Tag Archive
Cairo’s Museum of Islamic Art recovers its grandeur
Following years of neglect, the Museum of Islamic Art has undergone comprehensive rehabilitation not only of its building and interior design, but also of its exhibition design and displays. The MIA was first opened in 1881 with an initial display of 111 objects gathered from mosques and mausoleums across Egypt. Since then the museum has... »
New top Cleric appointed in Egypt
Image via Wikipedia Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak has named Sheikh Ahmed Mohammed Ahmed al-Tayeb as head of Al-Azhar, the country’s most prestigious seat of Islamic learning. Mubarak, who is recovering from gall bladder surgery in Germany, appointed Tayeb on Friday, nine days after the death of Sheikh Mohamed Sayed Tantawi, the previous head of the institution. Al-Azhar... »
Mount Sinai Ka’bah shrine suggested by Egyptian writer
Image via Wikipedia Progressive thinker, controversial figure and award-winning Egyptian writer Sayyed al-Qimni suggested in an interview with an Egyptian television listings magazine that a religious shrine on Mount Sinai would provide an affordable alternative destination for poor pilgrims as well as generating an income of more than £3bn for his country. He also said it... »
Female polygamy article generates controversy
A member of the Egyptian parliament has filed a lawsuit over an article questioning why polygamy is allowed for men in Islam but not for women. Published in the independent newspaper Al Masry Al Youm, the article “My four husbands and I” by Nadine al-Bedair suggests that polygamy should either be allowed for both men... »
Swiss voters approve ban on minarets in referendum
Image via Wikipedia Switzerland voted to ban the construction of new minarets on Sunday, a surprise result certain to embarrass the neutral government and which the justice minister said could affect Swiss exports and tourism. The Swiss news agency ATS and other media said about 57.5 percent of voters and all but four of the 26... »
14th century Cairo mosque restored
Developers unveiled the restoration of a 650-year-old mosque in Cairo’s old city, part of an effort to revitalize the impoverished district and boost tourism to the country’s treasure trove of Islamic sites. The three-year, $1.4 million project restored the Aslam al-Silahdar Mosque, built in 1344-1345 by Aslam al-Bahai, an amir or nobleman who rose to... »
Egypt cleric: ‘Niqab merely a tradition’
Image via Wikipedia Sheikh Mohamed Tantawi, dean of al-Azhar university, said full-face veiling (niqab) is merely a tradition that has nothing to do with the Islamic faith. Although most Muslim women in Egypt wear the Islamic headscarf, increasing numbers are adopting the niqab as well. The niqab question reportedly arose when Sheikh Tantawi was visiting a girls’... »
Put on your pants, ladies
Image via Wikipedia Egypt’s top Islamic authority defended women’s rights to wear trousers in public. In response to a question deemed by the cleric as “strange and weird”, Grand Mufti Ali Gomaa said that trousers covering women’s bodies are permitted, though they should be loose and not see through. He specified that “stretch” pants were in... »
Islamic monuments to reopen in Cairo
Image by future15pic via Flickr The Supreme Council of Antiquities announced the reopening of five Islamic monuments in the Al-Darb Al-Ahmar area of Cairo. The Al-Imam mosque, the Al-Layth mosque, the Al-Set Meska mosque, the Ali Labib house and the well zone of Youssef at the Salah El-Din Citadel have all been undergoing restoration work, which cost... »
Hawass comments on non Pharaonic monuments
The article has beautiful photographs of mosques. “People always accuse me of not liking the Islamic monuments because I always talk about the Pharaonic antiquities, but this is only because this is what I know. I do not know lots about the Islamic monuments, so people do not see me talking about them. However, the... »
