Top Ten Advices for Travelers

The preparations for the trip are the most important part for granting a happy trip free from troubles and unexpected problems that spoil your interest. Following is a list of ten indispensable things that any traveler should abid by for enjoying a happy trip:

* Prepare your signed passport and visa for the country you are going to visit.

* Fill in the identification page in your passport and keep two photocopies of it: one of them at home, and the other one in a separate place from the passport. This would help you to replace your passport in case of losing it for any reason.

* Read the Travel Warnings for the country you are going to visit and about the local laws that you would abide by during your stay there.

* Keep in touch with your family or friends and give them a copy of your itinerary, if possible, to be able to contact with you at any time.

* Avoid carrying large amount of money or credit cards with you, and try to divide your money on different bags or keep it in different places. Hide some of your money in your jeans pocket to save yourself in case of losing your luggage of being stolen.

* Select a comfortable bag to pack your luggage. If you took a football player bag, it would be so tiring throughout the journey. It is better for you to use an easy-to-move and easy-to-carry bag. Additionally, pack only things that you would need in your journey and things that are unavailable or difficult to obtain where you are going.

* Avoid wearing expensive jewelry and conspicuous cloths in otder not to be an easy victim for thieves and to avoind any trouble.

* Look for authorized agents like banks and exchange offices for exchanging money in order to avoid violating the law.


* For buying antiquities and souvenirs, go to renowned tourist places and markets and but from shops that have labels with the price of exhibits to avoid bragaining or overpricing goods.

* After buying a souvenir, make sure that the thing you bought and paid for is the same thing you take. Sometimes you choose a certain original object of high quality and pay large amount of money for it. Then the merchant replace it with another one of bad quality.
These are the most essential tips that any traveler should put into consideration while preparing himself for a trip for enjoying happy vacation.
Will Be continued ...

Bab El Nasr Marvels and Mysteries

Continuing my journy with my friends around Egypt, we visited Bab El Nasr district in Cairo, where glory of the past embraces the liveliness of the present. There were numerous worth admiration and worth visiting places with different architectural styles and dating back to numerous historical periods through out the history of Egypt.
First sight to attract our attention was the gracious structure known as Cairo walls that streches for hundreds of meters along the way leading to the main portal of Bab El Nasr. It stand as a high stone walls with fascinating geometrically shaped battlements surrounding its top. Interestingly, we were haunted by the beauty of the Fatimid Minaret gracefully standing next to the main entrance of Bab El Nasr. We highly admired the portal for its architectural style that is regarded as a perfect example for the military Islamic architectural style which is accentuated by the small openings in the upper part that were dedicated for soldiers with arrows. the door or Bab El Nasr is distinguished from the neighboring Bab El Futuh by its circular facade and its striped domed interior part.
Few steps away from Bab El Nasr, on the left side of the street stands the Meraculous Mosque of El Hakem with its well preserved decorations and great history. On top of the interesting things we knew about the mosque is that it dates back to more than 1000 years in the past and its owner was El Hakem Beamr Allah Ibn El Muiz Le Din Allah El Fatemy. In spite of its great history, the mosque is in a very preserved condition since it was recently restored. From the entrance of the mosque, we found a very vast courtyard with domed arcades supporting the ceiling and a marvelous red colored ablution in the center of the marble baved court. opposite to the entrance aisle, stands the Qibla aisle where the gilded marble Mihrab and beautiful wooden Minber stands as a good example for Islamic decorative style. We spent an hour walking around inside the mosque fascinated with the marvelous decorations of the ceiling, the huge arches, beautiful two Fatimid Minarets and many other things with in the mosque.
From El Hakem, we walked around the small shops of Bab El Nasr where we met a large number of kind and clever artisans and merchants selling marvelous silver works, narghile and many other copper and wooden works.
While walking around the street, we found a graceful place with tall thin Minaret with unique Ottoman style and huge windows with ornate metal screen. Without thinking we entered the building which was Sabil Sulayman Agha El Selahdar. Of special interest in this building are the ornate Ottoman-Turkish style of decoration especially in the main Sabil room with glamorous chandelier and the finely decorated wooden ceiling. Stepping by few steps, we descended to the first floor which consists of a large hall supported with huge columns that was used in the past as a place for storing water for supplying the inhabitants of Cairo with their needs of water.
This was not the end of our journey but unfortunately it was the end of the day. Thus, i advice any ont who plans for visiting Islamic Monuments in Cairo to start from Bab El Nasr and walks till reaching Bab Zuweila in a three-day journey. There is no need for having a tourguide because these touristic places can be easily reached by a taxi and people in these regrions are very helpful and king and there is no fear from walking alone there. Happy journey and wait for the next journey

Shopping in Cairo: Where to shop and what to Buy

Egypt local markets are known for being multi-purpose markets where tourists can find whatever they are looking for in good prices and high quality. There are numerous handmade artifacts and products that tourist buy as souvenirs from Egypt. Worth mentioning of these products are alabaster statues , appliqué works from El Khayameya , wooden works with mother of pearl inlays , cotton products, and jewelry.

Firstly alabaster statues are available in many markets and bazaars in Egypt at good price because the raw material and the skillful handcrafts are quite accessible. There is a huge variety of alabaster products such as vases, statues, and pots but some of it are handmade while others are manufactured. One should pay attention to the quality of the alabaster artifact before buying to be able to determine its real value.

Although gold has a fixed price all over the world, tourists are usually interested in buying jewelry from Egypt because of the marvelous designs of the talented Egyptian artisans and the low cost of manufacture of gold in Egypt. El Sagha and El Gamee Square are so famous for enclosing a large number of gold stores displaying nice earrings, rings and chains with Pharaonic design for the tourists.

Egyptian appliqué works such as cushion covers and wall hangings are also highly admired for their beautiful Islamic and Pharaonic designs. Another handmade works that really fascinate the visitors of Egypt are the belly dancing costumes with its glimmering ornaments and attractive designs. These works are available in the shops of Khan El Khalili in a very good price.
Buying Cotton products from Egypt is one of the essential things that any visitor to Egypt do because of the softness, whiteness, high quality and good price. On top of the cotton works that many tourists purchase come: sheets, thread counts, and clothes.
Visitors of Egypt also find papyrus, copper and brass works, and handmade wood artifacts, especially those with mother of pearl inlays, very desirable also.

These works are accessible in affordable prices in many local markets throughout Egypt. Khan El Khalili is the most prominent market that most of the tourist go to directly for taking souvenirs. The reasons for its importance and great fame are: its location in the center of Fatimid Cairo where numerous mosques and other monuments stand, and the huge number of workshops of historic crafts that are rarely practiced in any other place through out Egypt. The most important thing to know about shopping in Khan El Khalili is that bargaining is necessary for buying products in good prices from that market.

El Darb El Ahmar is another local commercial center that is presenting a huge variety of goods and artifacts in very good prices. This market is not only for tourists but also for Egyptians who shop for wooden works such as mashrabeya screens and other marquetry works. It is a very good place for shopping for glass perfume bottles and copper plates and ashtrays at good prices.
In addition to these major markets, there are other markets usually visited by both Egyptians and foreigners alike including Wikalet El Balah, Suq El Jomma, and Aswan Market. These are local markets where middle class people find all the goods they need in affordable prices and good quality. These markets are open usually for six days a week and haggling is a very successful way for dealing with the merchants in these places.

El Muiz Street, the Heart of Fatimid Cairo

Last week, i went out with my friend in a journey around the Islamic Monuments in El Muiz Le Din Allah Street in Cairo. It was one of the most interesting days in my life since i really saw Egypt in away i have never seen. This street is really a street of great history and a worth visiting place for the numerous unique and memorable mosques, Wikalas, Sabils, and local markets. El Azhar Mosque was the first place to stop at in our journey. We were really fascinated with the cleverly designed gilded decorations over the marble mihrabs, and the graceful arabesque wooden works ormanemting each corner of the mosque. It is really a good example for the Islamic Style of decoration especially in the ornate huge ribbed dome surmounting the ceiling and the minarets with unique Ottoman style of decoration and beautiful stalactites over it. interestingly, El Azhar Mosque is annexed to a library where one can find valuable books that really help those who prefer reading more about Islam and prophetic instructions.
El Ghuri Complex is the second place we visited where we stayed for a while to have a look at the finely ornamented staind glass windows and graceful copper chandeliers hanging down from the ceiling. In spite of the unique style of decoration and the great historic and religious value, the mosque of El Ghuri is in need of more attention. While moving from the Mosque of El Ghuri to its Wikala or commercial center, we enjoyed talking with some kind and friendly merchants in this area. El Ghureya is renowned for being one of the famous cultural centers in Cairo where numerous performances are displayed each saturday night and attended by numerous people whether Egyptians or foreigners. Worth note in the Wikala of El Ghuri are the ornate Mashrabeya windows imparting from the upper floors of the building over the centeral courtyard.
While walking around El Muiz St, we found numerous places of great history and magnificently decorated facades including Sabil Mohamed Ali, and Wikalet Nafisa El Beida. In our way to El Khayameya or the tent making market, we passed by El Muayyad Sheikh Mosque with its finely decorated twin Minarets over Bab Zuweila. The beauty of the interior of the mosque is highlighted by the domed ablution centering its arcaded open courtyard and the white marble Dikka in the Qibla aisle of the mosque. In one of the sides of the Qibla aisle, we found a wooden door with attractive star patterns leading to the mausoleum where Emir El Muayyad Sheikh and one of his sons is buried. This mausoleum with its gracefully designed dome was the last thing to see withing El Muayyad Mosque before going upstairs to have a look over El Muiz street from the top of the Minarets of the mosque over Bab Zuweila. That was unrivaled joy since we managed to see Saladin Citadel and the small alleys of El Darb El Ahmar District with its small workshops of historic handmade crafts.
From Bab Zuweila, we directed to the famous covered market in Cairo renowned for being the center for manufacturing the cover of El Kabaa in Mecca every year for a long period throughout history. Nowadays, El Khayameya is a narrow district with shops on its either sides displaying brightly colored handmade works with attractive pharonic, Islamic, and potanical paintings. All of us welcomed buying attractive cushion covers and wall hangings from this market for its high quality and affordable prices.
These were the only places we managed to visit in our one-day journey in El Muiz Street and there are still alot to see in the heart of Fatimid Cairo

Horses Charm

Though the golden era of horses may be in the past, they are still widely admired for being highly sensitive, intelligent and elegant animals. These hoofed creatures are credited to playing a crucial rule in the history of man.
Numerous studies have been performed for identifying the advanced senses of horses including vision, smell, hearing and tasting that is quite superior to those of man. Worth mentioning about horses vision ability is that they have something that resembles Red-green color blindness for humans that make the horse see red and related colors appear more green. In spite of that horses have a great sense of taste that helps them in determining the best kind of food and in avoiding eating poisonous food. As prey animals, their smell and hearing senses are highly advanced, but their hearing is much stronger than smell. Additionally, horses have an excellent proproctive ability that enable them of being aware of the state of body and limbs all the time. Horses react directly if any human or insect touched its skin especially in the areas around the eyes and the ear.
About horses Intelligence and learning skills, many recent studies prove that they excel other mammals in their abstract thinking abilities. They succeed in learning from both positive and passive reinforcement. Moreover, researchers assure that horses learn faster when using constant techniques are used for training with them. Most of the trainers assure that the relation between the horse and the trainer helps the horse in learning faster and also that domestic horses find lesser difficulties in gaining such skills.