The History of Kohl
An interview with Dr. Mona Erian of Nefertari Good morning, today Hela on the Nile interviews Dr Mona Erian, Egyptian pioneer of natural beauty products ‘Nefertari’. Our focus today will be on the history of kohl, known to the world as eyeliner. Dr Mona, before we start, can you tell us a little bit about […]
Why is Ramses II Egypt’s most famous pharaoh?
Ramses II was not of royal descent – his grandfather, Ramses I managed to ascend to the throne thanks to his military prowess – prowess inherited by his son, Seti I, and grandson, Ramses II. Ramses II, like his father before him, not only wanted to secure the kingdom’s borders, but expand them, making their […]
The Oldest Royal Necropolis
The French archeologist E. Amélineau was the first to excavate the Abydos (city of the dog god Khentyimentyou) site in Upper Egypt at the end of the 19th century. He uncovered a series of tombs whose steles were marked with the names of Egypt’s first rulers, pharaohs the First Dynasty pharaohs. The last Thinite kings’s […]
A Powerful River
The Nile, over 6671km long is Africa’s longest river, and the source of Egypt’s existence. Before the construction of regulatory dams in the 20th century, and the Aswan High Dam in 1970, the Nile would flood annually. The flood was the result of spring and summer rains on the East African and Ethiopian uplands. […]
The Pharaohs Jewels
Tombs contained various amulets such as scarabs and keys of life as early as the Predynastic Period. Necklaces, bracelets and belts made of beads crafted from a variety stones could also be found within these tombs. Ivory, bones, semi-precious stones, gold or silver were used to make elaborate jewelry: necklaces during the Old Kingdom, diadems […]
The rippling of flax into linen
Today, Egyptian cotton is renowned and exported worldwide for its superior quality. There is however, no evidence supporting the cultivation of cotton in Ancient Egypt. The earliest records of the existence and use of the crop in the region (Nubia, specifically) date back to the Roman era, and are scarce. Ancient Egyptians relied nearly solely […]
Lapis lazuli
Lapis lazuli or khesbed was one of Ancient Egypt’s most prized stones. Its use dates back to the Predynastic Period, during the 4th millennium. The stone was particularly popular during the Middle and New Kingdoms: it was crafted into inlay for jewelry, carved into beads, amulets, statuettes, crushed into a powder to tint anything from […]
Egypt’s forth pyramid, “The Lady”, Umm Kalthum.
My father was uneasy. The idea that his daughter should sing in front of men he didn’t know, was difficult for him to accept, but my singing helped support the family. So he dressed me in boy’s clothes, and I sang this way for several years. I realize now that he wanted to convince himself, […]
COTTON ANGELS
Founded in 2004, Malaika renews interest in handmade items. These high-quality products are made by women with Egyptian cotton and form part of a process of social responsibility. Although embroidery is an antique Egyptian tradition, modern manufacturing processes had driven it into decline. Malaika (“angel” in Arabic) was born from the desire to revive this […]
Four sacred sites
Egypt has always fascinated the world by its history and cultural wealth. If you’ve always dreamed of traveling there, but don’t know where to start, here is a selection of 4 sacred sites that we loved exploring. 1 – The Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut The Temple of Hatchepsut is located in Deir el-Bihari, close to […]