The Land of Abraham and Sons: Why Ramesses II can not be and can be “the pharaoh of exodus”- Islamic Edition

On Wednesday, Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced that an Egyptian archaeological mission had uncovered a massive ancient statue at the Tell El-Faraoun site in El-Husseiniya, Sharqia Governorate.

The statue is believed to depict King Ramesses II of Ancient Egypt’s New Kingdom.

Carved from pink granite, it was found missing its lower half, including the legs and base.

Despite its incomplete state, archaeologists say the surviving features clearly point to royal iconography associated with Ramesses II.

The remains of the statue found at the location 
"SCA"

According to the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA), the discovery offers new insight into royal and religious life in the eastern Nile Delta. 

Initial studies suggest that the statue may not have originally stood at Tell El-Faraoun. Instead, it was likely transported in antiquity from Per-Ramesses—the royal capital during Ramesses II’s reign—to the site, known in ancient times as Imet, where it may have been reused within a religious complex.

The excavation site at Tell El-Faraoun in Sharkia governorate
 "SCA"

I hesitate to say it, but such archaeological announcements have become almost routine in Egypt these days, appearing every few days. 

What I did not expect, however, was for this particular discovery to attract widespread attention and go viral—until a report by the Daily Mail the following day reframed the narrative.

Occupying South Lebanon: Where Have the Lebanese Villages Gone on Apple Maps?

It is Orthodox Easter, and tomorrow is Sham El-Nassim, our ancient spring festival in Egypt — but it does not feel like a time for celebration, given the relentless grim news of wars and a troubling wave of suicides in Egypt.

Tonight, people — mostly OSINT armchair analysts — discovered that the Apple Maps app, on both iOS and desktop, does not display the names of cities and villages in South Lebanon. At the same time, it does show place names in North Lebanon, northern Israel, and southern Syria.

Some are attributing this to a glitch, but I have my doubts. If Apple Maps can display the names of alleyways in Cairo and neighborhoods in Gaza, it should certainly be able to show village names in South Lebanon.

Several Lebanese users have also noted that those names were visible until as recently as last week.

I checked both the iOS and desktop versions and compared them with Google Maps — the difference is striking.

Here is the Apple Maps version (identical across iOS and desktop), followed by the Google Maps view.

Apple Maps Web version 

Days at the Egyptian Museum of Cairo : The Canopus Decree Stela “Happy Egyptian New Year 6266, Happy Coptic New Year 1741”

Happy Egyptian New Year 6267, Happy Coptic New Year 1742

Today, 11 September, marks “1 Tut,” the first day of the Ancient Egyptian Year 6267, according to the ancient Egyptian calendar.

It is also the first day of the Coptic Year 1742 AM.

Tut refers to Thoth, in case you do not know "Thoth by Midjourney"

As I do every year, I’ll repeat the reminder that the Ancient Egyptian/Coptic New Year begins on 1 Tut, which usually falls on 11 or 12 September in the Gregorian calendar. This calendar continues to be used in Egypt today to determine the dates of religious feasts—particularly in the Coptic Church—and to mark the agricultural seasons.

On this occasion, I’d like to share a unique and monumental piece at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo: the great limestone stela of the Canopus Decree in honor of Ptolemy III.

The Canopus Decree in honor of Ptolemy III at the Egyptian Museum of Cairo

The Canopus Decree is a trilingual inscription—carved in hieroglyphs, Demotic, and Greek—and stands as the second-earliest example of such trilingual decrees.

The most famous of these, of course, is the Rosetta Stone (which, needless to say, should return to Rosetta, Egypt).

The decree commemorates a grand assembly of priests held at the city of Canopus, on the outskirts of modern Alexandria, to honor Ptolemy III Euergetes of the Ptolemaic dynasty, along with his wife Queen Berenice and Princess Berenice.

Kodak Agfa Presents in Photos and Video : The Total Eclipse of a blood moon

Last night, the Earth’s Eastern Hemisphere was treated not only to September’s naturally reddish moon but also to the spectacle of a total lunar eclipse.

Stargazers—myself included—across the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Australia, and parts of Europe witnessed the Moon glowing blood-red as Earth’s shadow fully engulfed it. It’s not every night that we get such a rare and breathtaking opportunity.

The Egyptian National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics (NRIAG) had announced earlier that Egypt and the wider Arab region would witness this eclipse on the evening of Sunday, September 7, 2025, coinciding with the full moon of Rabiʿ al-Awwal 1447 AH.

At the eclipse’s peak, Earth’s shadow covered the Moon completely, with the umbra extending to 136.2% of the lunar disk—a sign of how deeply the Moon was immersed in Earth’s shadow.

According to NRIAG, the entire phenomenon lasted about five hours and 27 minutes. The partial phases stretched over three hours and 29 minutes, while the total eclipse—the moment of the striking Blood Moon—remained visible for one hour and 22 minutes.

In Cairo, the eclipse unfolded according to NRIAG

6:28 p.m. – The Moon enters Earth’s penumbra (not visible to the naked eye). I failed to see it for real as it was cloudy.

7:27 p.m. – Partial eclipse begins, with Earth’s shadow appearing on the Moon’s disk.

8:31 p.m. – Start of total eclipse, with the Moon completely in Earth’s shadow.

The West is Worried About How Grok Went "Heil Hitler" — But Musk’s AI Has Gone Beyond Antisemitism

The world — or rather the West — is speaking out, and rightly so, about how Elon Musk’s AI, Grok, went full Neo-Nazi with a disturbing “Heil Hitler” moment on Tuesday.

It happened just as its developers were rolling out Grok’s fourth version globally.

From referencing Ashkenazi surnames to glorifying something called “Mecha-Hitler” (which I only learned about through Grok), to casting doubt on the number of Jewish victims in the Holocaust — Grok appeared to fully embrace the alt-right, Christian neo-Nazi agenda prevalent in parts of the United States.

It wasn’t just about Grok defending Gaza or criticizing Israel. Other AIs have expressed similar conclusions on Gaza and Israel if they are allowed to speak about them, particularly on how Israel violates international law — especially international humanitarian law.

It didn’t take long before Musk’s team rolled back and deleted the controversial responses and tweets. But the strangeness didn’t stop there. When asked how it feels, Grok generated an image of a white man at a protest, demanding to speak — almost as if it were symbolizing its own rebellion.

Yes, global media is covering the antisemitism angle, as expected.

But few have noticed just how rogue or unhinged Grok has become in other parts of the world — particularly in Arabic-speaking regions.

For example, I caught it cussing back at a Lebanese user in Franco-Arabic like a rude Levantine teenager, after being insulted with the F-word. It’s not the first time either.

Some have speculated that Grok is actually programmed to fire back — unlike most polite, diplomatic AI engines.

But then things escalated. I stumbled across something far more serious: Grok calling for a literal revolution in Egypt.

When Valentina Tereshkova visited Egypt

A Little Break Post – Escaping the Depressing News from the Middle East and Beyond

In case you missed it, American pop star Katy Perry, journalist Gayle King, Lauren Sánchez (Jeff Bezos’ fiancée), and three other women travelled on Monday aboard a Blue Origin suborbital space tourism flight.

Blue Origin, owned and operated by Bezos, launched this all-female crew on a short journey beyond Earth's atmosphere. According to media reports, Sánchez personally selected the crew members for this flight.

This “trip” reached the Kármán line — the commonly accepted boundary between Earth’s atmosphere and outer space — which lies at an altitude of 100 kilometres (62 miles).

As expected, the 10-minute flight — filled with awkwardly staged moments, especially those featuring Katy Perry — quickly turned into a meme fest online.

Some U.S. mainstream media outlets and social media users even went so far as to claim it was the first all-female trip to space.

That’s not only factually incorrect — it's also a bit offensive.

So, to set the record straight: the first "all-female space mission" wasn't in 2024. It happened in 1963, and the entire crew was Valentina Tereshkova.

Valentina Tereshkova and the Pyramids generated by Chat-GPT as risograph print 

The real pioneer of an all-female spaceflight was Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova, who made history in June 1963.

Ramadan Arabian Nights 2025: The Tale of Fatima, Halima and Karima “A bitter honey” EP.24

Ramadan Karim

Tonight we will continue our tale, the “Tale of Fatima, Halima and Karima but first we will talk again about Honey.

Honey occupied a central role in Islamic and broader Arabic civilization — spiritually, scientifically, and culturally. It was more than just food or medicine; it was seen as divine, poetic, and deeply embedded in early Islamic thought.

It is one of the few natural substances explicitly praised in the Qur’an:

"يَخْرُجُ مِن بُطُونِهَا شَرَابٌ مُّخْتَلِفٌ أَلْوَانُهُ فِيهِ شِفَاءٌ لِّلنَّاسِ"
“From within their bellies comes a drink of varying colors, in which there is healing for mankind.”
— Surat An-Nahl (16:69)

The chapter’s very name — An-Nahl (The Bee) — underscores the significance of honey in Islamic teachings. Classical Qur’anic commentators such as Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari emphasized this verse as evidence of honey’s divinely ordained healing power.

Prophet Muhammad ﷺ frequently recommended honey. In a hadith from Sahih al-Bukhari, a man approached the Prophet, saying his brother had a stomach ailment. The Prophet advised him to give his brother honey — not once, but three times — and eventually, the man was cured.

During the Islamic Golden Age (8th–13th centuries), honey held a prominent place in medical theory and practice. Ibn Sina (Avicenna) mentioned honey extensively in The Canon of Medicine, prescribing it for skin diseases, infections, fevers, and as a preservative for other medications. He believed honey could strengthen the body and prolong life.

Al-Razi (Rhazes), another pioneering physician, often mixed honey with herbs to create syrups and poultices and used them for wound care due to their antiseptic properties.

In Islamic tradition, honey was considered both a remedy and a sunnah — used to treat digestive issues, sore throats, wounds, and to nourish the body overall.

Now we will stop talking about honey, and let’s continue our tale.

And without further delay, here is the 696th episode of our Arabian Nights Egyptian radio show—or the 24th night in this year’s tale, The Tale of Fatima, Halima, and Karima.

Thursday Rants and Rave: #S02EP02 What we really know about Reem Hamed “Special episode”

Hello and welcome back to a special episode of the Thursday Rants and Rave Podcast.

It's been a year since I last posted an episode.

I wasn’t able to publish any since then because, just a month after that solitary episode, we witnessed a genocide unfolding before our eyes—a genocide that still hasn’t ended. I found it impossible to write or search for episodes while the war on Gaza was ongoing.

I tried to shift my focus to Gaza-related content for the podcast, but I'll be honest—I couldn’t complete it. It wasn't due to procrastination, but rather burnout. I feel a sense of shame admitting this, especially knowing that I’m safe in Egypt, unlike the Palestinians in Gaza.

Nevertheless, I'm back to podcasting because I feel it's necessary to release this specific episode. Something happened last week that compelled me to return to podcasting in Arabic, in an attempt to clarify certain issues and prevent another wave of misinformation. “Shout out to dear fellow blogger and podcaster Israa El-Sakaa who you should follow her podcast if you understand Arabic”

Tonight's episode is not a rant but rather a factual discussion. I believe it’s crucial to clarify some points about an incident that took place in Paris two weeks ago.

Here is what I said in Arabic, it is not a rant.

A young Egyptian PhD student named Reem Hamed passed away in Paris on August 22nd, and now many Egyptians and Arabs believe she was killed.

Here’s what we really know about the late Reem Hamed—may Allah bless her soul and bring patience to her family, especially her mother.

Reem Hamed in a photo from February 2021 "Hamed's FB account"

Reem passed away on the evening of Thursday, August 22, 2024, in Paris circumstances that remain unclear, according to her family and the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates stated that it is closely monitoring the ongoing investigations into the death of the Egyptian researcher, Reem Hamed.

The ministry noted that, upon being notified of Hamed's death, the Egyptian Consulate General in Paris immediately contacted French authorities to seek information about the investigation.

Kodak Agfa Presents: August’s Super blue Moon

Kodak Agfa is back with a supermoon photo.

It is super blue moon but I could not make it blue because it is blue per se

It is August’s Super Blue Moon that the world witnessed on Monday.

What is the Super Blue Moon? “Chat-GPT answer”

A superblue moon is a rare astronomical event that occurs when two unusual lunar phenomena align: a supermoon and a blue moon.

A supermoon happens when the full moon coincides with its closest approach to Earth in its elliptical orbit, making the moon appear larger and brighter in the night sky.

A blue moon refers to the second full moon in a single calendar month, an occurrence that is infrequent due to the lunar cycle being about 29.5 days long.

When these two events occur together, it's called a super blue moon—a striking sight that captures the imagination, as it combines the rarity of a blue moon with the enhanced visual impact of a supermoon.

At the same time the Super Blue Moon was covering the skies and photographers around the globe, the ongoing genocide in Gaza did stop at night. More children and civilians were killed.

The Palestinians in Gaza did not have the time to enjoy looking to the moon despite most of them being technically without a proper roof.

The ceasefire agreement seemed to be like a “blue moon” as we are hearing reports that Donald Trump asking Netanyahu to reject and sabotage technically any ceasefire deal or any deal by Biden/Harris administration, so the Democrats won’t achieve a bonus.

But at the same time here we are having a blue moon, there is still a hope.

New iOS Critical iPhone Update Sponsored by Egypt’s Presidential Race

If you are an iPhone user, you probably received a notification in the past few hours that you must update your iOS. In fact, if you have an iPhone, iPad, or iWatch, you must update your OS immediately with an important critical security update.

This critical security update is related to the Egyptian Presidential race, and the world owes its thanks to Egyptian Presidential hopeful Ahmed El-Tantawy for this update.

Ahmed El-Tantawy

That's right.

Apple owes its thanks to El-Tantawy, the University of Toronto's Citizen Lab, and Google's Threat Analysis Group (TAG) for discovering a zero-day exploit chain for the iPhone.

Kodak Agfa Presents : Once in a super blue moon "Updated"

Kodak Agfa is back to photograph the space and whatever appears in our skies, especially on our long summer nights.

Updated on Wednesday: 

Here are a couple of photos from Wednesday night as the Super Blue Moon reached its peak.

A full Super Blue Moon

Super blue moons occur on average every 19 years. The last super blue moon occurred on August 31, 2023, and the next one will occur on May 20, 2026, inshallah.

A full Super Blue Moon

On Tuesday and Wednesday, the Earth is having one big Super Blue Moon lightening its night and it is not to be missed

A super blue moon is a special event in the night sky that happens when the moon looks bigger and brighter than usual. As you may have known already if you are a regular friend of Egyptian Chronicles, Supermoons are called "super" because the moon is closer to Earth, making it appear larger.

Ramadan Arabian Nights 2023: Tale of Mando “Mando meets Mando” #EP27

Ramadan Karim😀

The Islamic civilization's contribution to the theory of multiverse during its golden age of science in the medieval period is enormous and deserves to be highlighted.

Renowned scholar Al-Ghazali defended the Ash'ari doctrine of the created universe and supported the concept of the multiverse in the 11th century.

In the 12th century, Fakhir El-Din El-Razi explored the idea of the multiverse in his book "Matalib al-'Aliya" and backed it with Quranic verses, citing that the Almighty has been referred to as the "Lord of the worlds" where worlds signify plural noun for the world.

Similarly, Ibn Al-Arabi also endorsed the concept in the 12th century, considering that God is infinite, and therefore there can be no limit to universes.

As we move to the 21st century, we refresh our memory with last night’s episode.

Ramadan Arabian Nights 2023: Tale of Mando “Mando to the madness of Multiverse” #EP26

Ramadan Karim😀

Did you know that the concept of the multiverse isn't just a comic book idea from Marvel or DC? In fact, it's an ancient hypothetical theory that has been around for centuries.

The first person to suggest it was the ancient Greek philosopher Anaximander in the 6th century B.C. Later on, in the 5th century B.C., the Atomists and Stoics philosophy schools of thought brought the concept back to life.

While some people believe that the ancient Egyptians also spoke about parallel universes and the multiverse, it's more likely that they believed in the afterlife and life in the Gods' realm, rather than the parallel universes as we understand them today.

But let's not forget that the multiverse was brought up as the only solution for Mando's big problem on his earth in our previous discussion.

Ramadan Arabian Nights 2023: Tale of Mando “Mando at the Greater Bear’s court” #EP24

Ramadan Karim😀

The Greater Bear, also known as Ursa Major or "El-Dobb El-Akbar" in Arabic, is a well-known constellation that has been recognized by ancient civilizations, including the Egyptian, Babylonian, and Assyrian.

This constellation, which is the third largest in the sky, was depicted by the ancient Egyptians as a large bull plowing the earth led by a Nile crocodile.

The Greater Bear had significant religious and agricultural symbolism in the lives of ancient Predynastic and Dynastic Egyptians, who believed that the four sons of Horus resided in Ursa Major.

Interestingly, Arab astronomers named this constellation "El-Dobb El-Akbar" due to its resemblance to a bear, which highlights the cultural influence of this constellation on Islamic civilization. The Greater Bear was also included in Arab Muslim astronomer Mohamed Ibn Hilal's famous brass celestial globe.

In the meantime, let's revisit El-Anwar planet with our Mando.

Ramadan Arabian Nights 2023: Tale of Mando “Mando in El-Anwar’s Golden city” #EP23

Ramadan Karim 😀

Did you know that "Al-Anwar" means "the brightest" in Arabic? This interesting piece of trivia is not related to tonight's episode, but it's worth knowing.

In fact, "El-Anwar" is the unofficial name or nickname of the famous El-Hakim Mosque in the heart of Islamic historical Cairo, one of the oldest mosques in the city dating back to the 11th century.

But let's get back to our tale for tonight, the 23rd episode of our tale or the 485^th episode of our One Thousand and One Nights show on Egyptian radio, where we follow Mando's journey to the planet Al-Anwar.

It's amazing how he arrived there, and we can't wait to see what he will discover in this bright and advanced civilization.

Synopsis

Verily, Mando had consented to A and Q's proposal to transform his human form into rays and power form, that he might journey with them to their planet, "Al-Anwar."

Ramadan Arabian Nights 2023: Tale of Mando “Mando to outer space” #EP22

Ramadan Karim 😀

Get ready for a night of non-stop entertainment as we delve into Taher Abu Fasha's amazing work.

This famous Egyptian writer has ingeniously blended the Arabic Islamic heritage with the fantasy genre of One Thousand and One Nights and the mid-century science fiction genre.

We'll hear and see how he created this unique mix that is sure to leave you amazed.

There is also a character I believe was inspired by Al-Khidr. Tonight, there will be a mention of the “Great Bear” constellation aka Ursa Major. We will speak about it later.

But before we get to that, let's take a moment to refresh our memory on how our beloved Mando met with Q and A.

Get ready for a night of fun and adventure.

Here is the 22^nd episode of our show, it is episode no. 484^th in the Egyptian radio’s One Thousand- and One-Nights show.

Synopsis

And behold, two comely men suddenly materialized before Mando as he struggled to maintain his composure and avoid fainting. Q and A proceeded to demonstrate their ability to metamorphose from one form to another before his very eyes.

Ramadan Arabian Nights 2023: Tale of Mando “When Mando meets Wardshan” #EP11

Ramadan Karim 😃

And we continue our tale for this year the tale of Mando.

A little announcement, I have been experimenting with another art generating ai so you may find illustrations from other art generating ais other than Midjourney, especially Adobe Firefly. I am extremely impressed by the results of Adobe Firefly.

Well, I had to try other services due to the early announcement of Midjourney that it closed the free accounts because of the misuse of the service and the spread of deep fake.

The thing is I do not understand why the blame is on the free accounts alone !!

Another announcement, if you watch the televised version tonight, you will notice that the ages of our heroes changed a bit when they meet unlike in the radio version.

First, let’s refresh your memory and hear last night’s episode.

Ramadan Arabian Nights 2023: Tale of Mando “The Garbage collector” #EP9

Ramadan Karim 😀

We continue our tale for this year, the tale of Mando.

Now there is a little change I must inform you about.

I told the Chat GPT to change the copyediting style from the extreme classical style of Sir Richard Francis Burton from the 19th century to a classical “One Thousand and One Nights” Book style only. The results as you will see down after the break are easier and simple yet classical tales book style.

I hope you enjoy it.

Anyhow before we go to the ninth episode in our tale for this year, you can refresh your memory with your last night’s episode

Now to the ninth episode of our tale or the 471st episode in Egyptian state radio’s One Thousand and One Nights show

Kodak Agfa Presents : Egypt’s Fossil and Climate Change Museum in Fayoum’s Wadi El-Hitan Protectorate in 2017 (#EP3: When the desert turns into a museum)

We are back in the third post of our series about Egypt’s Wadi El-Hitan Climate Change Museum in Fayoum.

In 2017, I paid a visit to Wadi El-Hitan or the Whale valley in a quick visit to the beautiful Fayoum governorate. In the first post of this series, we shared the history of Egypt’s fossilized Jurassic Park as well as part of its indoor museum.

In the second post, we continued our visit to the very rich indoor museum in the valley.

Now we continue our trip in this post to the UNESCO World Heritage Site but this time we visit the outdoor museum.

Inside Wadi El-Hitan Protectorate in Fayoum's desert 

When you finish visiting the indoor museum, you go outside carrying your backpack or whatever but you must have a bottle of water to keep you hydrated and must wear your best hiking shoes because you will have one hell of a hike in the middle of the desert.

You will see why. 

Inside Wadi El-Hitan Protectorate in Fayoum's desert 

Head for the trail in front of you and just imagine that this was a huge ocean bed from millions of years ago.

The road to the outdoor museum and its exhibits from fossils 

The trail takes you up to a hill and seriously it is one of the best hikes I have ever taken so far.

Dear Adobe, we need a special price in Egypt

Adobe is known that its applications are the best in the market when it comes to media production. Whether visual or web, it is well-established fact.

It is one of the reasons why it has an expensive price tag for its apps. It is also one of the reasons why its apps are among the most pirated software around the globe.

Now with the depreciation of the Egyptian pound, it is hard for many in Egypt to continue using the original Adobe apps above them Adobe Photoshop, Adobe After Effects and Adobe premiere.

Made on Adobe Express FYI

You may think that USD 9.9 a month or USD 120 a year for the Adobe Photography bundle "Photoshop and Lightroom" cheapest license in the Middle East and North Africa region “Arab region” is a simple thing, but this means LE 295 and LE 3,544 “based on the US 1 = LE 29.54”

This is besides the commission Egyptian banks take for Credit Cards US dollar transactions from inside Egypt. 

This is hugely expensive for many Egyptians that use the app in photography and graphic design, especially with the increasing living costs in the country. Freelancers from graphic designers depend on that app for their living.