Ramadan Arabian Nights 2022: Tale of Al-Ashkeef “The end of magic” Ep.30

Happy Eid

Here is our 30^th night of Ramadan Arabian nights.

It is our finale for this year’s tale and I hope you like the tale whether as an audio tale or as a televised wacky version.

Our favourite couple animated in 1989 

Now, you can refresh your memory and listen to last night’s episode.

Here is the 30^th episode of our tale tonight. It was episode no.612 of our favourite show.

Ramadan Arabian Nights 2022: Tale of Al-Ashkeef “Taking the seal” Ep.29

Ramadan Kareem

Here is our 29^th night of Ramadan Arabian nights.

Now, you can refresh your memory and listen to last night’s episode.

Here is the 29^th episode of our tale tonight. It was episode no.611 of our favourite show.

Ramadan Arabian Nights 2022: Tale of Al-Ashkeef “Plan in action” Ep.28

Ramadan Kareem

Here is our 28^th night of Ramadan Arabian nights.

Now, you can refresh your memory and listen to last night’s episode.

Here is the 28^th episode of our tale tonight. It was episode no.610 of our favorite show.

Ramadan Arabian Nights 2022: Tale of Al-Ashkeef “The return of the ebony horse” Ep.27

Ramadan Kareem

Here is our 27^th night of Ramadan Arabian nights.

Now, you can refresh your memory and listen to last night’s episode.

Here is the 27^th episode of our tale tonight. It was episode no.609 of our favorite show.

Ramadan Arabian Nights 2022: Tale of Al-Ashkeef “Falling in love with human princess” Ep.26

Ramadan Kareem

Here is our 26^th night of Ramadan Arabian nights.

Now, you can refresh your memory and listen to last night’s episode.

Here is the 26^th episode of our tale tonight. It was episode no.608 of our favourite show.

Ramadan Arabian Nights 2022: Tale of Al-Ashkeef “A coup in the Djinn realm” Ep.25

Ramadan Kareem

Here is our 25^th night of Ramadan Arabian nights.

One little trivia: Taher Abu Fasha used the term “Marid” to describe Al-Ashkeef and this means in Arabic as an evil rebellious devil.

Once again, late Zozo Nabil appears in tonight televised episode as Meymouna.

Zozo Nabil as Maymouna in 1989

Now, you can refresh your memory and listen to last night’s episode.

Here is the 25^th episode of our tale tonight. It was episode no.607 of our favorite show.

Warning: Listener’s discretion as tonight episode features a suicide.

Ramadan Arabian Nights 2022: Tale of Al-Ashkeef “An Ashkeef backstory” Ep.24

Ramadan Kareem

Here is our 24^th night of Ramadan Arabian nights.

Now, you can refresh your memory and listen to last night’s episode.

The sea by Leon Carre 

Before we start our story, a little trivia “Denis” is a name of a fish in Egypt. It is known in the world as the Gilt-head bream, and we love eating it grilled.

Here is the 24^th episode of our tale tonight. It was episode no.606 of our favorite show.

Happy Orthodox Easter 2022 : Saturday of Tension in East Jerusalem

Happy Orthodox Easter to all Christians around the globe especially Egyptian and Palestinian Christians celebrating it tonight.

Christians including Egyptian Christians waiting for their turn to enter 
 the Church of the Holy Sepulchre "AFP/Anadolu"

I did not want it to be a political one but I am amazed at how the international media ignored what happened in East Jerusalem on Saturday.

Earlier on Saturday in occupied East Jerusalem, Israeli occupation forces demonstrated lively why Israel is being called apartheid for real as the Palestinian Christians were harassed on their way to celebrate the Holy Fire at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre for the Saturday of light.

Some of them were even barred from entering the Church.

Here is the video showing an Israeli policeman speaking Arabic separating Palestinian and Arab Christians from Foreign Christians who are allowed to enter the Church filmed earlier Saturday.

Ramadan Arabian Nights 2022: Tale of Al-Ashkeef “The ring with a poisonous stone” Ep.23

Ramadan Kareem

Here is our 23rd night of Ramadan Arabian nights.

Scheherazade and Shahryar's famous animated version in Egypt "1989" 

Now, you can refresh your memory and listen to last night’s episode.

Ramadan Arabian Nights 2022: Tale of Al-Ashkeef “The wailings of sadness island” Ep.22

Ramadan Kareem

Here is our 22^nd night of Ramadan Arabian nights.

Now, you can refresh your memory and listen to last night’s episode.

Scheherazade and Shahryar's famous animated version in Egypt "1989" 

Here is the 22^nd episode of our tale tonight. It was episode no.604 of our favorite show.

Ramadan Arabian Nights 2022: Tale of Al-Ashkeef “Real Prince charming arrives at last” Ep.21

Ramadan Kareem

Here is our 21^st night of Ramadan Arabian nights.

Now, you can refresh your memory and listen to last night’s episode.

Here is the 21^st episode of our tale tonight. It was episode no.603 of our favourite show.

Kodak Agfa Presents : Egypt’s Spring Flowers Show 2022 “Part-1”

First of all, belated Happy Easter according to the Western traditions and Happy Easter according to Eastern traditions.

Second of all, Happy Sham El-Nassim and Sinai Liberation Day too.

It is time of Egypt's Spring Flowers show 

It is time for our annual post celebrating Egypt’s oldest continuing exhibition aka Spring Flowers show.

This year, Egypt’s Spring Flowers show 2022 was held as usual in its location at Giza’s Al-Orman botanical garden but earlier than its usual date.

It was inaugurated by the Giza Governor and Minister of Agriculture on 26 February this year, unlike in previous years.

 Ministry of Agriculture's main partition at the show 

The date of the Spring Flowers Show is usually 21 or 20 March but this year it was decided to be re-inaugurated earlier because of Ramadan.

It was to be held for 45 days, which also is also longer than its usual duration.

Ramadan Arabian Nights 2022: Tale of Al-Ashkeef “Crazy story to believe” Ep.20

Ramadan Kareem

Here is our 20^th night of Ramadan Arabian nights.

Scheherazade and Shahryar in 1989

Now, you can refresh your memory and listen to last night’s episode.

Here is the 20th episode of our tale tonight. It was episode no.602 of our favourite show.

King Rihan does not buy a bit the outrageous story of the three old men who claim to be young princes trying to save their sister.

Egypt’s Media Trial before the official trial: The fall of the Original Tiktok girls “Haneen Hossam and Mawada El-Adhm”

On Monday, a Cairo Criminal Court sentenced prominent TikToker and influencer Haneen Hossam on Monday to three years in prison and a-LE 200,000-fine on charges of human trafficking in the latest episode of her trial along with influencer Mawada El-Adhm.

The Criminal Court had sentenced Hossam in June 2021 from 6 to 10 years in prison and a LE-200,000 fine in absentia along with famous influencer Mawada El-Adham on charges of human trafficking in a trial that made international infamous headlines as usual.

Mawada El-Adhm and Haneen Hossam 

For Haneen, this is a first-degree sentence as this is considered a retrial. The sentence is considered a reduction from the 10 years sentence she received in absentia in 2021.

In August, I read that Mawada El-Adham’s lawyer presented an appeal against the 6-years-sentence-in-prison, but I do not know if it was accepted or not. If accepted then, she would receive a retrial.

Now aside from all that is written about the two girls and their trials whether in Egypt or abroad, one must say that those two girls were found guilty already before even being standing an official trial.

Haneen and Mawada or the Tiktok girls’ case was an original Egyptian trial by the media and society even right before their arrest especially Haneen Hossam in the summer of 2020.

Hossam before her arrest was the talk of the social media in Egypt and it is about her flashy makeup “she used a lot of filters” or dancing in skinny jeans while wearing a veil.

Ramadan Arabian Nights 2022: Tale of Al-Ashkeef “Meymouna” Ep.19

Here is our 19^th night of Ramadan Arabian nights.

Tonight for the second time , Zozo Nabil makes an appearance in the televised version of the TV series as Meymouna.

Zozo Nabil in Al-Ashkeef TV series in 1980

Now, you can refresh your memory and listen to last night’s episode.

Here is the 19th episode of our tale tonight. It was episode no.601 of our favourite show.

Ramadan Arabian Nights 2022: Tale of Al-Ashkeef “Listen to your daughter” Ep.18

Ramadan Kareem

Here is our 18^th night of Ramadan Arabian nights.

Now, you can refresh your memory and listen to last night’s episode.

Here is the 18th episode of our tale tonight. It was episode no.600 of our favourite show.

Ramadan Arabian Nights 2022: Tale of Al-Ashkeef “Meet the Ashkeef” Ep.17

Ramadan Kareem

Here is our 17^th night of Ramadan Arabian nights.

But first, do you know that there were kids who feared Al-Ashkeef in that TV series? It even became a synonym to the word of monster or boogeyman in Egypt.

Yup, that is the Ashkeef that scared a whole generation of innocent kids.

Personally, I believe it was a sign of how successful the TV show was despite it seems hilarious now in 2022 especially when you see the special makeup of Al-Ashkeef.

Now, you can refresh your memory and listen to last night’s episode.

Here is the 17th episode of our tale tonight. It was episode no.599 of our favourite show.

Ramadan Arabian Nights 2022: Tale of Al-Ashkeef “A golden palace” Ep.16

Ramadan Kareem

Here is our 16^th night of Ramadan Arabian nights.

A golden palace from the 1989 TV series "Laila and Al-Ashkeef" by Gamal Kotb 

Now, you can refresh your memory and listen to last night’s episode.

Here is the 16th episode of our tale tonight. It was episode no.598 of our favourite show.

Here we go again : Israeli Forces Attack Al-Aqsa Mosque in Ramadan “This is how it should be reported”

It is a Deja Vu, it happened last year and despite what happened in Palestine the Israeli government has no problem doing again and again over and over.

Once again Western media failed in its coverage and we will speak about that later below. 

Thursday evening, Palestinian activists reported that there were concerns among the Jerusalemite Palestinians that the Israeli forces and settlers would storm Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Palestinian civilians against Israeli occupation forces outside the Dome of the rock 
on Friday "AP"

Early Friday morning, the Israeli forces stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque arresting over 400 Palestinians and injuring not less than 100 others in a raid that can’t be justified under any circumstance.

Palestinian detainees including underage teenagers as you see during Friday's
attack "AP"

This is the second Friday of Ramadan and the Mosque was fully packed with Palestinians during the Friday prayers in the afternoon.

Israeli officials went online claiming that the Israeli forces did not storm or even entered the Al-Qibli Mosque in the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex, it is the Palestinians as usual. 

Ramadan Arabian Nights 2022: Tale of Al-Ashkeef “Solomon’s Seal” Ep.15

Ramadan Kareem

Here is our 15^th night of Ramadan Arabian nights.

Tonight, once again we meet a recurring theme in the Arabian Nights book as well as Our Egyptian state radio show: The Seal of Solomon.

A modern Islamic rendition of the Solomon seal 

The seal of Solomon or King Solomon’s ring is believed to be a magical ring that gives whoever possesses it a huge power as it was made by the Djinn for King Solomon. That talisman is believed to enslave the Djinn.

It was mentioned before in our show the Salama’s tale in 2010, Badr Al-Budur and the Sultan of gypsies in 2011, and King Rokn El-Zaman’s tale in 2016.

Now, you can refresh your memory and listen to last night’s episode.

Here is the 15th episode of our tale tonight. It was episode no.597 of our favourite show.

Ramadan Arabian Nights 2022: Tale of Al-Ashkeef “Something is wrong” Ep.14

Ramadan Kareem

Here is our 14^th night of Ramadan Arabian nights.

Now, you can refresh your memory and listen to last night’s episode.

From the Arabian Nights book's illustration by Walter Paget in 19th century 

Here is the 14th episode of our tale tonight. It was episode no.596 of our favorite show.

Ramadan Arabian Nights 2022: Tale of Al-Ashkeef “Not My prince charming” Ep.13

Ramadan Kareem

Here is our 13^th night of Ramadan Arabian nights.

First, I must wonder and ask my Egyptian readers, was Princess Sabah narrated by late Egyptian actress Zizi Mostafa?

Young Zizi Mostafa in a 1960s-film 

I feel that that was her voice when she was younger!? Listen carefully and try to remember Zizi’s distinguished voice.

Now, you can refresh your memory and listen to last night’s episode.

Here is the 13th episode of our tale tonight. It was episode no.595 of our favourite show.

Ramadan Arabian Nights 2022: Tale of Al-Ashkeef “Meeting prince charming” Ep.12

Ramadan Kareem

Here is our 12^th night of Ramadan Arabian nights.

First, I must apologize but there are few minutes of tonight’s episode that are not clear.

One Thousand and One Nights TV series "1989"

You can refresh your memory and listen to last night’s episode.

Now, here is the 12th episode of our tale tonight. It was episode no.594 of our favourite show.

Kodak Agfa Presents : El-Sayeda Zeinab Ramadan Market in the morning in video and photos “Part-2”

And we are back because we are not done yet with El-Sayeda Zeinab Ramadan Market.

First of all , here is a short video I made at the market with my voice narrating in Arabic. “I think I got a flu”

Be sure to turn the captions in order to read the English subtitles.

Again, the recent price increase did not stop the people that much to buy the lanterns. Ramadan lanterns are like our Christmas tree.

A woman checking a Ramadan market lanterns' stand 

But this year lanterns or Ramadan food supplies are not the only attraction, we got the Ramadan home decorations and supplies as Ramadan plushies and drums too!!

At Ramadan Market's biggest makeshift stand in El-Sayeda Zeinab 

It is a whole new section that I have witnessed to grow that it became a full industry itself competing with lanterns and Ramadan food supplies.

As I hinted in the previous post in the case of Khayamiya textile patterns that was given another chance in Ramadan, we got several industries revived and found new ways of marketing their products.

A woman checking Ramadan home accessories 

Aside from the usual Ramadan tablecloths, we got this year a whole new range of Ramadan glassware and trays for the for the first time in El-Sayeda Zeinab Market.

Ramadan cups and mugs were the new addition of Ramadan products this year 

I do not recall seeing them in the previous years.

This year I saw so-called Ramadan glasses, disposable and plastic cups, glass bottles and glass jars all covered in Khayamiya patterns as well as the some called Ramadan pop culture characters.

Ramadan stickers, cups , mugs and tissues boxes too 

Those boxes that look like old radios are actually tissue boxes.

There are also cool Ramadan trays.

Ramadan trays are here as well 

I will dare and say that I saw more women buying those household items than lanterns, hell I got for home couple of things too as their prices were encouraging.

Customers at Ramadan market in El-Sayeda Zeinab

I bought those Ramadan Khayamiya stricker rolls which you can use to cover anything with old and famous joyful Egyptian pattern.

Ramadan sticker rolls sold in the market

Their quality is very good too.

There are new collections of decorations items like that those eva foam stickers with Ramadan pop culture characters in Egypt like Boogy and Tamam.

Eva foam stickers sold in the market 

I have to say the relaxed copyrights laws in Egypt allow workshops and factories to use characters like Boogy and Tamam as well as Fatouta when they are all owned by the Egyptian State TV and their creators whether Mahmoud Rahmy or Samir Ghanem May Allah bless their souls for instance.

Ramadan bottles and drums at the market 

There are Bakkar drums in this year’s collection.

Ramadan accessories including stickers and Bakkar drums 

I found also more Boogy and Tamtam Ramadan plushies.

Boogy and Tamtam plushies 

Boogy looks so bad though.

Interestingly I found out that those Boogy, Tamtam and Uncle Fouad which is based on Fouad El-Mohandes’ character in Ramadan are made in China.

Tamtam plushies look much better than 3amo Fouad and poor Boogy

Also, Saudi MBC characters Fananees are now established Ramadan pop culture icons despite I believe they are more of Eastern elves than true Ramadan characters from our culture or society like Bakkar.

Fananees lamps sold at the market 

Ironically Fananees characters are now MBC’s first NFT collection!!

The last thing I expected to see in Ramadan market was this 

Most of this collection if not all of them are made of China and that’s Tamtam holding that presentation plate.

It is really refreshing to see there is something new in the market and to see that the suppliers are trying to meet the needs of the markets with new products with new designs using that Ramadan spirit and pop culture.

By the way I forget to tell you that Egypt actually exports lanterns to abroad too.

The land of endless lanterns 

With reaching self sufficiency, the makers of the lanterns are waiting to increase their production for exports especially in the current time.

Now what I care about really is that I want to see the Ramadan lantern as Egyptian heritage and industry is recognized as official Egyptian heritage as well as world heritage in the UNESCO.

The old Sufi and the lanterns 

From couple of years ago I read Egypt presented the Ramadan Lantern to the UNESCO but I do not know what happened in the file. 

This is our tour for this year and till we meet next year inshallah.

A child looking at a Ramadan stand in Bab El-Khalk 

Ramadan Kareem y'all.

Ramadan Arabian Nights 2022: Tale of Al-Ashkeef “Prince charming Arrives” Ep.11

Ramadan Kareem

Here is our eleventh night of Ramadan Arabian nights.

A little note for our episode tonight, Krawan in Arabic means Curlews bird

First, you can refresh your memory and listen to last night’s episode.

Illustration for an Arabian knight from the 19th century 

Now, here is the eleventh episode of our tale tonight. It was episode no.593 of our favorite show.

Ramadan Arabian Nights 2022: Tale of Al-Ashkeef “Another prophecy in another Kingdom” Ep.10

Ramadan Kareem

Here is our tenth night of Ramadan Arabian nights.

First, you can refresh your memory and listen to last night’s episode.

Scheherazade and Shahryar's famous animated version in Egypt "1989" 

Now, here is the tenth episode of our tale tonight. It was episode no.592 of our favorite show.

Ramadan Arabian Nights 2022: Tale of Al-Ashkeef “The Ebony horse” Ep.9

Ramadan Kareem

Here is our ninth night of Ramadan Arabian nights.

As you can guess from the title tonight, we will have a special appearance of the Flying horse or the Ebony horse. The flying horse is another recurring theme in the One Thousand- and One-nights book and our Radio show as well.

We met the ebony horse previously in our show in 2018’s The Amazing tales challenge and 2021’s King Mohrab tale.

Prince Qamar El-Din on his ebony horse by Edmund Dulac in 1914

Unlike what is mentioned in the Wikipedia entry, I believe the Ebony horse has its trace in Islam too as in Al-Burqa.

Back to our tale for this year.

First, you can refresh your memory and listen to last night’s episode.

Now, here is the ninth episode of our tale tonight. It was episode no.591 of our favourite show.

Ramadan Arabian Nights 2022: Tale of Al-Ashkeef “The Golden rooster” Ep.8

Ramadan Kareem

Here is our eighth night of Ramadan Arabian nights.

Before we go into our nightly routine, I would like to chat a bit as usual and this time, I will speak about that three old men theme and I wonder if was inspired by the three magi.

I could not ignore this sleepy Scheherazade and Shahryar scene in 1989 
TV series 

First, you can refresh your memory and listen to last night’s episode.

Now, here is the eighth episode of our tale tonight. It was episode no.590 of our favourite show.

Forbes Middle East : Egypt and Lebanon “Despite economic crises” have the most billionaires in the Arab World

Forbes Middle East released on Thursday its World’s Richest Arabs list for the year 2022 and it is

It is worth mentioning that Forbes Middle East does not include Saudi billionaires on its list since 2018. This list is also based on published info and assets.

We know as Arabs that there is another list of the Richest Arabs whose fortunes are secret and unknown. Rulers are not included in the list.

According to Forbes Middle East, the World’s Richest Arab in the world is Egyptian Nassef Sawiris with a net worth of USD 7.7 billion despite his wealth dropping by USD 600 million compared to 2021.

Forbes Middle East says that that dropped happened in a slump in the share price of Adidas which Sawiris owns 6%.

Egypt's six richest men according to Forbes 

Nassef Sawiris is not the richest Arab but also the second richest African. He is also the 304th richest man in the world.

Now an interesting fact this year according to Forbes Middle East is that Egypt and Lebanon have the most billionaires in the Arab region.

Egypt and Lebanon have each six billionaires.

Ramadan Arabian Nights 2022: Tale of Al-Ashkeef “The three old men” Ep.7

Ramadan Kareem

Here is our seventh night of Ramadan Arabian nights.

In this episode, once again we are back to the Djinns and King Solomon as well as his treasures.

Three old men "Al-Ashkheef-produced 1989"

First, you can refresh your memory and listen to last night’s episode.

Now, here is the seventh episode of our tale tonight. It was episode no.589 of our favorite show.

An Alarming economic news many ignored “Or did not notice” : Egypt’s Negative NFA

It is not a secret that Egypt is not in its best days economically. Already in case you do not know : Egypt’s Central Bank raised the key interest rate for the first time in 5 years by 1% leading the Egyptian pound to its sharpest drops against the US dollar in five years.

Egypt's Central Bank in Downtown Cairo 

It has been a domino effect fall since then.

On 3 April, the latest Central Bank of Egypt “CBE” data showed that for the first time since God’s know when the Egyptian Net Foreign Assets “NFA” turned into negative value.

First of all, what is the meaning of the “Net Foreign Assets”?

Simply, the “Net Foreign Assets” or “NFA” are the banking system assets owed by non-residents minus liabilities. 

Ramadan Arabian Nights 2022: Tale of Al-Ashkeef “Luqman and his son” Ep.6

Ramadan Kareem

Here is our sixth night of Ramadan Arabian nights.

Before we go into our nightly routine, I would like to chat a bit as usual and this time, I will speak about wise Luqman.

Luqman is mentioned several times in the Original One Thousand and One Nights Book which did not only contain long fictional tales but also short stories about wisdom about life, rule...etc too with direct mention of real people like Omar Ibn Abdel-Aziz and Haroun El-Rasheed as well as our wise Luqman.

Zozo Nabil , the famous voice of Scheherazade appears in tonight episode of the 
Televised show in 1989 

Luqman, the wise is the second figure mentioned in the Holy Quran after King Solomon to be mentioned in the Nights interestingly. I think those who wrote the book took the liberty to write about him because it is unknown if he was a prophet or not.

I do not know if this will be allowed nowadays in Egypt or not.

Interestingly, I know from Wikipedia that he is believed to be from Egypt or Nubia and it amazes me because it is unknown in Egypt.

Luqman, the wise was mentioned before in our Radio show in our first night when Scheherazade made Shahryar fell into her trap. Interesting in our tale this year, Shahryar wondered when Luqman was a King when Scheherazade spoke about him as King in the first tale.

We also met him once again in the tale of Princess Badr Al-Budur and the Sultan of Gypsies as wise man.

Kodak Agfa Presents : El-Sayeda Zeinab Ramadan Market in morning “Part-1”

It is that blessed time of the year once again, it is time of the Holy Month of Ramadan.

In Egypt, it is always one of the most cheerful times of the year despite all hardships especially economic hardships.

This year, it is not a secret that Egypt is suffering a very hard economic crisis and prices are hitting the ceiling already, yet life goes on.

It is Ramadan for God’s sake!!

"Yup , the prices are high" He said it and smiled to the camera 

So yes, people are trying to be happy as much as they can despite the surge of everything’s prices everywhere.

I went to the famous El-Sayeda Zeinab’s Ramadan Market in the heart of Islamic Cairo as I am used to annually from two weeks ago. “I promise I will go somewhere new inshallah next year”.

The makeshift stands in front of El-Sayeda Zeinab Mosque and Shrine 

I used to go there at night but due to work, I went there for the first time in day, and it was really nice despite I must confess, the lights of thousand lanterns are much better.

Colored Egyptian handmade tin and glass Ramadan lanterns in the market

It was not as crowded as in night as people go to the market after work and schools but it was still crowded and very few like myself wore face masks.

Ramadan Arabian Nights 2022: Tale of Al-Ashkeef “Polygamy politics” Ep.5

Ramadan Kareem

Here is our fifth night of Ramadan Arabian nights.

Before we go into our nightly routine, I would like to chat a bit.

I spoke before about the legendary Zozo Nabil who became Egypt’s First Scheherazade with her strong and soft voice for decades, but I did not speak about Shahryar or rather legendary Abdel Rahim El-Zorqany.

Born in 1913 in Upper Egypt’s Qena, Abdel Rahim El-Zorqany was a known Egyptian actor and theater director as well as radio actor/director. This actor presented over 2,000 radio work as a radio director and voice actor to the Egyptian State radio.

Egyptian actor and theater director Abdel Rahim El-Zorqany was the original 
voice of Shahryar 

His voice and voice acting abilities in those few minutes in the beginning of our tales speak a lot.

Nevertheless, aside from his great if you are an Egyptian, you will know him as one of the leading supporting actors in the Black and White films since 1940s. In 1960s, his name was among the leading theater directors.