Cairo's local government wants to see the capital's taxis modernised.

And in Egypt's new business-friendly climate, it has called on the private sector to help.

It has licensed several companies to launch new fleets of yellow New York-style cabs.

They will be modern, air-conditioned, and have working meters.

They will have in-car radio so you can order them by phone.

All the facilities, in short, that European or American commuters have long enjoyed...

Taxi revolution on Cairo streets, BBC News, UK, January 16, 2006.

by Zahi Hawass

At the end of the 1999 season, I opened Bahariya to tourists and moved five mummies from Tomb 54 to the museum there. One of them was a boy aged five and a younger girl.

It had never occurred to me until I moved these two children that the so-called curse of the mummies existed. But both these children began to haunt me in my dreams each and every night. They were reaching out for me with their long white arms, trying to grab me. I did not understand why they were disturbing my rest. This same year I had gone to Los Angeles to teach archaeology at UCLA and the dreams continued night after night.

I had to do many TV and magazine interviews about the new discovery and I was invited to give a lecture in Richmond Virginia at the Museum of Art. On the day of my lecture, I was to fly to Richmond at 7 o'clock in the morning. I set my alarm clock for 4:03 but it did not ring; I woke up at 5 o'clock and had to race to the airport without even washing my face. I barely made the flight but arrived in Philadelphia only to find the flight to Richmond cancelled. I had to take a later flight and landed an hour before my lecture. The taxi driver got lost, so I was late to the museum. I finally gave my talk two hours late, and found myself talking about the curse of the mummies.

The next morning I was to talk at a school. I had asked for awake-up call, but forgot and took the phone off the hook. All night the children haunted me. I awoke at 9:30 hearing my escort banging on my door.

I could not ignore the golden children any longer. As I waited for a plane back to Los Angeles, I realised what they wanted: they wanted their father to come with them to the museum. In September 1999, I returned to Bahariya and moved their father to the museum. The children never haunted me again..

The curse of the mummies (Part 2), The Egyptian Gazette, Egypt, January 16, 2006.

Hassan Saadallah

The Supreme Council of Antiquities has approved an ambitious plan to preserve the Fatimid Bathhouse and the Toloun House in the Fustat area.

The plan was disclosed by Ibrahim Abdel-Rahman, Director of Al-Fustat Antiquities, who told The Egyptian Gazette that the two buildings are threatened by the local leather-dyeing workshops.

"The encroachment of the workshops poses a real threat to the safety of the Fatimid Bathhouse, the oldest existing bathhouse built by the Fatimids," warned the senior archaeologist, explaining that the two ancient buildings will be fenced off, until the leather-dyeing workshops have been re-housed elsewhere.

The Fatimid Bathhouse is located on the northeast side of the Mosque of Abul Soud al-Garhi in the Ain al-Sera district, explained Abdel-Rahman, adding that architects cleverly built the bathhouse on top of a rock near the lake of Ain el-Sera, so there would be a constant supply of water for the facility.

The bathhouse consisted of three partitions for cold, warm and hot baths. As more and more affluent people moved into the district, they built more and more baths. According to archaeologists, a number of Roman-style bathhouses had already sprung up in the area.

Around 45 of these Roman bathhouses had become ruins by the time of Ahmed Ibn Toloun. However, one Roman bathhouse survived this mysterious destruction, and it was discovered annexed to a house in Fustat. There were still traces of the frescoes adorning its walls.

According to Abdel-Rahman, these frescoed murals and sculptures, which were transferred to the Islamic Museum, included a statue of a young man in a squatting position, holding a cup in his right hand. There is a halo round his head.

The finds also included the damaged mural of the head of another young man and another of two birds confronting each other.

Abdel-Rahman stressed that the Toloun House is just as historically important as the bathhouse, adding that it also contains drawings and frescoes. "It's the oldest-ever house discovered in the Fustat district," the director said, explaining that it consists of a central iwan (courtyard) and two rooms to the left and right. "There are also three openings in the ceilings," he continued.

Apart from the leather-dyeing workshops, another source of pollution is the rubbish dumped by local residents in this significant archaeological area.

Bid to preserve two ancient buildings in Fustat, The Egyptian Gazette, Egypt, January 16, 2006.

Hassan Saadallah

There are numerous mysteries and unanswered questions about the origin of the first man. Scientists, historians and archaeologists have been preoccupied with this issue for years now.

In 2006, many conferences will be held to discuss the origins of mankind. The first of these conferences will be held in Egypt, entitled 'Prehistoric Antiquities', with the participation of many worldwide countries. This conference will review a number of research papers on the origins of human beings, highlighting many of the secrets revealed by recently discovered fossils.

Three skulls unearthed

A recent important discovery was that of three skulls, belonging to two teenagers and a boy. They were unearthed in Ethiopia and are more than 16,000 years old. The discovery supports the theory that humans originated in Africa.

According to archaeologist Khaled Saad, General Director of the Prehistoric Antiquities Department at the Supreme Council of Antiquities, the newly discovered Ethiopian man is another addition to the long list of discoveries about prehistoric man. "The latest discovery has attracted the world's attention. Scientists and archaeologists say the three skulls are identical to the skulls of contemporary humans, although the brains of the latter might be a bit bigger," he said.

Samiya el-Marghani, an anthropological specialist at the SCA, stressed that the science of prehistoric man is still in its infancy, yet much has already been achieved. "Many human skeletons and skulls dating to prehistoric times have been found. The forthcoming Cairo conference, of to be held under the auspices of the SCA, will shed the light on the fossils and other remains of the first man," explained Dr el-Marghani, adding that the first discovery was made in 1925, when the fossils of a child were found, still with some of its milk teeth.

Walking on two feet

"The fossils, found in a cave in Botswana, indicate that prehistoric man walked on his two feet. In 1959, the fossils of another man, whom scientists called the 'Negro' man, were unearthed in East Africa, dating back 7 million years. These two creatures could not have been ancestors of the already existing rational man, as the skeletons were quite short and their brains were comparatively small, almost half the size of our brains. Yet the surface layer of their brains seemed more complicated than our brains and their jaws were much stronger than ours," she continued.

El-Marghani added that, in 1974, another major discovery was made in Ethiopia. "It was the discovery of 'Lucy', as scientists called her. The fossils were 3.8 million years old. Scientists regarded Lucy as the 'mother of humans' because she was the oldest thing human ever to be found. Despite the fame of Lucy, scientists believe that the fossils of the first man are still buried under the giant trees in North Tanzania," she stressed.

Upper Egyptian fossils

"In Upper Egypt, numerous Egyptian and US missions found the remains, fossils of fish, birds, reptiles and herbivorous mammals, as well as carnivorous mammals, invertebrate animals and primitive vertebrate creatures. They also found 'Toshka' man in 1968 in the Toshka region. He was probably aged between 20 and 25 years. 'Esna' man was discovered six years later," elaborated Dr el-Marghani.

According to Youssri Attiya, a fossil specialist at the Museum of Geology, the fossils that have been discovered would suggest that mankind probably started in Egypt!!

'Mankind originated in Egypt', The Egyptian Gazette, Egypt, January 13, 2006.

Gomaa Abdel Moniem

Al-Darb al-Ahmar (The Red Road) in Fatimid Cairo retains much of its past wealth and historical atmosphere.

Al-Darb al-Asfar (The Yellow Road) area, where the House of al-Seheimi (built in 1796) is a wonderful example of Islamic architecture, and al-Darb al-Ahmar are actually connected.

They form part of the main road that runs from the Northern Gates (Bab al-Nasr and Bab al-Futuh) down towards the Citadel, meeting al-Darb al-Ahmar at the Southern Gate, Bab Zuweila.

The road, al-Mu'izz Street, named after the conquering Fatimid Caliph, was once the main thoroughfare in Islamic Cairo.

Over the years, the area has been developed and divided into sections, each characterised by different crafts or markets, which they were named after. In fact, al-Darb al-Ahmar Street and the Mu'ayyed Mosque next to Bab Zuweila have changed little over the centuries.

The neighbourhood of al-Darb al-Ahmar is a maze of narrow, twisting alleyways lined with splendid mosques and medieval facades. This quarter became a fashionable residential area in the 14th century, with Al-Nasser Mohamed developing the Citadel area.

It contains several interesting mosques and monuments. The alleys carry different names nowadays, starting at the southern end near the Citadel with Bab al-Wazir Street, then Sharia al-Tabbana.

"Sharia al-Tabbana was at the foot of the Al-Moqattam Tabba [the Moqattam Hills] — It was later renamed al-Darb al-Ahmar.

"Further west, near the massive 10th century Bab Zuweila, the area is named Suq al-Silah Street ['Weapons Market' Street]," says Hajj Said Azoz, aged 65.

"The street is hive of activity, with constant traffic jams, except on Sundays, when the traders have a day off."

At the end of Suq al-Silah Street, you find several ancient mosques and monuments, such as the Mahmoud el-Kurdi Mosque, built in 1395.

This mosque, with its impressive entrance, was recently restored and reopened to the public.

All sorts for sale

If you go north along Suq al-Silah Street from Bab Zuweila, you'll come across the Saddle-makers' Market, known as Suq al-Surugiyyiah, where you can buy all kinds of leatherwear.

Carry on down the street and you come across little shops selling drums, belly dancing costumes, wooden tables and chairs, embroidered clothes and many other simple products, such as old Oriental teapots and cups.

This district is also renowned for its sheesha (water-pipes) that come in every shape and size, made of beautifully decorated and coloured glass.

Basketry is also one of the trades here. You find baskets, tables, chairs and mats, made from palm fronds and reeds.

Another main attraction is the Attarine district, where you can purchase all manner of weird and wonderful herbs and spices for cooking or for medical purposes. It's also the place to pick up a bottle or two of hair dye, if your wife keeps on reminding you that you're beginning to go grey at the temples.

But there's far more: perfumes, carpets, brass and copperware, glass and ceramics are piled up outside tiny workshops, making it virtually impossible for even a bicycle to continue any further down the alley.

In holidays and on feast days, the area is more chaotic, with everyone in party mood, flocking to the market, surrounded by ancient Islamic buildings, till the hours of the morning.

A haven of peace

Darb al-Labana is located close to the Citadel. It is basically a narrow alley surrounded by splendid buildings. It is just below the Citadel, with its majestic Mohamed Ali Mosque.

Ironically, it's a quiet haven of peace in this busy area of the Capital, with the surrounding colossal buildings

Keeping noise to a minimum

The most famous building in Darb al-Labana is Beit al-Fann or Dar al-Malatili — the House of Art — where the legendary Egyptian architect Hassan Fathi lived for many years.

Its location is unique, with its unrivalled views of the Citadel, Mohamed Ali Street and countless mosques that have stood here proudly for centuries.

To reach Beit al-Fann, you have to be in an energetic mood, climbing countless steps, as it's built on a hill. Once you've made it to the top and stopped panting, you are struck by the calm and the feeling of 'ancientness'.

Just a stone's throw away from Beit al-Fann, there is another monumental beit. Although it's only a ruin these days, it was once a tikiya (shelter) for poor strangers, having been built by Al-Naser bin Mohamed Qala'oun in the 13 century.

Darb al-Labana alley had its own door, which allowed its inhabitants a bit of security. Nothing remains of it today.

"This alley was named after a family that sold dairy products. The family were very rich, providing half of Cairo with milk, butter and cheese. They owned thousands of cows. Those were the days when the population was less than 8 million," says Hajj Sayyed Hassan, aged 80.

"I'm here to draw the facade of Beit al-Fann, as an example of 18th century architecture in Islamic Cairo for my dissertation," says Hoda Salem, an undergraduate in the Faculty of Applied Arts.

Two majestic mosques

A few steps away stands the majestic Al-Rifai Mosque, where King Farouk and his brother-in-law, the Shah of Iran, rest in peace.

It looks onto straight boulevards and open squares, reflecting European city planning introduced by Muhamad Ali and his successors, who sought to make Egypt's traditional society more cosmopolitan.

Al-Rifai Mosque is remarkable for its four fully articulated facades, as well as its highly decorated, Mamluk-style dome and minaret. Although built long after the Mamluks, its style, in terms of materials, colours and details, is strongly influenced by the adjacent and equally majestic Mosque of Sultan Hassan.

Sultan Hassan is perhaps Cairo's — or even Egypt's — finest mosque. The building was constructed for Sultan Hassan bin Mohamed bin Qala'oun in AD 1256 as a mosque and religious school.

Externally, it is magnificent, holding its own with its impressive cornice and the protruding vertical fluting, even though it stands in the shadows of the massive Citadel. As you enter this place of worship, you get an impression of height, especially from the towering doors decorated in the Mamluk fashion.

"We've come from Alexandria to tour Islamic Cairo and admire our ancestors' legacy," says Sameh al-Sabagh, a sophomore in the Faculty of Archaeology, Alexandria University, who's standing outside with about 10 of his classmates.

"I want to enrol in the Faculty of Fine Arts next year. I come here once a week to practise drawing Islamic monuments. My father is an architect and he recommended I draw Sultan Hassan Mosque," explains Khaled Ahmed, a pupil at the nearby Khalifa Secondary School.

Visiting Islamic Cairo is like drinking water from the Nile: you'll definitely be back.

Treasures of Islamic Cairo, The Egyptian Gazette, Egypt, January 13, 2006.