Exploring Egypt's Wadi El-Hitan and Fossils and Climate Change Museum: In video

I know. I promise you that this would be the finale of the posts series I dedicated to the visit I paid to Egypt’s Wadi El-Hitan or the Valley of the Whales in 2017.

Believe me, this obsession is worth it, the place is amazing and having this place in Egypt makes me so proud.

Now here are a couple of video clips I took at the UNESCO World Heritage Site in the heart of the Fayoum desert which is 150 km away from Cairo. Warning: Extremely shaky, fast and short video. Turn on the captions, it got English captions and I am working on the Arabic captions as well.

I apologize for the bad filming; I was still a newbie. 

If you like it, please like, share and subscribe because I still record videos of places I visit. “You probably know that already if you are a regular here.”

Featured in the video are Wadi El-Rayan’s man-made waterfalls and the man-made magic lake.

Kodak Agfa Presents : Egypt’s Fossil and Climate Change Museum in Fayoum’s Wadi El-Hitan Protectorate in 2017 (#EP4: A Desert to remember)

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

In February 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. In the third post, we saw part of the very interesting outdoor museum in the desert.

In this part, I am focusing on the outdoor museum’s interior or rather exterior aka the desert where the outdoor museum is located aka the amazing and breathtaking Wadi El-Hitan as well as the way back to Wadi El-Rayan.

Inside Wadi El-Hitan Protectorate 

Aside from the priceless exhibits from millions of years ago, this place is like a haven for those who love desert nature and photography for real.

Formations that were once part of a big continental ocean millions of years ago 

The formations that were once part of the prehistoric ocean bed make you feel small.

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.

Kodak Agfa Presents: Egypt’s Fossil and Climate Change Museum in Fayoum’s Wadi El-Hitan Protectorate in 2017 (#Ep1: When the desert was an ocean)

Kodak Agfa has not finished the Fayoum series. After all who would have thought that one quick-day trip to the Wadi El-Rayan protectorate would yield all those photos.

We stopped last time in Fayoum at its Magic Lake and its surrounding area. Now it is time to visit Fayoum’s crown jewel and its UNESCO World Heritage Site: Wadi El-Hitan.

A quick intro to Wadi El-Hitan: 150 km away from Cairo, Wadi El-Hitan which means in Arabic “Whales valley” is a paleontological site which hosts hundreds of whale fossils and other creatures from millions of years ago. Warning: This post is like a return back to a geology class but it is worth it.

Now Egypt’s Whale Valley is an extremely important paleontologically and historically site because it solves one of the biggest mysteries concerning the evolution of whales.

Unlike what you think, from 50 million years ago Earth’s most giant mammals aka the Whales were actually on-land animals that used to walk on legs before becoming giant gigantic mammals living in oceans.

Between 45-30 million years ago during the Eocene epoch, whales began their transition from on-land animals to Swimming big fishes as the world’s temperature was extremely high in its beginning and then cooled down by its end.

Among all the places, Wadi El-Hitan has the largest collection of whale fossils from that era as well as other animals and fishes in an amazing way considering the fact, we are speaking about a desert now.

If you do not know from millions of years ago the great Sahara including Egypt’s Western desert was part of a huge ocean and due to climate change “evidence for those deniers” we got this dry huge desert reminding us of what can happen again

The first whale fossil was unearthed in Wadi El-Hitan in 1902 and for 80 years there had been no serious excavation due to the difficulty to reach the site. In the 1980s, with the emergence of 4x4 safari trips to the site, more foreign Western Universities began to put an eye on that site.

In 1989, Egypt declared the area of Wadi El-Rayan a natural protectorate. Already Wadi El-Hitan is located inside it so it has been part of a protectorate then.

According to news investigative reports during the time of Mubarak, Egypt’s Western desert especially Fayoum dinosaurs and pre-history creatures haven for years Western Universities like Michigan University.

In 2005, UNESCO announced Wadi El-Hitan as World Heritage Site. It is the first Natural World Heritage site in Egypt. In 2008, it was officially inaugurated as an open museum.

Egypt's Fossil and Climate Change Museum's open area 

Now the amazing site got two museums: The open-air Museum and the Fossil and Climate Change Museum.

In January 2016, Egypt inaugurated the Fossil and Climate Change Museum inside the Wadi El-Hitan protectorate.

Kodak Agfa Presents : Luxor’s Deir El-Bahry aka Hatshepsut temple in February 2012 (Part-2)

And we continue our short and quick tour in Hatshepsut Mortuary Temple in Luxor’s Deir El-Bahry in February 2012.

You can refresh your memory and see more about the history of the famous Egyptian Queen’s temple and the history of its excavation as well as the first lower floors or courts in the temple itself in the first part of this two-series post.

On the way to Hatshepsut temple in Deir El-Bahry 

An important disclaimer: I included here only the parts I have seen in this huge complex. There are even more parts that I missed. 

Now to the middle of the second terrace or the court which you reach through a ramp from the lower terrace or court.

The middle terrace of Hatshepsut mortuary temple 

The middle terrace measures 75m deep by 90 m wide according to Wikipedia and it is fronted by colonnades. There are lots of details on this terrace.

Egypt and the invasion of Ukraine : More than a butterfly effect

In the past three days, I believe the whole world glued in front of the TV as well as the social media to follow the updates of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

I was more than glued in front of the TV because this war is not only alarming to the West but also alarming to Egypt and it is the usual butterfly effect.

It is not a big secret but Egypt, the world’s largest wheat importer depend on both Ukraine and Russia mainly for its needs.

Ukrainian couple in Egypt once upon time, I hope 
they are fine now for real. Do not know the source though

Egypt imported last year 80% of its wheat needs from Ukraine and Russia together.

In 2021, Egypt imported 5.5 million tonnes of wheat, on top of the 3.5 million tonnes produced locally, according to data released by the supply ministry in December according to Ahram Online.

This is happening at the same time the Egyptian government states that it will raise the price of subsided bread for the first time in 30 years. 

Kodak Agfa Presents : Luxor’s Deir El-Bahry aka Hatshepsut temple in February 2012 (Part-1)

This time Kodak Agfa is going to present photos taken from a decade ago and it feels so weird and yet so close!!

I know I am lazy but for my defense, 2012 was among the years full of action in Egypt to the level that amazes me till now.

Anyhow enough of excuses and nostalgia and let’s end that 2012-trip in Luxor and Aswan with the legendary Deir El-Bahry’s site of Hatshepsut Mortuary Temple.

Hatshepsut Mortuary Temple in Luxor 

It was the last major site I took photos in that short visit in Luxor after the Karnak and Luxor temples.

Kodak Agfa Presents : Hidden European Fine Arts of Egypt “Volume II : Sculptures”

And here is the second part of our a little Kodak Agfa’s tour in the “The Classical European art pieces in Egyptian Museums” exhibit.

Held in Cairo last November , the exhibit celebrated some of Egypt’s official collection of classical European art pieces in Egyptian Museums like Mohamed Mahmoud Khalil Museum from paintings and sculptures.

The first part we saw the exhibit’s beautiful and rare paintings by some of the world’s most talented and famous painters in the West like Monet and Gauguin.

The gazelle and the girl 

This post we will see some of the sculptures featured in the exhibit.

There were less statues than then paintings in the exhibit , nevertheless it was very interesting collection.

The star of this collection I would say is French sculptor Auguste Rodin.

Yes, Rodin who is regarded to be the founder of modern sculpture in the West Egypt officially owns some of his work thanks to late Mohamed Mahmoud Khalil, his wife and their great taste.

We got here original miniature statues made by Rodin of his famous works with his signature on them.

Like for instance the one and only “The Thinker statue”

Auguste Rodin's The Thinker 

“Le Penseur” or “The Thinker” is probably most famous artwork for Auguste Rodin. The full-size statue was originally a part of “The Gates of Hell” artwork in 1880 under the name “The poet” .

Egypt revives the ancient Avenue of Sphinxes in Luxor tonight

In case you do not know, Egypt is on a date on another glitzy ancient Egyptian inspired parade in a few hours.

The avenue of the Sphinxes on 24 November's night "Ahmed Gomaa"

The 1.7-mile-long and about 250-feet-wide-Sphinxes Avenue connect the Luxor temple complex and the Karnak temple complex. According to historical accounts, the current surviving sphinxes avenue was built by King Nectanebo I, the founder of Egypt’s last native ruling dynasty aka the 30th dynasty in the late period.

The Avenue of Sphinxes in 2012

According to archaeologists, most of the sphinxes or rams statues in the avenues have been restored. They are over 1,000 statues. We got four of them in Tahrir square despite the objections of the archaeologists. I wonder why we do not put them back where they belong.

It is said that the face of the sphinxes depicted Nectanebo I in accordance with the famous ancient Egyptian tradition that started in the old kingdom.

The trip to revive the avenue was long starting from year 1984 to 2000 thanks to Egyptian archaeologists then the plan to restore it kicked off in the year 2009 then was stopped for a while in 2011 then it was resumed later till we see right now.

Kodak Agfa Presents : Hidden European Fine Arts of Egypt “Volume 1 : Paintings”

Egypt got some secret treasures to amuse and share with the world and they are not great Egyptian ancient treasures.

They are treasures from different civilizations that ended up in the valley of the Nile. Among those treasures, a huge collection of classical European arts from statues and paintings by the greatest artists the world has known in the last 200 years.

European Arts fans can enjoy themselves too in Egypt if they know where to go.

I know some will find it odd, but we got paintings for painters like Monet, Picasso, Goya and Henri Matisse that are worth millions of dollars

The girl , the painting and Sculpture

Last November I went to Aisha Fahmy Palace in one fine afternoon to see its latest exhibit of the Egyptian Museums’ treasures. I went to the Mohamed Ali era exhibit era and it was amazing. Then came this exhibit “The Classical European art pieces in Egyptian Museums” and it blew my mind.

It is the third exhibit in the Egyptian Museums’ treasures exhibit series the Palace has been holding since its inauguration.

Now how those paintings and statues ended up in Egypt. Well, thank Egypt’s fine collectors from Mohamed Ali Royal Family and the rich class from Pashas like Mohamed Mahmoud Pasha Khalil. Those fine collectors were unfortunately nationalized and thankfully those paintings were locked up and kept safely for decades despite attempts to showcase them. 

The exhibition was held at Aisha Fahmy Palace, which is a piece of art from inside 

That exhibit had paintings and sculptures that came from three main museums: Giza’s Mohamed Mahmoud Khalil Museum, Cairo’s Gezira Center for Modern Art aka Egyptian Modern Art Museum and Alexandria’s Museum of Fine Arts.

It shows a glimpse of Egypt’s own European fine arts collection.

In this post I am focusing only on the paintings I found there.

And our quick tour starts here with Monet

Kodak Agfa Presents : The Royal Taxidermy and Hunting Museum

This post was planned for the occasion of Egypt’s National Day aka 23 July Coup/Revolution/Movement “Whatever you prefer” as Kodak Agfa would like to share with you those couple of photos taken in summer 2019 but time was not that friendly.

It ended up posted a month later!!

If you are into bizarre-stuff-niche museums with a little dark twist, then you will like this post. 

If you are into hunting and animal taxidermy, then this is your place.

Gazelles shoulder mount taxidermy at the Royal taxidermy

This post is about the Mohamed Ali Taxidermy and Hunting Museum or as officially known “Royal Hunting Museum”.

This place is in the Prince Mohamed Ali Tawfik Estate at Cairo’s Al-Manial island which I visited with a group of friends in August 2019.

We already visited its beautiful small mosque and saw how much the eccentric prince who could have been a king was influenced by Islamic architecture especially in Andalusia.

Our next stop in this big estate that looks like a small oasis inside the buzzing Cairo is the Royal Hunting Museum or Mohamed Ali taxidermy museum. “I hope its trees survive the trees massacre still going on across the country”

Water Buffaloe's shoulder mount taxidermy and goose taxidermy
 at the Royal taxidermy museum

First, I apologize for the bad photography as the lighting in the Museum is not camera friendly. There are out of focus photos too. 

I thought at first this is the personal collection of Prince Mohamed Ali Tawfik and that building where he used to taxidermize those poor animals he hunted and collected.

This made me think that he would be more eccentric than he was already.

But I was mistaken.

That small building located near the mosque did not exist before the 1960s. It was not part of the original buildings in the estate, nor it was commissioned by Prince Mohamed Ali Tawfik.

Kodak Agfa Presents: A quick visit to Egypt’s North Coast in 2020

As we are starting summer, here are some vibes from 2020 summer when Kodak Agfa and family managed to take some time off and headed for the North Coast.

We headed to North Coast’s Sidi Abdel Rahman.

This is how it looks like.

This is an Egyptian beach

Yes, this beach is in Egypt and not in the Maldives. I know it sounds cliché but I will use it anyway.

But first, there was a three-day- vacation in Porto Marnia but it was more of sick leave in August where I could not swim or stay long at the beach because I had a bad ear infection whose medication made me sleepy most of the time.

“It returned back this week mildly but thank God I treated it quickly”

At Porto Marina and the other side of the lagoon Marina 

It was a good break thought and my camera accompanied me in that break.

The Golden Pharaohs’ Parade of Egypt

On Saturday, Cairo is on a date with one unique procession.

Cairo will witness a parade of 22 ancient Egyptian Kings and Queens as they or rather their mummies are being transferred from the Egyptian Museum of Cairo in Downtown’s Tahrir Square to the Newly inaugurated The National Egyptian Civilization Museum “NECM” in Old Cairo’s Fustat. 

They are transferred to a new home

They are going to a new home now after more than 100 years in The Egyptian Museum of Cairo as it is undergoing a huge renovation project sponsored by the EU and a bunch of European museums above them the British Museum.

The Mummies are reportedly to receive better and advanced care in the NECM because that care can’t be provided in the Tahrir Museum with its old structure.

The parade will take place at Sunset, at about 6 PM and it will take only 45 minutes but it will be a procession to be remembered. It will start at the renovated Tahrir square. 

The Tahrir square after renovation "Egyptian Cabinet" 

Those kings and queens from the Modern Kingdom's 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th dynasties were discovered in the 19th and early 20th centuries at the Valley of the Kings in Luxor.

They are: King Seqenenre Taa , Queen Ahmose Neferati,King Amenhotep I, Queen Merit Amun, King Thutmose I, King Thutmose II,  Queen Hatshepsut, King Thutmose III, King Amenhotep II, King Thutmose IV, King Amenhotep III, Queen Tiye, King Seti I, King Rameses II, King Merenpath, King Seti II, King Siptah, King Ramesses III, King Ramesses V, King Ramses IV, King Ramses VI, Ramesses IX

The mummies of the 18 kings and 4 queens will be carried on special vehicles with their names inscribed on them.

Kodak Agfa Presents : Bahariya Oasis Heritage Private Museum

In February 2019, Kodak Agfa went on a short trip to the amazing and wonderful Bahariya Oasis of Egypt. Despite it follows the Giza governorate officially yet it is considered in the heart of the Western desert or rather we can consider it the gate of the Western Desert and its oases 

Interestingly the Bahariya Oasis is known in Egypt as Bahariya Oases and not only One oasis.

There are sites many sites and places I have been on this short trip including the city of Bawiti where I have been staying but I will kick it off with this small private museum I have been to hours before going back to Cairo.

That small private museum is the Bahariya Oasis Heritage. 

The Bahariya Oasis Heritage Museum from outside

This small privately-owned and operated museum is dedicated to the heritage, culture and history of the Bahariya Oasis, which is actually quite a mysterious place for the majority of the Egyptians from the valley of the Nile.

It is not your usual museum where you can find a collection of old artefacts but rather it is a heritage and art museum.

Kodak Agfa presents : Fayoum’s Magic Lake 2017 in photos

This is the third post in a series of posts featuring my short visit in 2017 with my family to the amazing Fayoum governorate. "Warning: The photos may not be the best"

The first post in the series featured Lake Qaron aka Lake Moeries while the second post featured the Wadi El-Rayan waterfalls.

Now, this post is dedicated also to another amazing place in the Wadi El-Rayan protectorate.

We have not finished yet this protectorate.

Our next stop on that trip was at the Magic Lake region.

This is the Magic lake region

Yes, the Magic lake region is its name and it is one of the most beautiful places in Egypt by far.

Happy Valentine's Day From Egyptian Museum of Cairo : From King Tut and Royal Wife

Happy Valentine’s Day from Egyptian Chronicles.

A little throwback to those days at the great, one and only Egyptian Museum of Cairo and the famous golden chair of King Tutankhamun depicting him and his royal wife Ankesenamun, which was found in his famous tomb

King Tutankhamun and hi wife Ankesenamun on the Golden chair 

Ankesenamun, Tut’s half-sister was the daughter of Akhenaten and his Great Royal wife the beautiful Nefertiti.

This is one of the chairs depicting the Royal couple who once had their statues throughout the Egyptian kingdom before the era of the young king was ended and some attempted to erase his history.

Kodak Agfa Presents : Egypt’s Temple of Luxor in photos 2012 “Part 2”

Hello again,

We are back to in time and place to Egypt’s Temple of Luxor in February 2002. You can check the first part of this series of posts here.

We stopped at the Sun court or rather the first courtyard inside the temple complex itself as made by Ramses II.

Before hosting a small church and then above it a small mosque and shrine for a Sufi sheikh born in Baghdad, the Ramses II court look quite different.

Ramses II court 

For instance, it was mostly covered by a ceiling, but that ceiling disappeared by time.

Just like the pylon, it was reportedly coloured too.

Ramses II court 

Days at the Egyptian Museum of Cairo : Halloween edition 2020

Happy Halloween.

I always wanted to do special Halloween posts to celebrate Egypt’s horror heritage and God knows we got a lot to share but it is 2020

Needless to say, the true Halloween night is not tonight but rather next Tuesday 3 November 2020 in the first place.

I mean the whole world is holding it breathe for real.

I wanted to write this post from a long time about the ancient Egyptian pieces that I felt to be a little scary at the Egyptian Museum of Cairo.

Yup, that smile !! 

By far, this could be the scariest thing for me at the Egyptian Museum of Cairo

When I saw this clay head at the EMC, it took me by surprise because for me it was too spooky with that sinister smile surviving all those years.

All that we know about that it was from the time of predynastic Egypt aka prehistoric Egypt, which means it is older than the Giza Pyramids.

It was found in Upper Egypt, I believe in El-Badari of Asuit governorate aka Badrian Culture which is kind unknown historical territory.

I thought that the lighting condition was not that great when I took that photograph in 2016 and it made the head sinister.

But I was wrong because in 2018, I took another photo for it and it looked more sinister to me.

Kodak Agfa Presents : Prince Mohamed Ali Palace's Mosque and Clock Tower

First of all, Happy new Hijri year 1442 to all Muslims around the globe.

I hope that year 1442 would better inshallah for the whole world.

On this occasion, I would like to share with you couple of photos I took while visiting the Prince Mohamed Ali Palace or rather an estate or El-Manial Palace as commonly known last August with a group of friends in Cairo. 

Built from 1899 to 1929, El-Manial Palace was designed by Prince Mohamed Ali Tawfik “1875-1955”, King Farouk’s Uncle and it is considered one of the best-preserved remaining palaces form the Mohamed Ali Royal Family era.

The Prince Mohamed Ali Palace or rather estate is so big and a good many interesting attractions. Interestingly, this huge piece of land was originally owned by Prince Mohamed Ali Tawfik's great Uncle Prince Fadel.

Prince Fadel had a mosque named after him in El-Sayida Zeinab.

Prince Mohamed Ali Tawfik's Mosque in his Cairo estate

This time the photos are the for the Prince  Palace’s Mosque and its clock tower.

The younger brother of Khedive Abbas Helmi II built a mosque in his estate and it is a very beautiful small mosque. Prince Mohamed Ali Tawfik and his staff in his estate used to pray in that mosque

Coronavirus on the Nile : Another week of all things COVID-19 in Egypt and Arab World

Another week under the Coronavirus spill in the mid of a hot summer.

The numbers are decreasing in Egypt but many people including myself are concerned that this decrease will be followed by another increase once again just like in other countries.

Preparing the vaccine in Egypt at Eva pharma labs 
"Getty"

The Egyptian government is speaking about the Egyptian citizen’s awareness and honestly, I believe government relying alone on the citizens’ awareness was a lost bet and the number of cases in the United States is a proof for that.

This is why I am concerned and worried.

As humans, we are fed up with this lockdown and it is summer. We will go out and many of us won’t follow the social distancing rules or wear masks because he or she is fed up.

Needless to say, we will pay because of this reckless behaviour. God knows I have heard a lot of examples of this reckless behaviour and it makes me worry. 

Unfortunately, we will be in this cycle till we find a cure or vaccine with affordable price. Please stay safe as much as you can. 

Here is our weekly COVID-19 live update.