDĐCUCUMBER Đ ĐTABLESPOONSĐCHOPPEDĐPARSLEYĐORĐMINT Đ uĐCUPĐFETAĐCHEESE

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dIrectIons: Đ 0UTĐCHICKPEAS ĐCUMIN ĐGARLIC ĐTAHINI ĐLEMONĐJUICEĐANDĐ OLIVEĐOILĐINTOĐAĐFOODĐPROCESSORĐANDĐPROCESSĐUNTILĐ SMOOTH Đ Đ 0OURĐWATERĐINĐTHROUGHĐTHEĐFEEDINGĐTUBEĐANDĐPROCESSĐ AGAIN Đ 0LACEĐAĐ­NEĐMESHĐSTRAINERĐOVERĐAĐBOWLĐANDĐPOURĐTHEĐ SOUPĐTHROUGHĐTHEĐSTRAINERĐINTOĐTHEĐBOWL Đ Đ 3TIRĐTHEĐSTRAINERĐCONTENTSĐTOĐHELPĐSEPARATEĐTHEĐ LIQUIDSĐFROMĐTHEĐSOLIDS Đ 3EASONĐTOĐTASTEĐWITHĐSALTĐANDĐPEPPER Đ Đ !TĐTHISĐPOINTĐYOUĐCANĐEATĐITĐASĐIS ĐORĐCHILLĐITĐFURTHERĐINĐ THEĐFRIDGE Đ 4OĐMAKEĐTHEĐGARNISH ĐCOMBINEĐALLĐTHEĐINGREDIENTSĐINĐ AĐSMALLĐBOWLĐANDĐSTIRĐGENTLY Đ Đ 3POONĐONTOĐTHEĐTOPĐOFĐTHEĐSOUPĐANDĐSWIRLĐAĐLITTLEĐ OLIVEĐOILĐONĐTOP

SOCIETY

Fatafeet el Sokar Ramadan Lounge at Sheraton Cairo Sheraton Cairo celebrated the grand opening of one of the biggest Ramadan lounges in town: Fatfeet El Sokkar.

The night started with a Tanoura and a folkloric show followed by the performance of superstar Mostafa Haggag, who had the guests singing and moving to his remarkable songs.

The hotel welcomed stars, guests and public figures like the king Mohamed Mounir, superstar Ellham Shahien and TV Presenter Possy Shalaby. Sheraton Cairo showcased the Ramadan menu to all attendees with a family style service allowing the guest to try all the delicacies crafted by the hotel’s talented chefs.

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Nawaret El Qasr Sohour at Cairo Marriott For Cairo Marriott’s sohour this year, a hidden gem was revealed, introducing the stunning Pool Deck with the Palace view as a backdrop.

The theme for the night was Nawaret El Qasr, a welcoming message that goes back to the golden era of Modern Egypt when Khedive Ismail decided to celebrate his three sons’ and only daughter’s wedding ceremony, known as Afrah El Angal. Green and gold was the color code.

Greeting guests was the General Manager of the hotel Mr. Khaled Al Jamal along with the Sales and Marketing team.

Superstar of The Voice program, Aly El Alfy charmed the guests with his voice and unique presence while singing a collection of old Tarab songs and oriental tunes. El Nafikha band took the stage to perform their oneof-a-kind medleys.

A fortuneteller unveiled the hidden secrets for many attendees while reading their palms.

When it was time for sohour, Cairo Marriott’s chefs exceeded expectations and presented the great specials that Cairo Marriott is known for.

Upon departure, guests were treated with a unique giveaway reflecting the Palace’s history, a Nawaret El Qasr candle and a brochure telling the story of Afrah El Angal.

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SOCIETY

Arabisque Ramadan Tent Grand Opening At Hilton Zamalek Hilton Cairo Zamalek Residences held an elegant Sohour party celebrating the opening of Arabisque Ramadan tent located on the banks of the Nile.

The event was attended by a number of invitees including hotel’s customers, celebrities, media sectors, influencers and bloggers who were impressed by the premium location of the tent and the high quality of the service and food.

The guests were welcomed by Tarek Zaki, Hotel Manager at Hilton Cairo Zamalek Residences.

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Media and Press Iftar at InterContinental Cairo Citystars To thank all the key journalists and media partners for their unlimited support and effort throughout the year, InterContinental Cairo Citystars hosted the annual media Iftar at Al Khal Egyptian restaurant, which was followed by shisha, Ramadan drinks and pastries.

Al Khal’s vibrant atmosphere matched with the traditional Egyptian cuisine specialties. The good vibes and delicious Egyptian food made it impossible for anyone to leave without a smile across their faces.

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SOCIETY

SEMIRAMIS INTERCONTINENTAL CAIRO HOSTS ITS ANNUAL RAMADAN SOHOUR Semiramis InterContinental Cairo hosted its annual Ramadan sohour at its picturesque pool deck, boasting scenic views of the River Nile. Guests were welcomed by Sameh Sobhy, General Manager of Semiramis InterContinental Cairo, as well as the hotel’s Sales & Marketing team.

Attendees included various media personalities, bloggers, influencers and top VIP corporate clients who enjoyed the delicious sohour dishes that were prepared by the Semiramis culinary team.

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