Some Egyptian Arabic Expressions and Their Translations — مصطلحات مصرية و ترجمتها

Sometimes I feel certain guilt for not writing enough in Arabic. English, as some may know, is technically my third language. Yet when I started expressing myself more around university time, it was indeed in English — the readings, the research, the papers, the whole lot. It was the American University after all, yet still in Cairo. And I am Egyptian. 



When a decade following graduation I took writing as a vocation it was essentially in English. Being in Canada at the time followed by the U.S, it seemed like the natural course of things. 



I can still remember a school-bud, Ismail, recounting to us what his father said when on our senior year he mentioned the American University as an option. 
“Yabny dah este3mar fekry” ( يابني ده إستعمار فكري ) — “Son, that’s intellectual colonialism.” As much as we all laughed then, his sobering statement remained with me to this very day.



What makes an Arabic-speaking Egyptian become so westernised, that he becomes a writer in English, and an alright one at that? Certainly education helped pave the way; probably also my upbringing and early travels, and lots and lots of reading. Of course music and movies, but mostly music due to the lyrics. You can find more about the topic in the previous From English as a Third Language to Author — How I Expanded My Vocabulary. 

So French school then American University, what did one expect, right? It’s also the most spoken language in the world, including native and non-native speakers. But what about writing more in the Arabic language — I was born into — beside English? Because I do enjoy and even miss it. 



Expressing myself in Arabic reminds of simpler, younger times. Being the class clown at school and the court jester within the family. The puns, wordplay, songs among more creative silliness that came out from the experience of going to a strict all-boy catholic school while at the same time having Sheraton Hotels as a home for 20 years. Humour, it seems, was one way I was trying to make sense of the whole thing. Except maybe the few non-Egyptian ex-girlfriends and beside education and working in hotels, most of my verbal communication was conducted in vernacular Arabic. That was before social media of course and before relocating to North America in my early 30s.


As such, as I matured along with my linguistic abilities and philosophical views, I began contemplating how being a multilingual communicator can be a bridge that connects certain gaps between different languages, roots, cultures, histories, and most importantly, people. 

There are about a dozen Arabic articles and poems on One Lucky Soul [links found down below], out of 670 in English. Quite telling.

There are a bit more bilingual posts on Facebook, like the one about how the word ( ألوف ) “Aloof” happens to mean opposite things in Arabic and English. Also several stories from the school days and some jokes that are written solely in Arabic without translation. Those posts ought to be compiled somewhere. 



Lots of legitimate pondering to work on.  


Now that I am residing in Egypt following a decade abroad, connecting with more people through Arabic in addition to English often flirts with my mind. I wonder what if more Egyptians or Arabic-speaking people in general got the chance to read my writings and be exposed to my thoughts and queries — including the psycho-philosophical stuff. This leads me to want to translate such writings one day, though I should do it myself.  



On the other hand, there are also non-Egyptians who live in Egypt — or in Arab countries — much more now than, say the 80s. Perhaps it would be fun for them to learn about the origin of a colloquial term or an expression or three, especially that oftentimes the literal meanings may cause confusion. To learn a language means to also learn about the culture. 


I hold that communication is what brings us Earthlings a bit closer together. It’s what bridges the gap between people from different countries, cultures, mindsets. Apart from language there is otherwise music, which can transcend the constructs and limitation of language or the intellect as a whole while speaking more to our hearts.

Speaking of multilingualism and before we proceed, let me first share a recent amusing encounter, which was a catalyst for writing this article.

While at Kakao Cafe in Dahab one afternoon, the owners Aly and his wife and I were talking about the new yummy items they had just added to the menu. Encouraging them, I spontaneously said in Arabic: “Change is always good because it keeps the customers as well as the community on their toes”; meaning, in a state of anticipation and alertness about what the place might renew every once in a while.

The translated Arabic sentence that instinctively came blurting out of my mouth was
( خليهم علي [طراطيف] صوابع رجليهم ), which sounds hilarious to say the least, making me chuckle to myself a moment later while replaying it in my mind. Before getting on the bike and leaving I felt compelled to head back in to share with them where that odd foreign idiom came from, even though they seemed to understand what was meant. And we all laughed and laughed.



Alright, following this sentimental introduction and the anecdote, here is a jolly list of Egyptian Arabic words ( كلمات ) and terms ( مصطلحات ), their literal meanings, pronunciation [in Italic], usage, and possible equivalents in the English language. Some are found across several informal Arabic dialects, others are solely Egyptian Arabic vernacular — “Masri” ( مصري ) — or more specifically colloquial.

This article could be considered the sequel to Some Arabic Sayings and Their Translations — أمثال عربية و ترجمتها. While the first from 2016 was about common traditional idioms, proverbs, and adages usually intended to convey a certain message, herein are simple and shorter expressions. 



There is also Words With Italian Origin That Are Still Used Today In Egypt.

Now let’s go. Vamos. Vamoose. Yalla. Allons-y. 

 

إبن اللعيبة •

“Son of a female player” is the literal translation of “ebn el la3ibah”. As in your mother is a player, but not necessarily as a participant in a sport or game nor a musician; certainly not the informal meaning for men who have many sex partners.    



First thing first. In Arabic parlance ‘ebn’, son and ‘bent’, daughter [of] is usually used before a swearword, as an insult. “Ya” is added before it if addressing someone or to call or get their attention. In more linguistic terms, ‘ya’ is a vocative particle preceding a noun used in direct address. 



However, sometimes the word following “ebn / bent” is meant affectionately as an exclamation of encouragement or an endearing praise. So “ebn el la3iba” here was often said as young boys about someone playing sport, doing a certain move or trick or so. I guess there was something daring in saying the clean form “ebn el” which is usually left for swearing by adults. But in any case, all these ebn / bent forms are essentially to describe a person not their mothers or fathers.   



The expression remained till adulthood as some kind of flattery within the clean dialect; also as an exclamation — as someone watching a sport game would utter rather enthusiastically. 



Funny that “bent el la3iba” is seldom used. But for some reason you’d almost never say or hear: “ebn / bent el la3eeb”, a male player. Could it be because the mother is the one who gave birth?




With equal energy or enthusiasm, there is “ebn / bent el magnouna” ( إبن / بنت المجنونة ) — son / daughter of a mad woman; your mother is crazy. It is usually said casually to someone who did or is doing something seen crazy or daring. It is not much of a [real] cuss word or profanity, but it can be uttered angrily as an insult in fights. Whether it is meant in a positive light or negative depends on the context and, when said out loud, the tone. But it’s nothing too expletive. 



Again here, almost never “ebn / bent el magnoun”. Mothers apparently get most of these.  



“Son of a gun”, a euphemism for son of a bitch, may be one equivalent as clean as “ebn el eih” or “bent el magnouna”, despite gun being masculine, in Arabic that is. Both expressions can be used positively or negatively.


Imagine saying to an Arabic speaking person “ya ebn el mosadas” ( يابن المسدس ) and it will mean nothing to them, not good nor bad. Just a funny and absurd combination of words. Like son of a chair or daughter of a shower curtain.


On the other hand, “ebn / bent el gazma” ( إبن / بنت الجزمة ) is a common swearword in Arabic. It means “
Son / daughter of a shoe”. Say this to an English speaking person; well, don’t... unless they truly deserve it.

In English, “son of a bitch / whore” seem to be the main swearwords used involving parents, or once again, the mother. In Arabic there are a lot more variations and, dare we say, more creativity when it comes to swearing. Basically you can add any noun, but also its own adjective and it will still be utterable. “Son of as dirty whore” in English for example. 


At school, for instance, we learned a new literary Arabic word from a book we were studying: “el 3abd el 2abek” ( العبد الآبق ) — meaning the runaway slave. As such, for a few days or so I kept jovially using it on the boys in “Yabn el 3abd el 2abek”. Being so unusual, absurd, and certainly untrue, everyone would laugh.   

إبن إليه — بنت اللذينا •  


 


‘Eih’ means ‘what’, normally used alone as a question [?]. So, “Yabn el eih — ya bent el eih” means “Son / daughter of a what”. Yep.



‘El lazina’ means “those who”. So “son / daughter of those who”. Normally a verb would follow but not in this usage.

Both expressions are mostly used as an enthusiastic direct response to someone doing something special, smart, daring, cheeky, or mischievous. A kind of flattery, perhaps implying that we have no words to describe their mother or father.
; that we’re speechless.

However, polite people who don’t like to swear may use it in negative connotations. As in: “Ebn el eih didn’t deliver on time”, “Bent el lazina overcharged us”.

Unlike the positive use, this negative one is always used when referring or talking about someone behind their back and not to their faces.

 ولاد ناس : إبن / بنت ناس •

In “Welad Nas” or “Ebn / Bent Nas”, ‘welad’ is children while ‘nas’ is people. Literally translating as “children of people” or “sons and daughters of people”. While ‘welad’ is often used as a genderless noun, ‘walad’ is a singular boy — as ‘ebn’ in son — and ‘bent’ is both girl and daughter. But what does it actually mean? Of course as humans everyone is a son or daughter of people. 

Well, in Egypt it simply means coming from good homes; those were well brought up and have manners. Sometimes it means old or traditional families, or the sons and daughters of someone or the other in the society.

Other people may describe someone as one, but it is seldom said about oneself. Because it can sound like showing off as it can also be a divisive or polarising statement.  

Some people may add the word ‘akaber’ after “welad nas", meaning grand. But it is often edited out.    



That said, one night in the streets of Cairo a police officer responded back to my nephew who was trying to get us out of getting busted spray painting by repeatedly and naggingly telling him: “Hadretak, we are the sons of people” ( حضرتك احنا ولاد ناس ).

“So we are the sons of dogs*?!” ( يعني احنا ولاد كلب؟ ) was the man’s hilarious reply. Pfff. 

You can check the full story in Funny Drug-Related Stories 2. 

 

*“Son of a dog” is one of two major swearwords that finally mentions the father. The other is son of a ‘khawal’ ( خول ), a gay man, aka faggot. 

  كل تأخيرة [و] فيها خيرة — معلش  •


“Kol ta2kheera fiha kheira” means every lateness has good in it.

Hmm. This may be the only full sentence and actual adage in the list. But it’s here because it is still told to me on occasions.   



Well, the phrase is said as consolation when you have been waiting for someone who didn’t show up on time or something that didn’t take place on time; when there is tardiness.

If we really think about it, however, it’s a nonsensical platitude. The generalisation and the assumption in the message makes it sound like other vague, hollow phrases such as “Everything happens for a reason”. True or not is not the concern here. But hey, it’s almost always used to comfort someone or even oneself and uttered with good intent.

I think that mostly it still holds due to the [almost] rhyming of both words. Everyone loves a rhyme.

Speaking of consolation, another common Egyptian expression you would hear everywhere is ‘Ma3lesh’ ( معلش ). Originally from Classical or Literary Arabic “ma 3aleih shei2” ( ما عليه شيء ), nothing on him, it was uttered by judges back in the days about those were deemed free in court.

Eventually the phrase was contracted to become the single word ‘ma3lesh’, meaning it’s alright, it’s OK, or it’s nothing — to trace it back to its origin; do not be upset or worked up. The expression is used to console someone who went through or is going through something hard or unfortunate; as a way to downplay or minimise the misfortune while seemingly calming people down. An example of it being used is the event of a car accident or mid a quarrel.

Depending on the context and situation, it may also be part of an apology. Sometimes “ana assef” ( أنا أسف ), I’m sorry, may follow ma3lesh. 

• مع نفسه

The Arabic expression ( مع نفسه ) translates into “with oneself/himself” as ( مع نفسها ) into “with herself” — with ( نفس ) ‘nafs’ meaning ‘self’. In Egyptian Arabic dialect, it is used colloquially to describe someone who is solitary, reclusive, a loner, or a lone wolf; sometimes implying a certain coolness resulting from being content alone. So you may say: He/she is ( مع نفسه/نفسها ), with himself/herself.

However, this simple yet appealing expression has no direct translation to English and the above-mentioned words do not do it justice. There is some raw beauty and truth to “being with oneself” as it conveys a sense of companionship while perhaps equally entailing friendship, wholeness, reconciliation. As such, I’m going to start using it in English.

A different usage of ( مع نفسك ) “with yourself” in particular is when you say it to someone to exclude your own self from something; as in “handle it or deal with it yourself, without me.”

فك الأسير •

 

When younger and wanted to get a joint from a friend who had been smoking it for a while without passing, we would sometime say: “Fok el aseer” — release the prisoner of war.


Once while watching a Portuguese show for some reason [yeah, don’t judge me], the dubbed English translation mentioned “Release the prisoner” when a woman wanted to get the joint from someone nearby. Until then, I thought the expression was purely Egyptian Arabic slang, perhaps even exclusive to our circle of friends. But nope. Joints apparently tend to be held captive by stoners all over the world.

In fact, in the U.S the expression is “Don’t Bogart that joint”. It’s a slang term derived from famous actor Humphrey Bogart; because he often kept a cigarette in the corner of his mouth, seemingly never actually drawing on it or smoking it. It is often used with joints but can be applied to anything.

I wonder what they say in other countries.


Puff, Puff, Pass.

   إتفضل •

 

While walking in the streets of an Arab country you may hear the word ‘Etfaddal’ ( إتفضل ) or more formally ( تَفَضّل ). Based on the root ‘fadl’ ( فَضْل ) graciousness, the meaning of this one too depends on the situation and context. 

When a group of people are sitting down or even just one person and another passes by, the sitter would cordially say ‘etfaddal’, as in come join in; enter. It is an offer or invitation to join the sit-in, group, or meal.

The other situation is when someone is eating or drinking [often tea] when another happens to pass by or is sitting nearby — especially when an eye-contact is made. Here the person would generously say ‘etfaddal’, meaning “have some of this food or drink”; as an act of sharing, or more precisely, readiness to share.  

 

The majority of people realise it’s a mere kind and generous expression and refuse the offer. The same with ‘Khally’ or “keep it”, said by some taxi drivers [among others] about their fees after having a cordial conversation with the passenger. Especially in such instances, the invitation to not pay is not to be taken literally.

Public Service Announcement: Please pay you cab drivers in Arab countries despite them saying ‘khalli’. 
  

In North America I would sometimes find myself in a situation when I’m eating something and someone looks at me. Funnily, while the sentiment of wanting to share remained, there was no suitable English word for ‘Etfaddal’, which would baffle me since, between three languages, I usually find the right words for whatever I want to say. But here there was none. Eventually, I settled with ‘Please’ accompanying an extended hand gesture. However, it certainly does not come close to the warm-hearted ‘etfaddal’ or to the richness of the Arabic language. Different worlds, different word. ⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
This is one linguistic example depicting the warmth, generosity, and congeniality of Arab hospitality and the nomadic, tribal culture it embodies. For after all: Sharing IS Caring.

  زغروتة — زغردة •

Being multilingual, you often wonder about the meaning of certain rarely used words in the other languages you speak. One of those unusual Arabic words is “zaghrouta / zaghrata” ( زغردة / زغروتة ); from the verb “zaghrat / zaghrad” (زَغْرَد / زَغْرَتَ ), meaning sing.

Now, this is a peculiar sound you would hear some women produce in Egypt, usually to show emotions in wedding ceremonies among other joyous celebrations. Apparently, the Arabic word originates from the sound mules make through their throats.

The expression, however, is found in other African and Arab countries as well, with slightly different versions of the sound and words to describe it, depending on the geographical location. 

I recall once in the beginning of my writing journey thinking if the word even has a translation to English — being a non-western expression and all. And since one would rarely, if ever, find themself witnessing a ( زغروتة ) while at the same time trying to translate the Arabic word into English, I never checked it. Until recently when watching a docuseries about African tribes from the 1600s, titled African Queens: Njinga.


In one scene, a ( زغروتة ) was heard, slightly different than the Egyptian ones one was accustomed to, yet the sound still retains a certain similarity. Looking at the subtitles, I could read ‘ululation’. Oh! So that is it, I wondered and instantly decided to check it out. Yes indeed, the word exists!

Ululate (v): From Latin ululo, means to utter a loud, usually protracted, high-pitched, rhythmical sound especially as an expression of sorrow, joy, celebration, or reverence; long, wavering, high-pitched vocal sound resembling a howl (عول) or a wail (عويل) with a trilling quality. The ululation is produced by emitting a high pitched loud and wavering voice accompanied with a rapid back and forth movement of the tongue and the uvula (the baby tongue at the back of the throat).


Interestingly, the word does sound like the actual sound: “Lulululuiiiiiiiyy”
 and hence it is considered an Onomatopoeia.

According to the English description, ululations can also be heard in funerals and not just on happy occasions. But in Egypt, at least to my knowledge, women don’t do it to express sorrow or sadness. Some may howl/wail to mourn the dead though, but those remains different sounds which lack the usual sense of joy typical zaghroutas transmit. 


And now we know. Lulululuiiiiiiiyy

عنيا — عيني •

‘3enaya’ means “my eyes”, while the singular ‘eini’ is “my eye”. It is an affirmative expression usually said as an endearing response when you ask someone to bring you something. As in, I would give [you] my eyes to please or serve you. Often heard in local cafes, eateries or shops among other places and circumstances.

The word may be accompanied by a gesture of the index finger pointing to their own eyes. Sometimes the index and middle one are used to point to both eyes. 



Another common response a customer would hear in stores and eateries is ‘to2mor’ (تأمر ) or ‘to2morni’ ( تأمرني ) — meaning “you give me an order” or “ta7t amrak” ( تحت أمرك ) — under your order.  



The Lebanese people take it further than losing one’s eye(s). The sweet mother of another school-bud would instead endearingly say: ‘To2borni’ ( تؤبرني ) [with a b rather than m] — meaning “You’d put me in a tomb”; as in I would die for you. It is sometimes used as a response to us saying “thank you”; almost like a “you’re welcome”.

And this rather intense expression is casually uttered at the dinner table and elsewhere, to show how much you love and care. Quite the passion, huh. Syrians, too, apparently use it.

يا كابتن •

This one brings back childhood memories. So in the early 80s, usually at sporting clubs and beaches, us boys would call each other ‘captain’. But only those we did not know; otherwise we’d use their actual names. It was the common term of address for boys of certain age. So, you want to play ya captain?”. Sometimes in the playground “Captain, captain, do you want to become friends?” —  “tesa7ebny ya captain?” ( تصاحبني يا كابتن؟ ). Ha.

You’d think this title would be reserved for coaches or actual team captains of various sport teams around the club, like Amr Atata from Gezira Club football team and Captain Mohsen and Gamal from the basketball. But calling an 8/9-year-old boy sounds funny, now at least. Actually the coaches would also call us captain. Maybe to give us some confidence, maybe it was just the way it went. In return, we would likewise call them captain so and so.

The term was somewhat new lingo to our generation. Because my grandmother and her sister would sometimes say it all amusingly, as if it’s their first time to use it in such context, which is when addressing a young boy. I actually doubt that in my father’s childhood “ya captain” existed among young boys.



Following a certain age around the teenage years, we stopped hearing ‘captain’ outside of the sport environment. It almost like it became inappropriate to use it with a 14-year-old boy or older.  

I wonder if kids today still use the term.

حضرتك •

Literally meaning “your presence”. ‘Hadretak’ or ‘7adretak’ is used as a term of address and sign of respect, could be to elders, uncles/ants, bosses, or someone who represents a source of authority.

In the Arab world some grown children may say to their parents 7adretak / 7adretek when addressing them — rather than ‘you’, “enta / enti” ( أنت / أنتي ). The more endearing “3ammi / 3ammeti” ( عمي / عمتي ), uncle and aunt from the father side; and ( خالي / خالتي ) “khali / khalti” from the mother side.

Those words are equivalent to the non-Arabic Oncle and Tante used by the more educated sections of the Egyptian society.

‘Hadretak’ is equally used with older family members or relatives; as in the elders, as well with friends of one’s parents. 

As kids and teenagers ‘Hadretak’ is normally used without much thinking. In my case, when I relocated to Canada after living in Egypt for 32 years I sort of grew or matured on a different level. So when returning for visits I began feeling that these “older” people are not much older, in terms of mental age. I began seeing myself as equal who doesn’t require to use a title to address another human being. 



About respect? Well, why can’t we respect each other without titles? So I began using 7adretak / 7adretek less and less, while keeping oncle and tante to close family members also those from the grandparents generation. Maybe even only with the grandparents generations — whoever was still around.

It is like kids in the West who address their parents as well as elders as ‘sir’ and ‘ma’am’, again out of respect. While a bit strict, formal, and military-like, the children probably stop using it as they mature to a certain age, or so they ought to.  



With the same root ‘Hadar - 7adar’ ( حضر ), meaning arrived, we also have another word ( حاضر ) ‘Hader - 7ader’, meaning present. In school, when they would call each kid’s name to check the attendance, the formal response by each was ‘hader’: I am present. 



At some point the use of hader included saying yes in a polite way. Again, it became an affirmative response to when parents or bosses ask something of you, similar to “yes, sir”.

ماشي •

Literally, ‘mashi’ means walk or move; from the root “mashy” walking. 

However, the somewhat novel implied meaning of ‘mashi’ came to mean: yes, OK, alright, keep going, cool. 



As I recall, it was used by car valets (sayes) in certain busy areas around Cairo who would help drivers park their cars just by saying ‘Mashi’ — also ‘Ta3ala’, meaning ‘come’ — while using hand gestures. Of course these territorial beings expect a certain fee. Some actually make a whole lot of money from this ‘business’.

But ‘mashi’ was also used as an informal expression of agreement by the help, as in maids and drivers among the working-class section of the society.

I also recall that in the 1980s my maternal grandmother as well as my father being displeased by the then-new use of the word. For them it was ‘unrefined’ or ‘unsophisticated’ street lingo. They would often make a fun remark to any of us who would say it, but never to those who actually used it. Something to remember though, is that both their fathers were born in the late 1800s, that is two centuries ago, so they were naturally brought up “old school” when Egypt was still a Kingdom.

My grandmother, Madame l’Ambassadrice, was also the wife of a diplomat; hence been dealing with a certain type of worldly and somewhat educated people for a large chunk of her life. 



Language, you see, is part of our upbringing and sometimes we may resist the novelty just because it’s new. Neither them nor even my mother ever utter/uttered ‘mashi’ themselves. 



It seemed the usage of ‘mashi’ we’re discussing herein has made an appearance sometimes in the second part of the 20th Century, maybe late 1960s or 1970. Not too sure because I wasn’t there. Yet likely as some agree, it was following the 1952 Coup that new words came to being in Egypt while others seemed to slowly vanish. What I do remember from childhood is that the word almost intruded into our everyday dialect and vocabulary; that it was used by certain kind of people and not others. One, for instance, wouldn’t easily find it in dialogues in old classical black-and-white Egyptian movies.



Sometimes you would hear simple-minded peasants among the subordinate, less educated portion of society sometimes taking it further by combining both ‘mashi’ and ‘hader’: “Mashi 7ader” ( ماشي حاضر ) — often said when addressing their bosses or landlords.


What remains interesting is 40 years later the expression seems to have thrived and survived. As I found out through Sabina, the lovely Italian woman who makes yummy home-cooked food at Amanda Market here in Dahab. Whenever asking her to keep me this or that till I’m back from the beach, she would reply with a simple bubbly ‘Mashi’. Other times she would tell me the total in Arabic numbers. She’s been living in Sinai for about eight years so maybe that’s how she practices.


As noticed, I may sometimes use ‘mashi’ but only when talking with certain common people, like workers, handymen, dealers. I have probably never used it with family members.

One final Snapple Fact to conclude this bit is that in Yemen, ‘Mashi’ means no — from ‘ma’ shei2’ ( ما شيء ), no thing. So it is somewhat of an antonym or the opposite of the Egyptian version. Without knowing this simple piece of info, Yemenis in Egypt or Egyptians in Yemen may face some funny confusion in their everyday interactions.

أفندم — يا فندم •

‘Efendim’ is originally a Turkish word that was borrowed into Egyptian Arabic ever since the Ottoman Empire. Meaning ‘sir’ or ‘mister’, it is a respectful reply to someone calling you. For Turks and Egyptians, ‘efendim’ and ‘afandem’ are used when responding to someone who has a certain authority over oneself, sometimes in the military.

It could likewise be a reply followed a question mark when one does not hear or not understand what had been said. So ‘afandem?’ here means “excuse me?, what?” 





Efendim/afandem is related to “Effendi /Effendy”, which was former title of nobility in the Ottoman Empire and the Caucasus, meaning sir, lord or master. It was especially used with for government officials and men who are members of the aristocracy.

When used as a form of address in Egypt ‘ya’ is added before ‘fandem’. 



Famous examples are the department stores “Omar Effendi” founded in 1856 Egypt. Also Youssef Effendi who first introduced the mandarin fruit to Egypt during the era of Muhammed Ali, the Ottoman Albanian ruler of Egypt from 1805 to 1848, after bringing the saplings from the Island of Malta. As a token of appreciation, Muhammed Ali named mandarine in Arabic after the man: Youssef Effendi ( يوسف أفندي ), becoming youssefi ( يوسفي ) and sometimes contracted in Egyptian Arabic to youstafandi ( يوسفندي / يوستفندي ).   


More about the topic can be found in another earlier article The Difference Between Mandarin, Tangerine, and Clementine.

Having direct Turkish roots in my paternal family as well as with several other relatives left and right, we grew up using certain words at home, which other more “purely Egyptians” would not. And it only became apparent when growing up and meeting different people with different backgrounds and from different social circles. Our Arabic dialect and vocabularies slightly varied.



I recall when at some point younger me replaced it with ‘na3am’ or even ‘eih’ to reply to my father, he kind of corrected me: “It’s called Afandem”. However, if we really think about it, ‘na3am’ is ‘yes’ in proper literary Arabic. So he was almost subconsciously favouring the Turkish-borrowed word because his own family and upbringing.

Unlike ‘hadretak’, I still use ‘afandem’ to this day actually, sometimes sarcastically as a question. It’s like a response to hearing something strange, stupid or ridiculous. Like “what?!, huh?!”. I also kiss women’s hands and tip my hat to them. Uhu.  



Outside of the realm of police, military, governmental institutions and large organisations you don’t hear afandem or ya fandem much nowadays, certainly not here in Dahab among the Bedouins. The formal Turkish word didn’t make it to Sinai it seems. 


So as we have seen in the list, terms and their usage indeed develop with time and among different cultures. Many words have more than one meaning and may mean different things depending on context. Language, Ladies and Gentlemen, is alive, constantly changing and evolving according to the demands of each era. This also makes it elusive; beautiful yet also limiting. I still absolutely love it, or them more likely.

And the Egyptian Arabic language is no different. Some word almost disappear, which will follow in a coming article, others stick around while also shape-shifting to include different meanings. I hope you enjoyed reading as much as I enjoyed conjuring.  


سلام — Peace

 

 

 

ALSO VIEW: 

 

Some Arabic Sayings and Their Translations — أمثال عربية و ترجمتها 

 

Words With Italian Origin That Are Still Used Today In Egypt

 

From Hebrew ‘Tzedakah’ to Arabic ‘Sadaqah’: A Linguistic Tale of Origin of Charity and Righteous Giving in Judaism and Islam

From English as a Third Language to Author — How I Expanded My Vocabulary

1920s Egypt in Colours

 
التنافر المعرفي — Cognitive Dissonance

OLS Reflections — الطبعة العربية المرحة

احذروا التقليد عند الشراء — ظاهرة الحشيش المخلوط في مصر

رحلة عبر التاريخ مع الدكتور عبدالفتاح البيطاش: واحة باريس وتفشي الملاريا في الأربعينات

الدكتور الذي بَرَعَ في إنقاذ حياتين سنة ١٩٥٦

التنافر المعرفي — Cognitive Dissonance

ظاهرة إستري نفسك و ريحيها 

Nena Ya Nena: a Bilingual Duet with Vaya Con Dios — نينا يا نينا: ثنائي ثنائي اللغة مع ڤيا كون ديوس

Meet Alf عقبة [Video]

Have No Morsi —هاف نو مرسي 

The Letter That Hit Me In The Feels
 

 

 

The Great Pyramid’s Blessed Curse: Climbing to the Top and Beyond

 “The Kingdom of Heaven is within you;
and whosoever shall know himself shall find it.”
― Ancient Egyptian proverb 

It all started with a true story from when I was 19-years old and living in Cairo, Egypt. It involves being out at night with a close friend and his girlfriend when for some reason we got bored and wanted to do something different and wild. My buddy had done it before so he introduced the idea to me. Being at that psycho-metamorphosis stage of my life, I loved it and, with alacrity, agreed on our late night endeavour.

The adventurous, bonkers thought was to climb The Great Pyramid of Khufu (Cheops) in Giza, very late at night and after a few drinks at the club. Yes sir. The rush I had on the way there was indescribable. Not knowing what to expect added mystery to the whole experience to-be. Unbeknownst to me, this one fateful night turned out to have a profound impact on my life. And I am hereby sharing this amusing ride with you.

The following exposé was originally written in 2012 and published on Conscious Live News. A tad bit of editorial polishing along some extra photos and here is the new enhanced version of The Great Pyramid’s Blessed Curse: Climbing to the Top and Beyond. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed living and writing it.   



The year was 1996 when climbing had already been made illegal. We hence needed to make sure we got to our destination undetected. We couldn’t use the main entrance since there is a police check point. So we had to park the car and walk around before going through the surrounding village where the Pyramids’ guards and the people working in the nearby horse stables live among their families.

We were crouching and tip-toeing on the ruined walls when all of a sudden some stray dogs started barking — breaking the eerie silence of the night. We froze as we heard some commotion; a few men came out with long sticks, probably thinking we may be some thieves. But I guess that judging by our appearance, in addition to having a blonde girl with us, weren’t exactly what those people feared. Just by telling them we were here to climb the Pyramid, they amiably directed us to the “easiest” way up and wished us good luck. I believe it was the Southwest corner.

Missing capstone along the flagpole to mark the original height
of the Great Pyramid (146.59 meters - 490 feet) placed by
two astronomers in 1874

Stairways To The Missing Heavens



After 45 minutes of climbing the humongous limestone blocks I wanted to end this unusual late night exercise. The blocks are estimated to be numbered 2,300,000 and weighing from 2 to 30 tons each, with some reaching a staggering 70 tons. The climbing itself was not what I was there for, so I gave it an extra push and was finally the first to reach the summit.

To my absolute surprise I was not alone! Three young Asian men were already there on top of the only remaining structure of the seven Wonders of the Ancient World… in the middle of the night. I remember it took me some confused moments to really grasp the unexpected sight. Am I tripping? Is this actually happening? I wondered to myself. Of course I said hello and did my courteous part towards the nocturnal tourists while trying to appear not shocked at all. Until my friends joined and were obviously equally astonished.

With a few English sentences we understood they were Japanese researchers who are in Egypt only to climb the Great Pyramid. Five minutes later, three more Japanese — who knew the first ones — joined and the nine of us comfortably shared the uneven rocky square space which is approximately 9x9 metres (30x30 feet). Also right there on the very top we shared a special smoke I had brought along. Though I remember only two partook in the celebration. Now how many people did something like that throughout the entire history of humanity and of this magnanimous wonder. 

The first simple yet striking personal discovery made after reaching the summit was the flagpole which was there to mark the original height of the pyramid. It was said to have been 146.59 metres (490 feet); now due to erosion it is around 139 metres. Since I was a child and my father would point at the peak from below, explaining what those tiny sticks were; though I always thought of them as made of steel or some other metal. Somehow the image fitted more in my developing mind. In reality, this seven-meter flagpole or mast is made of four long pieces of wood stuck together at the top — in a Native Americans’ tepee-style. It was actually placed there by two astronomers in 1874 to show where the original apex would have been if the top cover was there.

The reason why the cover known as the capstone (or top-stone) is missing remains shrouded in mystery to this day. Ironically, if it were there, none of us would have ever enjoyed this experience as it would have been practically impossible to reach or sit on the summit. According to visitors’ accounts dating back to the historian Diodorus Siculus in 60 BCE, the capstone had always been absent.

Some theorists suggest that since it was most probably highly decorated with special limestone and even gold, chances are it was the first to be looted or possibly vandalised. The only problem would be that a capstone so immense and heavy cannot be easily removed or destroyed. It would actually seem close to impossible to do so without causing substantial apparent damage to the rest of the pyramid.

It is known that upon completion, the Great Pyramid and both its siblings were surfaced by white ‘casing stones,’ or flat-topped blocks of highly polished white limestone, adorned with drawings and hieroglyphic writings inscribed in gold. It is also known that in 1301 A.D, a massive earthquake loosened many of the outer casing stones, which were later carted away by Bahri Sultan Al-Nasir Nasir-ad-Din al-Hasan in 1356 in order to build the mosques and fortresses of old Cairo. Apart from the capstone of King Khafre’s (Chefren) pyramid which is somehow still covered in the ancient lighter limestone, all what visibly remains today from the three monuments is the underlying step-pyramid core structures.

Others claim that the Great Pyramid was never completed just like the seven-stepped Tower of Babel before it. But there seem to be a problem with this notion due to simple logical reasoning. Now, according to the fifth century BCE Greek historian, Herodotus, it took 30 years to complete the Great Pyramid — 20 years for building the structure plus 10 years prior to prepare the ground, the causeway, the passages, and the underground chambers. If a certain golden civilisation spent three decades mastering such an immaculately massive project with all its puzzling and flawlessly intricate details, why would they willingly leave it uncovered knowing that the capstone represented the last step and was actually considered the most important part of the construction?

Moreover, since no hieroglyphics or writings have ever been recovered from inside the Great Pyramid — other than the very few written later and not by the pyramid builders — then if the reason why the capstone isn’t there was, for instance, due to a sudden catastrophic event, the later literature would have noted it. Ancient Egyptians usually documented major and minor  historical events; and it seems reasonable that we would have found some clues somewhere by now. Especially that King Khufu belonged to the Fourth Dynasty and was followed by 26 other dynasties; in addition to the late Argead and the Ptolemaic dynasties, which ended with Ptolemy XV — the three-year old infant son of Cleopatra VII who was proclaimed co-ruler with her before Rome took over in 30 BCE.

Still, nothing of importance about the missing capstone has been mentioned during all this time. And until today, no one knows what happened to it; the same can be said about any mummified remains of Khufu. Some believe that the full power of the pyramid would only be completed with its capstone; that the true story of the Great Pyramid might never unfold as long as it is missing.

There is a mainstream conviction that little is known about Khufu or The Pyramid because the tomb has been robbed before it was first entered during the Arab reign by Caliph Al Mamoun in the ninth century. He was the one to break through the masonry since its original closing. The only thing found was in the King’s chamber: Not a regular sarcophagus, but a rude, unfinished granite “box” which was broken from one corner and without a lid or any inscription. As seen in the below photo, certainly not King-like. Why and how leave an unfinished box, steal a ten-ton cover, make the tremendous effort of taking it out through the narrow passages of the pyramid and then close the 20-ton swivel door? Definitely not some ‘grave robbers’.

The unfinished box with a broken corner and with no lid or
inscriptions was the only thing found inside the King’s Chamber

However, the gap here is by the thousands of years. Could it be during some later dynasties that all the remains were stolen or destroyed? But what would be their motif? And if really stolen, then where are the remains?

I often wonder if some secrets were not concealed during the time of Khufu himself; as I equally wonder if they possessed certain profound knowledge of pivotal importance which we still haven’t found.

With all the different theories and beliefs, the question if the pyramid did truly belong to Khufu is often raised and is definitely worth reflecting upon. What we know is significantly little; and the fact that all the found writings originate from a much different script and language than ours — which have been unspoken and dead for over 2500 years — makes deciphering quite an elusive task, while leaving us questioning its accuracy.

From a linguistic point of view, it is essential to consider that such scripts have gone through major transformations throughout the ages to get to how we understand them today. From Hieroglyphic to Hieratic, then from Demotic to the Greek-alphabet Coptic. In fact, according to the Egyptian scientist and author Dr. Moustafa Mahmoud in his educational documentary The Amazing Pyramid, the word “Khufu” itself translates into “God Almighty,” which might not necessarily be the name of the buried Pharaoh. But could very possibly be a spell or an oath of protection. If the word God is written on my tomb, it certainly does not mean that God himself is in the tomb, no?

Again, the many centuries made it almost impossible to reach any assertion. I truly hope one day during my lifetime this enigmatic riddle would be resolved.

Metal sticks on the summit was what this four-year-old kiddo had in mind
—  with mother in February 1981 probably during my first trip to the area

The Energy at the Top of the World



Back to our story…

It was a slightly windy night during which we spent about an hour and a half overlooking the breathtaking view from atop, entranced by sheer sublime beauty. I will always remember that otherworldly moment when I lay down with eyes closed and travelled back in time, thinking of all the people who once stood there, who they were and how different was life then. And of course, how many people [in the history of mankind] enjoyed special smokes on that very top.

I was equally contemplating the mysteries — discovered and still undiscovered — found in the elaborate, darkened subterranean chambers and the puzzling, secret geometrical passages scattered underneath us. And of course, the ferocious Sphinx guarding the entire area like a beast. What also came to mind then and there are the other 137 pyramids located across Egypt and the surrounding areas, which we still don’t know much about. Sudan, in actual fact, has even more pyramids. 

Most notably, I was inherently curious to know how such a gigantic, expansive construction was built; how on earth could they move a 70-ton stone like the one covering the King’s chamber without any machinery, trucks, or modern technology then accurately fit it with such extreme high precision and with meticulously calculated angles. The granite of the King’s chamber was actually transported from Aswan, hundreds of Kilometres away, through the Nile. The idea seems so mind-bending, some people had to attribute the efforts to ancient aliens.

Quantum anti-matter anti-gravity supernatural mind powers mayhap?

Remembering how this inspiring and majestic colossal pyramid survived more than five thousand years — maybe even more according to some theories — I was overwhelmed by a great sense of awe and admiration to those mighty Ancient Egyptians. When I opened my eyes and gazed at the stars they knew so much about, I couldn’t help but question the source of all the great knowledge they possessed. Other than the skilful construction, they pioneered in an abundance of fields like medicine, agriculture, and astrology. What they left us represent the cornerstone foundations of many of the sciences we know of today.

Sitting motionless on the uneven ancient rocks for several minutes while touching it with my hands, I could feel an unusual vibratory ‘energy’ emanating from the area. At the time, younger me was overwhelmed by the whole experience so didn’t think much about it. But I sort of knew down deep inside there was something different about the place, something intriguing. Soon after, I got interested in researching the history of the pyramids, educating myself on various related subjects — including Earth’s electromagnetic field, the Schumann Resonances, and Pyramidology.

One of the captivating topics was the unexplained and rather peculiar correlation of the three Pyramids of Giza with the Orion belt constellation. Along with four more pyramids found in Dahshour and nearby the Giza area, all seven pyramids fit the exact mirror image of Orion, which was associated with the Egyptian god Osiris. Not only that, but with the same scaled proportions; the Nile river and how it was located back then matches our own Milky Way galaxy in the sky.

More thorough information about this specific topic is covered in the Alexandria-born Robert Bauval’s bestseller, The Orion Mystery, as well as in the BBC documentary, The Great Pyramid: Gateway to the Stars, both from 1994.

The correlation with the Orion belt was also further discussed in the more recent five-episode documentary The Pyramid Code, where pyramid fields and ancient temples in Egypt among other ancient megalithic sites around the world were explored — looking for clues to matriarchal consciousness, ancient knowledge, and sophisticated technology.

Not so long ago when the Nile was passing right by the Pyramids.
Autochrome taken by Gervais Courtellemont and W. Robert Moore for
National Geographic, 1920s Egypt in Colours

Another related subject which has always interested me was the Curse of the Pharaohs. I believe that the curiosity started as far back as when I first read Tintin et Les Cigares du Pharaons as a young boy.

I learned later that the belief in those curses were brought to many people’s attention in 1922 when Archaeologist and Egyptologist Sir Howard Carter first opened the tomb of Tutankhamun. Discovered in the Valley of The Kings in modern day Luxor, it was the most intact Pharaonic tomb ever to be found, which had laid nearly undisturbed for more than three thousand years.

Inexplicably, the excavations were soon followed by the death of eight of Carter’s team members including his own employer, Lord Carnarvon, who died due to an infection from a mosquito bite in his cheek. At the exact moment of his death, all the lights in Cairo mysteriously went out. Then at two in the morning that same night Lord Carnarvon’s own dog howled and dropped dead. Carter’s canary was also attacked in its cage and died in the mouth of a cobra — the symbol of the Egyptian Monarchy.

“Death Shall Come on Swift Wings To Him Who Disturbs the Peace of the King” was engraved on the exterior of King Tutankhamen’s Tomb. Uncanny.

However, since the mid-twentieth century, many authors and documentaries have argued that curses are ‘real’ in the sense of being caused by scientifically explicable causes such as bacteria or radiation. As usual with the Ancient Egyptians, the mystery remained unravelled. But the correlations were too real and bizarre not to think about them, and even too eccentric to be considered coincidences.

Amusingly, I later found that Howard Carter was referenced in Hergé’s Tintin et Les Sept Boules de Cristal published in 1944. He was also honoured by Google back in 2012 on his birthday on May 9th by a “tomb-doodle”.

British archaeologist and Egyptologist, Howard Carter, upon the opening of
Tutankhamun’s tomb and sarcophagus in the Valley of Kings, 1922

Back to Reality



Back again…

The first few minutes of the new dawn unfolding in front and around us up there were magical. Those meditative, reflective few moments were followed by the morning prayers, which were echoing throughout Cairo’s 1000 minarets. Then we agreed that it was time to leave. Mission accomplished. Well, we still had to make it down, which turned out to be harder and even slightly more frightening than the way up — since we have our backs to the pyramid. To remain in focus, I often had to remind myself that it was not a Nintendo game and that I only had one life to spare. The sun had started to rise as the darkness faded, uncovering our camouflage. Halfway through, a lonesome policeman below spotted us before shouting something. Of course there were no other options but to keep descending while brainstorming what to say. Like the time it took us to reach the top, the descent also took us another 45 minutes.

Once down, he wanted to take us to the police station. Our averagely-clever alibi was to pretend that my friend was a tour guide and his girlfriend and I were French tourists. To play the role well, we started blabbing in French as the “tour guide” was trying to convince him of our victimless crime. Five minutes through, the policeman was still arguing, even refusing a small bribe. So I had to interfere and blurted out in Arabic:

“Listen man, I’m Egyptian like you. If you want to get people down, there are six Japanese men up there, go get them.”

Shocked, the poor guy froze for a moment, mumbled then left all grumpy and bribe-less.

Interestingly, years later with the widespread of the Internet, I found that young Japanese men wrote a guide on how to climb the Great Pyramid based on personal accounts and advices from successful climbers — written both in Japanese and English. Their motto to overcome the climb is “Never Give Up”. I wonder if our guests had anything to do with it.

It was 6 a.m. already when I went home to find my caring mother waiting by the door, drinking her too-early coffee and looking like she’s been worried sick. I recall my father being away, which was precisely how I could get away with such occasional after-hour adventures. Being the peaceful pre-mobile phone era — yes, I’m not that young — I also recall the poor woman had to call a couple of my friends, at home and quite late at night, just to ask about my whereabouts.  

I was all white and dusty from the climbing and all I could say to her before heading to shower was that we went horseback-riding at the Pyramids. 

One year later, I proudly confessed to both of my parents, which was of course met with: “My son has lost his mind” and “You could have easily killed yourself”. Both statements are somewhat true. But I hold that a life without trying new things and/or adrenaline-fuelled adventures is not really a life worth living. My motto is “Never give up and you will reach your destination.”

Until today my only wish is having a camera back then to document and commemorate this uncommon happening, along with our craziness, too. A picture from the top would have been a stunningly surreal Kodak moment, the photographer in me keeps reminiscing; even to the extent of considering the possibility of re-doing it someday armed with a camera. Writing this piece is the only evidence I’m leaving for our descendants.

Nevertheless, I felt exceptionally fortunate to share this rare encounter with my friends, knowing that not too many people have had the chance to do it. Actually we were the only ones in our circle who reached the summit of the Great Pyramid. It affected me in a truly profound way and left me feeling alive, rejuvenated, and with an ever-increasing curiosity to know more about Ancient Egypt and its intriguing golden civilisation.

Two centuries ago: Great grandfather, Hussein Cherif (middle),
with friends during an excursion to the Pyramids, circa 1890s.

Post-Climb Mania



With my growing interest in the endless mysterious tales surrounding Ancient Egyptians, soon after the same friend, Abbas, introduced me to a cool American researcher named Larry Dean Hunter. At the time he was hired by Richard Hoagland’s Enterprise mission — a space research institute that covers NASA, Cydonia, the Face on Mars, space anomalies, and unusual activities at the pyramids.

While feeding his own passion, Larry stimulated our sense of wonder and curiosity as he was the first to open our eyes on many things the average young Egyptian didn’t know much about — especially when the Internet was still taking its nascent steps. He always told us that the youth needed to educate themselves about Ancient Egyptians since it is the direct ancestral link to our own historical heritage. He also told us that not everything is known to the public and how there are some secrets still kept unrevealed, intentionally in some cases and unintentionally in others.

For three years Abbas and I use to meet Larry in the surrounding areas of the Giza pyramid complex when every few months he would come for research visits and stay with local friends. He was actually somewhat of a celebrity in the area. I remember enjoying many highly captivating, eye-opening conversations, oftentimes while horseback-riding between the Giza plateau and Sakkara under the glorious full moon.

Another night sometime late in 1997, the three of us even climbed the third pyramid of Menkaure (Mykerinus) together. Though that was a much easier task than overcoming its bigger and older sibling. You can see the three of us in the photo below along with two American researchers who had come to Egypt with Larry. It is known that the top of the second Pyramid of Khafre cannot be reached as i remains the steepest of the three pyramids. As mentioned earlier, it is also the only one still covered in the ancient lighter limestone.

Slowly but surely, we realised that what we were taught at schools about the pyramids being burial complexes for the dead was too basic and conventional while lacking any sort of reflective imagination. And since no mummies were ever found inside, some contemporary theorists refuted this idea, not believing this was their initial or sole function.

As the language and scripts changed multiple times over the different ages, it remains quite plausible that what is known today had been misinterpreted. It is also known of some Pharaohs who deliberately destroyed everything the previous dynasty(ies) has/have built or achieved. They likely also concealed any found knowledge to use it for their own advantage, such as controlling people for example. Besides, history books are more often than not written by the victors. So there is also that.

Again, we’re talking about thousands of years here and it’s practically impossible to unveil much. But we can keep asking questions.

The Great Pyramid from above

Around this same time with Larry, we got to personally know a man who lived and worked in the area. He one day shared with us that many years prior, a prominent official who was then the head of antiquities in Egypt and an American archaeologist friend took him to a nearby site in the area of Abusir, where there had been an excavation project led by a foreign research expedition. Then they ordered him to dig in a specific spot. After some brief effort, three sarcophagi were found and removed. Yet, only one made it to the public through the media. It looks like the official and his friend kept two of the sarcophagi while looking like international heroes who made an astounding discovery. The then-young man was given 500 L.E (around $30 in 2020’s rates) to keep his mouth shut.

I choose not to disclose the names of both men, for now at least. One, because I know their sons. Two and most importantly, because despite having heard similar stories about them from elsewhere, I cannot confirm the above testimony.

Now, as the same climbing friend reminded me lately, such reoccurring incidents distort our true understanding of history. According to the man, the three found sarcophagi belonged to a king, a queen, and a child; by revealing only part of the truth, the discovery’s recorded data will be missing and consequently misinterpreted, while the factual evidence will probably remain forever lost.

Let us remember that a distorted truth or half-truth is much worse than no truth. Echoing with George Bernard Shaw words: “Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance.”

The incomplete story of our missing capstone has quite a similar effect, leaving us with a mirage of interpretations to an incomplete puzzle.

Unfortunately, there is an enormous global black market for Ancient Egyptians’ mummies, relics, and ancient artefacts among other antiquities. Found or stolen, there is indeed an active trade going on, likely involving billions of dollars. So similar tales have been reoccurring for a long time; they are, in fact, still happening.

In 2017, for instance, five years after first publishing this piece, an entire diplomatic shipping container full of Ancient Egyptian artefacts dating back to various historical eras was smuggled outside of Egypt through Alexandria. While heading to Italy it was fortunately interrupted by Spanish police.

The recovered items included canopic jars — vessels or containers used during the process of mummification where the internal organs would be kept. According to Italian media, also five mummy masks, a statue of the goddess Isis, a black granite bust of goddess Sekhmet, a limestone head of god Amun, and a wooden sarcophagus. Plus over 21,000 golden coins along 151 miniature figurines. In addition to various alabaster and clay vases, pottery vessels, and ceramic tiles dating to the Islamic period as well as bronze and limestone statuettes. Quite the priceless collection, which any kind of money should not be able to acquire. Unsurprisingly, the operation was endorsed by yet another VIP government official. Surprise! This time the authority figure involved — there is always at least one — was an ex-Italian diplomat who ended up in prison.

Can you begin to imagine how many containers inevitably made it out of Egypt throughout the past, say, hundred years? It actually hurts just thinking about such inimical acts. The decent universal thing to do is to totally forbid buying and selling any type of invaluable historical antiquity, especially stolen ones.

Regrettably, this does not resonate with the philosophy of notable British auction house Christie’s. For in 2019 they sold a brown quartzite head of the God Amen with the features of the Pharaoh Tutankhamen (circa 1333-1323 BCE). The price was around US$ 6 million! Seriously. Who can really put a tag on a few-thousand-year-old artistic sculpture. As, where does the “market value” of such a sale comes from?

Egypt tried to stop the sale and reclaim its possession, but Christie’s went along with the auction anyway. The country followed by taking legal action and filing a lawsuit against the auction house, in hope to repatriate the antiquity and bring it home... where it belongs.   
   

Buddy Abbas and myself in grey T-shirts along with Larry Hunter and
two American researchers the other night we climbed the
pyramid of Menkaure — Cairo, 1997

Some Bizarre Facts



I had an inner hunch that whatever I had felt back then when connecting with the Great Pyramid during our nocturnal climb must have had some sort of explanation. Though at the time there was no tangible answer. I heard that being the historical megalithic structure that it is, and being geometrically shaped in the form of a pyramid, may indeed be the cause of a certain energy field that we may not know of. But I needed evidence and I needed facts. So this healthy curiosity led me to read several publications and watch more documentaries. And what I found was truly astounding.


I learned that the design of the pyramid encodes fundamental mathematical information about many forms and functions of the universe. The following are some of those mystifying factual measurements.

• The Great Pyramid is located at the exact centre of the land mass of the earth.

With it corners aligned with the four cardinal compass point, it is the most accurately aligned structure in existence facing true north with only 3/60th of a degree of error. The position of the North Pole moves over time and the pyramid was probably exactly aligned at one time.

• I also learned that the numbers Pi (3.14) and Phi (1.618 or the Golden Ratio) are repeatedly expressed in all the fundamental shapes, proportions and measurements of the construction. In other words, Scared Geometry.

For example, twice the length of one side of the Great Pyramid divided by its height equals Pi; and the height to base ratio is 0.636, which indicates that it is indeed a Golden Triangle, at least to within three significant decimal places of accuracy.

• The Great pyramid is the only pyramid to have been built with its four faces slightly concave.

With the centres of the four sides intended with an extraordinary degree of precision, it is the only eight-sided pyramid in the world. The effect is not visible from the ground or from a distance, but only from the air, and only under proper lighting conditions ― specifically during the spring and autumn equinoxes. This was accidentally discovered in 1940s by a British Air Force pilot named P. Groves who took the now-famous picture from above.

• The cornerstone foundations of the structure have ball and socket capabilities for dealing with heat expansion and earthquakes. No wonder it’s still intact after all those thousands of years.

• Due to the large amount of stone mass, the interior temperature is constant and equals the average temperature of the earth; 20 Degrees Celsius (68 Degrees Fahrenheit).

 • In addition to being one of the seven pyramids that correlate with the Orion constellation, another perplexing fact is how the southern shaft in the King’s Chamber pointed to the star Al Nitak (Zeta Orionis) in the constellation Orion, while the southern shaft in the Queen’s Chamber pointed to the star Sirius, circa 2450 BCE ― Sirius was associated with the Egyptian goddess Isis. The Descending Passage pointed to the pole star Alpha Draconis, circa 2170-2144 BCE. This was the North Star at that point in time, and no other star has aligned with the passage since then.

• The height of the pyramid times 10**9 equals average distance to sun. The length of the Jubilee passage times 7 times 10**7 is the mean distance to the moon. And the curvature designed into the faces of the pyramid exactly matches the radius of the earth.

• As illustrated in the documentary The Revelation of the Pyramid, If two circles are drawn, one around the Great Pyramid’s outside base and one on the inside, and the smaller circle length is subtracted from the larger circle length, it would give us a figure that is equivalent to the speed of light (299, 792, 458 m/s). However, the contemporary unit of measurement that is the metre was not defined until 1771; Ancient Egyptians measured in cubits ― between 444 mm and 529.2 mm long. Also the numbers were enthusiastically rounded up. So this one seems to be pure coincidence.

The above scrupulous, mind-blowing facts are only a fraction of what I could fit in this exposé. Yet there is an endless number of documentaries and publications revealing similar information all over the Internet for all to see. Some more trustworthy than others, so beware what to believe. 

Many mainstream scientists disregard all this information, stubbornly insisting they are mere meaningless coincidences. With such facts, numbers, and calculations, a perspicacious mind may be naturally inclined to wonder if there is no bigger meaning.

Could all the precise mathematical, geophysical, and astronomical measurements, which took 30 years to complete, solely exist for such a purpose as a burial site of a dead Pharaoh? As noted, not a single mummy was found inside the pyramid ― not even remains of one ― nor they were any writings or inscriptions on any of the walls. Why would they bother so much about the flawless extra-complex precision and angles then? What did they know or believe about the universe which made them synchronise with such correlations? And what was the pyramid’s true reason for being?

Now, if perhaps the pyramid was built as some kind of ode to the universe, how did they find out about the calculations? 

As previously noted, due to all these unanswered queries, some went further trying to make sense of all the information by claiming it was ancient aliens who built the pyramids. Others believe aliens helped humanity in the building. As magical as it sounds, there is no evidence to support any of that.

Then there are those who claim it was slaves who built the pyramid. But again, we know from recorded data that the builders were paid wages ― in the form of bread and beer rations. So these are nothing but unproven opinions or what may be known as “conspiracy theories”.

Speaking of, did you know that in Ancient Egypt workmen could take time off to take care of their wives and daughters when menstruating? Indeed. Well-preserved written records found at the site of Deir el-Medina showed evidence for health-care networks and benefits pertaining to workers during The Nineteenth Dynasty of Egypt and The Twentieth (1292-1077 BCE). They also took paid sick leaves. How civilised things were a few millennia ago.

The fact of the matter, however, is that these Aliens-Slaves opinions discredit Ancient Egyptians and the magnanimous effort they have made to create these marvels out of nothing. 

As for most of the academic community and orthodox Egyptology and Archaeology, they still have no further explanations other than the pyramid being just a tomb. How unoriginal.

While energetic gateways to the stars and spiritual portals to other transcendental dimensions may only seem like Hollywood’s science-fiction mythical fantasy productions to some, for others they are still more plausible. Considering that our Milky Way Galaxy ― consisting of all the planets, solar system, and billions of stars ― is just one of an estimate of 100 billion other galaxies that we know of in the universe; equally considering how a whole five millennia ago Ancient Egyptians knew quite a lot about stars and constellations. This leaves us with limitless possibilities which can only tickle the imagination. For imagination coupled with curiosity are humanity’s gateway to brilliance, and without them we wouldn’t achieve much. So with all the knowledge those advanced true believers of spiritual immortality, the underworld, and the after-life once possessed, we should all keep an open mind while striving to find more rational explanations and deeper truths.


Few months following publishing this piece I remember coming across a documentary titled Zero Point : Volume I - Messages From The Past. In it, British investigative writer Graham Hancock was speaking more or less the same language, which made me somewhat ecstatic. Hancock happened to have co-authored three books with the aforementioned Robert Bauval.

Around the same time I also remember joining a Facebook group called The Khemit School of Ancient Mysticism. Khemit is the ancient name of Egypt while Khemitology is the field of study into the alternative view of its history of research. It was founded by Abd’el Hakim Awyan, whom Larry knew in person and had told us about. What attracted me is how Khemitology seems more rich, colourful, mystical, and spiritual; also how it contradicts the academic field of Egyptology. Academia, after all, can very well be looked upon as a corporation of controlled knowledge in which no one is allowed to think outside of its preconceived box. You see, they first try to convince you there is a box, then they challenge you to think outside it. The truth is, there was never a box; there is no box and there never will be. Your only limitation lies in who you think you are — your ego. Or in the exact words of proverb from the Egyptian Book Of The Dead: “You are limited only by who you think you are.”


On a parallel note, check Choosing Art Over Corporate and Academia to know why I personally did just that. 

One more related topic to come across then was the mysterious Cocaine Mummies. What a truly intriguing topic that is. You see, two of the substances found in those mummies were known to be derived only from American plants — cocaine from Erythroxylon coca as well as nicotine from Nicotiana tabacum. If such compounds found their way to Egypt before Columbus, then mayhap transatlantic journeys were an actual possibility. Until today, no one has a solid answer or explanation.

Secret Societies and Science



What I found quite fascinating as well is how Freemasonry and the occult have always been rooted in Egyptian and Babylonian mysticism, including our glorious Great Pyramid.

Free Masons hold seasonal, semi-secretive gatherings at the pyramid because they believe in its power. While the Illuminati’s symbol is the singular all-seeing eye, dubbed the Eye of Providence, framed inside a pyramid’s capstone symbolising the enlightened few, i.e. The Illuminati. A favourite topic for conspiracy theorists. The origin of this eye can actually be traced back to a much earlier powerful symbol in Egyptian mythology: The Eye of Horus, also known as Wadjet. Even appearing in both Buddhist and Hindu doctrine as the all-seeing third eye that watches over the world.

While the actual capstone of the Great Pyramid may be missing, we find it depicted in abundance elsewhere. Along the same Eye of Providence, the triangle can be seen on every dollar bill; even part of the Great Seal of the United States. The 13-stepped pyramid apparently represents the incomplete mankind while the “all-knowing” eye in the above detached capstone represents those who reign in power over the world and control its masses — supposedly through occultism. In Christian symbolism, the triangular capstone represents the Holy Trinity.

Speaking of ancient symbols, The Archaic Origin of the Swastika Symbol [with Photos] is yet another exposé of mine which you may dig.

Also on the dollar bill we can read “Novus Ordo Seclorum”, which translates into “New Order Of The Ages. It is synonymous with The “New World Order” some world leaders often fantasise about.

Now, when one percent of the population disproportionally owns 40 percent of our planet’s wealth and the power that comes along with it, we have to ask if that’s not what’s happening in the world today? How did it get to that? 

Could it be just another coincidence that the pyramid is linked to some secret societies while also depicted in their symbology? The reality is, they do reign over the world. They control the oil, the media, all major corporations, the wars and arms, Big Pharma and drugs, the global monetary system and banks. It’s actually quite absurd when thinking about how they are the ones who have been largely deciding the fate of humanity for some time now. No conspiracies here, for this is the actuality of things.

It was thought-provoking to learn from David Rothkopf, the American author who wrote the controversial book Superclass, that there are only about 6,000 people who are members of this “Superclass” running the world — economically and politically. That is one individual for every million.

It is equally alleged that these societies believe in opening portals between dimensions and practice ancient occultist rituals to reach the New World Order; of course with them as its leaders. Could there be some kind of arcane knowledge they possess or certain ‘energy’ they attempt to control, which is related to our missing capstone and Ancient Egyptians who for thousands of years did also rule over the world?

Perhaps there exists some forbidden knowledge granting this elite minority such substantial power and superiority, making them control the world in such an obviously-unjust way. Probably, however, is just pure money and power coupled by a fascination with such a golden civilisation.

Nevertheless, now that I am older and hopefully also wiser, I personally no longer believe we are so controlled in such a sense, by anyone. For the world or reality in general are far more complex to be so black or white. It is, in fact, disempowering to embody such a victim mentality. For we are as free as much as we believe to be. And, at the very end, we create our own reality; we are our very own authority. Then again, the “enlightened” earthlings are those who are the richest and most powerful? Are we sure about that?

In search of a clearer understanding, I finally wanted to know what science has to say.


While doing some research before writing this investigative exposé, I came across a German-born British inventor by the name of Sir William Siemens (1823-1883). He once climbed to the top of the Great Pyramid, taking a bottle of wine along. It seems that everybody wants to party once they got there. But instead of having six Japanese men to share a toast with, trouble ensued. 

One of the local guides with Siemens noticed that when raising his hands with outspread fingers, he could hear an acute ringing noise. Siemens then raised his own forefinger and felt a distinctive pickling sensation. When he tried to take a sip from the wine he received an electric shock. Being a scientist, he moistened a newspaper and wrapped it around the wine bottle to convert it into a Leyden jar, or a device that ‘stores’ static electricity between two electrodes on the inside and outside of a glass jar — an early form of capacitor. When he held it above his head, sparks were emitted from the bottle. This frightened one of the guides who thought Siemens was up to some witchcraft and attempted to seize his companion. Siemens then pointed the bottle towards the guide, which gave him such a shock that knocked him to the ground, almost rendering him unconscious.

The guide should have opted for a sip of wine instead. I wonder if they did consume the bottle after all. 

The energy I felt must have been real.

Random toast in 1940 by what appears to be a group of foreigners
plus one guide at the very back who is the only one drinking Coca Cola
rather than booze. Salute!

As demonstrated by Dr. Moustafa Mahmoud in the Amazing Pyramid documentary, studies showed that meat, milk or fruits kept in the King’s chamber of the Great Pyramid will not rot. The same for seeds planted inside which will grow faster than if they were outside.

Pyramid Power was first discussed by a French occultist, Antoine Bovis, in the 1930s. Later, by a Czechoslovakian radio engineer named Karel Drbal, who made a small model with the same proportions of the Great Pyramid and proved that with the right alignment to the North, a razor blade placed in the upper third area will keep its sharpness much more than a regular blade. He explained that without any mechanical, thermal, chemical or electrical energy, the pyramid shape draws the electromagnetic field of the Earth, which maintains the sharpness of the blade while stopping the food from rotting. It is reported that Drbal shaved with one blade 200 times. He also obtained a patent for the invention, even though the whole concept of his breakthrough discovery was openly borrowed from Ancient Egyptians.

A little sceptic, Dr. Mahmoud repeated the experiment himself with a red apple to find that instead of the usual one week, it remained intact for three months; not fresh but still red and definitely not rotten. He also repeated it with milk, which was transformed to yoghurt with time and never went bad.

More extensive researches were done by the Architect and Egyptologist Dr. Sayed Karim. His son, Dr. Ibrahim Karim, later provided evidence that the subtle energy caused by the geometrical figure is what stops the replication of bacteria since it has preservation properties, hence the food doesn’t rot. He is also the founder of BioGeometry, the science dealing with the energy of shape used for balancing — a sort of Ancient Egyptian Feng Shui, if you will. Both scientists have many publications about this new yet ancient interesting field, with the latest being a book by Dr. Ibrahim called BioGeometry: Back To a Future For Mankind.

Having said that, if we now know that the Great Pyramid is indeed capable of producing and transmitting electromagnetic frequencies, perhaps it was initially intended to conduct or transfer energy; like a sort of a power plant. Underneath the Giza plateau are various underground water channels, which could have been used as a power source, as an electrical current known as physio-electricity. Physio-electricity can be defined as electricity obtained from the natural physical movements with the help of certain harnessing devices.

Just like the case with any matters that come from outside our norm and perhaps are also not fully understood, some conventional scholars consider these speculations to be pseudo-scientific based on sensational and inaccurate hypotheses. Mayhap more evidence will be revealed in the future to change such perspective. One must also consider that not many have climbed the Great Pyramid or have tried to “connect” with it first to be absolutely certain.

Generally speaking, there are some people, especially in academia, who refuse to even consider other possibilities. For they fear to entertain ideas that clash with their own beliefs, traditions, and privileges. In that regard, it seems to be indeed true that science is often misused, as Carl Sagan once said. To never consider the possibility that one could be wrong is, in fact, unscientific. This could eventually lead to scientism: not much different than any dogmatic religion.

Now, looking at how Graham Hancock and Robert Bauval are openly hated by conventional Egyptologists for daring to think outside the box and for asking questions should be a clue of how confined their thinking is. You do not have to agree with everything anyone says; simply let them say whatever they want without attempting to censor them and without getting defensive; then reply, counter, and retort all you want. Not angrily storm out of a debate with the man before even starting — as Zahi Hawass did Here. In truth, the act of censoring others stems from nothing but fear. Again, fear from what we do not know, the unknown. Interestingly, Hawass disliked Larry as well, probably for the same reason(s).  

You see, the true beauty of science is that it is a constant revolutionary act in itself. As a tool, it is a tentative, uncertain endeavour, which is always subject to revisions. True, unbiased science is not ashamed to admit that it doesn’t know all the answers; for it systematically self-corrects. That is how it keeps breaking new frontiers in our knowledge of reality; keeps improving and developing — forever evolving just like Mother Nature. For scientific truth is rarely final, but it is persistently evolving. Let us again remember that many great discoveries started out as mistakes and irresponsible dreams. Resonating with Jules Verne’s words: “Science, my lad, is made up of mistakes, but they are mistakes which it is useful to make, because they lead little by little to the truth.”

When pondering the topic of the pyramids I like to remember yet another quote by the genius inventor, physicist, and futurist Nikola Tesla: “If you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency and vibration.”

The energy was indeed there, but how did the Ancient Egyptians know about it thousands of years ago makes it seem unreal.

Geometrical shape keeps certain foods from rotting

Later Repercussions



Being the raconteur that I am, of course this climbing story became one of my favourites which I have told it many times throughout the past while. 15 long years have passed when I had just joined a Multinational company — my last job in the matrix. On my fourth day, the CEO called me to his office to say there are people from our head office with their clients who are hunting for a bi-lingual trainer for their new project launch in Canada. They would like to see me talk for ten minutes in English and French about whatever subject I may chose. I agreed and went to Google, trying to think of worthwhile ideas and prepare myself for the presentation. Then, this wicked real-life story just instinctively popped into my head, which I knew I could tell well.


As soon as I went into the meeting room I introduced myself to the audience, drew a pyramid on the board, and asked them what it was. When someone mentioned a triangle, I smilingly replied that, being in Egypt, the guess could be a little more accurate. Then I heard ‘a pyramid’. I had already grabbed their attention while also crushing the ice, and was ready to share my story in a mix of both languages: The climb. The six Japanese researchers. The descent by sunrise. The policeman. My mother. The presentation ended in about 10 minutes. They clapped and were all smiles before I greeted them and excused myself, chin up and quite satisfied with my performance.

The story was certainly not the kind they would hear in an average business interview. Also probably the natural way it was presented along my good command of the languages are what sold it, and myself with it.

Two days later was the weekend when I received a call from the CEO’s assistant: “We need your passport. You’re going to Canada on Monday for one month.”

Aside the fact that I had just joined them and to make it even more odd, I was going to Toronto — in an all-paid for trip — while the company has offices in 60-something other cities spread across 48 countries; yet this is where my then partner lived. Eerie.

The trip was a success and I fell in love with the city, which made me return six months later for a vacation. Another six months I decided to leave Egypt for TO. Throughout three years there, away from all my comfort zone and the toxic life one was leading due to passionless work, I reinvented myself, taking arts in general and writing in particular as vocations. We can safely proclaim that climbing to the top of the Great Pyramid was my ticket to North America as well as to health.


O‘ Life. The odds make me wonder if it was one of The Great Pyramid’s Blessed Curse.
 
A little more than a year later in 2012 I decided to write this piece, which was published on Conscious Life News — first, in its entirety, then as shorter excerpts. It was my first “research” exposé as well as the first to exceed 5,500 words. So it remains dear to me. As noted earlier, what you are mid reading herein is the newly polished version of 2020. 

With Yanni, one of the big guys in the organisation who was based in Greece,
at the Cairo Marriott a week before joining them, August 2009

The Open End



Pyramids are considered the most remarkable historical structures known to man, which have fascinated the entire world for thousands of years. They have always represented the greatness, ingenuity, and advancement of those ancient civilisations. Such marvels have captured the imagination of scientists, explorers, occultists, adventurers, and curious enthusiasts alike; from history and scientific discoveries in many fields, to cultic symbolism, numerology, popular culture, conspiracy theories, and personal experiences.

While Mesopotamian’s ziggurats, and the pyramids of Mexico, Peru, Nubia and China each tell the story of their builders and contemporaries, the Great Pyramid of Khufu and its missing capstone continues to be the most august, audacious, and mysterious of all.

The more we learn about the mystifying Ancient Egyptians, the more our curiosity and bewilderment increase. And even in today’s world of science and technology, we still do not know much about them. In fact, we have more unanswered questions now than we did a century ago. Still, unanswered questions are far less dangerous than unquestioned answers.

The pyramids are of pivotal importance for tourism in Egypt; for they represent a main source of national income. Apart from being a major component of the culture and history of this ancient country. One truly hopes they are all well taken care of. Be it new supervised excavations, further scientific research or routine restoration work, the chief focus should be on preserving such historical monuments, which were the cornerstone of this mighty civilisation.

After all, the pyramids did survive for more than five thousand years. So it is our duty towards humanity — our one and only World Order — and towards the generations to come to make sure they carry on being as intact and as mesmerising to the whole world. All the while striving to find more clues, explanations, and deeper truths.

Another useful step would be tightening the security on historical Ancient Egyptian items. Whether customs or around museums, doing so may help annihilate the baneful existing black market. So much has been smuggled out of the country already. The time has come to say enough.   

Will we ever decipher the codes, reveal the enigmas, and unravel the mysteries of this great long-lasting civilisation which reigned over the ancient world for so long? I sure hope so.

While the subject appears to always be shadowed by mystical tales and uncertain theories, I’m almost sûr et certain more discoveries will follow in the next decades. Captivated by its charmingly obscure secrets, some people dedicate their entire lives to studying and researching the pyramids, and one can wholeheartedly relate. Since it would be impossible to cover this rich, broad topic in a single piece or even a single book, I’ll end it with some wise words the same climbing friend, Abbas, who was living in Mexico when I was in Canada had sent me for my birthday:


“Keep that fire going on, for you will always reach your pyramid; there is one everywhere you go awaiting for you to climb it.”

Interestingly, in 2014 him and I met again in Los Angeles where we spent the following few years climbing yet another pyramid: a rather metaphoric one this time involving knowing our true selves to reach the Kingdom of Heaven. 

Then one night in 2016, him and Larry Dean Hunter passed by my place in Venice Beach for one heck of a reunion — 20 years after our climbing days. There was so much to talk and reminisce about, we must have spent about six or seven hours without taking a pause. There is absolutely nothing like finding those whose passions vibe with yours.  


Along with my few days at the Don Jail, Surviving Sakarana (Hyoscyamus muticus, aka Deadly Nightshade), and Out-of-Body Experience and Ego Death on a “Heroic Dose” of Mushrooms, climbing to the top of the Great Pyramid undoubtedly remains one of my top five wacky life rides... for now. 

 Old friends reunited two decades later: With Ahmed Abbas
and Larry Hunter in Venice Beach, California, 2016

Sources:

Book by Robert Bauval: The Orion Mystery

Book by David Rothkopf: Superclass

Book by Dr. Ibrahim Karim: BioGeometry: Back To a Future For Mankind

Documentary with Dr. Moustafa Mahmoud (Arabic): The Amazing Pyramid 

BBC documentary: The Great Pyramid: Gateway to the Stars 

Documentary: The Pyramid Code

Documentary: The Revelation of the Pyramid 

Documentary by Graham Hancock: Zero Point : Volume I - Messages From The Past 

Talk by Abd’el Hakim Awyan

Article with stolen container items: Italian media 

Article for legal action against Christie’s sale of King Tut Sculpture 

Facebook group: The Khemit School of Ancient Mysticism

Video of Zahi Hawas refusing to debate Graham Hancock or Robert Bauval 

One Lucky Soul Article: Choosing Art Over Corporate and Academia 
 
One Lucky Soul Photo-article: 1920s Egypt in Colours 

One Lucky Soul Photo-article: The Archaic Origin of the Swastika Symbol [with Photos]

ALSO VIEW:

Surviving the Madness of Sakarana — Hyoscyamus muticus (aka Deadly Nightshade)

Banged Up Abroad — My Few Days @ The Don Jail

Banged Up Abroad — A Night @ The London Police Station

Out-of-Body Experience and Ego Death on a “Heroic Dose” of Mushrooms

The Archaic Origin of the Swastika Symbol [with Photos]

The Millennium Eve Spent Alone at the Mosque

Choosing Art Over Corporate and Academia

My Great Uncle The Spy — The Suspenseful Life of Refaat Al-Gammal (aka Jack Beton)

The Night We Turned ‘Beast Mode’ On

Stop-n-Search That Hippy

The Night I Became a Stripper in Spain 

Not Sleeping With a French Hooker at 14

Funny Drug-Related Stories

Funny Drug-Related Stories 2

Funny Hotel-Related Stories

Placebo Effect & The LSD Prank

A Dollar & Thirty Four Cents in Me Pocket and Feeling Fine