Egyptian construction fails

Over four thousand years ago Egyptians had advanced to the point of being able to produce some of the most iconic structures the world has ever known, some of which are still standing today. So, you would have thought that their ancestors living today should be able to knock up an apartment block without too much trouble. After all, they’ve had four millennia to perfect their craft. Although there are indeed many buildings that would, at least at first glance,…

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Soul of the city: Alexandria, Egypt

Digging under the surface of Egypt’s famous city    Probably the most important thing about Egypt’s second city according to its residents, is that it certainly isn’t Cairo. In particular they’ll tell you that it’s not as busy, dirty or noisy as the capital, which might come as a bit of a surprise to a westerner arriving in Alexandria who had yet to see Cairo, for by European standards it is all these things, even if it pales in comparison…

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The Butchers of Eid

Animal slaughter on the streets of Alexandria Warning: sensitive animal lovers should know that this post includes pictures of dead animals and blood, no close-ups but you probably wont want to zoom in. With swift slices of a knife to its tendons the calf collapsed onto her forelegs and the burly team of butchers heaved her onto her side. In seconds the throat was slashed and the calf thrashed upwards, struggling against her severed muscles, forcing the men to jump…

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