... Nobel Winners ...

One of the hotels near where we live, is called the “Nobel” hotel. I had always assumed it was supposed to be “Noble”
hotel, but recently went inside a notice the picture with photos of 4 men. On enquiring, discovered that they were Nobel
Prize winners from Egypt. How many of us know about the Egyptian prize winners?

WHAT IS THE NOBEL PRIZE?

The Nobel Prize is an annual international prize, first awarded in 1901, with now over 800 individuals who have received
them. They have been referred to as one of the world’s greatest honours, however controversy over the Nobel prizes is
often quite high. But his is nothing new, beginning with the fact that the man who founded them, Alfred Nobel, made his
fortune from inventing dynamite!

In total, 10 Arabs have won Nobel prizes since they were instituted in 1901.

When considering winners from the Arab world, one theme that emerges is that their recognition often comes in the face of great adversary at home, with turmoil, uncertainty and constant threats that have sometimes turned deadly.

1st EGYPTIAN WINNER:

Anwar Sadat.

Muhammad Anwar El Sadat, born 1918 in Egypt, is the first Muslim Nobel Laureate.

Egypt’s third president, he became a hero for Egyptians and Arabs when he regained Sinai after it was occupied by Israel during the Six-Day War in 1967. 

Afterwards, he negotiated a peace treaty with Israel, for which he was criticized and called a traitor. Nonetheless, President Anwar al-Sadat received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1978, jointly with former US President Jimmy Carter and the late Prime Minister of Israel, Menachem Begin, for their role in forging the peace agreement between Cairo and Israel, known as the Camp David Accords:

"For contribution to the two frame agreements on peace in the Middle East, and on peace between Egypt and Israel, which were signed at Camp David on September 17, 1978."

This was a highly contentious politically situation, and the award stirred up many heightened emotions around the world at the time. Not surprisingly, El Sadat was assassinated on October 6, 1981, largely because of the agreement, during a military parade celebrating Egypt's victory in the 1973 war with Israel.

He was buried at the Unknown Soldier Memorial, in Cairo's Nasr City neighborhood. Sadat is described on the memorial as a "Hero of war and peace".

2nd EGYPTIAN WINNER:

Naguib Mahfouz

Novelist Naguib Mahfouz was the first (and still only) Arab writer to win the Nobel Prize for Literature, which he was awarded 1988.

He was born in Egypt in 1911, and began his writing career as a 17 year old and has his first novel published in 1939. He is one of the foremost writers in modern Arabic literature. He has published 32 novels (half of which have been made into films), 13 collections of short stories (over 100 of them), journalism, memoirs, 200 articles and some screenplays.

He broke through many walls when he was awarded the Nobel Prize, and this was said of him:

"who, through works rich in nuance - now clear-sightedly realistic, now evocatively ambiguous - has formed an Arabian narrative art that applies to all mankind"

He said, “The Nobel Prize has given me, for the first time in my life, the feeling that my literature could be appreciated on an international level. The Arab world also won the Nobel with me. I believe that international doors have opened, and that from now on, literate people will consider Arab literature also. We deserve that recognition.”

These hopes have yet to come to pass. He remains the only Arab to win the Nobel Prize for Literature, the sole representative of a rich language spoken by more than 340 million people.

Mahfouz died of pneumonia and kidney problems in 2006. A military funeral was held for the late writer.

3rd EGYPTIAN WINNER:

Ahmed Zewail

Ahmed Hassan Zewail, born in Damanhour (Delta area) in Egypt 1946, and won a Nobel Prize in 1999 in Chemistry. His first studies were in Alexandrai, but had over 30 degrees bestowed on him! He is known as the father of Femtochemistry, his award was…

"For his studies of the transition states of chemical reactions using femtosecond spectroscopy" 

His Nobel Prize was for his works in chemical reactions across femtoseconds. Through his research, he managed to show, for the first time, that it is possible with rapid laser techniques to study in slow motion how atoms in a molecule move during a chemical reaction, down to tens of femtoseconds (fs) or 0.000000000000001 seconds.

Zewail's experiments led to the birth of the research area called femtochemistry.

Died on August 2nd 2016, after a long battle with cancer. He was given a military funeral in Cairo.

4th EGYPTIAN WINNER:

Mohamed ElBaradei

 Mohamed El Baradei was born in Cairo in1942. He is known as a law scholar and a diplomat. but probably the best known fir his role of Director of the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) from 1997 - 2009. 

The aim of this organisation is to make efforts to ensure that nuclear energy is used for peaceful purposes. A highly commendable (and yet very contentious) purpose. His time as president of this organisation saw his efforts in confronting the spread of nuclear weapons,  was, as one can imagine, was a rather intense period.

But in 2005, he and the organisation were awarded a Nobel Prize for Peace, due to their

"efforts to prevent nuclear energy from being used for military purposes and to ensure that nuclear energy, for peaceful purposes, is used in the safest possible way." 

At 74 years of age, ElBaradei is the only Egyptian Nobel Prize laureate still alive. It is possibly fitting to end this brief look at the 4 Egyptian Nobel Prize winners with a sobering quote from Baradei’s Nobel Lecture:

“… only one percent of the money spent to develop new weapons would be enough to feed the entire world and that, if we hope to escape self-destruction, nuclear weapons should have no place in our collective conscience and no role in our security.”

…Ibn Battuta - one of the greatest travelers of all time…

If you were asked who you thought were some of the greatest travelers of all time, who would you say?

* Herodius… 

* Marco Polo….

* Vasco da Gama…

* Christopher Columbus…. 

* David Livingstone…. 

* Captain Cooke….?

Possibly any of the above, but have any of us heard about a Medieval, Morrocan, Muslim traveller, writer called Abu Abdullah Muhammad Ibn Battutah? 

WHO WAS HE?

Ibn Battuta was born on Feb 25th 1304, in Morocco. He was born into the Lawata tribe, of Berber descent. So he would have been a good example of an average middle-class medieval Muslim! He came from a family of Islamic legal scholars in Tangier, who performed the role of Judges at that time, so his education was in Islamic law.

WHEN DID HE START TRAVELING?

When he was 21 years old (1325) ,he decided to go on the Hajj (Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca). This trip should have taken him 16 months, But he did not return to Morocco for 24 years!

WHY DID HE TRAVEL?

Although his main aim initially may have been to fulfill his religious duty and broaden his education by studying under a variety of famous scholars (which he did do) he soon began to travel for its own sake: for the joy of learning about new countries and people. One of his rules was never to travel any road a second time!

HOW FAR DID HE TRAVEL?

His journey lasted about 27 years and he traveled a total of 75000 miIes, 120000 kms, from 1325 - 1353. In his 4 sets of travels, he covered nearly the whole of the known Islamic world at the time and then some:

West: North Africa, West Africa, Southern and Eastern Europe

East: Middle East, India, Central Asia, SE Asia and China. 

He surpassed all his predecessors in the extent of his travels.

HIS WRITINGS:

Ibn Battuta was called  “curious observer”, in that he was interested in ways of life. And although he did not discover any new lands, not make a major contribution to scientific geography, he did leave lasting historical and geographical significance in his writings. His book called “RIHLAH” (Arabic for “journey”) sheds great light on many aspects of social, cultural and political history of many areas of the Medieval Muslim world. He was indeed one of the most ambitious travelers on the Silk Road.

WHAT HAPPENED WHEN HE FINISHED HIS TRAVELS?

He returned to Morocco, and took up the role of Judge, as his father before him and his father before that….

HIS LEGACY…..

His desire was to travel the Earth, and in his time he covered a very large chunk of that. It is interested that his name lives on these days in some quite interesting ways:

• there is a film: Journey to Mecca
• in a video game
• a nursery rhyme
• songs about him
• and an animated cartoon series in Asia
• and…. his name is often used as a “nick-name” for people who love to travel!!

… men (and some women) who sought solitude and prayer ...

Early Monasticsm:

The “Desert Fathers” is the title given to the early Christian hermits, ascetics and monks who began living a life of simplicity and prayer in the deserts in Egypt, at the beginning of the 3rd century. It is to these men (and some women) that the whole concept of “monasticism” is attributed.

Let’s consider 2:

2 of the churches / monasteries in the Eastern Desert in Egypt are called “St Anthony” and “St Paul”. They are separated by 25 km of walking (across arid and hilly terrain) or 85 km by road and are both Egypt’s and Christianity’s oldest monasteries. These 2 churches remind us of 2 key “Desert Fathers”.

St Paul:

Paul was born into a wealthy family in Alexandria (228 AD and died when he was 113 years old). 

Known as St Paul ..

* the Anchorite

• the Hermit
• of Thebes
• He fled to the desert to escape the Roman persecution of Christians when he was 16 years old and lived in a cave in the desert for 90 years. He is considered the earliest “Christian Hermit” by many. During his time in the cave, it appears that he was sustained by a small nearby spring and a date palm tree, the leaves of which he is said to have plaited and worn as a tunic.

It is said that St Anthony went on a journey to meet his other “holy man” in his cave, and this is now referred to as:

“The Meeting of the First Hermit and the Father of Monasticism.”

I wonder if they realized at the time the “Grand-ness” of the occasion?

St Anthony:

Anthony, who is considered the “Father of Monasticism” , was born in AD 251 near Beni Suef (Egypt) and was orphaned at the age of 18. He appears to have heard a sermon (AD 270) highlighting how spiritual perfection can be reached by selling your possessions and giving the money to the poor. He did exactly this, giving his inheritance away, and after some studies with a local “holy” man, he headed to the Eastern desert. 

WHY?

Renounce possessions to learn detachment.

Renounce activity to learn prayer.

He wanted to seek complete solitude and spiritual salvation by living an ascetic existence, by getting away from people and “normal” life. However, as word spread about him, people followed him into the desert, and his followers formed a loose community at the base of the mountain where he lived in his cave. This community formed the first monastery-type living, forming an alternative christian society. 

As numbers increased, the monastic fervor spread to Italy and France, the central tenet being: solitude, austerity and sacrifice (separation from material goods)

Anthony died when he was 105 years old, and in death, his solitude has been respected as the location of his grave is still a closely guarded secret!

One can still visit the current Church of St Anthony, the cave of St Anthony being located 300 meters above the monastery. 120 monks still live there, and are dedicated to seeking God in the stillness and isolation of the desert, with their lives built around times of prayer.

... Do you know your thobe from your kanu…?

Your answer probably is: NO! So, what is a thobe or a kanu?

Well it has many names:

• thobe (Arab peninsular)
• galabeya (Egypt)
• dishdasher (Oman)
• kanu (Uganda)
• gandora (Morocco)

Thobe is the Arabic word simply meaning “garment”. However, it has become the name of the long, flowing usually white long-sleeved, loose-fitting garment worn by men throughout the Middle-East, and is known as being the traditional clothing from Arabia. But it is prevalent and uniquely worn in Africa, all over…… Egypt, Sudan, Uganda…

WHAT IS THIS GALABEYA?

Length: ankle length (the large hem keeping the garment close to the ground, protection from sand)

Loose-fitting: in a hot climate, having  loose garment helps with air circulation and keeping the body cool. Tight clothes do not allow for good ventilation they say!!

Sleeves: usually long, as this helps with protection from the sun

Fabric: usually made from cotton (light and breathes easily). In “winter” there are some of a slightly heavier weave, and colors can be grey or brown.

Colors: usually white and pale colors (so that it reflects the heat). But galabeyas for meaningful days and occasion may be of a shiny fabric, can have piping or even contrasting colors, perhaps gold around the sleeves and neckline. But for usual daily use, it is a non-fuss, nothing fancy, easy to pull on and off when you are in the “lazy languor” of the summer heat.

Collars: there is no collar on these garments, a simple round neckline

Pockets and buttons: there are usually a few “hidden” pockets on a galabeya (2 large and 1 small), and a few buttons from the neckline down, covered by a small hem of fabric.

Head: the head is usually covered both as protection against the sun and to respect religious beliefs.

When? This garment is worn daily, but the fancier versions are worn on special or ceremonial occasions: weddings, funerals, Eid, birthdays etc. Tailors can make a plain galabeya into a special creation: as you please!

Sidery: In southern Egypt (Aswan) and Northern Sudan, it is considered fashionable (in “winter” or for weddings) to wear a waist-coat/sleeveless jacket over the galabeya, usually of a contrasting color.

When the men are sitting on the sand in a group, they are striking to look at: the contrast with their dark skin and the white garments is almost breathtaking…. they take the meaning of looking “cool” to a very practical level!

During a wedding, with all the men in their formal versions of this garment, they look serious and proud…

Each country tends to wear their galabeya in a slightly different manner, so if you “Know your galabeya” you can spot where a man comes from at a distance!

... Water and Sand, Trees and Camels ...

Nothing in a hurry….

Life in Sudan moves at its own pace. The 3 common Arabic words (used in many arabic speaking lands) are very much the fabric and speed of life in Sudan:

Inshallah: “if God wills”. This is the reply given when the affirmative is not guaranteed. Be it a meal, a museum opening, beds available, guide on time, tourist office open… instead of YES, the reply is “if God wills”, leaving it to Divine Intervention!

Bokra: “tomorrow” (usually prefaced by the word: Momkim (perhaps/maybe). Again, not to disappoint or adamantly confirm a detail, the answer if “perhaps tomorrow”…. and in many cases tomorrow never comes!

This underlines the importance of holding “loosely” onto plans and itineraries, and having a large margin for flexibility, waiting time, delays…. and actually enjoying these times: as mostly this is where you meet the heart of the nation, and the connect with the real, wonderful people of Sudan.

Sand, sand and more sand….

One constant of life in Sudan is the sand! It is fine, powdery, gets everywhere and is central to the character of the country. The Sudanese love the desert, and their flowing clothes seem to be at one with the sand. The variety of browns, especially as the mild sun are sunrise and sunset seems to enhance the colors, is breathtaking. It is hot, dry, dusty, sandy…. so embrace this fact, and you can embrace the country!

Confluence of the Niles:

Khartoum: the place of the confluence of the “2 Niles”, know to locals as Al Mogran. From the East, is the Blue Nile, rushing down from the hills in Ethiopia, traditionally carrying the rich, dark silt that spilled out in Egypt’s Delta region and made it the Food Basket of the world….

And from the South, the White Nile, languidly making its way from Uganda. It is here that you can see the 2 rivers, different in size, color and character, merging to become The Nile, as it completes its journey through Egypt and finally sighs into the Mediterranean Sea.

The Date Palm tree:

As the Nile snakes its way along Sudan, alongside its muddied waters you will find a verdant, green line: some crops, mostly date palms, and then nothing but the brown, sandy desert. Palm trees are key in the Sudanese economy. Palms are considered worth their weight in gold: they provide dates, rich in fiber and a variety to goodies (which can be sold/eaten fresh, dried or processed), and raw materials for weaving mats and baskets, making rope and even roofing.  And of course providing shade for other plants, animals and humans: a wonderful place to sit and chat, drink tea and eat dates!

A well cared for palm can live for up to 100 years and is apparently from the grass family, and not actually a tree as we would understand it!

The Camel Market

Sudan’s largest camel market is the Daraw Camel Market as is on the 40 days Road, one of the greatest desert trade routes: slaves, animals, produce, spices….. These days it is the road is used mostly for camels, thousands of them, from Sudan to Egypt. Most camels are raised in the Dafur region and brought here for sale. Fridays apparently are the busiest days of the week for Camel trading.

… the Mighty Queens of Kush …

A long, long time ago, in the land of Kush (which includes present day Sudan, Ethiopia and even some bits of Egypt) there was an impressive series of “Nubian/Meroite” women rulers, who were brave, brilliant and influential.

The dates and names seem to blend into a sometimes uncertain mixture, but it appears that for around 500 years there were 8 of these Rulers. They seemed to set a standard of excellence and stability.

WHO WERE THESE WOMEN?

They were called the Kandake: meaning Queen / Queen mother / Great Woman / sister

• Shanakdakhete (c. 177–155 BC) Earliest known ruling queen.

   • Amanirenas (c. 40–10 BC) Signed a peace treaty with the emperor Augustus (she had lost an eye in battle, and was apparently a fearsome woman)

• Amanishakheto (c. 10 BC–1 AD)  

• Amanitore (c. 1–20 AD) possibly the queen mentioned in Acts 8:27

• Amantitere (c. 20–49 AD)

• Amanikhatashan (c. 62–85 AD)

• Maleqorobar (c. 266–283 AD)

• Lahideamani (306–314 AD)

However, the most interesting Candace (as we know refer to them in English), was

CANDACE AMANISHAKHETO:

She is known as the “Warrior queen of Nubia”. There seems to be more information about her for many reasons

• A leader:

It seems that she was not married to a King, nor mother to a future King, but that she was in fact a fully independent ruler in her own right, with her husband being her consort! Her daughter followed her as the next “Candace”.

* A builder: 

She had many pyramids built, in fact one of the largest ever built, was her own in Meroe, standing at 100 feet high. She also had a very grand temple in Wad ban Naqa: 3 700 sq.m.

• Pictures:

Portrayals of her are found on several walls tombs/temples: she is depicted as a “large” , powerful woman, usually holding a bow / arrows, and sometimes alongside conquered slaves. She is usually dressed in glorious robes and covered in jewelry, shown as a strong woman towering above her small, defenseless enemies.

• Her jewelry:

In 1834 an Italian by the name of GUISEPPE FERLINI, an “explorer” came to seek fame, fortune and gold. His team dismantled Amanishakheto’s tomb in Meroe (and thus destroyed most of this glorious pyramid) and discovered a dazzling hoard of jewelry:

10 bracelets

9 shield rings

67 signet rings

2 arm bands

Ferlini then took this incredible treasure and sold the antiquities in Europe, and today you can find many items in museums in Germany (Munich and Berlin).

WOMEN IN CHARGE!

So even if the names become blended, stories become embellished, dates are confusing, it remains that there were several formidable Women Leaders in Kush/Nubia/Meroe/Ethiopia: they are seldom mentioned, but leave behind a hint of a grand legacy of strength and power, beauty and wealth.

… the Nile Explorers …

THE MIGHTY RIVERS:

From ancient times, rivers have been a source of interest, inspiration and guidance for many peoples. The 4 largest / longest rivers of the world:

Amazon, Ghanges, Yangtze and the Nile have drawn pilgrims and explorers from many and varied countries and times. Often they all had a common question:

Where do they begin?

THE SOURCE OF THE NILE:

This has probably been the most contentious of all questions, and as this is the longest river of the world, finding the source can be rather confusing and indeed misleading.

But what is defined as the “source” (headwaters) of a river? 

* upper tributaries

* the water from which a river rises

* beginnings

* place furthest in that river from its mouth/estuary

Trying to trace backwards up the longest river in the world, through what people referred to as the “dark continent”, has been quite a treacherous endeavor for many explorers….

WHO WERE THESE EXPLORERS?

+ A Greek Merchant (1st Century) This nameless person was apparently the first to speak of huge areas of water inland from the East coast of Africa. This news was passed on to:

• A Syrian Geographer who apparently recorded all this information
• Ptolemy (2nd Century) then attempted to put these 2 great inland seas in the interior of Africa on a map, which were said to be at the foot of the “mountains of the moon.”

Then there is a quiet gap in the history until:

+ A Moroccan Berber traveller Ibn Battuta (1300s) thought that the Niger was the source

• Portuguese missionary Paez arrives in Ethiopia (1600s) settles near Lake Tana: source of the Blue Nile
• A Scottish travel writer James Bruce (1790) traced the origins of the Blue Nile to the springs of Gish in Ethiopia

and then came THE VICTORIAN EXPLORERS: (1856 - 1876)

Burton, Speke, Grant, Baker and Florence, Stanley and of course Livingstone!

The quest to discover the source of the Nile (White Nile) became an obsession of the mid 19th century.

• 1856 Speke and Burton made their first voyage to find the “Great Lakes” in the centre of the continent. They began in Zanzibar and made their perilous way and found the first of these lakes: Tanganyika. 
• 1858 Disease, fights, blindness, deafness and many other troubles resulted in only Speke arriving at Lake Victoria, and being the first European to see it. He could not accurately record and map it, but was convince this was the source.

On returning to England, there was much dispute between Burton (who claimed the source was in Lake Tanganyika) and Speke (Lake Victoria). So the question rose: is Lake Victoria the primary feeder of the White Nile, or is there a river flowing out of the North side of Tanganyika? The Royal Geographical Society (RGS) wanted the answers.

There was much jealousy, flinging of accusations, anger and bitterness that lead to a huge feud and rift between Burton and Speke.

1860 - 65 Speke and Grant returned to Lake Victoria and found the Nile flowing out of it on the Northern side: and named it Ripon Falls (1862): the place where the Lake begins to move and become the White Nile. However, he did not follow the lake the entire way around.

Baker and Florence: they discovered Lake Albert and the Murchison Falls.

1864 Criticism and arguing continued until a debate to “settle the Nile” issue was to be held, between Speke and Burton, but Speke’s accidental death the previous day meant this did not happen.

1874-1877 Stanley was sent to finally solve the crisis and enable the RGS to fill in blanks on their maps. He took a boat around the entire shore of Lake Victoria and established that Lake Tanganyika was NOT connected to the Nile. He explored the headwaters of Lake Edward and declared that Speke was correct:

The White Nile flows from Lake Victoria via the Ripon and Murchison Falls, to Lake Albert and then on to Gondokoro……. although admitting that the lake has several feeders.

1934 Waldecker (German) traced the Kangera river back to the Hills of Burundi

2006 McGrigor (British) stated that the most distant source of the Nile was the start of the Kagera River, which he said was in the Nyungwe Forest in Rwanda.

2013 Levison Wood (British) walked the Nile from source to sea, and began his journey in the hills of Rwanda!

National Geographic has declared that the outlet of Lake Victoria is not the source of the Nile. The true source is the source of the largest River flowing INTO the lake, that being the Kagera River (Rwanda/Burundi: it has not finally been confirmed)

SO….

People have been debating and arguing over the true source/origins of this incredible river for centuries. 

We have the Blue Nile, (Lake Tana) filling from the skies, powerfully pouring down the mountains. This is the Nile that caused the flooding of Egypt: shorter (1450 miles) yet mighty.

We have the White Nile, rising in the Great Lakes of East Africa, (with the most distant source still undetermined: Rwanda or Burundi) (4 230 miles).

These 2 rivers join in Sudan (Khartoum) where it flows through a vast desert after Atbara, without being replenished for 1 200 miles by a single tributary.

THE MIGHTY NILE!!