The joy of Eid As Eid Al-Fitr approaches, Khaled El-Fiqi captured Egyptian women who prepare kahk (cookies filled with honey or nuts) using a traditional oven in Tanta, some 100km north of Cairo. They are perpetuating an ancient tradition of celebrating Eid Al-Fitr that goes back to the Fatimid era. The Press Syndicate, presided over by Makram Mohamed Ahmed, approved granting its new award, entitled "Pioneers in Journalism", added this year to the award of "Excellence in Journalism", to Al-Ahram Weekly Founding Editor-in-Chief Hosny Guindy and Al-Ahram writer Mustafa El-Baradei. Among other journalists who received the award are Galal Eissa and Mahmoud Awad Mustafa from Al-Akhbar newspaper, Nagui Qamha and Ahmed Toghan from Al-Gomhuriya newspaper, veteran writer and Al-Ahram Weekly co-founder Louis Greiss from Rose El-Youssef newspaper and Mohamed Abdel-Gawad Mansour from the Middle East News Agency. Last Tuesday, Al-Ahram Weekly 's shrewd columnist Salama Ahmed Salama was granted an order of merit by German President Horst Köhler for his relentless efforts in supporting Egyptian- German relations. On the occasion, a reception was held at the residence of German Ambassador in Cairo Bernd Erbel, attended by an array of celebrities. Grand Mufti Sheikh Ali Gomaa was the guest of honour at the annual Iftar Party hosted by the Indian Ambassador to Egypt R Swaminathan at his residence in Zamalek. The banquet was attended by a plethora of Egyptian and foreign diplomats, senior officials and media personalities, such as Al-Ahram daily newspaper writers Aicha Abdel-Ghaffar, Kamal Gaballah, Al-Ahram Weekly International page editor Gamal Nkrumah and People page editor Reham El-Adawi. American University in Cairo President David Arnold, Egypt's former ambassador to Israel Mohamed Bassyouni as well as head of the Fine Arts Sector Mohsen Shaalan and artist Mohamed Abla were all present. The party was enlivened by the Sufi sounds of a folk dance and music troupe from the Indian state of Rajasthan. Dar Al-Shorouq Publishing House, presided over by Ibrahim El-Muallim, held its annual Iftar party at the Grand Hyatt Hotel Farhati Hall. The Iftar was crowned by the presence of US Ambassador to Egypt Margaret Scobey, Moroccan Minister of Culture Salem Hemesh, former foreign minister Ahmed Maher, Secretary-General of the National Council for Human Rights Ahmed Kamal Abul-Magd, columnist Salama Ahmed Salama, spouse of the German ambassador to Egypt Maye Erbel, Mark Linz and Nabila Aql from the AUC Press, Editor-in- Chief of Al-Ahram Democracy magazine Hala Mustafa, veteran writers Sanaa El-Bissi and Naem El-Baz, journalists and TV presenters at Dream Channel Ahmed El-Meslemani and Wael El-Ibrashi, renowned cartoonist Mustafa Hussein, shrewd media figure Hamdi Qandil, media figure Rawia Rashed, TV presenter Azza Mustafa and actor Ezzat El-Alaili. The Libyan Embassy in Cairo held a prestigious reception at the Cairo Marriott Hotel's Aida Hall on the occasion of celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Al-Fateh Revolution. Attending the reception was a bevy of high-profile personalities, among them Libyan official Ahmed Gaddafi Al-Dam, former prime minister Atef Ebeid, Minister of State for Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Moufid Shehab, Minister of Manpower Aisha Abdel-Hadi, head of the People's Assembly Foreign Relations Committee Mustafa El-Feki, as well as head of the National Specialised Councils Kamal El-Shazli. photos: Ayman Barayez The Association of Children with Cancer Friends, presided over by Faten Naguib, organised a charitable Sohour (pre-dawn meal) at the garden of the residence of German Ambassador to Egypt Bernd Erbel and his wife Maye. The meal was attended by a galaxy of high-profile figures and celebrities, including former minister of state for environmental affairs Nadia Makram Ebeid, Gannat El-Beltagui, spouse of former minister of tourism Mamdouh El-Beltagui, Executive General of the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia Mervat El-Tallawi, veteran actor Hussein Fahmi and his wife, actress-cum-singer Leqaa Swedan, as well as members of the German community in Egypt. At the Sofitel Gezira Hotel, a thrilling Sohour was held for the cast of the Ramadan TV series Afrah Eblis (Joys of the Devil), starring talented Syrian actor Gamal Suleiman and budding TV stars Aiten Amer, Marwa Hussein and Donia Fouad, scripted by Mohamed Safaa Amer and directed by Hosni Ghoneim. Celebrating the success of her Ramadan TV series Al-Bawaba Al-Thanya (The Second Gate), directed by Ali Abdel-Khaleq, veteran actress Nabila Ebeid held a sumptuous Sohour at the Grand Hyatt Hotel. An array of celebrities attended the party, including head of the Egyptian and Arab Writers' Union and Editor-in-Chief of Al-Ahram Hebdo Mohamed Salmawy, Moroccan Ambassador to Egypt Mohamed Farag Al-Dokali, actor Mustafa Fahmi and his wife, actress Rania Farid Shawqi, talented singer Asala and her husband director Tarek El-Erian, actors Farouk El-Fishawi and Hani Salama, actress Nadia El-Guindi, singer Sherine Abdel-Wahab and belly dancer-cum-actress Lucy. The gathering was enlivened by Lebanese singer Assi Al-Hillani and Jordanian singer Diana Karazon. Shababik TV channel, in cooperation with Marriott Hotels, launched a new national campaign entitled Fi Hobbek ya Masr (In the Love of Egypt). The launch of the campaign was witnessed and supported by a galaxy of stars, high-profile figures and media figures that were honoured during the celebration. Among them were independent MP and Editor-in-Chief of Al-Osbou newspaper Mustafa Bakri, former Lawyers' Syndicate chairman Sameh Ashour, script writer Mohamed El-Gheiti, talented Syrian actor Gamal Suleiman, actors Hani Salama, Khaled Abul-Naga, Sherif Salama, Mohamed Ragab, Talaat Zakaria, Ahmed Rateb, Said Saleh, Samir Ghanim, Riyad El-Khouli and Ahmed Abdel-Wareth, actress Hayatem, veiled actress Sabrine, Tunisian actress Dorra, budding actor Shadi Shamel, talented actress Ghada Abdel-Razek and controversial director Khaled Youssef. The celebration was presented by budding actress Mayar El-Gheiti and media figure Hossam Abdel-Hadi. The attendees praised the campaign's objectives, including beautifying Egypt's streets, helping street children find new homes, helping disabled children, and putting an end to the negative environmental behaviours of Egyptians. photos: Abdel-Hamid Eid Ramadan nights at the Ramses Hilton Ayam wa Layaly (Days and Nights) tent featured singer Ahmed Fahmi and Lebanese singer Wael Gassar. Solidaire tent in Mohandessin presented a spectacular shaabi -- popular -- night enlivened by singers Saad El-Soghayar and Essam Karika. The highlight of the Cairo Opera House's Ramadan Music Festival was a thrilling concert featuring timeless Nubian singer Mohamed Mounir who rocked the opera stage, mesmerising 60,000 fans. The concert began at 11.30pm and lasted until the early hours of the morning with fireworks decorating the sky of Cairo. Mounir started the concert singing his new Ramadan song "Ramadan is Heaven" accompanied by children of the Talents Development Centre ballet class who were singing while carrying Ramadan lanterns. Prior to the concert, Mounir was honoured by the Opera House Director Abdel-Moneim Kamel. He sang around 20 songs drawn from across his 30-year long career. Mounir seized the opportunity to promote awareness among his fans about the precautionary measures they should follow to combat swine flu. A two-minute documentary on the long singing career of Mounir was screened in the background. The Opera House was obliged to print more tickets and add more seats to accommodate all of Mounir 's fans. For the first time in the holy month of Ramadan, the Maulana Azad Centre for Indian Culture (MACIC) organised, in collaboration with the Egyptian Ministry of Culture, three concerts featuring folk dance and music troupes from the Indian states of Chattisgarh and Rajasthan. The Cairo Opera House hosted the first show that was attended by Indian Ambassador to Egypt R Swaminathan and Opera House Director Abdel-Moneim Kamel as well as a large number of Egyptian and foreign diplomats. After the show, Swaminathan presented troupe members with flowers. The troupe gave the same performance at the Mubarak Public Library in Damanhour and the Sayed Darwish Theatre in Alexandria.
