Egypt State Information Service

Address: 3 El Estad El Bahary St., Nasr City, ، Cairo Chairman of State Information Service Tel: 002-2260761 Diaa Rashwan Fax: 002- 22608444 Author E-Mail: Abdelmoeti Abuzaid [email protected] Head of Foreign Media Sector Website: http://www.sis.gov.eg Assistant Editor Nabil Bakr The images in this booklet are the creations of a lar- Translator ge number of the most prominent photographers Nashwa Abdel-Hamid in many historical stages, and the State Information Artistic Vision & Ma- Service extends thanks quette to all of them for their contributions to enrich Hossam Amin this patriotic publication, which is distributed free Artistic Direction & of charge. Production Eng. Rania Saleh Not for Sale Soliman Manaa Cairo 2021 Merhan Sayed Second Edition Printing Supervision Eman Gaafar Contents

Preface...... 5 Place & Status ...... 8 • Location & Area ...... 10 • Nature, Terrain, Climate & Biodiversity.. 11 • Official Language...... 20 • National Day ...... 20 • Currency ...... 20 • Egyptian Flag ...... 20 • National Anthem ...... 20 • Capital ...... 21 • Main Cities ...... 27 • The Suez Canal ...... 32 • The Nile River & High Dam ...... 33 • Population ...... 36 • Political System ...... 39 • Foreign Policy ...... 52 • Al-Azhar ...... 55 • The Egyption Church ...... 58 • Economy & Investment ...... 61 • Education ...... 68 • Social Welfare ...... 70 • Culture & Arts ...... 89 • Archeology & Tourism ...... 131 • Press & Media ...... 136

Preface

A glorious past ... a prosperous present ... and a promising future, this is Egypt. The visitor to the Egyptian capital (Cairo) can, within one day, experience all the stages of human history. Every era and civilization has left a treasured deposit on Egypt’s soil, such as the Pyramids and the Sphinx of ancient Pharaonic times; the Babylon fortress of Greco-Roman times; the historic churches of the Coptic era; the citadel of Salah al-Din, Al-Azhar and Fatimid Cairo from the Islamic period; the Khe- dival luxury palaces of 19th century, up to high-rise buildings and luxury hotels on the banks of the Nile, and modern landmarks such as Cairo Tower and Op- era House and other artistic and creative centers, as well as modern amenities including transportation and subway networks, connecting the capital to high- end suburban areas emerging around it in all directions. This is the case in other Egyptian cities, from Alex- andria in the north to Luxor and Aswan in the south. Thus, Egypt was and will continue to be at the crossroads of the continents of the world, with its people, which have always been characterized by moderation, tolerance and openness to all cultures and peoples. Egypt opens its arms and welcomes all those who visit to enjoy its warm and wonderful climate throughout the year, its picturesque beaches on the Red and the Mediterranean Seas, its ancient monuments, its modern landmarks, and the arts and crea- 5 tions of its people in all fields of innovation, as well as visitors seeking the opportunities for investment, trade and cooperation it offers for the common good. Based on all these ongoing geographical, human- itarian and cultural realities, Egypt, in recent years, has embarked on a comprehensive renaissance in all areas of urbanization, construction, progress and prosperity. There are new hubs of work and hope throughout the country: in the Suez Canal and the surrounding area, in the new administrative capital, in Alamein city on the Mediterranean coast, in dozens of new cities on the banks of the Nile, and on the shores of the sea or in the heart of the desert. This comprehensive renaissance of mega projects is also manifested in the construction of industrial facilities and manufacturing centers, as well as the building of modern scientific and technological capabilities for millions of Egypt’s youths, and in preparation for a brighter future connecting Egypt’s present to its glorious history. At the same time, Egypt is always active in its regional environment, in the African continent and the international community as a whole, striving to achieve peace, stability, good and constructive cooperation for the benefit of its people and all other nations. This integrated picture of Egypt’s past, present and future is what the authors of this book aspire to present to readers all over the world in the largest number of languages.

6 7 Place & Status

Egypt is located at the confluence of the continents of the ancient world: Africa - Asia - Europe. It overlooks two seas: the Red Sea and the Mediter- ranean Sea. It overlooks two Gulfs: the Gulf of Suez and the Gulf of Aqaba. The Suez Canal is one of the important international waterways, and Egypt is an intercontinental country. It is located in the northeast of the continent of Africa, and at the same time has an Asian extension, represented in the Sinai Pen- insula. The Nile River, the lifeline of the people of Egypt, flows from Egypt. In connection with this distinguished geographical location, Egypt was the isthmus for the three monotheistic religions, and the forum of cultural interaction between east and west, and between north and south. Egypt was also the place that embraced the prophets, and the land on which they took their steps, the father of the prophets, “Abraham”, peace be upon him, came to Egypt and married “Hagar”, and so did “Joseph”, peace be upon him, who became a minister, and was later followed by his father, “Jacob”. A conversation between Allaah (God) and Moses took place on the land of Egypt. The Holy Family, the Virgin Mary and Jesus Christ as a child along with Joseph the Carpenter made a blessed historic journey

8 in Egypt’s land. God chose Egypt to be the sanctu- ary, the oasis of peace and safety and the forum of monotheistic religions. God’s honored Egypt by mentioning her five times directly in the Holy Quran and a large number of verses of the Quran indirectly referred to it. Egypt was also mentioned about 700 times in the Holy Bible. There have been numerous civilizations in Egypt. Egypt has been the cradle of the Egyptian civilization, the incubator of the Greek and Roman civilization, the beacon of the Coptic civilization, and the protector of the Islamic civilization ... Egypt has been a beacon of thought and civilization for centuries, embodying the values of moderation, tolerance and coexistence that represent the essence of Islamic teachings. Egypt’s belonging to its Arab surroundings is one of the most prominent principles established in the articles of the Constitution, which stipulates the af- firmation of Arab identity in Egyptian society and in political thought and practice in Egypt. Egypt is also proud of its ties and bonds of fraterni- ty to brotherly African peoples. It is an integral part of the African continent which lives within the mindsets of the Egyptian people.

9 Location & Area

Egypt is located between 22° and 32° latitudes north of the equator, between 24° and 37° east of Greenwich, in the northeastern corner of the continent of Africa. A part of Egypt, Sinai Peninsula, is located in the Asian continent. Egypt has an area of 1,002,000 km2 and is administratively divided into 27 governorates. Each governorate is divided into a number of centers, cities, neighborhoods, villages and urban communities.

10 Nature & Terrain The surface features in Egypt are dominated by the equator, with the exception of mountain ranges along the Red Sea as well as the mountains of South Si- nai. The Nile River cuts its land from the south to the north, carrying life and development. The successive civilizations of Egypt were built along the banks of the river, making most of the population concentrated in the Nile Valley and Delta. Climate The climate of Egypt is affected by several fac- tors, the most important of which are the location, the appearance of the surface, the general system of pressure, air depressions and the waterbodies. All this helped divide Egypt into several distinct climatic zones. Egypt is located in the dry tropical region, except for the northern parts, which are in the temperate zone and enjoy a climate similar to that of the Medi- terranean, which is characterized by heat and drought in the summer months and is moderate in the winter with a few rain rising on the coast.

The Nile River 11 Biodiversity

Hibiscus, a medicinal and aromatic plant In Egypt there are many aspects of biological diversity. Egypt’s ecosystems and wildlife contain more than 4,500 plant species, including 2,665 flo- ra, 2,420 species of fungi and 1,483 species of algae. There are 111 species of mammals in Egypt, 109 species of reptiles, 9 species of amphibians, more than 1,000 species of fish, 800 species of marine mollusks, 1000 species of crustaceans, more than 325 species of coral reefs and 480 species of birds. In order to protect natural resources and biodiversity, and to maintain ecological balance, natural reserves that reflect the beauty of nature as a component of natural resources have been established. The total number of natural reserves is 30, constituting about 15% of the total area of Egypt.

12 Egyptian Ghazal in Western, Eastern Desert and Sinai Mountains 13 Flamingo in Port Fouad city

Egyptian lynx 14 Rare marine species in Red Sea

Coral reefs in the Red Sea 15 Among the most important natural reserves in Egypt are:

Migratory birds at Zaraniq Reserve • Ras Mohammed Reserve: Located at the confluence of the Gulf of Suez and the Gulf of Aqaba, the reserve is characterized by coral reefs in the depths of Ras Mohammed’s wa- terfront, colorful fish, endangered sea turtles, rare aquatic organisms and coral reefs. • St. Catherine’s Reserve in South Sinai Gov- ernorate: It is a world heritage and cultural heritage reserve, characterized by the highest mountain peaks in Egypt such as Mount Cath- erine, Moussa, Sarbal and Umm Shumer, and oases around water and wells. • Zaraniq and Sabkha Bardawil Reserve: It is located in North Sinai Governorate, a natural habitat for migratory birds during the autumn from Europe to Africa, where more than 270 16 St. Catherine’s Reserve

Sheikh Zuweid ( North Sinai)1 species of birds were recorded in the reserve such as swans, prawns, herons, egrets, storks, chicken quails, falcons, and others. • Elba Natural Reserves in the Red Sea Gover- norate: Located in the south-eastern part of the Eastern Desert, Elba natural reserves have a large variety of animals, birds, reptiles and endangered Egyptian medicinal and wild plants. The Reserves are composed of natural Red Sea islands, coastal Mangrove forests, the areas of Albaraq and Aldaeib and Elba mountain. • There are also other reserves throughout Egypt as well as the 144 Nile islands. 17 Egyptian Flowers

Spring flower exhibition (Orman Park)1 Egyptians have known, since ancient times, many types of flowers, as Egypt is famous for her Nile soil and moderate sunny climate most of the year. Many flowers have been found on the pharaonic monuments, reflecting the interest of ancient Egyptians in the cultivation and care of flowers. The most prominent pharaonic flowers are the lotus flower taken by the Egyptian army as a symbol in Pharaonic times. The most famous Egyptian flowers also include: orange flowers, red roses, violets, narcissus, camellia flowers, willow flowers, belladonna flowers, henna flowers, sunflowers, gladiolas, cactus flowers, pa- pyrus flowers, pomegranate flowers, carnations and pine tree flowers.

18 Lotus flower With the beginning of spring every year, Egypt holds an annual exhibition of flowers in the Orman Park in front of Cairo University, where the types of flowers and ornamental plants are displayed ... The Orman Park is one of the largest botanical gardens in the world with an area of 28 acres, comprising 600 kinds of rare plants and perennial trees.

Egyptian rose

19 Official Language The official language of Egypt is Arabic. English and French are widely spoken among the population. National Day Egypt’s national day is celebrated on 23 July each year, which corresponds to the anniversary of the revolution of 23 July 1952. Currency The Egyptian Pound is the official currency (1$ = 15.70 Egyptian pounds 2020). Egyptian Flag It consists of three colors in the form of equal horizontal rectangles, its length is twice its width: The upper rectangle is red, while the middle rectangle is white and has an image of a golden-colored eagle in the center, looking to the right, and the bottom rectangle is black. State Emblem The emblem of the Arab Republic of Egypt is in the form of an ornamental eagle, taken from the “Eagle of Saladin”. It is an Egyptian eagle with golden wings, raising its head to the right, holding onto a golden scroll which bears the name of the country in Arabic script. National Anthem The national anthem of Egypt is the anthem of “My Homeland, My Homeland” written by the Egyptian poet Yunus al-Qadi and composed by the artist Sayed Darwish and then re-arranged by the composer Mohamed Abdel Wahab.

20 Lyrics of Egyptian national anthem: My homeland, my homeland, my homeland, My love and my heart are for thee. Egypt! O mother of all lands, My hope and my ambition, How can one count The blessings of the Nile for mankind? Egypt! Most precious jewel, Shining on the brow of eternity! O my homeland, be forever free, Safe from every foe! Egypt! Noble are thy children, Loyal, and guardians of thy soil. In war and peace We give our lives for thy sake.

The Capital Cairo is the capital of the Arab Republic of Egypt. It is the largest city in the Arab world and Africa in terms of population (about 10 million people). It is an ancient city with a prominent position among the

Cairo city, capital of Egypt 21 El-Moez Street world capitals. It was built more than a thousand years ago, including the Pyramids, the Sphinx, the Cairo Tower, the Citadel of Saladin, the Al-Azhar Mosque, St. Mark’s Coptic Orthodox Ca- thedral, the Sultan Hassan Mosque, the Babylonian Fortress, the Egyptian Muse- um, the Islamic Mu- seum and the Coptic Museum. Khan El-Khalili

22 Talaat Harb Square

Khan el-Khalili is considered one of the most important neighborhoods and tourist markets in Cairo. De- spite Khan el-Khalili market is 600 years old or more, it has been able to preserve the style of its Mam- luk-era buildings. It is famous for the manu- facture and sale of antiques, handicrafts, souvenirs and jewelry.

El-Sakakini Palace 23 Mosque of Al -Fattah Al –Alim ( New Administrative Capital)1 Cairo also includes several distinct areas, notably Fatimid Cairo, the Islamic Archaeological Zone dating back to the Fatimid era of Egypt from 969-1171. The street of Al-Moez Ldin Allah is the main street established by the Fatimids, passing through the ancient city of Cairo and through which the processions of the celebrations of the Kiswah (pall) of Kaaba and pilgrimage convoys passed. It is also the largest open Islamic museum in the world. Besides, it is a creative artistic center for festivals, and artistic and cultural activities. In addition, it is home to a large number of streets, buildings and mosques of historical Islamic architectural style. The “Khedival Cairo”, which was built in the middle of the nineteenth century, is an area located in the center of Cairo, built in the European style and includes the main squares and streets. It is a modern- ized classic architectural phenomenon, and marks the beginning of the Egyptian architecture in its modern

24 Church of the Nativity of Christ ( New Administrative Capital(1 1 form during the second half of the nineteenth century. It is one of the outstanding international projects established in that century in light of its planning and comprehensive reconstruction, in a way that made it one of the most beautiful cities in the world. In recent decades, several suburbs have been built in Cairo, including New Cairo, one of the largest new cities, which consists of several residential complexes, and features modern facilities, spacious streets, sophisti- cated services and green spaces, as well as the Sheikh Zayed suburb, which is considered one of the second-generation cities, as it was established in 1995, and the city of 6th of October, named after the victory of the sixth of October 1973, and which is a success- ful example of industrial cities in Egypt. Located 38 km from Cairo, it also has residential neighborhoods and is a center for private university education in Egypt, in addition to being home to the Media Production City. 25 Stanley Bridge , Alexandria 26 Main Cities

Giza Pyramids In addition to Cairo, the capital, Egypt has many major cities with distinctive characteristics, including: Giza: Dating back to the oldest ages, Giza contains the remains of the city of Memphis, the first capital of the ancient Egyptian state, and is home to the three pyramids which became among the seven old wonders of the world. In the Islamic era, Giza occupied an important position for its proximity to the Islamic capitals of Egypt, such as Al-Fustat and Al-Qata’i. In modern times, Giza is home to the first modern Egyptian university, Cairo University. Alexandria: It is the bride of the Mediterranean Sea and is the second capital of Egypt, founded by Alexander the Great in 332 BC and was named after him. It was the Egyptian capital of Egypt during the Ptolemaic, Roman and Byzantine reigns until the 27 Port Said governorate Arab conquest in 640 AD. It includes many monuments, including the port, the New Bibliotheca Alex- andrina, and many museums and archaeological sites such as Qaitbay Castle, Pompey’s Pillar and others. Port Said: It is one of the governorates of the Suez Canal and its history has been affected by national events. It is one of the tourist attractions located on both the Mediterranean Sea and the Suez Canal, where many cruise ships arrive for day-to-day tourism. Suez: It has a unique location, and is considered a gateway to Africa and Southwest and East Asia, making it a hub for international trade and a fortress for manufacturing and industrial investment. It also enjoys the beauty of nature and wonderful weather throughout the year. It has important commercial ports such as Port Tawfiq, Al-Adabieh, Al-Sokhna. The city is witnessing the establishment of Special Economic Zones north west of Suez Canal, which

28 Statue of Ramses II - Luxor 29 added an important economic and commercial dimension to Suez. Luxor: It is one of the southern governorates of Egypt. It is the largest site of Egyptian antiquities of the Pharaonic times. It was the capital of the Egyp- tian state during most of her ancient history. It was named “Thebes”. Luxor alone contains one sixth of the world’s monuments and one third of Egypt’s monuments, such as the monuments of the Eastern Bank including the temple of Karnak, the Temple of Luxor, the road of the rams as well as the monuments of the Western Bank and including tombs of the Val- ley of the Kings, tombs of the Valley of the Queens, tombs of the nobles, Ramessium Temple , Statue of Memnon, the City of Habo and Temple Hatshepsut. Aswan: Located in the far south of Egypt, the Pharaonic temples are spread along the province from south to north in Abu Simbel, Kalabsha, Faila, Kom Ombo and Edfu, in addition to the unfinished obelisk, the famous Nubia Museum and rock temples on the shore of Lake Nasser. Modern landmarks include the High Dam, Botanical Garden and Tropical Garden. Egypt also has a large number of major cities in the Delta and Upper Egypt.

30 Aswan, city of joy

31 Suez Canal The Suez Canal linking the Red Sea to the Medi- terranean Sea, which was dug by the Egyptians in the middle of the nineteenth century, is one of the most

New Suez Canal

32 important water channels in the world. It was opened to international shipping in 1869, and the volume of international trade that passes through this channel ranges from 8% to 12% of the total global trade. Since its establishment, the Canal has witnessed several projects to expand it to accommodate the global trade movement. The most recent of these projects was the opening of the new Suez Canal to accommodate the movement of ships in both directions, north and south, on 6 August 2015.

The Nile River The Nile River is the second longest river in the world. It flows through the land of Egypt from the south to the north and branches into Rasheed and Damietta pouring into the Mediterranean Sea. The length of the Nile River, from its sources in the lake “Tanganyika” in Tanzania until its down- stream in the Mediterranean Sea, is 6690 km and covers an area of 1.9 million square kilometers. It flows in eleven countries: Tanzania, Kenya, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Uganda, South Sudan, Sudan, and Egypt. The Nile River carries the life and development to the land of Egypt, which prompted the Greek histori- an “Herodotus” to call Egypt “the gift of the Nile”, in light of the importance of the Nile River in the lives of Egyptians. Measuring the Nile water level began in the time of the ancient Egyptians, when they tried to use what is known as the nilometer, whose remains still exist today.

33 The beauty of the Nile River combining rocks, sand and greenery 34 High Dam The High Dam in Aswan in southern Egypt is a huge dam built by the Egyptians, chosen by international bodies as the largest engineering project built in the twentieth century, in light of the many benefits it has achieved for Egypt. It provided Egypt with her strategic reserves of water, that was wasted in the Mediterranean Sea due to flooding. It is also used to generate electricity, and the height of the dam is 111 meters, thus allowing for the flow of up to 11,000 cu- bic meters of water per second. The construction of the dam began in 1960 at an estimate total cost of $1 billion, was completed in 1968 and was officially opened in 1971.

The High Dam 35 Population Egypt has a population of 121 million, according to November 2020 CAPMAS census. There are 10.250 million Egyptian expatriates. History The Egyptians invented and introduced an age-old civilization pioneering in innovation, architecture and arts. Egyptians interacted with such interlinked civilization which had left its effects everywhere on the land of Egypt. Egypt was one of the first countries in the ancient world that knew the principles of Hieroglyphs writing and invented the hiero- glyphic letters and signs. The ancient Egyptians were keen to record and document their history and the events they had created and lived. Through this great civilizational step, Egypt moved from prehistoric times to become the first country in the world to have a written history, and established systems. By 5,000 BC the Egyptians were developing the techniques of irrigation. The Egyptians were also among the first people to domesticate animals, lived a life of stability and order, and set up housing and populist communities. The era of the ancient state began in 3150 BC, when King Mina (Narmer) united Upper and Low- er Egypt and the first Pharaonic Dynasty was established, which included a series of politically stable 36 kingdoms, followed by successive stages of Pharaon- ic times until the third century BC. The ancient Egyptian civilization added much to the global human heritage. The Nile Valley witnessed the creation of the first central authority in history, contributing to the creation and development of many sciences, including arithmetic, engineering, medicine, astronomy, metal extraction and calendrics, and the arts starting from the era of the builders of the pyramids, through the Middle State until the Modern State, which is the strongest and most glorious era of ancient Egypt. In the Greco-Roman era, Egypt was known for her urban, cultural, cultural, and agricultural renaissance. The then Egyptian capital, Alexandria, became the largest commercial and industrial center in the eastern Mediterranean. As Christianity entered Egypt, Coptic architecture flourished in the spirit of ancient Pharaonic art. The churches built in the fifth century AD are a model of Coptic architecture and art. After the Islamic conquest of Egypt, Egypt became the most important state of the Islamic caliphate from the Umayyad state until the end of the Ottoman Em- pire, as it was for centuries the beacon of the sciences of religion and the center of Islamic art. The modern Egyptian state was established during the reign of Muhammad Ali Pasha, who took over Egypt in 1805 and was succeeded by his sons, grand- sons and family in the rule of Egypt. Many of them contributed to laying the foundations of the modern Egyptian state in the fields of urbanization, education, governance and management systems, derived from the then developed European systems.

37 Then the revolution of July 1952, one of the greatest human revolutions in the modern era, took place and a year later the monarchy was abolished and the Republic was established in 1953. During the fifties and sixties, Egypt witnessed under late President Gamal Abdel Nasser a new stage of national revival in all fields in con- Mohammed Ali Pasha junction with the prominence of the Egyptian role and the status both regionally and internationally. In the 1970s, Egypt under the leadership of late President Anwar Sadat achieved victory in the war of liberation of the Egyptian territory in October 1973 Which paved the way for building peace and liberat- ing the entire Egyptian land. President Gamal Abdel Egypt also started a period of Nasser economic development and political openness. In the following decades, Egypt achieved addi- tional steps on the path of economic and political development, and witnessed two popular revolutions in 2011 and 2013, which resulted in a political trans- formation, a new constitution, and the elimination of political currents that had begun in earlier periods, as well as from other extremist political movements which tried to monopolize the rule of Egypt and dis- rupt her civilization. 38 President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi With the election of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi as president in June 2014, Egypt embarked on a comprehensive political and economic reform process that paved the way for the future in accordance with the Medium Term Development Strategy 2030. The Political System The Arab Republic of Egypt is a sovereign, united and indivisible State, having a democratic republican system that is based on citizenship and rule of law. The Egyptian people are part of the Arab nation seeking to enhance its integration and unity. Egypt is part of the Islamic world, belongs to the African 39 continent, cherishes its Asian dimension, and contributes to building human civilization. Sovereignty belongs only to the people, who exercise and protect it. The people are the source of powers, and safeguard their national unity that is based on the principles of equality, justice and equal opportunities among all citizens. The politics of Egypt are based on repub- licanism, with a presidential system of government. The President of the Republic is the head of the State and the head of the executive power, and abides by the provisions of the Constitution and the laws, in the presence of the legislative and judicial powers.

The Constitution The history of Egyptian constitutions begins with the first constitutional text of 1882, but the first constitution was technically the 1923 constitution, which was adopted by the first modern Egyptian parliament on 15 March 1924. According to the Egyptian Constitution issued in 2014, and amended on April 23, 2019, the political system is based on multiparty and political pluralism, peaceful transition of power, separa- tion and balance of powers, the inevitable correlation between powers and responsibilities, and respect for human rights and freedoms.

The Executive Power:: The President of the Republic The President of the Republic is the head of State and the head of the executive power and abides by the provisions of the Constitution. The President of the Republic is elected by direct, secret, public ballot. 40 The President of the Republic is elected for a term of six Gregorian years, starting as of the next day of the end of the term of the predecessor thereof. The President of the Republic may appoint one or more vice-presidents and defines his terms of reference thereof, may also delegate said vice-presidents some of the mandates thereof, and may dismiss or accept the resignation thereof. The President of the Republic appoints the Prime Minister, and assigns him to form the Government and present its program to the House of Represent- atives within 30 days at the most. The President of the Republic, jointly with the Cabinet, sets the State’s public policy and oversees its implementation as stat- ed in the Constitution. The President of the Republic may call the government for a meeting to consult on important issues; The President may also deliver a statement on the State’s public policy. The President of the Repub- lic also represents the State in its foreign relations, and concludes treaties and ratifies them. The Presi- dent of the Republic is the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, shall not declare war, or send the armed forces to a combat mission outside the State borders, except after consultation with the National Defense Council, and obtaining the approval of the House of Representatives by a majority of two-thirds of the members. The President of the Republic may call electors for referendum on issues related to the supreme interests of the State. The current President of the Arab Republic of Egypt is “President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi”, who took office as at 8th June 2014, and was re-elected through direct free elections for a second term as at 8th June 2018. 41 The Government The government is the supreme executive and administrative body of the State and consists of the Prime Minister, his deputies, the Ministers and their deputies. The Prime Minister assumes the premier- ship, oversees its work, and directs the performance of its functions. As per the Constitution, the President of the Republic assigns a prime minister to form the government and introduce its program to the House of Representatives, in order to win the confidence of the majority of the members of the House of Repre- sentatives. The government exercises the following terms of reference: collaborating with the President of the Re- public in developing the public policy of the State and supervising its implementation; maintaining the security of the nation and protecting the rights of citizens and the interests of the State; directing, coordinating and following up on the work of the ministries, and their affiliated public bodies and organizations; preparing draft bills and decrees; issuing administrative decrees in accordance with the law; following up on their implementation; developing the draft for the public plan of the State; preparing the draft annual budget of the State, and executing the laws. The Legislative Power: Parliament Egypt has known parliamentary life in its modern form for more than 150 years. After several advisory councils, the first Egyptian parliament was formed in the modern era (The Shura Council of Laws) in 1866, followed by parliamentary councils, especially after the promulgation of the first modern integrated

42 Historical Headquarters of Egyptian House of Representatives Egyptian constitution in 1923. The current Egyptian Parliament was formed, in accordance with the provisions of the 2014 Constitution and its amendments, of two chambers: The House of Representatives and The Senate .

The House of Representatives The House of Representatives (in accordance with the Constitution and its amendments) is constituted of 450 members at least, elected by direct, secret, public ballot, provided that women are allocated at least one-fourth of the total number of seats. The most recent House elections were held in No- vember and December 2020, with the aim of elect- ing 568 deputies. Half of the candidates were elected individually (284 deputies) and the other half were elected by the lists system. In addition, 5% (28 members) were appointed by the President of the Republic, bringing the total up to 596 members of parliament. The State ensures that youth, Christians, persons with disabilities and Egyptian expatriates are represented in an appropriate manner in the House of Rep- resentatives, as specified by law. 43 The House of Representatives is entrusted with the authority to enact legislations, approve the State’s public policy, and monitor the actions of the executive power. The President of the Republic may appoint no greater than 5% of the members. The term of membership in the House of Representatives is 5 Gregorian years. The House of Representatives elects from among its members a Speaker and two deputies. The House of Representatives sets its own internal regulations of its work, and the manner of exercising its authorities and maintaining order therein. The meetings of the House and resolutions passed thereby shall not be deemed valid unless attended by the majority of its members. Laws are issued by the absolute majority of the members present, provided that such majority con- stitute not less than one third of the House members. The Senate The Senate was introduced in the constitutional amendments approved by the Egyptian people in a referendum on April 23, 2019, and the Senate is made up of a number of members determined by the law at least (180 members), the Senate elections were held in August and September 2020 and the newly-formed Senate is composed of (300 members) where two thirds of its members were elected by direct secret ballot and the president appoints the remaining third, with women allocated at least 10% of the total number of seats. The Senate is entrusted with studying and proposing what it sees as a way to consolidate democracy, support social peace and the basic elements of society, its supreme values, rights, freedoms and public duties, deepen the democratic system and expand its fields. Two-thirds of its members are elected by di- 44 rect secret public ballot, and the remaining third are appointed by the President. The Senate is consulted regarding proposals to amend constitutional articles, the draft public plan for social and economic development, treaties of recon- ciliation, alliance and all treaties relating to the rights of sovereignty, and supplementary draft laws of the Constitution referred to the Senate by the President of the Republic or the House of Representatives. The President refers to the Senate issues related to the State’s public policy or foreign policy. The Judiciary Egypt has known modern judicial systems since the 19th century, like other modern Egyptian institutions of governance. Egypt has adopted a dual system of judiciary: the ordinary, which has the jurisdiction to decide on criminal and civil cases, and the administrative which has the jurisdiction to decide on administrative disputes between citizens and state bodies. The Court of Cassation is the supreme court of the common court system, and the Supreme Constitu- tional Court decides on the constitutionality of laws. The Judiciary is an independent authority that carries out its tasks through courts of all types and degrees. Courts shall issue its rulings in accordance with the law which defines the jurisdiction of the courts. Interference in the affairs of the courts or in the lawsuits, is a crime that is not subject to any stat- ute of limitations. All judicial agencies shall manage its affairs, have an independent budget which shall be discussed by the House of Representatives, and judges are independent and immune to dismissal, they are subject to no other authority but the law, are equal in rights and

45 duties. The conditions and procedures for their appointment, secondment and retirement shall be regulated by the law, which shall further regulate their disciplinary accountability, with the aim to preserve the independence and impartiality of the judiciary and judges. Court sessions shall be public, unless the court decides on its secrecy to safeguard public order or public morals. In all cases, court judgments shall be pronounced in publicly held sessions. The President of the Republic appoints the heads of the judicial bodies and agencies and authorities from among the most senior seven representatives thereof for a term of four years, as regulated by law. The President of the Republic chairs the Supreme Council for Judicial Bodies and Agencies, composed of the President of the Supreme Constitutional Court, heads of judicial agencies and authorities, President of the Cairo Court of Appeals, and the Prosecutor General. The Council has a Secretary-General, appointed as per a presidential decree for the term determined by the law and this position shall be held by rotation among the other Council members. The Judiciary decides on all disputes and crimes. The Public Prosecution, is an integral part of the Ju- diciary, carries out investigating and prosecution of criminal cases. The Prosecutor General shall be appointed to run the Public Prosecution. The State Council: It is an independent judicial body, solely mandated to settle administrative disputes, disputes related to execution of all judgements issued thereby, and disciplinary claims and appeals; give opinion on legal issues to the agencies identified by the law; review draft laws and decisions of legislative nature, and review draft contracts of which the State or any of the public agencies is party as identified by the law.

46 Headquarters of the Supreme Constitutional Court The Supreme Constitutional Court Constitutional oversight of laws officially dates back to Decree-Law No. 81 of 1969 issued by the late President Gamal Abdel Nasser, establishing “The Supreme Court” in 1970, which was renamed “The Supreme Constitutional Court” by virtue of the 1971 Constitution. In accordance with the 2014 Consti- tution, it is an autonomous and independent judicial body having its headquarters in Cairo. However in cases of emergency it may, upon the approval of its General hold its sessions elsewhere in Egypt. It has an independent budget, and the General Assembly of the Court shall manage its affairs, and it shall be consulted regarding bills relevant to its affairs. The Supreme Constitutional Court has sole jurisdiction in the matter of the constitutionality of laws and regulations, and interprets legislative provisions, and to adjudicate on disputes pertaining to the affairs of its members, on jurisdictional disputes between judicial bodies and entities that have judicial jurisdiction, on disputes pertaining to the execution of 47 two final contradictory judgements, and on disputes pertaining to the execution of its judgements and decisions. The Court is composed of a President, and a sufficient number of deputies to the President. The Com- missioners of the Supreme Constitutional Court has a President, and a sufficient number Commission presidents, advisors and assistant advisors. National Elections Authority The presidential elections held in 2018 is the first elections held under the auspices of the National Elec- tions Authority, formed as per the 2014Constitution. It is an independent authority, solely competent to ad- minister referenda and elections of the president, the parliament, and the local councils. Such administration includes the development and updating a database for electors, proposing the division of constituencies, de- termination of controls for promotion and funding of electoral campaigns, the facilitation of the procedures for out-of-country voting by expatriates and other procedures till the announcements of the results. The National Elections Authority is administered by a board composed of ten members to be equal- ly seconded on full time basis among those ranked as Vice-Presidents of the Court of Cassation, those ranked as Presidents of the Courts of Appeal, those ranked as Vice-Presidents of the State Council, the State Lawsuits Organization and the Administrative Prosecution. They shall be selected by the Supreme Ju- dicial Council, and appointed by virtue of a decree of the President of the Republic. They shall be assigned to work on a full time basis at the Authority for one term of six years, and the Authority shall be chaired by the most senior judge at the Court of Cassation. 48 Half of the members of the Council are replaced every three years. The Authority has a permanent executive body. The law determines the composi- tion and constitution of such executive body, and the rights, duties and guarantees of its members in a way that achieves their neutrality, independence and in- tegrity. The High Administrative Court shall be competent to adjudicate on challenges filed against the Authority’s decisions pertaining to referenda, presidential and parliamentary elections and the results thereof. Challenges against elections of local councils shall be filed before the Administrative Court. Political Parties Political parties have deep roots in the modern history of Egypt, emerging at the end of the 19th century. The Nationalist Party, the first political party, was officially established in 1907, by political leader Mustafa Kamel Pasha. The Egyptian Constitution determines how to establish political parties. All citizens have the right to form political parties by notification as regulated by Law. Political parties may not be dissolved except by virtue of a court judgment. In Egypt, about 100 political parties of different denominations operate freely. Provincial & Municipal Divisions: The Arab Republic of Egypt is divided, for the purpose of public administration, into 7 provinc- es, with a total number of governorates is 27, each having a capital and sub-divided into centers and divisions. Administrative centers are located in rural governorates and divided into local units; the capital of the center is the largest city while the capital of the 49 Egypt’s main Train Station local unit is a main village or city (if the center has more than one city; the main village is divided into a number of smaller villages). The number of cities in Egypt is 234, in addition to 27 cities and new urban communities, the number of centers is 184, neighborhoods 91, and villages 4740. The governorates of Egypt are: Cairo, Giza, Alexandria Lighthouse Alexandria, El-Ismailia, Aswan, Assuit, Luxor, The Red Sea, El-Bahira, Beni Suef, Port Said, South Sinai, El-Dakahlia, Damietta, Sohag, Suez, El-Shar- qia, El-Gharbia, El-Fayoum, El-Qalioubia, Qena, Kafr El-Sheikh, North Sinai, Matrouh, El-Menoufia, El-Minya, and New Valley. 50 White Desert in New Valley governorate

Wadi Al-Rayyan Falls, Fayoum

51 Foreign Policy The main principles of Egyptian foreign policy are advancing peace and stability regionally and internationally, upholding the principle of mutual respect among nations, adhering to the principles of international law, respecting agreements and covenants, supporting the role of international organi- Headquarters zations, consolidating solidar- of Ministry of ity among nations, as well as Foreign Affairs focusing on the economic dimension of international relations. Egypt is committed to a balanced foreign policy based on the principle of non-intervention in the internal affairs of states, and linked to the objectives and strategic interests within the framework of Egypt’s decision-making autonomy. Egypt’s foreign policy seeks to ensure the achievement of the goals of safeguarding national security and supreme interests of the State, realizing multi-faceted comprehensive development, fostering the security, stability Dr. Boutros-Ghali and development of the African con-

52 President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi addressing the UNGA tinent, striving for a just peace in the Middle East and seeking to transform the Middle East into a zone free of weapons of mass destruction, and combating terror- ism at the international level by adopting a comprehensive strategy. Egypt is one of the founding members of The Arab League (formally the League of Arab States) and Cairo is the seat of its headquarters. Egypt has also been a founding member of the United Nations since 1945. A prominent Egyptian, Dr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali, presided over this high-level international organization during the 1992-1996 period. Egypt was elected 6 times as a non-permanent member of the Security Council, the most recent being in 2016-2017, in addition to its membership in the African Union, which Egypt contributed to its founding, and many interna-

53 tional associations and organizations. Egypt has diplomatic relations with most countries of the world. Since the accession of President Abdel Fattah El-Si- si to the presidency of the Republic on 7 June 2014, Egypt’s international relations have been formulat- ed on the basis of partnership and mutual interests; balancing and activating Egypt’s foreign policy in a number of circles imposed by the identity of Egypt; its regional belonging, cultural role and geographical location and political leverage. These circles is composed of the Arab circle based on Egypt’s belonging to the Arab nation, where Egypt seeks to achieve Arab solidarity and establish peace, security and development for the Arab peoples; the African circle, which is a priority for Egyptian foreign policy as Egypt bears a great responsibility towards safeguarding the interests of the African continent and supporting African cooperation; and the Islamic circle, where Egypt has an important role in publicizing the moderate and tolerant nature of Islam as well as fostering cooperation with Muslim peoples. At the international level, Egypt is actively engaged in the Mediterranean Basin and in the overall cooperation and political, cultural and economic interaction with Europe. It also plays a leading role in third world countries within the framework of cooperation for development and justice in the international system. It has close relations with Asian and Latin American countries as well as strong and balanced relations with major international powers, especially China, Russia, the United States and others.

54 Al-Azhar

Al-Azhar Al-Sharif, comprising both the mosque and university, is the most prominent Islamic institution in the world. It is the highest authority in Islamic sciences. Its history dates back to 361 AH / 972 AD in the era of the Fatimid state. It has great merit in pre- serving the Arab-Islamic culture. Since its founding, Al-Azhar’s construction and role have developed. It began as a mosque where prayers and religious cere- monies were held and later became a university composed of institutions and colleges teaching various types of knowledge and specialization. A great number of intellectuals in all fields gradu- ated from Al-Azhar, which has a great reputation in fostering the intellectual movement in general, especially in the literary field. Among the most notable Azharite leaders of thought are: Refaa Al-Tahtawi, Hasan Al-Taweel, Mohammad Abdo, Mustafa Lutfi Al-Manfalouti, Taha Hussein, Ahmed Amin, Ahmed Hassan Al-Zayat, Abdul Aziz Al-Bishri, Mustafa Ab- del Razek and Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayyeb, who assumes the post of Grand Sheikh of Al-Azhar since March 19, 2010, among others. After the Revolution of July 1952, Al-Azhar witnessed a great renaissance. In 1961, late President Ga- mal Abdel Nasser decided to transform Al-Azhar into a modern university with new faculties of medicine,

55 Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb, Dr. Taha Hussien Grand Imam of Al-Azhar engineering, pharmacy, modern sciences and arts. Al- Azhar’s activities expanded in many countries, most notably in Asia and Africa. The scholars of Al-Azhar and its Department of Islamic Missions play a pivotal role in the dissemination of moderate Islamic thought and sound jurisprudence, which emphasizes the mo- dernity of Islam and the flexibility of its provisions. Al-Azhar also decisively confronts, with thought and diligence, violent-promoting extremist propaganda that denigrates the religion of Islam

56 Al-Azhar Mosque courtyard 57 The Egyptian Church

A painting depicting the journey of the Holy Family in Egypt Egyptians first knew Christianity when Egypt was privileged by the journey of the Holy Family, infant Jesus Christ, and the Virgin Mary and Joseph the Car- penter, for more than thirty months. The Holy Fami- ly fled from the Roman King “Herod” and headed to Egypt and lived there until the danger has passed. The journey of the Holy Family left behind great landmarks in several locations such as Matriya, Assiut, Wadi El- Natroun and others. Egypt was a fertile garden in the early flowering of Christianity. From the first century A.D., as the faith took root and began to grow, Egypt became an important religious center, as theologians and scholars flocked there. Egyptian Christianity developed its own distinctive flavor, shaped by the words, culture, and history of ancient Egypt. This branch of Christianity would become the Coptic Orthodox Church, which

58 The Hanging Church in Cairo is more than nineteen centuries old and was founded by St. Mark and is therefore called the “Church of St. Mark”. Egypt was also the site of another important development in Christianity: monasticism, a practice born in the deserts of Egypt at the end of the first century A.D.; and from there, it moved to other parts of the world. The Coptic Church is headed by the Pope of Al- exandria and the Patriarch of the Diocese of St. Mark Pope Tawadros II who assumed leadership of the Church on 18 November 2012 after the death of Pope Shenouda III, assisted by the bishops who in turn also supervise the priests of the parishes. Both the Patriarch and the bishops must be monks, all of them members of the Holy Synod. The historical evangelization of the Apostolic Throne of Alexandria in Africa, apart from

59 Pope Tawadros in Christmas Mass Egypt, and the Sudan, does extend to Ethiopia. The Egyptian Church celebrates the glorious Christ- mas Day on January 7th of each year and the glorious Easter holiday on the first Sunday after the appearance of the first full moon in spring according to the Coptic calendar, by holding the Divine Mass headed by the Pope of Alexandria and the Patriarch of the Diocese of St. Marks, in the presence and participation of officials and public figures, led by the President of the Republic. On 7th January 2019 marking Christmas Day, the Church of the Nativity of Christ was inaugurated in the New Administrative Capital, being the largest cathedral in the Middle East, and comprising two churches, large and small, built on 15 acres. Christmas divine mass was held there that year. In Egypt there are many churches of different Chris- tian denominations other than the Coptic Orthodox Church, including the Coptic Catholic Church, the Evangelical Church, the Armenian Catholic Church, the Syriac Catholic Church, the Roman Catholic Church, the Chaldean Catholic Church, the Maronites, the Latins ... and many other evangelical churches.

60 Agricultural irrigation machine Economy The Egyptian economy is one of the most diversified economies in the Middle East and Africa. It is based on multiple pillars of agriculture, industry, tourism and services. Agriculture: The agricultural sector is one of the most important sources of national income. Historically, Egypt has always seen itself as farming nation. The area of agricultural land is now about 10 million feddans. The agricultural sector employs about 30% of the total labor force. It contributes about 15% of the gross domestic product and about 20% of total commodity exports. Industry: Historically, ancient Egyptians were known for being engaged in industrial products, especially after discovering mining. They extracted minerals such as copper, silver and gold. They invented and used many machines, agricultural tools, military equipment and shipbuilding. In modern-time, Egypt’s Mohamed Ali set up a major industrial base, where textile, sugar, cooking

61 Natural gas discoveries oil squeezing, rice mills and the military industries flourished. A shipyard and factories for preparation of chemical materials were established. After the July 1952 Revolution, Egypt set up a number of heavy industry projects such as iron and steel, mining, petroleum, chemical, spinning and weaving and food industries. Egypt’s manufacturing sector is currently one of the most diversified sectors, including textile, garment, leather, food, automotive, heavy and energy industries. The industrial sector contributes about 20% of GDP. The State is working to raise the competitiveness of Egyptian products and to offer investors many privileges and exemptions. In addition, Egypt has a modern infrastructure in all fields and a diverse transport network that facilitates the transfer of goods and products to local and international markets. Egypt also has huge reserves of natural resources including iron, gold, manganese and phosphate; different types of stones such as granite, basalt, marble, limestone and sandstone; as well as coal, oil and natural gas, and the latter was discovered in large quantities in Egyptian waters in the Mediterranean as of 2016. 62 Tourism: In Egypt, the most important economic feature of activities related to the tourism sector is that they con- tribute to the generation of income, employment, and foreign-exchange earnings. Egypt enjoys a unique ge- ographic location, mild weather throughout the year, archaeological treasures as well as beautiful beaches, all reflecting the depth and distinction of Egypt’s civilization throughout the ages. The Egyptian government is committed to providing all privileges to lure investments. The percentage of those who work directly or indirectly in the tourism sector is about 14% of the total labor force in the country. Economic Reform: Since 2014, Egypt has pursued structural reform policies based on diversity and gradation, expansion in mega infrastructure and other major development projects in the sectors of agriculture, industry, logis- tics, trade, navigation and others, which will pave the way for foreign direct investment, generate more jobs, revitalize economic life, and improve public services, taking into account the environmental dimension

Luxor Temple 63 World beauty queens in Luxor

Hollywood actor Morgan Freeman in Luxor

Avenue of Rams connecting the Temples of Luxor and Karnak 64 The Holy Lake in Karnak Temple

El-Gouna resort

Hurghada city 65 Rod Al-Farag Axis Bridge (widest suspension bridge in the world), opened in 2019 of these projects, so as to meet the objectives of sus- tainable development set by Egypt in the strategic Vision for 2030. Economic reform is a basic step in the process of comprehensive development in Egypt, connecting the present to the future and inspired by the achievements of the ancient Egyptian civilization, with a view to adopting a clear development process for an advanced and prosperous country with economic and social justice. These efforts have begun to bear fruit, including high economic growth rates, reaching between 5-6% in 2018-2019, compared to 2% during the period 2011-2013, and increasing foreign reserves and job opportunities. Egypt has a number of trade and economic agreements with many countries of the world. Egypt joined the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) in 1998. Egypt participated in the signing of the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) with the United states in 1999, to create a freer trade and increase investment flows between the two countries.

66 Egypt has also become a member of the Great- er Arab Free Trade Area (GAFTA) and the Agadir Agreement with Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia, which facilitate integration between Arab states and the EU under the broader EU-Mediterranean process. In 2013, Egypt ratified the Free Trade Agreement with the Common Market of Latin America (MERCOSUR). Egypt signed a partnership agreement with the Eu- ropean Union in 2001, which came into force in 2004. Under its provisions, Egyptian products were granted immediate duty-free access to EU markets. Investment A home to one of the oldest civilizations, Egypt remains one of the most influential countries in the Arab world. Egypt has undertaken several reforms to improve the investment climate and streamline procedures in five areas: establishment of companies, access to credit, protection of small investors, payment of taxes and settlement of insolvency in order to help generate jobs, attract investment and increase the competitiveness of the economy. Investors can apply for services and pay fees related to investment through the Internet. The timetables for investment services have been set, and the one-stop service has been activated. The investor does not need to collect multiple approvals from different government agencies, thus saving time and cost as well as facilitating the methods of undertaking business and investment in Egypt. Foreign investors are guaranteed residence in Egypt during the term of a project. Investors have the right to transfer their profits abroad. Foreign employees of investment companies have the right to transfer their compensation abroad. 67 Cairo University Education Ancient Egyptians paid great attention to science and education, and recorded their civilization through their ancient language. With the accession of Muham- mad Ali Pasha to the rule of Egypt in 1805 A.D., he introduced modern educational system and established Schools of Human Medicine, Engineering, Manage- ment and Languages. Interest in education increased and missions were sent to Europe. The Egyptian Uni- versity was founded in 1925, followed by numerous Egyptian universities, in addition to Al-Azhar Univer- sity, spanning over more than 1,000 years. Egypt has made enormous progress in increasing access to education.The number of public and private universities in Egypt reached 288 universities in 2020, where about 3.1 million students are enrolled. Pre-university education is completely free. There are about 20 million students in various stages of general and technical pre-university co-education. The Constitution of Egypt (2014) obliges the state to allocate at least 4% of the national expend- iture to education. Technology in Egyptian schools 68 Egyptian Nobel Laureates The Nobel Prize is considered one of the most important and prestigious international awards and the winner gets a great place in the field of specialization. Four Egyptians won the prize, namely: • Late President Mohamed Anwar Sadat is the first Arab and Egyptian to win the Nobel Peace Prize. He was awarded the No- President Anwar bel Peace Prize in 1978 after the Sadat signing of the Camp David Peace Agreement between Egypt and Israel. • Late writer Naguib Mahfouz was awarded the Nobel Prize in literature in 1988 for his realistic, daring and creative literary work spanning over more than 50 years. • Scientist Ahmed Zewail re- ceived the Nobel Prize in Chemis- try in 1999 for his research in the Nobel Laurette field of femtochemistry, where he novelist Naguib developed the fetoscope used to Mahfouz film the process of partial chemical bonding. • Former IAEA director Mo- hamed El-Baradei was awarded the 2005 Nobel Peace Prize jointly with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for their efforts to achieve a world free of weapons of mass destruction and Nobel Laurette to ensure the peaceful use of nu- scientist Ahmed clear energy. Zewail 69 Social Welfare

Queen Cleopatra Women: The State of Egypt attaches great importance to em- powering women and improving their role in various fields. According to the Constitution, the State shall ensure the achievement of equality between women and men in all civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights and shall take the necessary measures to ensure the appropriate representation of women in the houses of representatives (The constitutional amendments of April 2019 stipulated that women should be allocated at least 25% of the total seat numbers of the House of Representatives). The State also guarantees women’s right of holding public and senior management offices in the State and their appointment in judi- 70 Egyptian women cast their votes in presidential elections cial bodies and authorities without discrimination. The State protects women against all forms of violence and ensure enabling women to strike a balance between family duties and work requirements. The State pro- vides care to and protection of motherhood and childhood, females heads of families, and elderly and need- iest women. Egyptian women’s access to all their political rights in the 1950s was the beginning of their enjoyment of other rights, such as the right to hold public and senior posts and to recognize them as a productive force on an equal footing with men, a development culminat- ing in the appointment of the first female minister in Egypt in 1962. Since then, ministerial positions have been assigned to women in all Egyptian governments. The Egyptian government has (8) women ministers in 2018, representing about 27% of cabinet. Egyptian women also hold 89 parliamentary seats (2015-2020) in addition to their proper representation in legislative, political, party and media institutions, the diplomatic and consular corps and the administrative apparatus of the State. 71 Children: The State is committed to achieving the best interest of children in all domains. The Egyptian Constitution (2014) considers the child as the nucleus of the family and the cornerstone of its cohesion. Ensuring the constitutional rights of the child means the commitment of society and the legislative authority to protecting the child. This is the main focus of the State’s efforts to ensure the rights of the child in Egypt. Anyone under the age of 18 is considered a child. Each child has the right to a name, identity documents, free compulsory vaccination, health and family or al- ternative care, basic nutrition, safe shelter, religious education, and emotional and cognitive development. The State ensures the rights of children with disabilities, their rehabilitation and their integration in the society. The State provide children with care and protection from all forms of violence, abuse, mistreatment and commercial and sexual exploitation. Every child is entitled to acquire early education in a childhood center until the age of six. It is prohibited to employ children before the age of completing their preparatory education (six years of pri- mary and three years of preparatory) or in jobs which subject them to danger. The Nile Girl 72 Promising Egyptian youths The State’s vision regarding child protection is manifested in the establishment of the National Coun- cil for Motherhood and Childhood. The State also developed a judicial system for children that have been victims and or are witnesses. In the field of education, equal educational opportunities have been provided for all children, with the expansion of kindergarten classes, the provision of qualified teaching staff, and the improvement of the quality of education.

NGOs: The number of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) is about 48,000, operating in Egypt after obtaining the necessary licenses from the Ministry of So- cial Solidarity. Many of such community associations provide social services to different strata of the Egyp- tian society and are endeavors to achieve the social and economic development of local communities through providing assistance and various forms of care to the

73 needy, in coordination with either the Ministry of So- cial Solidarity, other ministries concerned or other governmental agencies. A number of such associations also work in the field of human rights, provide legal assistance to individuals and operate freely. Health Care: Ancient Egyptians excelled in sciences, medicine and therapies. Undoubtedly, as evidenced by hundreds of mummies that remained in good condition after thousands of years thanks to mummification. This at- tests to the scientific and medical progress made by ancient Egyptians in anatomy, surgical procedures, pharmacology and other scientific fields. In modern times, Egypt has been a pioneer in the establishment of advanced medical facilities, perhaps the most prominent of which is the Qasr Al-Aini Hos- pital, which was established as a medical school some 200 years ago. Egypt’s 2014 Constitution stipulates that “every citizen has the right to comprehensive health care”, and that “the State shall allocate a percentage of government spending to health equivalent of at least 3% of Gross National Product”. Egypt currently has about 2,000 hospitals with 130,000 beds and about 250,000 highly qualified doc- tors. Beginning in 2014, Egypt has successfully completed a series of globally recognized health initiatives, such as the “100 million Health” Initiative, which ex- amined nearly 60 million citizens, treated nearly 2 million Hepatitis C patients so as to eradicate this disease, screened around 4.5 million Egyptian women, as well

74 Professor Sir Magdi Yacoub as initiating similar campaigns on the health of children and students. Egypt has also begun implementing a comprehensive health insurance scheme for all citizens. Youths: The state guarantees the provision of care to the youths and youngsters and endeavors to discover their talents; develop their cultural, scientific, psychologi-

75 Participants in National Youth Conferences cal, physical and creative abilities, encourage their en- gagement in group and volunteer activities and enable them to participate in public life. The State pays great attention to building the personality of youths both scientifically and culturally, as well as providing job opportunities, providing resources and facilities for youth projects and familiarizing them with state-of-the-art, providing them with full services in the fields of sports and the arts, and enacting laws that guarantee young people the greatest possible representation in the legislative and local institutions, as well as opening the way for them to hold senior government positions. National Youth Conferences are held periodically, offering a forum for direct dialogue between Egyptian youth and representatives of the Egyptian government and its various institutions. It was at National Youth Conferences that the idea of the World Youth Forum was born, as an effective platform where young people from all over the world participate in a rich internation-

76 al environment to express and exchange their opinions and recommendations and initiatives, in the presence of world leaders and influential personalities. In 2017, the National Academy for Youth Train- ing and Rehabilitation was established. The Academy aims to achieve the human development requirements of youth cadres in all sectors of the State and improve their abilities and skills. The Academy also endeavors to pool the energies of young people in national work that benefits the State and builds its renaissance. It also aims to dissem- inate cultural, social, religious and political awareness among the youth sectors, preparing political and administrative cadres capable of assisting the State in performing its tasks, and developing youth skills to meet the needs of the labor market.

Rowing in Ancient Egypt

77 Egyptian Sports The walls of Egyptian temples are teeming with murals, paintings and inscriptions proving that the Egyptian civilization was one of the first civilizations to have known and practiced various types of sports, whether physical, mental or spiritual, throughout the ages. The temples in Saqqara, Al-Amarna and Bani Hassan in Minya Governorate, Abidus and west of Luxor illustrate the extent to which the ancient Egyp- tians realized the importance of sports and its benefits to the body and mind. The ancient Egyptians knew many of the sports that form the basis of many of today’s sports. They were the first to practice boxing centuries before the Greeks. They also knew handball, as illustrated on the walls of the tombs of Bani Hassan, whose inscriptions also show that hockey is a purely Egyptian game. The sport of “jogging” was known in Egypt where the success of the Pharaoh in jogging was a prerequisite for assuming power to prove that he is in good health and is qualified

Taekwondo player Hidayat Malak

78 to rule the country. Forms of wrestling sport between children and boys also appeared on the tomb of Petahho- tep in Saqqara. Ancient Egyp- tians were also fond of swim- ming in the Nile. Ancient Egypt also established Wrestler Karam Gaber the first rules of gymnastics, as ancient Egyptian women practiced gymnastics, accompanied by music. The drawings inscribed on ancient Egyptian monuments, such as Ramses II Temple, recoded the practice of equestrian .sports

Weightlifting champion Sara Ahmed

79 Weightlifting champion Mohamed Ehab

Para table tennis champion Ibrahim Hamadtou Some of the Pharaonic inscriptions also show that today’s sport of fencing is originally an Egyptian game. Ancient Egyptians also showed interest in shooting, high jump and rowing, whether in the Nile or the seas around Egypt. Fishing was one of the most important sports in ancient Egypt, as well. Ancient Egyptian also practiced mind games, as evidenced by a playing kit, similar to chess, that was found in pharaonic tombs. In the modern era, Egypt has paid great attention to

80 opening sports venues for youths, many of whom participated in various games in the Olympics and other global and continental sports tournaments. Egypt at the Olym- Competitive swimmer Farida pics Egypt was a Osman member of the In- ternational Olympic Committee in 1910. It ranked 14th in the list of countries to participate in the committee. The first Olym- pic Committee was Modern pentagon player formed in 1910, and Salma Abdel Maqsoud Egypt’s first participa-

Egyptian national football team, 1928

81 tion in the Olympic Games was in 1912. Egypt’s champions have competed in successive Olympic Games beginning with the tournament in Antwerp, Belgium in 1920 till the last tournament in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 2016. During these competitions Egypt won the gold medal 7 times: Ibrahim Mustafa (wrestling - Amster- dam 1928), El-Sayyed Nosir (weightlifting - Amster- dam 1928), Khadr El-Tuni (weightlifting - Amsterdam 1928), Anwar Mesbah (weightlifting - London 1948), Mohamed Fayyad (weightlifting - London 1948), Ibra- him Shams (weightlifting - London 1948), Moham- med Fayyad (weightlifting - London 1948) and Karam Gaber (Roman wrestling - Athens 2004). The champions of Egypt won the silver medal 10 times: Farid Semika (diving - Amsterdam 1928), Saleh Suleiman (weightlifting - Berlin 1936), Mahmoud Hassan (Roman wrestling - London 1948), Attia Hamouda (weightlifting - London 1948), Mohamed Othman (Roman wrestling - Rome 1960), Moham- med Rashwan (Judo - Los Angeles 1984), Mohammed Ali Reda (boxing - Athens 2004), Alaa Abu Al-Qa- sim (weightlifting - London 2012), Karam Gaber (wrestling - London 2012), and Abeer Abdel Rahman (weightlifting - London 2012). Egyptian champions also won 13 bronze medals: Farid Semika (diving - Amsterdam 1928), Ibrahim Wasef (weightlifting - Berlin 1936), Ibrahim Shams (weight lifting - London 1948), Abdel-Al Rashed (Roman wrestling - Helsinki 1952), Abdel Moneim El-Gendi (boxing - Rome 1960), Ahmed Ismail (boxing - Athens 2004), Tamer Bayoumi (Taekwondo -

82 Athens 2004), Hisham Mesbah (judo - Beijing 2008), Tarek Yahya (weightlifting - London 2012), Ibrahim Orabi (Wrestling - Rio de Janeiro, 2016), Mohamed Ihab (weightlifting - Rio de Janeiro 2016), and Hidayat Malak (Taekwondo - Rio de Janeiro 2016). Egypt’s Olympic football history began in 1920 at

Squash player Ranim Al-Waily

Squash player Rami Ashour

83 Nour Al-Sherbini, squash world number one the 7th Olympic Games in Antwerp, Belgium. Egypt was the first African-Arab team to participate in an Olympic team game. It was also the only team from outside Europe. The Egyptian national team participated in the Olympic Games 11 times (an African record) in the following sessions: Belgium (1920), France (1924), Netherlands (1928), Germany (1936), England (1948), Finland (1952), Italy (1960), Japan (1964), Los Angeles (1984), Barcelona (1992) and London (2012). Squash Egyptian squash has made great strides since the beginning of the twenty-first century, and Egyptian players, both men and women, have been able to sit on the throne of squash globally. The interest in this sport dates back to the 1930s, when Egypt’s champions won the British Open, the oldest of the world squash championships. 84 Egypt national football team Interest in squash recurred in the nineties with the ascension of Ahmed Barrada (World No. 2) to the final of the world championship. Then, Karim Darwish held on to World No.1 ranking for 11-months during 2009. Rami Ashour won three world championships and topped the rankings more than once. Real Egyp- tian domination of the world squash started in 2014, and then legendary player Nour el-Sherbini won the world championship 4 times, along with dozens of other tournaments. Squash experts agree that Egyptian squash players has an innate talent of squash, is smart on the pitch. There is an added advantage of the personality of the Egyptian player, i.e. the fighting spirit to the last minute, as well as acquiring imagination power in the game. Egypt also won many champions in small age groups. 85 Mahmoud Al-Khatib Hassan Shehata Football Egyptians knew modern football in late 19th century and formed the first Egyptian team in 1895. Football clubs began to emerge with the beginning of the 20th century, and Egypt had its first official Cup in 1913. In 1921, the first Egyptian football federation was established. In 1922, the Egyptian Cup began and Egypt participated in the World Cup held in 1934. Egypt is also a founding member of the African Football Con- federation since 1957. The two most popular football clubs are “Al-Ahly Club” and “Zamalek Club”. Al-Ahly FC is the most Egyptian club to win the African Champions League tournaments. Egypt is represented internationally by the “Nation- al Football Team of Egypt”, the first African team to play in the World Cup in 1934. Egypt’s second participation in the World Cup was in 1990 in Italy, and the third time was in Russia in 2018. Egypt’s national team is the biggest winner of the African Cup of Na- tions, winning the Cup 7 times until 2018. It ranked 9th worldwide in 2010, according to the FIFA. Many Egyptian players have emerged in the international football scene and some have gained international fame. The most famous of them currently is Mohamed Salah, who has played for a number of Eu- ropean clubs. 86 87 Cairo International Stadium Sports Facilities Sports facilities and youth centers are available throughout Egypt for all games. Egypt also has many world-class football stadiums and venues. Therefore, Egypt qualified to host The 1997 FIFA U-19 World Cup as well as five continental championships for the African Nations Cup. The most important of these venues: • Alexandria stadium: It is the first in the Middle East, designed by a Russian architect and inspired by the Greek Arcades. It was opened in 1929 and is one of the oldest Olympic stadiums in the world. • Cairo International Stadium: It is the first of its kind to meet Olympic standards in the Middle East and Africa and was completed in 1960. • Borg El-Arab Stadium: It is one of the largest stadiums in the Middle East and was built on 145 acres using the latest construction techniques. • In addition, there are a number of stadiums in several governorates, such as Ismailia, Port Said, Suez and Aswan and other stadiums include: Arab contractors, Petro Sport, Air Defense, As-Sallam, El-Sekka, all of which are built in line with international standards.

88 Culture Ancient Egyp- tians knew different types of arts and literature, and they became famous for the arts of music, sculpture and painting. The effects of these arts still remain to Music in Ancient Egypt this day. There were also stories narrat- ed by the ancient Egyptians for enter- tainment or to convey moral wisdom. Coptic literature has been greatly influ- enced by Greek liter- Tawfiq Al-Ha- Ihsan Abd ature. With the entry kim Al-Qudus

Banat Bahri”, Painting by Mahmoud Said“

89 of Islam in Egypt, the literary movement thrived and attention was paid to libraries and books. Prose and poetry prospered. In modern times, fiction has flourished in the form of novels, short stories, poetry and plays. The field of literature teemed with many writers who gained worldwide fame, including the novelist Naguib Mah- fouz, who won the No- The Renaissance of Egypt”“ Statue by sculptor Mah- bel Prize in literature in moud Mokhtar 1988, Tawfiq Al-Hakim, Ihsan Abd Al-Qudus, the dean of Arabic literature Dr. Taha Hussein, and Abbas Al-Akkad. The Prince of Poets Ahmed Shawki and Poet Hafiz Ibrahim figured in the field of poetry. Painter Mahmoud Said and sculptor Mahmoud Mukhtar and many others are among Egypt’s prominent figures in the field of plastic arts. Composer Mohamed Ab- del-Wahab 90 The grand dame of Arab singing Singer Umm Kulthum

Singer Abdel Halim Hafez

Musician Omar Khairat Singer Amr Diab 91 In the field of music and singing, Sayed Darwish has made an important shift in the modernization of Arabic music, creating a climate that has produced a number of Arabic singing artists such as Mohamed Abdel-Wahab, Umm Kalthoum, Abdel-Halim Hafez and many generations after them. The most prominent

Cairo Opera House

Opera Aida 92 world-renowned Egyptian artists in the 21st century include pop singer Amr Diab and composer Omar Khairat among others. Cairo Opera House The first opera house was opened in Egypt in 1869, where the opening ceremony of the Suez Canal was held. It was the first in Africa and its theater was considered one of the world’s largest and most prestigious theaters. Then, the National Cultural Center (the Egyp- tian Opera House) was inaugurated in 1988 as one of the cultural minarets in Egypt. Since its opening, it offers various fine arts and creative activities enjoyed by all strata of the Egyptian and the Arab peoples and tourists visiting Egypt. For two centuries now, Egypt has witnessed performances of the most famous international opera concerts. Cinema Egypt’s cinema began with the start of the film industry in the world. The first movie was screened in Alexandria in January 1896, followed by a screening in Cairo that same month, only a few days after the world premiere of a movie in Paris in December 1895. The first Egyptian film was screened in 1932. In 1935, Egypt Pictures Studios was established, serving as a launch pad for the beginning of a real cinema renaissance in Egypt. In the following decades, Egyptian cinema became more prosperous. Egyptian movies began to spread more widely in Arab countries. Cinema became a national industry in Egypt and the number of cinemas increased nationwide.

93 Actor Omar Sharif For more than 100 years, Egyptian cinema has produced more than 4,000 films. Among the most prominent Egyptian artists who have achieved fame worldwide is Omar Sharif, who was nominated for the 1963 Oscars and won three Golden Globe awards and a César Award. Among the prominent names in film directing are Salah Abu-Seif and Youssef Chahine, who has directed many Egyptian and international films and won many international awards, and director Shadi Abdel-Salam, who impressed Western film industry when he made his famous film “The Mummy” in 1969. Egyptian cinema still has a leading position in the Arab world. Cairo and other Egyptian cities host Arab, regional and international film festivals, most notably the Cairo International Film Festival, which has been held regularly since 1976, Alexandria Mediterrane-

94 Theatrical artist Mohamed Sobhy an Film Festival, Luxor Festival of African Cinema, El-Gouna Film Festival, Ismailia Short Film Festival and others. Theater Ancient Egyptians knew the art of theater, as inscriptions on the walls of the temples reveal the presence of theatrical drama based on religious myths, especially the myth of Isis and Osiris, depicting the deity of goodness in his struggle with his brother the god of evil Seth, as a valid content of theatrical art, though not in the form of a play as in Greek drama. Egypt has known the art of theater in its modern concept since the beginning of the 19th century, where the Egyptian theater was dominated by musicals until the beginning of the 20th century, then the Egyptian theater achieved a boom in the first half of the 20th century due to the spread of special theater troupes, the 95 A snapshot of “The Earth” movie

Film director Youssef Chahine

Cairo International Film Festival 96 Isis and Osiris

97 Ballet dance in ancient Egypt emergence of brilliant stars and authors, in addition to the Arabization of many of the world’s novels and plays. With the emergence of theatrical troupes affiliated to the Egyptian Tel- evision network in the sixties, a revival of a realistic theatrical renaissance was achieved, which ap- pealed to the Egyptian and Arab public. Di- rectors and actors specialized in the theater emerged in Egypt. Egypt also hosts several regional and international theater festivals. Modern theaters were established in Cairo and most of other major Cairo Opera Ballet Company cities nationwide. 98 Performance by the Reda Troupe

Ballet History records that the Pharaohs are the first to pro- duce a dance drama that narrates stories, tales and morals, which is the basic idea of the expressive dance or ballet as we know today. This was manifested in the inscriptions of the 5th Dynasty (2500 BC), depicting women who dance in groups in a way very similar to the choreography of the latest ballet shows of modern times. In the early sixties of the twentieth century, many troupes were formed, including the Cairo Ballet in Folk dancer Farida Fahmy 99 1966, which presents regular performances on the theaters of the Egyptian Opera House, as well as many Arab and international capitals. Folk Arts The modern Egyptian folk tradition originated in the turn of the 20th century. To reflect the pulsing spirituality and deep understanding of the details of folkloric reality, the Folk Arts Center was founded in 1957. This atmosphere encouraged Aly and Mahmoud Reda to create a folk dance troupe bearing the brothers’ last name “Reda Troupe”. In 1960, the National Folk Arts Troupe was formed, with the help of experts from the Soviet Union. In 1961, “Reda Troupe” became affiliated to the Ministry of Culture. In the same year, the Ministry laid the foun- dation for the establishment of the National Circus, in a bid to revive circus arts that become extinct. Egypt’s folk culture is a vivid and subtle realm where past and present come together. The State sup- ports many primitive folk arts and handicrafts in various fields such as wood carving, clay work, painting on glass, brass artifacts, patchwork, etc. Fashion Egypt is characterized by the diversity and richness of environments and cultures that have produced a wonderful mix of Egyptian clothing. One of the high- lights of Egyptian heritage is “Jilbab”, made of various cotton materials in versatile and varied designs, derived from the rich heritage of the land of Egypt such as the Nubian, the rural and the Bedouin, etc. At the beginning of the 20th century, there were nine regions in Egypt where women wore traditional costumes, including some villages in Upper Egypt, Delta, Nubia, Al-Kharga Oasis, Al-Dakhla Oasis, Bahriya Oasis, Siwa Oasis, North Sinai and the southern coast of the Red Sea. These costumes were characterized by their obvious beauty, decency, comfort and 100 climate compatibility. Pharaonic Fashion: Ancient Egyptians designed their clothes to be light weight so as to suit the hot climate of the country. Most of their clothes were made from plant fibers. They wore clothes made of linen throughout the hot weather. Modern day fashions have taken a twist on the ancient clothing styles of Egypt, and will undoubtedly continue in Beauty of colors in Ancient the years to come. Egypt Bedouin Fashion: Bedouin costumes are on-trend in the Si- nai and the Siwa Oasis and are characterized by colored embroidery, and are styled with belts, embroidered veils, traditional and tribal face masks (burqa) sequined with silver or gold coins and anklets. Nubian Fashion: Nubian costumes have a special appeal as its forms reflect many features of pharaonic civilization. A Nubian Elizabeth Taylor in “Cleopa- dress is a special outfit tra” movie 101 Aswan’s costume Sinai’s costume reflecting the kind nature of the people of Nubia, and their white villages located in the far south on the banks of the River Nile, in- terspersed with palm trees from each side. Nubian women’s costumes are diverse in embroidery, colors and textiles, however, their common denominator is a tailored dress, made of thin black tulle fabric adorned with monochrome designs of the same color, worn atop of the costume. This dress drags behind, hence it is called “Jirjar” in Arabic. Egyptian designers are Nubian costume making waves in the Arab

102 Southern Egypt costume Bedouin costume fashion world. Egyptian fashion evolved over the years to keep abreast of the social changes witnessed by the Egyptian society. Egyptian influence in costumes is seen in the garment styles and also in the embroideries that adorned the garments. Its influence in fashion exists quite pre- dominantly. Fine Arts The course of art in Egypt paralleled to a large extent the country’s political history, but it depended as well on the entrenched belief in the permanence of the natural, divinely ordained order. Ancient New Valley’s costume 103 Egyptian arts, including sculpture, painting and en- graving, were closely linked to architecture, and orna- mentation of temples and tombs. Statues were among the most important distinguishing features of ancient Egyptian arts. Sculpture flourished in the ancient, central and modern states, and produced a number of statues of various kinds. And when Alexander the Great came to Egypt, Egyptian art was combined with Greek art and statues depicted facial and other features of the human body in great detail. This artistic style, known as Hellenic art, contin- ued until the 1st century A.D.. Coptic civilization also knew the carving of the eaves, used in the decoration of church buildings and monasteries. In the Islamic era, the arts of wood latticework, Arabesque, and draw- ing on transparent glassware flourished; plaster was used in a wide array of deco- rations and became a basic material in this Islamic architectural style. Marble mosaic industry prospered as marble mosaic was broadly used in mosques’ mihrabs (a semicircular niche in Sculpture in ancient Egypt the wall of a mosque). 104 Since the beginning of the 20th century till now, the pioneers of plastic art in Egypt have played no less important role than the pioneers of intellectual enlighten- ment. Among these artists are Mahmoud Saeed, Mahmoud Mokhtar, Youssef Kamel, Ragheb Ayyad, Mohamed Nagy, Jamal El-Sejini, Fouad Kamel, Ramsis Yonan, George Hanin and Salah Taher, among others, who Reception Hall at Moham- have contributed to the med Ali Palace promotion of Egyptian art on a wide scale within the movement of con- temporary Egyptian fine arts. They were followed by generations of creative artists in all fields of fine arts. Bibliotheca Alexandrina Once the largest library in the ancient world, and containing works by the greatest thinkers and writers of antiquity, including Homer, Plato, Socrates and many more, the Library of Alexandria, Motherhood”, by Mah�” northern Egypt, is popu- moud Taher 105 larly believed to have been destroyed in a huge fire around 2000 years ago and its volumous works lost. The founding of the Library of Alexandria, actually two or more libraries, is obscure. It is believed that around 295 BCE, the scholar and orator Demetrius of Phalerum, an exiled governor of Athens, convinced Ptolemy I Soter to establish the Library. In 2002, it was rebuilt under the name of “The New Bibliotheca Alexandrina” as a leading institution in the digital age, a center for learning, tolerance, dialogue and understanding as well. The Bibliotheca Alexand- rina is trilingual, containing more than 2 million books in Classical Arabic, English, and French. It comprises several specialized libraries including The Map Li- brary, is home to audio and visual materials, micro- films, rare books, special collections. The Bibliotheca Alexandrina is the world’s second largest library after the New York Library. The library receives around 1.5 million visitors a year and hosts many international intellectual and cultural seminars throughout the year. The Scientific Complex The Scientific Complex is the oldest scientific insti-

Bibliotheca Alexandrina 106 tution in Egypt after Al-Azhar, and is one of the oldest scientific institutions in the whole world. It has been established more than two hundred years ago. The Complex has a library containing many scientific treasures that have been published more than two centuries ago. It has books dating back to pre-1750. According to the latest statistics of the Complex, it contains more than 200 thousand rare books and manuscripts and its library includes 40.000 books, most notably among them is the enormously important book Description de l’Égypte (Description of Egypt), which takes the form of a journey through Egypt from north to south, with descriptions of all the ancient monuments and contem- porary life. The Complex was established in Cairo on 20 Au- gust 1798 by Napoléon Bonaparte, the leader of the French campaign in Egypt during the period (1798- 1801) modelled after Académie des sciences, the French Scientific Academy. Among the most famous heads of the Scientific Complex are Dr. Ahmed Lutfi Al-Sayed, Dr. Taha Hussein and Dr. Ali Mubarak. Among the most famous Egyptian members are the famous savant and astronomer Mahmoud Al-Falaki, Jacob Artin, Prince Omar Toson, Dr. Ali Ibrahim, Dr. Ahmed Zaki and Dr. Ali Mustafa Musharafa, and foreigners such as Gas- ton Maspero, August Merritt and a number of French and German personalities.

107 Monuments On the land of Egypt, many archaeological sites witnessed the succession of great civilizations across the various historical eras. Ancient Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Coptic and Islamic antiquities, as well as monuments of the modern era, vary in terms of architectural and artistic features including places of worship, tombs, and palaces, as each carries its distinctive character and aesthetics. Of the most famous pharaonic monuments are the Pyramids of Giza, which is one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the Sphinx, the Karnak Temple and the Valley of the Kings in Luxor. Alexandria is also home to treasures of ancient civilization including mosques, churches, castles, museums, and pharaonic, Greek, Greek and Islamic monuments, in addition to luxurious palaces, gardens and old markets. St. Catherine’s Monastery, the world’s oldest Christian monastery, is located in Sinai, there

The Sphinx

108 Temple of Dandara

109 Temple of Philae

Archaeologist Howard Carter who discovered the tomb of Tutankhamun

110 The Karnak Temple Complex 111 St. Catherine’s Monastery

Mosaic of the Transfiguration Church of St. Catherine Monastery 112 Sultan Hassan and El-Refaai Mosques

Courtyard of Muhammad Ali Mosque, covered with rare alabaster 113 is St. Catherine Monastery, in the shadow of Mount Moses. Sohag governorate is famous for the temple of Abydos and the city of Minya includes the tombs of Tel Amarna and Beni Hassan tombs. In Aswan, there are the Temple of Phila, Amoun Island, Kom Ombo Temple, Edfu Temple, Monastery of St. Simeon, the High Dam and Abu Simbel Temple. Egypt also embraced the Holy Family. Jesus Christ carried in the arms of his mother Virgin Mary and St. Joseph the Carpenter, escaping the oppression of the Romans, fled to the land of Egypt, a journey that lasted for about three years and eleven months, during which the Family toured different parts of Egypt. Most of the ancient Coptic churches are located in the old section of Cairo, near the ruins of the Fortress of Babylon, including the Coptic Museum and six Coptic churches and a monastery. Other Coptic monuments are located in Fayoum, Minya, Assiut and the Oases. In early Christian times, monks established many monasteries and churches in the Sinai valleys, most notably St. Catherine’s. Cairo is home to the most famous Islamic monuments such as the Khan al-Khalili neighborhood and the nearby Al-Azhar Mosque, which dates back more than a thousand years, as well as the citadel of Salah al-Din, Moham- med Ali Mosque, Ibn Tulun Mosque, Sultan Hassan Mosque and Al-Moez Ladin Allah Al-Fatimi Street, in addition to the gates of Cairo such as Bab Zuweila, and a large number of mosques illustrating the magnif- icence of architecture in the Fatimid and Ayyubid and Mamluk times.

114 Museums No Egypt tour is complete without a visit to Egyp- tian museums. There are more than 34 major museums all across Egypt which are worth a visit from all those interested in the rich history and culture of the nation. Egypt is rich in cultural heritage that can be traced from the remote prehistoric past through the various stages of world civilization. Perhaps the first museum of cultural heritage is the pyramid of Khufu. The Great Pyramid is not a mere graveyard to bury the pharaoh, but it is also a museum of the most important human discoveries of the time. Ancient Egyptians also built museums that were hidden from people in their time, i.e. tombs carved deep in the rocks, currently among top tourist attractions, as well as museums buried in the courtyards of their temples, known as “cache”, including dozens of statues beyond the need of their temples, such as the Tomb of Tutankhamun, which was discovered intact with the finest and rarest pieces sealing his place in history.

Egyptian Museum

115 Display of ancient artifacts The Egyptian Museum is the oldest archaeological museum in the Middle East. It displays an extensive collection spanning from the Predynastic Period to the Greco-Roman Era. The architect of the building was selected through an international competition in 1895, which was the first of its kind, and was won by the French architect, Marcel Dourgnon. The museum was inaugurated in 1902 by Khedive Abbas Helmy II, and has become a historic landmark in downtown Cairo, and home to some of the world’s most magnificent ancient masterpieces. A major renovation of the 1902 building will be undertaken once everything has been moved to the GEM. The old museum will still house a world-class collection of antiquities, but is likely to be only visited by students, scholars and those of us with a more-than-passing interest in the wonders of this ancient land. Where the old museum has been a storehouse of treasures, the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) is a $1 billion state-of-the-art, glass and concrete display space that leads guests through a journey similar to Howard Carter’s when he discovered the Boy King’s 116 Tomb of Tutankhamun

Ancient Egyptian queens

117 tomb a century ago. The new location—outside central Cairo, on the Giza plateau on the edge of the Western Desert—looks out at the famous pyramids and adds even more atmosphere. The main galleries of GEM are divided into four eras: pre-dynastic (up to 3100 B.C.) and Old Kingdom (the pyramid builders), Middle Kingdom, New King- dom (Tutankhamun, Ramses and Co) and Greco-Ro- man. These chronological galleries are then organized according to themes, unlike in the old museum: Beliefs and Eternity (religion), Kingship and Power (rulers), and Society. For the first time, the contents of the tomb are shown in their entirety. There is also a separate children’s museum within the museum, which will use state-of-the-art visual tricks to explain Egypt’s ancient world to kids. Museum of Islamic Art It is one of the largest in the world dedicated to Is- lamic art and artifacts. The museum was founded in 1881, and its collection spans from the 7th-century Umayyad dynasty to the 19th-century Ottoman Em- pire. In 1903 the museum moved to its current building. Coptic Museum This museum, founded in 1908, houses Coptic art from the earliest days of Christianity in Egypt right through to early Islam. It is a beautiful place, as much for the elaborate woodcarving in all the galleries as for the treasures they contain. These include sculpture that shows obvious continuity from the Ptolemaic period, rich textiles and whole walls of monastery frescoes. It has around 1200 pieces on display. Religions complex It is located in Old Cairo and contains various churches and mosques as well as a Jewish Temple. The

118 Islamic Art Museum

119 place is considered home to the three monotheistic religions and one of the oldest religious sites in Egypt. The area is home to many museums and monuments such as the historical mosque of Amr Ibn El’Aas, Baby- lon fortress, the Coptic Museum, and the Ben Ezra synagogue, and ancient churches such as the Hanging Church, which is the oldest Egyp- tian church, the Church Glass lamp from the and Convent of Saint Mamluk era Mercury (Abu-Seifein) and the Church of the Virgin Mary. Royal Jewelry Muse- um The Royal Jewelry Museum is one of the most wonderful touristic spots in Alexandria, with a stunning collection of jewels, gems, and gold accessories dating back to the royal family in Egypt. It has more than 11,000 displays that include the collection of Prince Mohamed Ali Wooden silver-plated door Tawfik consisting of 12 cups that were made 120 Coptic Museum

Icon in the Monastery of Apollo at Bawit, Southern Egypt

121 St. George’s Church in Religions Complex, old Cairo district 122 out of bronze and gold, 2,753 lobes of precious stones and diamonds, and a money bag made out of gold and other precious stones. also displays the collection that dates back to the ruling period of Said Pasha that consists of some golden clocks and watches, Turkish, Egyptian, and European insignias decorated with gold and diamonds, and 4000 Roman, Persian, Princess Fawzia, daughter of Byzantine, and Coptic King Fouad I coins. Among the most important museums are Prince Mohammed Ali Museum (The Manial Palace and Museum), the Agricultural Muse- um, the Military Muse- um, the Graeco-Roman Museum in Alexandria and Abdeen Palace Museum, the Nubian Museum in Aswan, Na- tional Museum of Egyp- tian Civilization, and Mahmoud Khalil Mu- seum . Egyptian Tourist Landmarks El-Manasterly Palace 123 Egypt’s geographical location, beautiful climate, cultural heritage and archaeological treasures make it one of the most attracting tourist sites of the world. It possesses a wide spectrum of tourism resources, and cultural and natural heritage. The location of Egypt at the Cross road of three continents makes it the bridge of extensive exchange of culture and natural resources, as well as a Khufu pyramid diversity of bio-geographical regions.

Hollywood star Will Smith 124 It enjoys a temperate and varied climate as well as central geographical location which enable it to attract tourists of different interests and backgrounds from various parts of the world. Egypt is also spiritually significant to a number of the world’s religions. Cultural & His- torical Tourism: Among the most In front of the Sphinx prominent cultural and historical tourist landmarks, are mon-

Tourists enjoying the charm of Karnak Temple

125 Tourists having fun in historical sites uments depicting diverse civilization, such as the pyramids of Giza, the Sphinx and necropolis of Saqqara in Giza; the Roman amphitheater, the Roman Bath at Kom al-Dikka and Pompey’s Pillar in Alexandria; and the monuments of the city of Luxor, which includes one third of the world’s monuments, in addition, to Cairo which composed the historic and archeological panorama of the past two millennia. Beach Tourism: Egypt has spectacular beaches on the Mediterrane- an and Red Sea, and many desert and mountain areas provide fun and adventure for safari tourists. The northern coast area on the Mediterranean Sea is characterized by the abundance of its tourist villages, as well as Nile cruises by boats and floating hotels, which run from Cairo to Luxor and Aswan through all the cities of

One of Sharm El-Sheikh’s top beaches 126 Beach getaways on the Red Sea 127 Tourists relaxing on the sands of Marsa Alam beaches

Diving in the Red Sea Upper Egypt overlooking the Nile. On the shores of the Red Sea, there are many high-end resorts in Sharm El- Sheikh, Hurghada and Marsa Alam. Sharm El-Sheikh is home to the largest diving centers in the world, with clear waters, coral reefs and rare fish, suitable for the practice of marine sports such as diving and snorkeling. Other attractions include the cities of Dahab, Nuweiba, Taba and Ras Sidr.

128 The Monastery of Saint Anthony (Red Sea)1 Religious Tourism: Egypt is blessed with many Islamic and Coptic religious monuments. Among the most important Coptic monuments are the Hanging Church, the Church of the Virgin Mary, Saints Sergius and Bacchus Church (also known as Abu Serga), the Church of St. George, Church of Saint Menas, the Church of St. Barbara, Vir-

Mount Sinai 129 Imam Hussein Mosque

Mohamed Ali Citadel in Cairo gin Mary Tree, and the Cathedral of St. Mark. There are several monasteries, including St. Anthony’s Mon- astery, Wadi El-Natrun Monastery (in the Western Desert), the Monastery of Saint Paul the Anchorite, the Muharraq Monastery, Anba Hadra Monastery (also known as Monastery of St. Simeon), the White Monas- tery, Saint Catherine’s Monastery and the Monastery of Saint Mina.

130 Egypt is also home many Islamic monuments, such as: the Mosque of Amr Ibn Al’Aas, Al-Hussein Mosque, Al-Sayeda Zainab Mosque, El-Imam El-Sha- fei Mosque and Mausoleum, Al-Azhar Mosque, Sul- tan Hassan Mosque and School, Ahmad ibn Tulun Mosque, Al-Hakim Bi-Amr Allah Mosque, the Great Mosque of Muhammad Ali Pasha (also known as Al- abaster Mosque), Al-Rifa’i Mosque. Among the most famous Islamic citadels are the Citadel of Saladin, Mu- hammad Ali Palace, Qaitbay Citadel in Alexandria. Currently underway is a project to revive the Holy Family route, considered the longest path in one country, covering 3500 km back and forth in 8 governorates. Therapeutic Tourism: Egypt has 16 inland and coastal locations, where natural treatments for many diseases are available such as Helwan, Ain Assera, Ain Sokhna, Hurghada, Fay- oum, Oasis, Aswan, Sinai and Safaga on the Red Sea. Egypt has sulfurous and mineral springs. According to scientific research, clay found in some springs has ther-

Siwa Oasis

131 apeutic properties that can cure numerous bone, shin, kidney, gastrointestinal diseases and respiratory prob- lems. The Red Sea waters with its chemical composi- tion and abundance of coral reefs can help cure from psoriasis. Safaga city is famous for its black sands that treat some skin diseases. In addition to that, it enjoys good infrastructure of medical centers and specialized services for rehabilitation and physiotherapy. These centers are equipped to provide the required medical and therapeutic services to achieve healing, recreation, and leisure at the same time during your holiday in Egypt. Hotels Egyptian hotel sector comprises about 900 hotels with about 180 thousand rooms. Sharm El-Sheikh and Hurghada are at the forefront of the cities with the largest number of hotels in Egypt. The number of hotels in Sharm El-Sheikh is 180 hotels with a capacity of 52 thousand rooms, Hurghada has145 hotels with about 46 thousand rooms, while the number of hotels in the capital Cairo is about 155 hotels with a capacity of 27 thousand rooms, and Alexandria has 44 hotels with

Four Seasons Hotel - Cairo

132 San Stefano Grand Plaza Hotel - Alexandria a capacity of 4200 rooms, Aswan has 14 hotels with about 1800 rooms, Luxor 36 hotels with 4900 rooms, Marsa Alam in the Red Sea has 48 hotels with 10,000 rooms and Ain Sokhna has 18 hotels with a capacity of 2200 rooms. Egyptian Cuisine Thousands of years ago, ancient Egyptians left evi- dence of their love for food. Well-preserved wall paintings and carvings have been discovered on tombs and temples, depicting large feasts and a variety of foods. Many of these ancient foods are still eaten in Egyp- tian households today. Peas, beans, cucumbers, dates, figs, and grapes were popular fruits and vegetables in ancient times. Wheat and barley, ancient staple crops, were used to make bread and beer. Fish and poultry were also popular. One of the most famous Egyptian dishes is dried beans, a meal known since the days of the Pharaohs. Another main dish in the Egyptian kitchen is “Feteer meshaltet” (flaky layered pastry), popular in Egyptian 133 countryside, considered one of the oldest types of pies in history, and it was given as an offering to the Egyptian Gods in the temples, and is still served at weddings. “Molukhya” (green leafy Falafel, a traditional vegetables)is also an origi- Egyptian dish nal Egyptian meal, planted by the Egyptian peasant on the banks of the Nile. Falafel is one of the most famous authentic Egyptian dishes served for breakfast. One of the most popular Egyptian dishes, Kushari, originally dates back to the 19th century, made of rice, pasta, and lentils mixed together, and topped with a spiced tomato sauce. Besara was known by the pharaohs as “Bisuru”, meaning cooked beans. Salted fish such as “Fa- seikh”, herring and sardines are among the most famous Koshari, a traditional dishes in Egypt. It is the Egyptian staple traditional dish served during the Spring Festival, the Sham el-Nessim festival and other Egyptian festivals in general. Reportedly, “Faseikh” has been made since the time of the Pharaohs and is made from salted, sun- dried grey mullet. It is then placed inside containers and closed tightly for storage purpose, served with ta-

134 hini, onion and lemon. Stuffed pigeon (hamam mahshi) is a very popular main dish in Egypt and many other countries in the Middle East. This dish consists of whole pigeons stuffed with Lentil soup rice, chicken hearts and livers, and minced onion. Egyptian rice kofta (rice meatballs) is one of the most popular dishes in Egypt. Traditionally made with camel meat, it is a delicious variation on conventional meatballs. It is a blend of lamb meat, rice, onions, gar- lic and fresh herbs cooked in a tomato sauce. “Om Ali” is the Egyptian cousin of the ever-so-popular bread pudding. This Egyptian dessert contains phyllo dough or puff pastry, milk and nuts. For many centuries, Muslims in the Arab world enjoy special traditional desserts during the holy month of Ramadan, in which they fast from dawn to dusk. It is the season of “kunafa” and “qatayef”, made of a mixture of flour,

Feast cookies

135 water, and milk and is stuffed with almonds, peanuts and coconuts. Holding a cup-shaped strainer with liquefied dough, the kanafani (kunafa baker) makes string-shaped pastry on a round-shaped iron tray of the oven, while qatayef is baked in round shapes. Known as “khak Al Eid” or cookies of Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan, these cookies are immensely popular with Egyptians, Muslims and Christians alike. Historians these cookies date back to the days of ancient Egyptians as evidenced by drawings on temple walls. Cookies are made of a kneaded mixture of flour, yeast, ghee, milk and sugar. The dessert is usually served sprinkled with powdered sugar.

Press & Media Egyptian Press: The Egyptian Constitution contained three articles relating to freedom of the press, freedom of expres- sion and opinion. Article 70 stipulates that “Freedom of the press and printing and paper, visual, audio and electronic publication is guaranteed. Every Egyptian - whether being natural or juristic person, public or private person – has the right to own and issue newspapers and establish means of visual, audio and digital media”. Article 71 stipulates that “It is prohibited to censor, confiscate, suspend or shut down Egyptian newspapers and media outlets in any way”. Article 72 stipulates that “The State shall ensure the independence of all State-owned press institutions and owned media outlets, in a manner ensuring their neutrality and presentation of all political and intellectual opinions, and trends and social interests and

136 also guarantees equality and equal opportunity in addressing public opinion”. In 1798, when Napo- leon Bonaparte led the French army into Egypt, he decided to establish a French-Arabic printing press in Egypt, Under Journalist Mohamed the title of the “East Army Hassanein Heikal Press” in Alexandria. When the campaign moved to Cairo, it was renamed “Al-Ahlia Press”. The aim was to publish Arabic and French publications, especially newspapers. He also established the first Egyptian newspaper entitled “Al-Tanbih” newspaper in 1800 AD. After Mohamed Ali Pasha ruled Egypt, he issued a daily newspaper entitled “Al-Journal”, which in 1828 was renamed “The Egyptian Chronicles”, thus becom- ing the first official and governmental newspaper. After Khedive Ismail took over the rule of Egypt, he paid great attention to the press and re-published the “The Egyptian Chronicles”. Khedive Ismail issued the “Egyptian Military” newspaper, “General Staff of the Egyptian Army” newspaper, the “Schools Divan” newspapers, the latter coinciding with the educational renaissance. With the decision of the Khedive to establish the Council of Representatives in 1866, a semi-governmental newspaper called “Valley of the Nile” was issued. In 1869, a weekly political magazine titled “Nozha Al-Afkar” was published. In 1875, Khedive Ismail

137 gave permission to Selim Takla to establish the “Al-Ahram” printing press and set up a newspaper with the same name in Alexandria. In 1876, “Al-Kawkab” newspaper was published by Selim Al-Hamwi. In the same year, Al-Ahram printing press published another newspaper, “Sada Al-Ahram”, and a bi-monthly magazine bearing the name of “The Lighthouse”. In 1882, the first comic newspaper serving as a mouthpiece of the Arab Revolution called “Al-Mufid” was published. In 1900, political leader Mustafa Kamel issued the newspaper “Al-Lewaa”. After the Revolution of July 23, 1952, old newspapers such as Al-Ahram, other newspapers and magazines by “Akhbar Al-Youm” publishing house, “Rose Al-Yousef” and “Al-Hilal” publishing house contin- ued to be published. Newspapers and magazines have been published in the name of the Revolution, to express its goals, such as the weekly “Al-Tahrir” and the daily “Al-Jumhouriya”. In 1960, the law regulating the press was issued, resulting in the nationalization of major newspapers. Management of these newspapers were transferred to the National Union, which later became the Arab So- cialist Union in 1963. Following the return to the multiparty system in Egypt in 1976, partisan newspapers were re-published. Hundreds of partisan and private newspapers and magazines have been published daily, weekly, monthly and quarterly ever since.

Under the reign of the late President Mohamed An- war Sadat, a referendum was held in 1979, stating that the press is the fourth power alongside the other three legislative, executive and judicial powers, which led to

138 the issuance of new legislation regulating all the press, especially with regard to the ownership of newspapers that was transferred to the “Shura Consultative Coun- cil”, and certain articles were included in the Constitu- tion at that time confirming that meaning. The press has witnessed a change in recent years where the electronic press, especially video journalism, has spread, and social media sites have seen a de- mand from electronic newspapers where applications such as “Facebook” and “Twitter” have become a major source of news for the average user. The most important daily newspapers in Egypt are: Al-Ahram, Al-Akhbar, Akhbar Al-Youm (Weekly), Al-Gomhouria, Al Masaa, Rose El-Yousef – Al-Ah- ram Al-Masae. The most important partisan and private newspapers in Egypt are: Al-Wafd, Al-Masry Al-Youm, Al-Youm Al-Sabee, Al-Shorouk, Al-Watan, Al-Fajr, and others. The most important magazines in Egypt are: Oc- tober, Al-Musawer (Illustrator), Akhar Saea (Last Hour), Rose El-Yousef, Sabah El-Khair and others.

Egyptian Journalists Syndicate: The Egyptian Journalists Syndicate (EJS) was established in 1941. Over 80 years, the Syndicate carries out major national professional roles. The Syndicate comprises all journalists working in the field of journalism, accredits them, organizes work in the journalism profession, and sets the scientific and practical standards necessary for the practice of journalism. The Egyptian Journalists Syndicate is fully independent, and its work is regulated by a law of its own. It is run by the Council of the Syndicate, a board elect-

139 ed every two years by the members of the Syndicate. The current Head of the Egyptian Journalists Syndi- cate is Mr. Diaa Rashwan.

Supreme Council for Media Regulation: The Supreme Council of Media Regulation is an independent entity competent to regulate the affairs of audio and visual media and regulate the printed and digital press, and other media means. It is responsi- ble for guaranteeing and protecting the freedom of press and the media as stipulated in the Constitution, safeguarding its independence, neutrality, plurality and diversity and developing the controls and criteria necessary to ensure compliance with professional and ethical standards. It is composed of representatives of elected media, popular and scientific entities. Radio: Radio broadcasting began in Egypt in the 1920s and was mainly composed of community radio stations. The broadcast of the Egyptian State radio began

Radio and Television Building

140 on May 31, 1934. Then dozens of national and private stations broadcast in Arabic and different languages were established. The most important official radio stations are: the General Program, Voice of the Ar- abs, the Middle East, Youth and Sports, Holy Quran, Greater Cairo, Music Program, the Cultural Program, and the European Program. There are also a number of private and regional radio stations.

Television: Broadcast transmission began on July 21, 1960 with only one channel transmitting for 5 hours. Later, in 1961, a second channel was launched, and a third channel was added in 1988 serving the Greater Cai- ro region. The first Egyptian satellite channel, which is also the first governmental satellite channel, was launched in 1990, followed by the Nile International Channel in 1993, the second Egyptian satellite channel in 1996 and The Nile Sector for Thematic Channels in 1998 which included many channels (sports, news, culture, miscellaneous, children, education, drama, comedy and others) as well as a large number of private channels transmitted through the Egyptian satellite “Nilesat”.

Media Production City: Referred as Egypt Media Production City or EMPC, the mini-city is full of state of the art technology and latest equipment. Its production house has the most advanced outdoor shooting facility and the most skilled team of people in the country. The media city also contains IAMS or the International Academy for Media Sciences. EMPC is also a public company listed on the

141 Egyptian Exchange since 1999. The EMPC has been open since January of 1997 and encourages film talent at every level. There are 14 highly technological studios making up the studio complex. The open-air shooting area is very wide and equipped with many options for cine- matography and for tourists to view. The theatre hall seats 2,500 people and also doubles as an auditorium for festival and conferences. The services complex has processing facilities for film as well as color correc- tion, editing (montage), final sound recording, dub- bing and final version printing. There is a hotel in the area which contains 250 rooms, in addition to all other amenities, offering a high-quality, 4-star hotel service. Training center contains all facilities necessary to train 3,000 persons per year.

Middle East News Agency: The Middle East News Agency was founded on 15 December 1955 as a joint stock company owned by Egyptian press establishments. On 8 February 1956, the Egyptian Cabinet issued a decree regarding its establishment and on 28 February, it began to distrib- ute its first bulletin. On 16 April 1956, MENA began to transmit its service on Tickers as the first regional news agency in the Middle East. In 1996, the Agency began broadcasting its services through three satellites covering the continents of Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas. The Agency transmits its news in three languages: Arabic, English and French, with more than 1,000 news daily. Since 2017, MENA has been transmitting its services through its own portal on the internet. It offers its press and technical expertise to national

142 State Information Service Headquarters news agencies in the Arab world and Africa through the MENA Training Center.

State Information Service: The State Information Service (SIS) was established in 1954 under the name of “Information Ser- vice”, then a republican decree was issued in 1967 to establish the “state Information Service”, setting its terms of reference. Since its inception, SIS has played its role “as the official information body of the State” and Its media mission, which aims to explain the State’s policy in various political, economic, social and cultural fields both at the internal and external levels; clarify the State’s positions on various issues; develop citizens’ awareness and active participation in building their society at home; deepen the bonds of friend- ship and strengthen relations between Egypt and the outside world, and to identify local and international public opinions about issues and events of interest to

143 the State. SIS is also a center for political and media studies, has an information bank and a major publishing house, and as such SIS represents the memory of the Egyptian nation. SIS also plays a developmental role through its internal media centers in the Egyptian governorates which play an important role in educating and raising social awareness of citizens, explaining national policies to them and contributing to raising citizens’ awareness of important issues of their communities. Since its inception, SIS has also paid attention to foreign journalists and correspondents in Egypt, enabling them to convey a true picture of life in Egypt to the world, and making available all possible media facilities to ensure success of their missions. SIS website offers a comprehensive panorama of the history, culture and civilizations of Egypt, as well as modern accomplishments and prominent politicians, intellectuals, writers and scientists. It also tracks all political, economic, cultural and other developments. The website covers events, and conferences in a number of languages, using reports, photos and videos.