New Lights for the Cairo Condo

Last winter (2025) we had a very big problem with water leaking through our kitchen ceiling from the apartment above ours. We arranged for a remodel in the spring/summer of 2025. Linda requested that the hall light not be replaced because she would like to shop for that herself. One of the best parts of owning an apartment in a little older section of town is the search for an appropriate light fixture to match the style of that place.  

  

We had never liked the quite dim and peculiar shaped brass fixture that graced the hall.

We headed downtown to the "lighting streets" near Opera Square and browsed the wares at a number of stores.  Two streets are lined with lighting stores and there is a five story vertical mall filled with lighting shops. 

  

  

"Too modern, too blingy, too contemporary," Linda declared.

We then headed to Khan el-Khalili where we might find something at our favorite antique dealer's shop - or, perhaps, he could recommend a place to look.

  

 

Linda took a close look around the shop.  There were many lamps, but none had quite the right feel.

 

No, we couldn't find what we needed.  But he knew someone nearby who would likely have some  fixtures to suit our taste and style..

 

This is more like it! We found the perfect lamp in a neighboring shop and soon had an electrician hang it in the hall. We are more than pleased with the new look.

 

 

While we had the electrician handy, we also upgraded our main bathroom light.  The original fixture lit only one side of the room which did not include the shower.  

  

A new modern high intensity LED ceiling light improved visibility noticeably.  Our remodeling project last spring included a total revamp of the kitchen lighting.  Lighting there is now so good that we no longer need the under-cabinet lighting that I had previously put in place.

 

This year's under-cabinet lighting project was the installation of motion-activated lighting under the bathroom vanity - a big improvement.

 

More photos at this Flickr Album, of course.

Other posts on this blog pertaining to a particular topic can be found by entering the topic (such as lighting) in the search bar at the top of this post and clicking the little magnifying glass nearby.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Seeking Mashrabiya

One of our favorite artifacts of Egyptian architecture is mashrabiya.

From the Wikipedia:

A mashrabiya or mashrabiyya is an architectural element which is characteristic of traditional architecture in the Islamic world and beyond. It is a type of projecting oriel window enclosed with carved wood latticework located on the upper floors of a building, sometimes enhanced with stained glass.

A stroll through along any street in an older section of Cairo or along El Moez Street provides examples.  Sitting in our favorite street cafe in Khan el Khalili, I photographed a row of mashrabiya windows.

 

 

Nearby, a shop owner is eating lunch amidst a sampling of mashrabiya inspired grid work.

 

       

More examples pop up throughout the Khan. 

  

Linda has a new wall of bookshelves in her library at home in MN and thought that a bit of mashrabiya grid work should be incorporated in them.  We set out last year to find some. This year we collected a few more pieces.

Where to find them?  I suppose we could have some current versions custom made, but that wasn't really what we had in mind.  We wanted older authentic pieces, so we headed to one of our favorite shops in Khan el-Khalili.  

This antique store is nestled back in a corner of the Khan that doesn't see a lot of traffic.  The owner, Ahmed, must spend a lot of time at estate sales, garage sales, or their equivalent to collect his marvelous treasures.  The diver's helmet near the entrance to his shop would make a perfect addition to someone's garden back home, perhaps along the New England coast.  Other unique items have already made it into our home.

  

 

We collected several mashrabiya samples from around the store and laid them out near the entrance.

 

We chose a half dozen pieces to take home and add to the several we already have.  

How will we incorporate them into the library?  

 

I'm thinking they might occupy some space within door frames across the lower part of the shelves, something like this.

  

Suggestions and comments are welcome!

 

More photos at this Flickr Album, of course.

Other posts on this blog pertaining to a particular topic can be found by entering the topic (such as mashrabiya) in the search bar at the top of this post and clicking the little magnifying glass nearby.

 

  

The Ladies Visit the Horus Silver Shop

 The ladies had expressed an interest in visiting a sliver shop and perhaps purchasing some items. Our guide, Roshdy, knew a good place for silver, Horus Silver near the Giza Pyramids, so we stopped in. 

 

The ladies admired the pieces in the shop and were immediately hooked. A couple of the ladies decided on silver cartouches. 

  

This was not just a shopping stop for us because we were privileged to watch as the cartouches were put together in the workroom. The best part was that under the tutelage of the shop owner, Ahmed, each one got to participate in the creation of her own silver cartouche, soldering in place the hieroglyphic transliteration of their names.    

  

  

Horus Silver is a family business. The brothers, Ahmed and Abdul Rhaman, along with their sister who handles marketing, are continuing the silversmithing that their father taught them. They all enjoy being able to show their creativity. They are happy to talk about how they learned the trade and they have a gentleness about them that is not so common among Egyptian merchants and is very much appreciated.

Not surprisingly, everyone found some items that suited their fancy. 
 

 Linda and the brothers

 

We're Headed to Vietnam!

This year, we snowbirds are taking a vacation from our regular winter nest in Cairo for two weeks and are headed east to Vietnam.  We will be flying Qatar Air with an intermediate stop at Doha followed by a long flight into Hanoi.  Linda has never been to Vietnam and it has been quite a while since my last trip! (The one-armed keypunch operator is me in 1970.)

While this travel blog is never quite "live" I do try to keep it up to date when we travel.  But for the next two weeks, it will just see a few posts from Egypt created and set to publish on a delayed basis.  Vietnam pictures will come later after we return to Egypt.

In preparation for our excursion, Linda has been learning a tiny bit of the language and I have been reading a lengthy history of Vietnam.  Yale professor, Ben Kiernan's 2017 history of Vietnam is a difficult read.  (Criticism of his research on his Wikipedia entry is interesting!)  Buying it in electronic form is highly recommended to permit searching for names already mentioned.  It also allows one to easily note that the term "beheaded/beheading" appears seventeen times. 

 

Our private tour has been arranged by Way To Vietnam where Ms. Huong Bui appears to have done a good job of combining cultural and military destinations for us.  I'm looking forward to seeing 56 years of change.  The pictures below are from 1970 and show the countryside near Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City) between Cu Chi and Ben Hoa airbase.

 

 

 

My subscription to the 25th Division Association Newsletter, Flashes, has had many stories of army veterans who served in the Cu Chi area where the 25th division headquarters existed during my stay in 1970.  That and stories of other veterans who visited in the past few years inspired this visit.     

 

More photos at this Flickr Album, of course.

Other posts on this blog pertaining to a particular topic can be found by entering the topic (such as Vietnam) in the search bar at the top of this post and clicking the little magnifying glass nearby.

 

 

Ramadan Has Arrived!

 It's official!  The crescent moon was sighted last night, the 17th, according to breaking news this morning, the 18th, at Ahram Online.  That means fasting will begin tomorrow on the 19th.

Following Maghreb prayers after sunset, Dar Al-Ifta confirmed that Wednesday, 18 February, marks the 30 th and last day in Sha’ban, based on the sighting of the crescent moon.

Note that other countries may vary!

In recent years, several Muslim-majority countries have adopted astronomical calculations to determine the start of Islamic lunar months.

However, Egypt’s Dar Al-Ifta affirmed that, despite astronomical calculations, the official announcement of the first day of Ramadan 2026 depends on the legitimate moon sighting in accordance with established religious criteria.

Egyptian Streets supplies more details:

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar announced that Ramadan will begin on Wednesday 18 February. In recent years, it has been common for countries across the region to announce different start dates.

Other countries across the world, such as Syria, Jordan, Oman, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Philippines and Australia have said that Ramadan will commence on Thursday 19 February, aligning with Egypt.

Perhaps most importantly, Egyptian Streets says:

In Egypt, Ramadan carries a unique cultural atmosphere that blends religious devotion with longstanding traditions.

Streets and balconies are adorned with colourful fanous (Ramadan lanterns), a tradition dating back centuries to the Fatimid era. Families gather each evening for iftar, the meal that breaks the fast, often beginning with dates and water before sharing soups, stews and classic dishes. Mosques across the country host Taraweeh prayers late into the night, drawing large congregations.

People are out in the streets rushing to make last-minute purchases. (Have you stocked up on dates and oranges? Tomorrow will a peaceful quiet will descend on Cairo as people adjust to new work and shopping hours.  But everyone will be having an Iftar (break fast) meal around 6:15 p.m.

 

 

 

 

 

2026 - Ramadan Is Coming!

 Ramadan is coming soon! The precise start is, of course, unknown until the sighting of the crescent moon appears in appropriate fashion:

"To mark the beginning of the new month, two conditions must be met: First, the crescent moon must have been born at least four hours before sunset on that day. Second, the new crescent must remain visible above the horizon for no less than five minutes. "

While we suspect that all conditions will be met tonight, nothing is certain until the authorities speak.  Meanwhile, preparations have been underway for the past month, but particularly in the past few days.

Mohamed and Abdul were arranging the vast display of oranges at our favorite fruit market a couple of days ago. The evening breakfast meal frequently begins with a glass of orange juice.

Out in the countryside, the displays are smaller but still prominent. 

 

 

Lights have been strung making the local shopping streets more attractive.

Colorful banners have been strung across the sidewalks.

And the fanous (lanterns) have been hung - many lighted in anticipation but some held in reserve until the magic moment arrives for certain.  

More photos at this Flickr Album, of course.

Other posts on this blog pertaining to a particular topic can be found by entering the topic (such as Ramadan) in the search bar at the top of this post and clicking the little magnifying glass nearby.