Egyptian Chronicles

2026 World Cup: Egypt made real Mondial history, and we have every right to celebrate it

egyptianchronicler@gmail.com (Zeinobia) — Sun, 19 Jul 2026 06:31:00 +0300

"He had once fallen under the spell of a dream, and from that moment on, the memory of that beautiful transgression would pursue him forever—a moment of freedom, of a lightness too exquisite to endure. It would remain, forever haunting him, like conscience itself."
— Arwa Saleh, The Stillborn

I doubt that when leftist activist and writer Arwa Saleh wrote these lines, she imagined she was describing how millions of Egyptians would feel for three unforgettable weeks — or perhaps for the past four decades, if not throughout much of modern Egyptian history.

Little Egyptian boy wearing Salah's jersey
watching a game between older kids on the banks
of the Nile in Upper Egypt's Al-Minya
"Ahmed Mostafa"

Egypt's 2026 World Cup campaign was that beautiful dream, and Egyptians could not help but fall under its spell.

Egypt was eliminated in the Round of 16 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup after an epic, deeply controversial match against Argentina. The rest is history.

Eleven days later, I can finally finish this post, which I began writing on 8 July 2026.

Since then, Argentina has defeated Switzerland in another match that raised eyebrows and renewed questions about refereeing decisions, advancing to the semi-finals. It then overcame England in the showdown many football fans had been waiting years to see.

No one could have imagined that so many Egyptians would find themselves supporting England against Argentina.

Yet the impossible happened.

England, too, experienced the same bitter final minutes, marked by controversial refereeing decisions and an unusually physical game.

I cannot imagine how Egyptian and English fans who witnessed both matches felt as they watched history seemingly repeat itself.

It was painful to watch because — bias aside — Egypt played better against Argentina than either team did. That only deepened the inevitable question: What if?

In a few hours, Argentina will face Spain in the World Cup final and will most likely lift the trophy.

It has been a week filled with reactions, endless "what ifs," and the familiar chorus of "Stop being dramatic, you filthy Egyptian sore losers."

But we are not sore losers.

2026 World Cup: New Football History by Egypt Again, Pharaohs to Round of 16

egyptianchronicler@gmail.com (Zeinobia) — Fri, 3 Jul 2026 05:10:00 +0300

It is Friday, and Egypt will not sleep tonight. Neither will the Arab world.

It feels as though we, the Egyptians, have won the World Cup. In reality, we only defeated Australia and advanced to the Round of 16.

Our boys wheen Hossam Abdel Maguid scored the last penalty

Yet this was the biggest match in the history of the Egyptian national team—at least until the next one.

Egypt defeated Australia in another dramatic, nerve-racking match, and the Arab world is celebrating as if we have already lifted the trophy.

I did not believe we could do it.

The Australian players were taller and physically stronger, while our Egyptian squad looked smaller, exhausted, and battered by injuries.

Mohamed Salah played all 120 minutes despite everything and even converted his penalty in the shootout.

Mohamed Salah, 2026 World Cup Pharaoh

But somehow, it happened again. We won against all odds.

Or perhaps not entirely against the odds. Many football analysts had predicted an Egyptian victory, pointing to the teams' histories and the quality of their players.

Still, I remained pessimistic throughout the tournament. Years of World Cup heartbreak had left their mark on me, as had Egypt's disappointing performances—and misfortune—in recent editions of the Africa Cup of Nations after once becoming the undisputed kings of the continent.

I could not bring myself to watch the entire penalty shootout. Before the final two kicks were even taken, I already knew what had happened from the streets outside. I heard the screams of grown men and the desperate prayers of young boys crying, "Ya Rab"—"Oh God"—from the depths of their hearts.

🥅🧤 شاهد سلسلة الركلات الترجيحية لمباراة أستراليا ومصر 🇪🇬🇦🇺#كأس_العالم2026 | #مونديال2026 | #كأس_العالم #FIFAWorldCup2026 | #FIFAWorldCup | #beINWC26 pic.twitter.com/EtP5OAOfC8
— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS) July 3, 2026

The streets of Giza, Cairo, and cities across Egypt erupted with joy. The air shook with cheers, screams, car horns, and fireworks.

الكوكب من غير المصريين ملوش لازمة والله pic.twitter.com/OzX2bYFLNR
— مو (@mohamed29_fcb) July 4, 2026

I was like Ibrahim Hassan, who buried his face in his twin brother Hossam Hassan's shoulder, unable to watch the penalty shootout. Every football fan knows that penalties are often decided by luck—or so we say. Looking back now, it feels like it was much more than luck.

يسعى الإنسان عمره كله خلف لحظة يشعر فيها أن كل ما مرّ به كان يستحق
احنا كمان ي رب عاوزين لحظات من دي ♥️ pic.twitter.com/RQ429tClXC
— amr shaheen (@amrshaheen22) July 3, 2026

Football analyst Mahmoud Salim analyzed the movements of Australia's substitute goalkeeper and presented the footage to the Egyptian players on a tablet during extra time, before the penalty shootout.

Salim first gained recognition on social media during the 2018 Russia World Cup for his tactical football analysis. Hossam Hassan recognized his talent and brought him into the Egyptian national team's technical staff, where his work paid off in one of the most crucial moments of Egypt's World Cup campaign.

It took Mohamed Salah only a couple of minutes to identify the Australian keeper's weakness, reminding us that penalty shootouts are not entirely about luck.

It was a football lesson for everyone.

Once again, Egypt made history.

For the first time in its football history, the Egyptian national team advanced to the Round of 16 at the FIFA World Cup under an Egyptian coach.

For the first time, an Egyptian goalkeeper saved two penalties in a World Cup shootout.

It was also Egypt's first appearance in the World Cup knockout stage—and its first-ever knockout victory.

Mostafa Shobair made history with a performance that surpassed even his father's achievements. Ahmed Shobair himself proudly admitted that his son had outdone him.

مش قادر 🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/wBHmxQUmLy
— ‏أنا كبهير أنبهرت (@alyelbassel) July 3, 2026

Yes, we also added another curious entry to the record books. For the second time in the tournament, our defender Mohamed Hany accidentally scored an own goal. But jokes aside, Hany prevented dozens of goals throughout this World Cup.

He was completely exhausted.

During that match alone, he collapsed twice, yet somehow managed to complete all 120 minutes. Many people—including myself—have wondered whether he may have suffered a mild concussion.

Haitham Hassan is another revelation. The young man is an absolute gem who should never be left on the bench under any circumstances.

Imam Ashour also joined the list of Egypt's World Cup goal scorers.

Beyond the football itself, this was the first time in my life that I witnessed Arab cities—from Riyadh and Gaza to Mosul and Benghazi—celebrating an Egyptian football victory with such genuine joy. Egypt's historic qualification for the Round of 16 felt like a victory shared by the entire Arab world.

In Gaza, people followed the match against all odds, searching for a brief moment of joy amid the destruction surrounding them.

Palestinians in Gaza celebrating the Egyptian football victory

Thousands of Palestinians of all ages followed the match from their refugee camp.

Watching the game with the help of a projector by AFP

Seeing them celebrate and smile made me prouder than ever.

Palestinian children and teens watching the game "AFP"

The Egyptian Committee in Gaza set up a small fan zone in the besieged, occupied sector.

Gaza's semi-fan zone by Ashraf Ramadan

In Gaza, a Palestinian man celebrated Egypt's victory by handing out slices of watermelon to people in the streets.

In Gaza, PaIestinians celebrate Egypt’s knockout win over Australia with slices of watermelon because they don’t have sweets. 🍉⚽ pic.twitter.com/0TtpvZYKVv
— 𝓙𝓲𝓶𝓶𝔂 𝓙 (@JimmyJ4thewin) July 4, 2026

Others were just watching the game from their mobile phones.

مبروك منتخب مصر 🇵🇸🇪🇬 pic.twitter.com/xgE2nXs2NM
— hani abu rezeq (@hanirezeqhotma1) July 3, 2026

Palestinians also celebrated, whether in the West Bank or in cities like Beersheba.

Here are the Arab Palestinian tribes of Beersheba celebrating the victory.

العشائر البدوية في بئر السبع تحتفل بفوز منتخب #مصر #منتخب_الفراعنة
🇪🇬🇪🇬🇪🇬🇪🇬🇪🇬🇪🇬🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻 pic.twitter.com/yQhiJkNtU3
— 𝒟𝓇. 𝐸𝓂𝒶𝓃🇵🇸 (@eman_dreman) July 4, 2026

Many of them celebrated the victory before they even knew that our coach, Hossam Hassan, had walked onto the pitch carrying a Palestinian flag—a gesture that made an unforgettable night even more memorable.

Several Palestinian flags were brought by fans.

Hossam Hassan running around the stadium with the Palestinian flag became one of the defining images of that historic match.

Egyptian head coach Hossam Hassan brought a Palestine flag onto the pitch after Egypt’s historic victory over Australia pic.twitter.com/eaO37UUp8V
— Leyla Hamed (@leylahamed) July 3, 2026

A photo of Hassan holding both the Egyptian and Palestinian flags became iconic for a whole generation.

Coach Hossam Hassan with two flags of Palestine and Egypt

The Palestinian flag was not notably absent from the celebrations back home in Egypt.

دايمًا حاضر يا حبيبي 🇪🇬🇵🇸 pic.twitter.com/aAv1YQJSzV
— شُرَّاب (@iiluffy11) July 3, 2026

There was also a Lebanon flag that could not be missed by anyone in the game.

It turns out that it was brought by a young Lebanese man, according to his grandma on Twitter.

مبروك ل مصر ام الدنيا
حفيدي مباشرة مع علم لبنان
يلا يا مصر pic.twitter.com/TlrMwlRTag
— Em Adham (@Ayda_Jaber) July 3, 2026

Syrians celebrated it in several areas above them in Damascus.

مُبارك لمصر وشعبها التأهل 🙏 من احتفالات الأهالي في مدينة المعارض القديمة بدمشق pic.twitter.com/OCrdqgqpEZ
— و ر د | ward (@ward_337) July 3, 2026

Despite the ongoing war of words between Egyptian and Saudi troll accounts on social media, ordinary Saudis celebrated Egypt's victory as if it were their own.

هذه هي الصورة التي تستحق أن تنتشر يا سادة👌
،،
بينما كان البعض يبحث عن حسابات تثير الجدل والفتن..
كان الواقع ليلة البارحة يكتب قصته بنفسه ❤️

مقاطع السعوديين وهم يحتفلون بفوز مصر كانت أجمل رد على كل من يحاول إقناعنا بأن ما بين الشعوب خصومة أو كراهية..
[ الحقيقة تُرى في المواقف… pic.twitter.com/BGbWIFFbaF
— صلاح الغيدان (@salahalghaydan) July 4, 2026

Those videos made many wonder who is really behind these hate campaigns. I know who—and I'm glad he's watching and fuming with anger in his palace in the Kingdom.

Here is a video from the streets of Riyadh.

في قلب الرياض

افراح مصرية و سعودية pic.twitter.com/72r4W6uuAr
— قورجس (@gorgeous4ew) July 3, 2026

In Kuwait, veteran football fan Bu Jassem, who is known for supporting football teams, cried when we won.

دموع الفرح.. 🥲 المشجع المخضرم بوجاسم الحووت يبكي بعد فوز المنتخب المصري 🇪🇬 #كاس_العالم_٢٠٢٦ #مصر_أستراليا pic.twitter.com/9e8f61G5ft
— خلف العنزي (@Khalafm) July 3, 2026

Here is the fan zone in Iraq’s Baghdad.

العراق كله شجع مصر
إذا زعلنا المنتخب العراقي، المنتخب المصري الشقيق يفرحنا
45 مليووون مبروووك يا أهل مصر
❤️ pic.twitter.com/PDEDwfovcs
— -نوستالجيا (@BasimHKH) July 4, 2026

Back in Egypt, it was a night to remember because it was early Friday morning.

Wedding parties included TV panels to air the match, celebrating the victory eventually.

Wedding Takes a Back Seat as Bride and Groom Celebrate Egypt's Historic Win pic.twitter.com/ttoYNOI9iw
— Ounka (@OunkaOnX) July 4, 2026

The wildest video was a newlywed couple celebrating the victory in the street with total strangers.

Playing against Argentina does not scare me or other Egyptians because we know if we lose, we will already have made history and will lose to the previous World Cup winner.

We are not starstruck with Messi. We remember when Mess had headbutted Al-Ahly and Egypt National Team Yasser Ibrahim in a fight on the pitch in Al-Ahly vs Inter Miami in FIFA Club World Cup (CWC) 2025 from

Yasser Ibrahim is already injured. He may not play in the upcoming game. But aside from his talent as a defender in Al-Ahly FC, I know Hossam Hassan liked what Ibrahim did with Messi.

He was not starstruck, nor shy or afraid.

Yes, bring Messi to us, as our fans in the US said.

Also, bring up those two cute babies.

Guys, it’s happening pic.twitter.com/MdXtR1qu9W
— Maher (@Maher_ibrahim9) July 3, 2026

We are ready.

2026 World Cup: Egypt Makes History Again, Advances to Round of 32

egyptianchronicler@gmail.com (Zeinobia) — Sun, 28 Jun 2026 15:40:00 +0300

Egypt has barely made it, but it made it officially.

Egypt's National Football Team is through to the Round of 32 of the World Cup 2026, for the first time in our football history — and for the first time in World Cup history after a tie with Iran in a football match to remember.

Mahmoud Trezeguet and Ramin Rezaeian

There are many firsts here.

Egypt's qualification for the Round of 32 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup has already become a landmark achievement in our national team's history, setting a series of unprecedented records.

For the first time, Egypt progressed beyond the World Cup group stage, completed the group phase unbeaten, secured a 3-1 victory over New Zealand, and finished second in its group on goal difference behind Belgium.

The Pharaohs also scored a record five goals in a single World Cup group stage, netted their earliest-ever World Cup goal in the sixth minute of a match, and entered their final group game with qualification already guaranteed.

2026 World Cup: The Pharaohs broke the curse, Egypt won its first WC match after 92 years.

egyptianchronicler@gmail.com (Zeinobia) — Mon, 22 Jun 2026 07:08:00 +0300

When I saw the Egyptian national team's first-half performance against New Zealand at the 2026 World Cup, I decided to turn off the TV and get some sleep.

It was nearly 5 a.m. Cairo time, and after watching the Kiwis take the lead, it seemed that the old-World Cup curse haunting Egypt was still very much alive.

But my sleep was cut short by screams and cheers coming from the streets.

We had scored a historic equalizer.

The rest is history.

Since its first World Cup appearance in 1934, Egypt not only won its first-ever match in the tournament but also produced a stunning comeback, aka remontada, to go top of its group.

Happy Hijri Year 1448: Al-Aqsa is in a huge danger and Many Muslims are still refugees

egyptianchronicler@gmail.com (Zeinobia) — Tue, 16 Jun 2026 22:24:00 +0300

Happy and blessed New Hijri Year 1448 to all Muslims in the world, especially to the Muslim refugees.

Today marks Muharram 1, 1448 AH.

Today is the start of the new Islamic Hijri Year 1448.

Once again, I have to remind people that our Islamic calendar began more than fourteen centuries ago when Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and his companions, the first Muslims, sought refuge and safety in Yathrib, which later became Medina, the first capital of the Islamic state.

The early Muslims were refugees. In fact, almost all the prophets of the Abrahamic faiths and their earliest followers experienced displacement, exile, or persecution. It seems to be a recurring chapter in the story of faith.

As of 2026, the Muslim world is once again home to some of the largest displaced populations on Earth. Approximately 6 million Palestinian refugees remain registered with UNRWA, while about 4.9 million Syrian refugees continue to live outside their homeland, primarily in neighboring countries and across Europe.

Seen in Downtown Cairo : Before and after the Egyptian Railways Engineering Building

egyptianchronicler@gmail.com (Zeinobia) — Sat, 6 Jun 2026 06:05:00 +0300

Seen in Downtown Cairo: Before-and-after photos of the Egyptian Railways Engineering Building document the final days of the famous 100-plus-year-old headquarters in Ramses Square — from its preparation for demolition, to the demolition itself, and finally its disappearance to make way for the widening of the October Bridge.

Constructed in 1908, the building was officially listed as architecturally significant under Law 144 of 2006, which protects structures of historical and aesthetic value.

However, in May 2024, the Ministry of Housing issued a decree removing several properties in western Cairo from that protected list, including the Egyptian Railways headquarters at 6 El-Galaa Street.

In 2026, it was fully demolished. I took photos of it in those days, if not months.

Naksa at 59: Haaretz exposed what Egypt’s Akher Saa published from 59 years ago “The 1967 War Crimes That Israelis Do Not Know About”

egyptianchronicler@gmail.com (Zeinobia) — Fri, 5 Jun 2026 23:10:00 +0300

It is Naksa Day, and we are still living with its consequences.

Even in Egypt, despite the 1973 War and the return of Sinai, we continue to live with — and suffer from — its regional repercussions.

We have also failed to learn, or perhaps have forgotten, many of the lessons that we, as Egyptians and Arabs, should have drawn from that defeat — politically before militarily.

The same underlying causes not only still exist in Cairo, but across capitals throughout the Arab world, from the Atlantic Ocean to the Gulf.

This year, on the 59th anniversary of the Naksa, Haaretz published yet another bombshell for the Israeli public under the headline, "We Were Ordered to Kill": The 1967 Nakba That Israelis Don't Know About.

These testimonies expose a stark, unbridgeable gap between Israel’s carefully curated collective memory and the brutal reality of 1967.

In other words, they tear away the false narrative propagated by Israel’s military propaganda machine—a myth fed for decades to the Western world and the Israeli public to frame theirs as “the most moral army in the Middle East, if not the universe.”

The leftist-liberal Israeli newspaper revealed that newly uncovered documents indicate that 300,000 Arabs were expelled or forcibly displaced from the West Bank, Gaza, and the Golan Heights amid systemic violence, looting, and wholesale destruction.

Among the leaked files was a 1967 memorandum from Israel’s legal advisor famous judge Theodor Meron, explicitly warning senior Israeli officials that the forced expulsion of Palestinian civilians constituted "a serious violation of the Geneva Convention."

What the Israeli army perpetrated in the Sinai was mentioned only briefly in the Haaretz piece, primarily because those other captured territories remain under Israeli occupation today, unlike the Sinai, which Egypt successfully regained. (I will review the specific atrocities committed on the Egyptian front in a separate, upcoming post).

To be frank, nothing in Haaretz’s report about Israeli war crimes was new to me as an Egyptian, nor would it be new to most Arabs.

Egyptians and Palestinians have been shouting these truths to a deaf world—especially to the West—for nearly six decades.

Yet, despite a mountain of archival evidence and countless firsthand survivor and victim testimonies, much of the global community only began paying attention when an Israeli newspaper published the soldiers and victimizers’ letters.

A Note on Historical Context and Language

Before we dive into the archives, I must clarify an important linguistic choice in my translations. In translating the summer 1967 press reports detailing the tragic exodus from the West Bank, I have intentionally preserved the original text’s use of the terms "Arab refugees" and "Arab residents" rather than modernizing them to "Palestinians."

While a modern audience automatically views these events through a specific Palestinian national lens, the nationalized Egyptian press of 1967 was operating under a dual legacy. First was the linguistic residue of the British Mandate, which categorized the region strictly into "Arabs and Jews." Second was the ideological peak of Nasserite Pan-Arabism, which framed the defense of Palestine not as an isolated local conflict, but as a collective Arab responsibility.

Ironically, preserving this older vocabulary completely dismantles modern Zionist propaganda claiming that Egypt "invented" the Palestinian identity in the mid-1960s. The archival record demonstrates a deeply rooted population whose distinct connection to the land was so universally understood that reporters used the local and regional terms interchangeably.

I used both the AUC Rare Books and Collections Online library as well as the Torath Misr Official website, which is still in Beta phase

The Robin Dispatch from River Jordan

Happy Eid — If You Are Not Palestinian or Lebanese

egyptianchronicler@gmail.com (Zeinobia) — Wed, 27 May 2026 10:16:00 +0300

It was supposed to be a happy Eid for the two girls — at last — after two hard years of survival and hunger that made them, like every other child in Gaza, older than their age and afraid of what tomorrow might bring.

It was supposed to be a happy Eid eve. Their mother took them to one of the remaining markets in Gaza to buy Eid outfits, to make them feel happy, to make them feel like children — but they are Palestinian kids living in Gaza, where the odds of happiness, like any other child's, are very few.

They went after the Day of Arafat Iftar to get the clothes, only to find the Israeli army bombing the market. Suddenly, everyone was scattered, everyone was searching for everyone else — and above all, for safety.

The two girls — the eldest stepped into the role of the adult, looking around in shock, while the younger one, in disbelief, shook her head and waved her arms in denial as their mother lay badly injured in the street.

Mo Salah ends Liverpool chapter: All Hail to the Egyptian King

egyptianchronicler@gmail.com (Zeinobia) — Sun, 24 May 2026 23:36:00 +0300

In his final moment, in his final game as a forward for Liverpool at Anfield, Mohamed Salah — commonly known as the Egyptian King — prostrated himself, performing a Sujood to thank Allah, the Almighty, the King of Kings, before thousands inside the stadium and millions watching via television and platforms around the globe.

Sujood is the closest a Muslim can be to his Creator.

Prostrating to thank God at the peak of your success is a sign of extreme humility and gratitude — a declaration that you have not forgotten who helped you get there.

For me and other Egyptians — we understood exactly what Salah felt in that moment: teary-eyed, with Anfield rocking around him.

It was a truly epic moment, a fitting close to a great chapter in Egyptian, British, and world football by any measure.

Needless to say, there were other unforgettable moments in a match that was, frankly, a welcome escape for me and many others from Trump's ongoing mad show in the Middle East.

Nakba at 78: Watch These Videos

egyptianchronicler@gmail.com (Zeinobia) — Fri, 15 May 2026 23:19:00 +0300

Today marks Nakba Day, and although the Nakba is not just history but an ongoing reality — one that now seems to be expanding far beyond the land of Palestine — it remains important to remember the past and set the record straight.

For 78 years, one narrative was largely embraced and amplified across much of the Western world. That is why it is important — and our duty — to highlight the long-neglected Palestinian narrative.

This year, I urge you to watch these short clips.

1st May Labour Day : The Seven Factory Girls.

egyptianchronicler@gmail.com (Zeinobia) — Fri, 1 May 2026 14:55:00 +0300

It is May Day — Labour Day, aka International Workers Day in Egypt — and I have to say that, despite all the official statements, I am a bit disappointed and angry.

Two weeks ago, Egypt had its own mini–Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, and it did not stay in the news cycle for more than 72 hours — or, to be more accurate, the social media news cycle — before it disappeared. And that made me angry.

On 14 April, a tragic incident unfolded in the Ard El-Geneina area of Cairo's working-class Al-Zawiya Al-Hamra neighbourhood, after a massive fire broke out inside a sports trainers and sneakers factory on Mohamed Amin Street.

Preliminary investigations confirmed seven people dead, as civil defence forces continued to comb through the site to identify any additional casualties or injuries resulting from the blaze.

That was the initial official statement. Then, unofficially, the details of the tragedy began to emerge.

Seven young women died, and five others were injured after a fire broke out in an unlicensed shoe manufacturing workshop in a very narrow alley in Cairo's Zawiya Al-Hamra district, authorities said.

The blaze erupted inside a three-storey building of approximately 70 square metres per floor, operating without a license as a leather shoe production facility. The ground floor was used for storage, while the first and second floors served as production areas — a layout that accelerated the fire's spread due to the concentration of flammable materials on site.

The so-called factory after the fire

The victims were girls between 19 and 30 years old, earning roughly 100 Egyptian pounds per day.

An initial inspection found a complete absence of occupational safety measures and no emergency exits, which investigators say trapped the workers as the fire spread rapidly through the smoke-filled space over nearly four hours.

Eyewitnesses reported that the doors were locked and the windows were closed and secured, blocking any means of escape.

Residents called for a full investigation and accountability for all parties responsible, starting with the workshop owner, who denied any wrongdoing. Security forces arrested the workshop's owner following the incident.

The incident — a grim echo of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire — renewed scrutiny of unlicensed industrial operations and the enforcement of safety regulations in residential buildings across Cairo.

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

egyptianchronicler@gmail.com (Zeinobia) — Sat, 25 Apr 2026 02:54:00 +0300

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.

Free Ahmed Shihab El-Din , Journalism is not a crime "Updated : Ahmed is Acquitted and left Kuwait safely"

egyptianchronicler@gmail.com (Zeinobia) — Wed, 15 Apr 2026 16:02:00 +0200

Updated on Thursday, 23 April 2026: a Kuwaiti court acquitted US-Kuwaiti journalist Ahmed Shihab-Eldin on all charges following nearly two months of detention. He has not yet been released, though.

Updated on Saturday, 25 April 2026: Ahmed Shihab-Eldin and left Kuwait safely.

The news came officially from the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).

Ahmed Shihab-Eldin, an award-winning Kuwaiti-American journalist of Palestinian origins who posts prolifically on social media, especially on Twitter, where he is known as @ASE, was arrested in Kuwait on March 3, 2026.

"It is understood that authorities have charged him with spreading false information, harming national security, and misusing his mobile phone – vague and overly broad accusations that are routinely used to silence independent journalists," the CPJ statement said, calling on the Kuwaiti government to release him.

In the days before his detention, Shihab-Eldin — who was visiting his family in Kuwait — shared publicly available videos and images related to the US-Israel war on Iran and the Iranian retaliation on Gulf states, just as any respectable professional journalist would do in his place.

Ahmed Shihab El-Din in Doha Film Festival

On March 2, he shared photos and videos of a US fighter jet that crashed in Kuwait on Substack.

That video had been geolocated and verified by CNN. None of his posts were photos or videos he took himself.

What makes this case particularly absurd from a legal standpoint is the timing.

Kuwait enacted Law No. 13 of 2026, aimed at safeguarding and protecting the supreme interests of military authorities, on March 15— nearly two weeks after his arrest on March 3.

He was therefore arrested and charged under a law that did not yet exist at the time of his alleged offense.

The law carries prison terms of up to 10 years for spreading false rumours related to military entities with the intent of undermining confidence in them.

CPJ launched a campaign for his release under the hashtag #FreeAhmed with an online petition.

Several international organizations including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch demanded his release.

The story was covered by several Western news outlets. Several US senators and members of Congress raised his case as an American citizen — but as of today, nothing has moved on the Kuwaiti side.

Updated: Most critically — as of yesterday, April 22: his international legal counsel issued an urgent statement saying they were "extremely concerned for Ahmed's safety and wellbeing" in Kuwaiti detention.

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

egyptianchronicler@gmail.com (Zeinobia) — Sun, 12 Apr 2026 23:17:00 +0200

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

Happy Easter 2026 from Egypt and Palestine too

egyptianchronicler@gmail.com (Zeinobia) — Sun, 12 Apr 2026 12:00:00 +0200

Happy Easter to all those celebrating today—especially Egyptian and Sudanese Coptic Orthodox Christians, as well as Palestinian and Lebanese Orthodox communities.

On this occasion, I’m sharing a photo of the Church of the Martyr St. Philopater Mercurius in Mohandessin, Giza—commonly known as “Abu Sefein,” or “the man of two swords.”

Watch: Abdulkhaleq Abdulla’s Viral Interview with Rabab Al-Mahdy on the UAE, Saudi Rivalry, Egypt, and Sudan

egyptianchronicler@gmail.com (Zeinobia) — Fri, 3 Apr 2026 04:31:00 +0200

This interview was likely one of the most-viewed videos in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates over the past week.

The interview is in Arabic. I wish I could remember the name of the AI service that translates YouTube videos and provides English subtitles. I came across one but forgot the name. If you know it, please drop it in the comments.

It features Emirati political scientist Dr. Abdulkhaleq Abdulla in conversation with Dr. Rabab Al-Mahdy on the podcast “El-Hal Eah?” (“What is the Solution?”).

The podcast is produced by Alternative Policy Solutions (APS), a public policy research project at the American University in Cairo (AUC).

For me, “El-Hal Eah?” has been one of the most important interview podcasts in Egypt in recent years, tackling a wide range of issues—from politics and economics to history and law. This episode marks the opening of the podcast’s seventh season.

The interview was recorded in Cairo during Ramadan, just days before the outbreak of the Israeli-American war on Iran. It runs for over an hour.

For those unfamiliar with him, Dr. Abdulkhaleq Abdulla is one of the UAE’s most prominent political science professors and commentators on social media.

Most notably, he previously served as an advisor to Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed (MBZ), the president of the United Arab Emirates.

Abdulla is also known for his book The Gulf’s Moment, in which he argues that leadership in the Arab world has shifted from traditional powers—such as Egypt, Syria, and Iraq—to rising Gulf states, particularly the UAE.

He appeared on the show to address accusations that the UAE has become the “Sparta of the Middle East.”

Rabab El-Mahdi is an associate professor of political science at the American University in Cairo (AUC). She currently leads AUC’s Alternative Policy Solutions (APS) research project.

Al-Mahdy succeeded in bringing into mainstream Arabic media discussions that had largely been circulating informally on social media—particularly regarding the evolving rivalry, or “frenemy” relationship, between Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

It is not a “Mexican filter”, it is a Khamaseen sandstorm.

egyptianchronicler@gmail.com (Zeinobia) — Thu, 2 Apr 2026 23:21:00 +0200

Egypt was struck by a massive African sandstorm, commonly known in Egyptian history and tradition as the Khamaseen.

Today, Generation Z jokingly refers to it as a “Mexican filter.”

Khamaseen sandstorms were recorded in ancient Egypt under the name “Resut,” or “south wind,” and were associated with Set — the lord of the desert, chaos, and storms. Yes, the same Set from the myth of Isis and Osiris, where Osiris was the lord of the Nile and the fertile valley.

The Pyramids of Giza during the storm on Thursday
Ibrahim Kandel

They are mentioned in the Book of the Dead, where the south wind is described as “the breath that burns the lungs,” prompting the use of protective amulets or prayers to Thoth, the god of wisdom and knowledge, to temper Set’s ferocity.

But why were they called “south winds” when they often seem today to come from the west, sweeping in from the Sahara?

Western Palm Sunday 2026 in Jerusalem: When the City was closed for prayer

egyptianchronicler@gmail.com (Zeinobia) — Sun, 29 Mar 2026 18:37:00 +0200

The gates of our city will never be sealed—
For I am going there to pray.

I will knock on every door—
And the doors will open, one by one.

And you, O River Jordan, will wash my face
With waters holy and pure.

And you, O River Jordan, will wipe away
The footprints of the savage passing through.

When I saw the photos of Cardinal Pizzaballa standing in prayer outside the walls of Jerusalem’s Old City—barred from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to mark Western Palm Sunday—I was reminded of the words of the Rahbani Brothers, immortalized in 1967 by Fairuz, the Lady of Lebanon, in “Zahrat al-Mada’en” (زهرة المدائن), meaning “The Flower of Cities.”

Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa holding the Palm Sunday Mass outside the walls of
old Jerusalem "AFP"

Jerusalem’s doors were, indeed, closed to worshippers on Palm Sunday 2026—for the first time in centuries—under the Israeli occupation of the Old City.

The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and the Custody of the Holy Land said in a joint statement that, on the morning of Palm Sunday, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, and the Custos of the Holy Land, Fr. Francesco Ielpo —also the official guardian of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre—were prevented from entering the church as they headed to celebrate Palm Sunday Mass.

Egypt Storm 2026: Thunderstorms, hail , heavy rain as well as Nuclear Rumors

egyptianchronicler@gmail.com (Zeinobia) — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 05:31:00 +0200

And so, it turned out to be one last winter storm—not the beginning of a nuclear winter, as many online in Egypt feared on Tuesday.

In case you missed it, Egypt is currently experiencing a brief period of unstable weather, including thunderstorms and heavy rainfall.

The Egyptian Meteorological Authority (EMA) had issued early warnings, stating that the wave would begin on Tuesday evening, bringing rain, slightly cooler temperatures, and stronger winds across several regions before gradually improving by the weekend.

According to the EMA, the instability would start along the northwestern coast—including Salloum, Matrouh, and Alamein—before spreading to the Nile Valley and Sinai.

Rainfall was expected to intensify on Wednesday and Thursday, becoming more widespread and occasionally accompanied by thunderstorms, particularly along the northern coast, the northern Delta, and parts of Sinai. Lighter showers were forecast to reach Greater Cairo and the Canal cities.

For once, the Egyptian government took a proactive step, suspending classes in schools and universities on Wednesday and Thursday to spare millions of Egyptians the usual traffic chaos.

Ironically, Tuesday itself felt like a calm, early-spring day across the country.

That calm, however, fueled suspicion. Some began to believe something more sinister was coming—and within hours, that suspicion evolved into a full-blown conspiracy theory, amplified by a video from the Kuwait National Guard.

Watch this: ElBaradei on Iran

egyptianchronicler@gmail.com (Zeinobia) — Mon, 23 Mar 2026 00:57:00 +0200

Watch this interview with Dr. Mohamed ElBaradei, former Vice President of Egypt and former Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, in which he discusses Iran and the current war.

ElBaradei speaks with David Hearst of Middle East Eye.

Mohamed ElBaradei was heading the IAEA when it began talks with Iran in 2009. He was also leading the UN’s nuclear watchdog in 2003 when he stated explicitly that Iraq had no weapons of mass destruction.

What is happening to Iran, the Nobel Peace award laureate says, reminds him of Iraq—perhaps even worse, to be honest.

Happy Eid and Happy Nowruz

egyptianchronicler@gmail.com (Zeinobia) — Fri, 20 Mar 2026 22:45:00 +0200

Happy Eid and Happy Nowruz to everyone celebrating this Friday and Saturday around the globe.

I know it is not the best time in the Middle East to celebrate anything, or even to be optimistic from a logical and realistic standpoint. But even in the darkest of moments, Eid and Nowruz bring happiness and solace to the believers.

On the occasion of Eid and Nowruz, I am sharing with you this sincere illustration by the famous Egyptian illustrator and painter Hussein Biccar.

Originally of Turkish Cypriot descent, Biccar was a Bahá'í and thus celebrated Nowruz as well.

Now, a word about greetings — "Eid Saeed," or Happy Eid, is what we say in Egypt. "Eid Mubarak" is a newer term imported from the Gulf. And yes, here in Egypt, "Mubarak" will always be Hosni Mubarak first!

Recently, I have noticed many non-Egyptians using "Eid Saeed," and it genuinely makes me happy.

Ramadan Arabian Nights 2026: The Tale of King al-Nu’man “King Karkoub Ep.22”

egyptianchronicler@gmail.com (Zeinobia) — Wed, 18 Mar 2026 21:30:00 +0200

And Happy Eid 😁

Happy Eid to all Egyptian Chronicles readers.

Tonight, we reached the end of our tale, the tale of King al-Nu’man.

I hope it was a nice break away from politics.

I hope you enjoyed.

Now, before we find out what King Karkoub will do next, let’s have one more quick chat.

First of all, the ending of the original Omar al-Nu’man was nothing like Taher Abu Fasha’s radio adaptation. In the original text, there is no kind-hearted Karkoub and no sweet wife; they were purely Abu Fasha’s additions, created to lighten the mood of the tale.

In the original version, Sharkan is killed by Shawahy, and Daw’ al-Makan eventually becomes King after a long, grueling journey. The original story of Omar al-Nu’man was not fun, easy, or light—it was a dark epic.

Scheherazade began the tale of Omar al-Nu’man on the 44th night of the One Thousand and One Nights and didn't finish it until the 145th. It took her 101 nights in total to tell the story, which means this single epic accounts for about 10% of the entire book.

You can find the original tale in the One Thousand and One Nights, available in both Arabic and English. “Vol.1 , Vol.2, Vol.3 and Vol.4”

Now, enough chit-chat.

Let us now see what is going to happen in the 113th episode of One Thousand and One Nights, as originally broadcast on Egyptian State Radio.

Ramadan Arabian Nights 2026: The Tale of King al-Nu’man “Where Is Karkoub? Ep.21”

egyptianchronicler@gmail.com (Zeinobia) — Tue, 17 Mar 2026 09:30:00 +0200

Ramadan Kareem to all Egyptian Chronicles readers.

Tonight, we will find out the fate of the humble garbage man Karkoub after saving the day several times for al-Nu’man’s brothers—but first, it’s time for our usual chit-chat.

It is short, very short, as we are near the very end of our tale this year.

The actor voicing Karkoub, the kind-hearted garbage man, is the late Egyptian actor Kamel Anwar.

Although he is not widely known, lovers of black-and-white films like me recognise him well for his distinctive voice.

Kamel Anwar was born on 8 March 1912. He graduated from Al-Sa‘idiya School in 1925, where he was a classmate of Anwar Wagdi.

He began his career as an employee in the General Affairs Department of the Armed Forces before turning to acting, where he participated in military theatre and later worked with several theatrical troupes, including the famous Tholathy Adwaa El Masrah.

He also appeared in numerous films in supporting roles, including Cairo 30, Angel and Devil, and The Soft Hands.

Over the course of his career, he took part in nearly 100 artistic works across cinema, theatre, and radio series. He passed away on 20 September 1973.

Now, enough chit-chat.

Let us now see what is going to happen in the 112th episode of One Thousand and One Nights, as originally broadcast on Egyptian State Radio.

Ramadan Arabian Nights 2026: The Tale of King al-Nu’man “Behind the enemy lines Ep.20”

egyptianchronicler@gmail.com (Zeinobia) — Mon, 16 Mar 2026 21:30:00 +0200

Ramadan Kareem to all Egyptian Chronicles readers.

Tonight, we will find out what Karkoub will do behind enemy lines—but first, it’s time for our usual chit-chat.

We have previously discussed how Taher Abu Fasha set his version of the al-Nu’man saga in the pre-Islamic era. However, in the original tale from The Thousand and One Nights, the story is placed within the time of the Umayyad Caliphate.

The narrative is associated with the period before the reign of Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan.

Here, however, The Thousand and One Nights falls into a major literary issue: anachronism.

One striking inconsistency is that Omar al-Nu’man is portrayed as a king ruling from Baghdad—a city that was not founded until the Abbasid period, decades later. The saga effectively places him in Baghdad roughly 80 to 100 years before the city even existed.

When looking into the reason behind this, historians suggest that medieval compilers of the Nights in Egypt and Syria viewed Baghdad as the quintessential “City of Kings.” They simply could not imagine a great ruler without Baghdad as his capital, and so they projected the city backwards in time.

Another inconsistency is that Sharkan is depicted as the governor of Damascus, which was itself the capital of the Umayyads.

That said, in a vast and imaginative work of fiction like The Thousand and One Nights, such anachronisms remain relatively minor.

Now, enough chit-chat.

Ramadan Arabian Nights 2026: The Tale of King al-Nu’man “The Message Ep.19”

egyptianchronicler@gmail.com (Zeinobia) — Sun, 15 Mar 2026 21:30:00 +0200

Ramadan Kareem to all Egyptian Chronicles readers.

Tonight, we will find out what al-Nu’man’s brothers will do after discovering Stormbreaker in their war camp.

But first, it is time for our chit-chat.

In the original tale of Omar al-Nu’man in The Thousand and One Nights, several real cities are explicitly mentioned.

Omar al-Nu’man is portrayed as the king of Baghdad and Khorasan. He appoints his eldest son, Sharkan, as governor of Damascus.

King Hardoub is the ruler of Caesarea, as in Taher Abu Fasha’s radio adaptation. However, Constantinople—the capital of the Byzantine Empire—is mentioned in the original text but omitted in Abu Fasha’s version.

Jerusalem and Mecca also appear multiple times. Shawahy travels to these places to learn more about Muslims. In addition, in the original tale, al-Nu’man’s twin sons journey to the Holy Land and Mecca on pilgrimage, passing first through Jerusalem—rather than going on a hunting trip, as depicted in the radio adaptation.

Aside from Caesarea, Abu Fasha largely replaces real locations with fictional cities in his version of the story.

Now, enough chit-chat.

Let us now see what is going to happen in the 110th episode of One Thousand and One Nights, as originally broadcast on Egyptian State Radio.