Ramadan Arabian Nights 2020 : Tale of King Magedwon “Lost in the enemy land” Ep.7

Good evening,

Here we are with the seventh night of our Radio Arabian Nights for this year.
We will continue our tale for this year, the tale of King Magedwon.
First of all, You can refresh your mind with what happened last night here.
Second, sorry for the delay, it happened due to technical problems.

Now without further ado listen to the 739th episode in the Egyptian State’s One Thousand and One Nights or the seventh night in our tale for the year 2020, the tale of King Magedwon after the break.

Ramadan Arabian Nights 2020 : Tale of King Magedwon “Inside the dry well” Ep.6

Good evening,
Here we are with the sixth night of our Radio Arabian Nights for this year.
We will continue our tale for this year, the tale of King Magedwon.
First of all, You can refresh your mind with what happened last night here.

Second of all, in tonight’s episode, you will hear once again by mistake an overlapped recording which originally happened during the digitization of those records at the Egyptian State Radion.
Now without further ado listen to the 738th episode in the Egyptian State’s One Thousand and One Nights or the sixth night in our tale for the year 2020, the tale of King Magedwon after the break.

Ramadan Arabian Nights 2020 : Tale of King Magedwon “Another Murder in the Royal Court” Ep.5

Good evening,
Here we are with the fifth night of our Radio Arabian Nights for this year.
We will continue our tale for this year, the tale of King Magedwon.
First of all, You can refresh your mind with what happened last night here.

Second of all, in tonight’s episode, you will hear by mistake an overlapped recording which originally happened during the digitization of those records at the Egyptian State Radion.

Now without further ado listen to the 737th episode of the Egyptian State’s One Thousand and One Nights or the fifth night in our tale for the year 2020, the tale of King Magedwon in Arabic after the break.

Ramadan Arabian Nights 2020 : Tale of King Magedwon “ A Doomed Hunting Trip” Ep.4

Good evening,
Tonight we will continue our tale for this year, the Take of King Magedwon.
I won’t speak a lot this time.
But I will ask you to refresh your mind and remember where we have stopped last night.
Now without further ado listen to the 736th episode in the Egyptian State’s One Thousand and One Nights or the Fourth night in our tale for the year 2020, the tale of King Magedwon after the break.

Ramadan Arabian Nights 2020 : Tale of King Magedwon “ The Murder” Ep.3

Here we are on the third night of our Radio Arabian Nights this year.
We will continue our tale for this year, the tale of King Magedwon.
First of all, You can refresh your mind with what happened last night here.

Second, I will speak a bit before sharing tonight’s episode.
If you are an Arabic speaker or understand Arabic well, you will notice our tale this year is fully narrated in Classical Arabic so far.
Already I believe that this was among the main differences between One Thousand and One Nights Radio show’s writers Taher Abu Fasha and Abbas Al-Aswani.
It seems to me that Abu Fasha was using a mix between Classical Arabic “Scheherazade” and Egyptian dialect “The heroes of tales”.
While Abbas Al-Aswani was using Classical Arabic only.

Okay enough talk and listen to the 735th episode in the Egyptian State’s One Thousand and One Nights or the Third night in our tale for the year 2020, the tale of King Magedwon after the break.

Coronavirus on the Nile : First week of Ramadan in Egypt during COVID-19 era “Live Updated”

Kids running with a lantern wearing
a mask by Ashraf El-Omda 

It is the second day in the Holy Month of Ramadan and the first week of Islam’s most important month in Egypt.


We start the week with an increasing number of Coronavirus cases in the country.

Egypt started the week with over 4,000 cases including 294 fatalities and 1075 fully recovered patients.

The Egyptian government says that it was depending on the awareness of the public as it loosens up its partial curfew, which it started since Mid-March.

It is a very challenge because Ramadan in Egypt means social gatherings 24 hours whether in religious activity or leisure activity.

Anyhow below is a live update blogging from 24. Be safe and stay at home plz.

Ramadan Arabian Nights 2020 : Tale of King Magedwon “Few days to live” Ep.2

Here we are on the second night of our Radio Arabian Nights this year.
We will continue our tale for this year, the tale of King Magedwon.
First of all, You can refresh your mind with what happened last night here.
Second of all, I am to speak about a little bit our tale this year.
It is the second tale written by late novelist Abbas Al-Aswani to be aired in our annual podcast here in Egyptian Chronicles.
The first time we met him in 2016 with the Saga of King Rokn El-Zaman.
Abbas Al-Aswani is the father of best-selling novelist Alaa Al-Aswani. Aside from being a novelist, Abbas Al-Aswani wrote for Egyptian state radio in the 1960s and 1970s drama shows above them Our favourite One Thousand and One Nights.
Anyhow enough of the Chitchat here is tonight episode.
It is the second episode in our tale and the 734th night in the nights of our Egyptian Radio show.
You can hear it after the break.

1st of Ramadan Sandstorm : You are really going to stay at home for real

It is the first day of Ramadan and thank God it came on Friday, the official weekend day because Egypt hit a strong sandstorm.

There is one pro from this sandstorm, it will force people to stay at home more than Coronavirus 

The sandstorm is part of the seasonal Khamsin.

Here are some photos from various parts in Egypt showing the sandstorm in action. 

From Minya governorate in Upper Egypt by Photojournalist Mohamed Hakim. 

From Minya by Mohamed Hakim 

Ramadan Arabian Nights 2020 : Tale of King Magedwon “Scheherazade in trouble” Ep.1

It is that time of the year and actually we are all in a huge need for it.

Ramadan Kareem

Egyptian Chronicles Blog is back with its  Ramadan Arabian Nights for year 2020 or rather the year of Coronavirus Pandemic.

Famous Palestinian Poet Mahmoud Darwish said once that “We got another life in the imagination” in one of his poems and in those worrying times I believe so much in this.

God gifted us with imagination for many things including a short escape from those times we feel trapped.

We got another life in imagination and the Book of One Thousand and one night is the best example of this. Scheherazade’s life is spared because of imagination already.

I won’t speak much but I hope this year you will able escape for a few minutes to the wonderful world of the Arabian Nights.

It is my pleasure and pride to present to you the Egyptian State Radio original production of One Thousand and One Nights “The Tale of King Magedwon”.

Written in the late 1960s by Abbas Al-Aswany, it directed by the show creator legendary Mohamed Mahmoud Sha’aban in.

Once again, we will meet legendary actress Zouzou Nabil as Scherazade who seemed to be in trouble this Ramadan.

Now after the break you can hear our first episode or rather episode No.733 in one of Egypt’s longest radio shows ever produced.

Coronavirus on the Nile : Sham El-Nassim in time of COVID-19

It is that beautiful time of Spring in Egypt, it is Sham El-Nassim.

It is Egypt’s oldest Celebration day that Egyptians have kept celebrating since the time of ancient Egypt till the 21st century.

But this year, it is Coronavirus that have locked down millions and millions of people in their homes in the past three months.

It is probably one of the few Sham El-Nassim Days in the history of our old Nation where people are forced to stay to at home because the government shut down all the parks, shops and beaches till Tuesday morning to curb the public gatherings and thus the spread of Coronavirus.

Egypt has already recorded over 3000 Coronavirus cases including over 200 deaths and over 700 full recovered cases.

Now here is a couple of photos from Cairo and Alexandria showing rare scenes but to be frank it seems that Mother Nature began to restore its health in Egypt too.

Here is Cairo on Sham El-Nassim by Moussa El-Zarif. 

An overview for Zamalek by Moussa El-Zarif 

October bridge between Zamalek and Agouza by Moussa El-Zarif

Here is a couple of Photos from Alexandria and it is an unbelievable scene for the Corniche.

Coronavirus on the Nile : Easter , Sham El-Nassim and Ramadan in week “Live Updated”

Here we are starting another week in the time of Coronavirus in Egypt and the world.
Just as the daily record of Coronavirus infections in Egypt has been increasing in the past three days, we are starting a new week with a new challenge called “Social gathering” for real.

A photo from Bahtim by
Moussa Al-Zarif 

This is the ultimatum week as we are starting it with Orthodox Easter on Sunday, Sham El-Nassim on Monday and then the commence of the Holy Month of Ramadan on Friday.
The Egyptian government made it clear that Egyptians are not going to spend Easter/Sham El-Nassim in parks and on the beaches as well as we usually do. This is our short spring break vacation.
The government is imposing a near-complete curfew on Sunday and Monday.
Ramadan is going to start on Friday, which means that there will be an apocalyptical shopping spree in the Egyptian markets.
A sociable month already, the Egyptian government suspended all kind of activity involving public gatherings in Ramadan including prayers and Ramadan charity banquets.
Hopefully, we will get through those tough days safely.
Here is the Live update from 24 Live. Be safe and stay at home, please.

Egypt’s Palm Sunday in time of Coronavirus

I do not think before that Egyptian Coptic Orthodox Church held Palm Sunday without a public audience in its modern history.

The Coptic Orthodox Church live-streamed the mass led by its head, Pope Tawadros II, through its social media accounts and Christian Coptic Orthodox TV channels.

Pope Tawadros II led the mass at Saint Pishoy Monastery in Behaira governorate’s Wadi El-Natroun. Already Egypt’s biggest and oldest Church announced that its pope would hold the rest of the Holy Week’s masses in the monastery in the heart of the desert.

Churches have been closed just like Mosques since Mid-March in order to curb the spread of Coronavirus through public gathers.

Photographer Roger Anis documented one of Cairo’s biggest Church empty during the mass this Sunday and it was a sad scene.

By Roger Anis for Masrawy 

He took this photo at Saint Samaan, the Tanner Monastery in Mokktam.

Many Egyptian Christians expressed their sadness on how they were not allowed to pray in their churches and as Muslim, I feel them. The Mosques are all closed, we do not hear the Adhan and Ramadan will commence at the end of the month.

I totally relate to this sadness but this is for the greater good.

Happy Palm Sunday to all those celebrating on Sunday according to the Orthodox Church and Happy Easter to all those celebrating it as well in the West. 

This time shall pass inshallah. 

Coronavirus on the Nile: At least 33 Positive COVID-19 cases and two fatalities in one family Nile Delta “A Case study”

On Thursday, a young Egyptian man announced that his family got at least 33 Coronavirus cases including himself asking the people to pray for them.

This is the biggest outbreak for COVID-19 in a single-family in Egypt announced so far.

This family is from Bahtim in Nile Delta’s Qalybuia and they live there. Their story could be a case study.

This young man is called Siyad and this is his story which sheds light on several problems in Egypt when it comes to Coronavirus.

According to Siyad, it started with his uncle.

His uncle was misdiagnosed in several hospitals as a patient of acute bronchitis till his condition was deteriorated then he was tested positive for Coronavirus and is sent to hospital after infecting his brothers and his mother.

Siyad’s late Grandmother Mrs Ghali passed away as she was being transferred to the hospital shortly after her test results came positive for the virus. Siyad’s uncle passed right after his mother. It is the first family in Egypt to lose two members like that in one single week because of Coronavirus.

His other uncle and his father started to show symptoms and thus they were sent to the hospital too.

Coronavirus on the Nile: A New Week in Egypt under partial COVID-19 Curfew “Live Updated”

Here is a new Live Updated weekly blog post to cover all things Coronavirus in Egypt, the Arab world and Africa.

It is a new week where Egypt lives under partial Curfew in order to curb the spread of Coronavirus.

We have not reached the peak of the Coronavirus yet according to official statements but last week we had a jump in the cases as we have crossed the 1000 patients milestone and we started having officially 

By Roger Anis for Masrawy 

Last week, Egypt witnessed an increase in both the death toll and the total number of full recovered patients at the same time. 

Last week also the Egyptian government announced it was taking part in the global testing of Coronavirus medicines.

It is a huge challenge.

The Egyptian government seems to be sending mixed messages with its calls for workers to return back to factories so the economy won’t be affected while it is calling people to stay at houses as much as they can for safety.

It is like playing in the fire especially it seems that some people are fed up and do not give a damn for the warnings when it comes to social distancing.

There is another challenge represented in the increasing number of members of medical staff from all over Egypt getting infected.

Hopefully, this week won't’ be bad one inshallah.

The live update is below.

50 years on Israel’s War Crime in Bahr el Baqar : Never forget

Wednesday 8 April 2020 marked the 50 anniversary of the Bahr el-Baqar school massacre.

In case you do not know what it is then let me tell you what happened 50 years ago.

On 8 April 1970, Israeli Air Forces bombed a Primary school in a small Sharkia governorate village called Bahr El-Baqar aka “Cows’ Sea” killing 46 Children and injuring over 50 others.

An IAF Phantom Fighter struck the single-floored three classrooms school at 9:20 am with five bombs and two air-to-ground missiles as part of its response to the war of attrition launched by Egypt.

There were 150 children in that poor school then.

From Ahram's archives, the shoes of the students at Bahr
El-Baquar school 
Colourized by Abdel Latif El-Tahan "My Heritage"

Interestingly, all the targets of Egypt during the war of attrition were military and never reached that civilian depth. 

Israeli officials said that they thought it was a military building and their war criminal defence minister then Moshe Dayan claimed that maybe the Nasser regime planted a school inside a military base !!

Coronavirus on the Nile : A new week with a huge challenge "Live updated"

It is the start of a new week in Egypt in the time of the Coronavirus and somehow it started with a huge challenge as the total number of Coronavirus patients is closer than ever to become 1000. The government has warned before that the situation can be difficult if we passed the 1000 patients. 

It is a huge challenge because the same government seems okay with the return of workers in factories and construction projects for the sake of the economy.

Sensitizing the Great Pyramid of Giza's Guards booth
"Neriman El-Mofty for AP"

According to the Housing ministry's spokesperson on Thursday that "4 Million Construction workers will return to construction sites and projects on Saturday " !! 

It is another week with another live update event in an attempt to gather important news, reports and numbers.