Author: Manal Mahmoud
In Egypt’s Fayoum Oasis, Abu Zeid keeps alive the fading tradition of the “sherbet seller,” offering handmade Ramadan drinks and preserving a centuries-old street craft.
Preserving cultural traditions one stitch at a time
The events of the first Fayoum Book Fair 2025 (dedicated to artist Abdel Rahman Rushdi, 1881–1939), organized by the Egyptian General Book Authority in cooperation with the Fayoum governorate and club, will continue until Wednesday. Cultural seminars and discussion sessions were held on the sidelines of the exhibition, among the book stalls. Between supporters and opponents, the Fayoum Book Fair remains an important event that deserves attention. Although the fair was planned hastily and accompanied by some organizational challenges that sparked discontent among a number of writers and those interested in cultural affairs, it achieved some cultural gains. Bab al-Masr…
Proof that the largest extinct creature once roamed the Egyptian desert was uncovered in February 0f 2025 by the Vertebrate Paleontology Center at Mansoura University. The discovery of the Bastetodon (also known as “Bastit”), was made in the Fayoum Depression and is estimated to have inhabited this land 30 million years ago. Egyptian paleontologist Professor Hesham Salam and his team successfully pieced together the story of this ancient predator, revealing how the landscape was once a stage for nature’s marvels. Bab Masr presents a comprehensive look at this extraordinary discovery. New Discovery Dr. Hesham Sallam, founder of the Vertebrate Paleontology…