Author: Yomna Ahmed

When one door closes, attention turns to other doors that were there but were not visible before. In cultural centers, there is always a small space for big dreams waiting for the public to discover them. Perhaps the cultural centers threatened with closure in the Gharbia governorate did nothing more valuable than believing in the talents of its young people. In the villages of Al-Gharbia, in the corners of the Ministry of Youth and Sports clubs, community associations, and libraries, the dreams of young people are growing as a temporary alternative to the seven cultural centers and three libraries that…

On the main rural road in the village of Hannoun, in the center of Zifta in Al-Gharbia governorate, a simple building stands among the fields, but its walls hold the dreams of many women. These dreams are realized every day with more stories of patience, a passion for learning, a desire to preserve heritage, self-affirmation, and a different pulse of life to the rhythm of women’s laughter and vision. There, at the Istidama Center, a new life is woven every day, just as the women weave pieces of clothing and silk with their hands. The center, which opened in August…

On the outskirts of the city of Al-Sayyid Al-Badawi, nestled in the heart of the authentic countryside, lies the village of Hessa Shabshir, part of the Tanta district in the Gharbia governorate. The apiaries are quiet, and the houses are clustered between the fields and along the roadsides, pulsating with a life different from that of other Egyptian villages, as they produce 70% of the country’s honey. Life in Shabshir is not measured by the number of inhabitants, but by the number and growth of beehives. Although many beekeepers have abandoned the profession in recent years and turned to travel,…

Monufia has woven its own cultural fabric since ancient times, opening its arms to art, storytelling, poetry, and science without hindrance, just as its land has opened its heart to fertile agriculture and various folk and traditional arts, intertwining with the capital in a charming and attractive harmony. Dr. Shawkat Al-Masri, assistant professor of modern literary criticism at the Academy of Arts in Cairo, is an active intellectual and one of the symbols of the cultural scene in Egypt. He was not only born in Monufia, but also became its son by choice and cultural formation, since his early years…