Travel The Middle East

TweetHalloween in the Middle East: Haraam or tradition? Indeed, partaking in celebrations of pagan origins, such as Halloween, is HARAAM (forbidden) in Islam. As Prophet Muhammad (puh) warned to his followers: “Whoever imitates a nation is one of them!” (Abu Da’oud) Thus, all Muslims are expected to condemn pagan and non-Sunna traditions such as Halloween, Christmas and [...]

TweetIt is Beach Thursday and this week I will feature some of the best beaches in the Middle East and Africa. There is no debate that some of the clearest, most azure waters in the world are found in the coasts of the Red Sea, Persian Gulf and the Mediterranean. While this is a “Travel [...]

TweetThought the first and only pyramids in Egypt were those in Giza? Think again! In Dashur, located about 40 km south of Cairo, lie several pyramids, two of which are among the oldest not only in Egypt, but the world. In fact, in Dashur lies the first smooth-sided pyramid in the world! To me, Dashur [...]

TweetThis week’s FriFotos theme is “CAPITALS” so today I present you a mini photo essay of some of my favorite capitals in the Arab world. Hope you like them! Cairo, Egypt is one of the most populated, heavily-polluted cities not only int he Arab region, but the whole world. With more than 20 million inhabitants, [...]

TweetThis week’s FriFotos theme is “ROADS” so today I present you a photo compilaton of some of my favorite moments on the road, particularly in Egypt and Morocco. Hope you like the pics! Story behind some of those “moments” coming soon *wink* Roads in Morocco can be dangerous… Road sign in Egypt One fine day, [...]

TweetSome of my favorite shots, taken during my birthday on a felucca on the Nile in Aswan, Egypt. This trip I hold close to my heart. I haven’t been able to experience the serenity I as surrounded by during those 4 days elsewhere int he world. I believe these shots perfectly portray my emotions felt [...]

Tweet[A special guest post by Robert Schrader] In spite of Egypt’s longstanding status a favored destination for travelers from all around the globe, its capital Cairo has a decidedly negative reputation. The megacity, whose population is estimated to be close to 20 million as of 2011, suffers from traffic congestion, overcrowding and a thick blanket [...]

TweetI have a serious obsession with the Middle East, as you have probably already noticed. But my obsessions run even deeper than that. When it comes to Arab architecture, I go even more gaga. And if you put a gigantic, intricate doorway or archway in front of me — I could spend hours just staring [...]

TweetFor #FriFotos this week, given that the theme is “STONE,” I decided to make a compilation post, including some of my favorite shots of stones, rock-carved temples & buildings I captured throughout my Middle East travels between August 2008-December 2009. In passing, I have included all the countries I visited to make this photo essay about [...]

TweetAhhh, Dahab…my beautiful beautiful Dahab. To me, it is one of those places you can’t quite explain how you fell in love with it, yet you also do know why–and very, very well. As with every great love, you can’t explain why you love it so much despite its (perhaps many) flaws. Basically, your feelings [...]