Hey there,

This week has been nothing short of extraordinary. While much of the world was wrapping up Halloween festivities, dressed as mythical and fictional characters, Egypt stepped into the spotlight the very next day with something real. The Grand Egyptian Museum opened its doors, not with costumes, but with Egyptians wearing the attire of their own ancestors. It was as if Egypt was sending a message to the world: our heritage is not a costume; it is a legacy we live.

For generations, ancient Egyptian culture has been borrowed, diluted, misunderstood, and showcased far from its homeland. Artifacts have been collected, displayed, and interpreted through foreign eyes. But the Grand Egyptian Museum stands as a turning point. It challenges that colonial narrative and proves that a nation is more than capable of preserving, honoring, and telling its own history on its own land, with its own voice.

So the next time someone attempts to dismiss your roots or question the authenticity of your identity, remember the Grand Egyptian Museum, built by Egyptian hands, shaped by Egyptian minds, and carried by a history that never needed anyone else to speak for it.

We hope you enjoy reading!

Warm regards,

Mirna Abdulaal

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Spotlight

^{Meet Rawan Salama}

There was a lot of talk this week about the pride of being Egyptian, and rightfully so. But perhaps our pride shouldn’t rest only on the shoulders of our ancient ancestors; it should also extend to the artists and creatives of today. There is something powerful about seeing local artists express Egypt in colors, textures, and forms that are entirely their own. Their work carries the pulse of this country. Because Egypt, at its heart, has always been a land of color, whimsy, and imagination, and sometimes, nothing captures its soul better than a simple stroke of paint or a piece of art created by one of its own. Rawan Salama is a children’s book author, illustrator, and full-time painter whose work celebrates curiosity, colour, and storytelling. Through her visual diaries and playful brushstrokes, she documents everyday moments, turning them into heartfelt stories that blend imagination with real life. Discover her work here.

Speaking to Egyptian Streets, Rawan shared more about her cultural picks and work below:

How did you develop your own style over time?

My style is constantly evolving; I like to think of it as a living thing that grows with me. I get inspired by everything around me, from people to places to random daily moments, so I'm always experimenting and learning. It's never fixed, just ever-changing and playful. It is definitely connected to my emotions: if I'm happy, colors are bright and fun; if I'm sad, colors are dull and reflect my true feelings.

Are there certain habits or rituals that help you find inspiration?

I'm always taking pictures of tiny details that catch my eye, whether it's a drop of water shaped like a chicken or a pattern on a bus seat. I also carry a pen everywhere, doodling whenever I can. These small rituals help me stay curious and keep my creative flow alive.

How does Egypt influence your work?

Egypt is an art piece in itself, full of rhythm, faces, colors, and stories. The sounds, humor, and even the random color combinations and odd shop signs all find their way into my work. And, of course, there's the beautiful chaos, like a passionate director of the most cinematic scenes around every corner.

What makes art and design from Egypt and the MENA region different in your view?

We carry culture in our bones. Everything we do, from our gestures to our crafts, is expressive and layered with history. There's so much warmth, character, and emotion in how people here communicate visually, and that gives our art an unmistakable soul.

Is there a particular project that you want to highlight?

I'd highlight my "Postcards & Love Letters" project, a visual love note to Egypt and the places that have shaped me. This one started with just a simple thought “How come we don’t have any cool postcards back home?” I've also been building a visual diary from my travels, capturing everyday moments that feel poetic or nostalgic. Both projects remind me why I fell in love with storytelling through art in the first place.

Feature

^{An Egyptian Cleopatra?}

For far too long, Egyptian history has been told to global audiences through voices that are not Egyptian. It is time to change that. Egyptians remain one of the most underrepresented groups in Hollywood and in American culture at large. The same cannot be said for others in the region, particularly Israelis, who have gained far greater visibility and access. The casting of Cleopatra, once again, without an Egyptian or even a Greek-Egyptian actress, is a clear reminder of the structural barriers that people of color, especially those from the Global South, continue to face in the American entertainment industry.

There exists a stark privilege gap: some non-American actors, like Gal Gadot and many others, find Hollywood doors wide open, while African, Arab, and Asian performers are met with walls that seem intentionally built to exclude them. And the only way to dismantle this cycle is through real, unapologetic representation, by telling our own stories, in our own voices, on our own terms.

Read the article here.

^{Maintaining ‘Egyptian-ness’}

Living far from home poses real challenges for diasporic Egyptians who seek to maintain their “Egyptian-ness.” In Australia, for example, Egyptians are dispersed across suburbs, making communal gathering and cultural anchoring difficult. Museums emerge as rare points of connection. Institutions like the Chau Chak Wing Museum, with its Egyptian antiquities, offer more than historical display. For Egyptian migrants and their children, these collections provide emotional ties to home, the familiar feeling of rootedness, and a counter-point to isolation.

Yet the role of museums must evolve. Rather than simply presenting ancient artifacts, they need to include modern Egyptian diasporic narratives, from the labors of Egyptian workers on excavations to the ways second-or third-generation Egyptian-Australians engage (or disengage) with their heritage. These institutions can become platforms not only of preservation but of belonging, making visible the modern Egyptian experience abroad and thereby helping communities bridge the gap between geography and identity.

Read the article here.

What to Read

^{King Tutankhamun}

He was only a child, yet that child became a king. The story of Tutankhamun, and the breathtaking discovery of his tomb, continues to enchant imaginations across the globe. It remains firmly etched into the memory of world history, impossible to erase, no matter how time moves on.

Preserving this story is not only the work of museums, but also of the Egyptologists who commit it to paper. Among their contributions stands one of the most beautifully illustrated books ever published on the boy king’s tomb. This volume guides readers through the chambers of Tutankhamun’s burial site, just as Howard Carter first encountered them, revealing the splendor of each artifact as it came to light. 

Read more here.

What to Listen to

^{Nubian Music}

One of the most remarkable moments at the opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum was the inclusion of Nubian songs, a powerful tribute to Egypt’s linguistic and cultural diversity. What made it even more meaningful is that it wasn’t about polished studio productions or celebrity performers. Instead, it was the music of everyday life, the kind sung in village gatherings, on riverbanks, and in neighborhood streets.

And if you ever find yourself tired of the endless playlists on Spotify or Anghami, there’s something special waiting elsewhere. YouTube, in its own unpredictable way, has become a digital archive of these raw, unfiltered sounds, songs that might have faded into silence if not for a stranger who decided to record, upload, and unknowingly preserve a piece of Egypt’s soul.

Listen here.

What to Watch

^Nefertiti

When people think of Nefertiti, the first image that surfaces is her beauty, poised, timeless, and impossibly perfect. Yet behind that beauty lies a sorrow. As the old saying goes, beauty can be a curse, inviting admiration but also unwanted desire. Today, the bust of Nefertiti draws millions of eyes in Berlin, while Egypt, her home, feels her absence along the banks of the Nile.

This sculpture is the heart of a century-old debate, one entangled in questions of law, heritage, and justice. Who has the right to hold the treasures of history? And does beauty truly belong to those who possess it, or to the land and people from which it was born?

Watch it in Egypt here and in the US here

^{The Latest Secrets of Hieroglyphs}

Embarking on a scientific expedition deep within Egypt’s largest Pharaonic tomb, a new generation of Egyptologists are driven by a desire to reveal the secrets buried in its walls. Inside the dimly lit chambers, surrounded by silence and stone, they focused on mysterious hieroglyphic inscriptions that had puzzled historians and archaeologists for decades. 

With advanced technology, they aimed not only to decode the symbols, but to understand the people who carved them, such as their beliefs, their fears, and the messages they hoped would survive eternity. 

Watch it in Egypt here and in the US here

What to Eat

^{New Tabali Branch}

To celebrate the opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum, Tabali invites you to enjoy the flavors of authentic Egyptian cuisine at their Egyptian Museum branch in El Tahrir. From November 1 to 7, they’re offering 50% off all menu items. Known for serving Egypt’s beloved everyday comfort food, Tabali now brings those familiar tastes to a setting surrounded by the nation’s most monumental history.

Find out more here.

What to Visit

^{Leffi Beena Ya Donia}

For the first time ever in Egypt, the iconic trio, Mohammad Dayekh, Hussein Kaouk, and Hussein Dayekh, are bringing their chaos, charm, and killer punchlines from Lebanon straight to CJC 610’s stage! Their latest stand-up show, Leffi Beena Ya Dunya, is landing in Cairo, and it's bigger, bolder, and absolutely unfiltered.

Find out more here.

Saudi Spotlight

^{Saudi Arabia’s History}

Located in Riyadh’s Al Murabba district, the National Museum of Saudi Arabia is a key cultural landmark and a welcoming entry point into the Kingdom’s rich history.

It is part of the King Abdulaziz Historical Centre, making it an important site both in location and in the story of Saudi Arabia.

The museum is easy to reach. It’s a short walk from the National Museum metro station, and there is parking available for visitors coming by car.

Read more here.