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Marvelous Melokiyah

With its location at the northeast corner of the African continent, Egypt is truly a crossroads of Middle Eastern and North African cuisine.  Very few foods are completely unique to Egyptian cooking and perhaps the most unusual of these foods is the green known as Melokiyah. 

The plant commonly known as melokiyah to the Egyptians is known in the botanical realm as Corchorus olitorius and is known in English as Jew’s Mallow.  A member of the plant family Tiliaceae, it is common around the world as secondary source of the fiber crop, dark jute.

In Egypt, Melokiyah prepared as a soup is believed to be an ancient peasant soup from the time of the pharaohs and is portrayed in tomb paintings.  Every peasant had a small plot of land for his own use and in the summer months, this was used exclusively for the cultivation of melokiyah, with its dark green leaves and small, yellow flowers. This custom is continued today, making melokiyah a staple food in contemporary Egypt.  And no wonder, considering the nutritional value of this vegetable plant. A low calorie food with 43-58 calories/100 gms, C. olitorius contains calcium, phosphorus, iron, sodium, potassium, beta-carotene, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin and ascorbic acid.  The folic acid content is substantially higher than other folacin-rich vegetables. It is eaten as a medicinal vegetable from Tanzania to Egypt, providing folk remedies for ailments such as aches and pains, dysentery, enteritis, fever, pectoral pain and tumors. Elsewhere, the leaves are used for cystitis and gonorrhea.  A cold infusion of the leaves is believed to improve appetite and restore strength.   

Today, melokiyah is still a food of ordinary people. Egyptians find it hard to believe that foreigners would be interested in sampling such a common dish, much less develop a fondness for it.  The best Melokiyah is found in Upper Egypt, in Aswan and Luxor.  And at that, it maybe difficult to find, as many restaurants will always have a pot going on the cooker in the kitchen for the staff, but it will not appear on the menu.  Don’t be afraid, just ask your waiter for a fresh bowl of Melokiyah and he will be happy to oblige! 

Because of its popularity as a baladi or home-style dish, there is a variety of ways to prepare the melokiyah leaves.  Fresh is best, however finding them may prove difficult for the Westerner.  If you do find yourself acquiring a taste for this gelatinous soup – the properties of  melokiyah are similar to okra – you will do best to look for it dried or frozen, from Middle Eastern specialty markets or the international department of very large supermarkets.  

Fresh melokiyah leaves can be chopped very finely. An alternative method is to shave the leaves, which is called mahluqa.  This is accomplished by using a very sharp knife to shave the leaves into very thin strips and is well liked by connoisseurs of the plant. 

Melokiyah is generally considered to always be prepared as a soup, unless the recipe specifies Melokiyah Burani, where the leaves are cooked and served whole with beef cubes.  It may also be prepared “bil-samak” – with fish. 

Basic Melokiyah soup is prepared with a good meat or vegetable stock, onion, lemon juice, cardamom and ta’liya, which is garlic fried with salt and coriander in cooking oil.  A tasty but less mucilaginous substitute for melokiyah is spinach. 

Basic Melokiyah

•  2 pounds frozen or dried Melokiyah

• 1 onion, cut in half

• 1  bay leaf

• 4-5 cardamom grains

• 5 pound chicken ( or 2 smaller chickens)

• 15-20 garlic cloves, crushed

• 1 Tb coriander powder

• 1 Tb lemon juice

• cooking oil

• salt

• cooked rice

Boil water with onion, salt, bay leaf and cardamom tied in a muslin bag, then add the chicken and cook until tender.  Remove chicken, cut into neat joints and fry. 

Discard the muslin bag and mash the onion.  Boil the soup stock, add the melokiyah, adjust the seasoning and simmer for 3-5 minutes. Do not overcook, as the melokiyah will lose its ability to be suspended in the broth and fall to the bottom of the pot. 

Mix crushed garlic with salt and coriander (ta’liya) and fry until golden. Toss into the boiling melokiyah and simmer for 2 minutes. Add lemon juice. 

Place the cooked rice at the bottom of the serving bowl, add a piece of chicken and cover with the soup.  

Ras Mohamed Protected Area

Location: Gulf of Aqaba Area: 480 km2  Type: Marine Reserve  Year of establishment: 1983  Objective: Protection of marine and terrestrial wildlife  Management: The Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency (EEAA).  Boundaries:  The boundaries of this National Park extend from a point opposite the Qad Ibn Haddan lighthouse on the Gulf of Suez to the southern boundary of the Nabq Protected area on the Gulf of Suez. The area includes the island of Tiran and all shorelines fronting the Sharm el Sheikh tourism development area.   Geographical aspects: Ras Mohammed is the headland at the southern most tip of the Sinai Peninsula, overlooking the juncture of the Gulf of Suez and the Gulf of Aqaba. The islands of Tiran and Sanafir are part of the site. Littoral habitats include a mangrove community, salt marshes, inter-tidal flats, a diversity of shoreline configurations and coral reef ecosystems that are internationally recognized as among the world's best. In addition a diversity of desert habitats such as mountains and wadis, gravel plains and sand dunes. Flora: Sea-grass beds and mangrove trees. Fauna:  More than 200 species of corals, where 125 species are soft corals, around 1000 species of fish, 40 species of star fish, 25 species of sea urchins, more than a 100 species of mollusc and 150 species of crustaceans.  Ras Mohammed is important as a bottleneck for migratory soaring birds. The majority of the world populations of white stork Ciconia ciconia pass through this area. The islands of Tiran and Sanafir hold important breeding populations of the threatened and endemic White-eyed Gull Larus leucophthalamus and Osprey Pandion haliaetus. The island of Tiran has one of the largest recorded Osprey populations in the Red Sea. The threatened Green Turtle Chelonia mydas and Hawksbill Turtle Eretmochelys imbricata occur off Ras Mohammed regularly. The threatened mammal species include Dorcas Gazelle Gazella dorcas, Nubian Ibex Capra ibex nubiana Tourist Attractions: Tourism in Southern Sinai is inherently linked to the natural resources of the area. Degradation of these natural resources as a result of tourism or development activities is not in the best interests of investors or tourists. The Protected areas program seeks to establish equilibrium between development activities, tourism and the natural resource conservation measures needed to achieve sustainable economic development. Due to Ras Mohamed’s geographical position, divers find almost permanent strong currents during all the year, which attracts larger fish. Beautiful beaches, extraordinary coral reefs and exciting dive sites make Ras Mohamed National Park a worthwhile visit. Unique Coral Reef ecosystem: Coral reef ecosystems found in the National Park are recognized internationally as among the world's best. This recognition is based primarily on the diversity of flora and fauna, clear warm water devoid of pollutants, their proximity to shorelines and their spectacular vertical profile. The reef exists as an explosion of color and life in stark contrast to the seemingly barren desert adjacent to it. In reality, the desert is rich in fauna, mainly nocturnal. These ecosystems are intrinsically linked and thus must be managed as a single unit.  The National Park offers outstanding coral reef and nature viewing experiences to the visitor. The Eel Garden, named for its population of garden eels at 20m, also provides excellent and calm conditions. The Main Beach, often crowded, remains one of the best locations to see vertical coral walls. Access is restricted to the left side of the bay. The Old Quay, often calm but having more turbid water, has some of the best shallow water reef structure. Marsa Bareika, newly opened with superior corals, calm water and excellent beaches. Mangrove Channel - Hidden Bay are the best locations to view resident or migratory birds such as Herons, White Stark, Osprey, etc. Mangrove Channel - Hidden Bay are the best locations to view resident or migratory birds such as Herons, White Stark, Osprey, etc.

The City of Alexandria

The Building of Alexandria

The second largest city in Egypt, Alexandria, known as "The Pearl of the Mediterranean",  has an atmosphere that is more Mediterranean than Middle Eastern ; its ambience and cultural heritage distance it from the rest of the country although it is actually only 225 km. from Cairo.

Founded by Alexander the Great in 331 BC, Alexandria became the capital of Graeco-Roman Egypt, its status as a beacon of culture symbolized by Pharos, the legendary lighthouse that was one of the Seven Wonders of the World.  The setting for the stormy relationship between Cleopatra and Mark Antony, Alexandria was also the center of learning in the ancient world. But ancient Alexandria declined, and when Napoleon landed, he found a sparsely populated fishing village.

From the 19th century Alexandria took a new role, as a focus for Egypt's commercial and maritime expansion. This Alexandria has been immortalized by writers such as E-M- Forster and Cavafy. Generations of immigrants from Greece, Italy and the Levant settled here and made the city synonymous with commerce, cosmopolitanism and bohemian culture.

Alexandria is a city to explore at random. It's as important to enjoy the atmosphere as it is to see the sights. 

Old Alexandria

Dinocrates built the Heptastadion, the causeway between Pharos and the mainland.  This divided the harbors into the Western and Eastern.  The Eastern harbor was really where the old harbor from the Middle Ages was located.

Of modern Alexandria, the oldest section is along the causeway which links what was once Pharos island with the mainland and includes the districts of  Gumrok (the oldest dating to about the 16th century and known as the customs district) Anfushi, and Ras el-Tin (Cape of Figs). The latter two districts date to about the period of Mohammed Ali (1805-49).  Collectively, these districts are known to westerners as the Turkish Quarter. They have had a number of ups and downs over the years, particularly due to the plague during the 17th century. The area forms somewhat of a T-shape, dividing the Eastern Harbor from the Western Harbor.

This section of Alexandria is known to us more from books then what we may actually see in the area. Where the Pharos Lighthouse once stood,  is now occupied by the Fort of Quit Bay (1) out on the area that circles up around the top of Eastern Harbor forming the eastern section of the top of the T.  Heading south from the Fort of Quit Bay, we come to the stunning Abu El-Abbas Mosque (2). West of this is the Anfushi Tombs (3), some of the oldest in Alexandria and well worth a visit.

Central Alexandria

The Underwater Discoveries Relatively new discoveries in the Eastern Harbor involve two different sites.  Around Fort Qaitbey the site has unearthed hundreds of objects, including what experts believe are the remains of the Pharos Lighthouse, one of the ancient wonders of the world In the south east part of the harbor archaeologists have apparently found the Royal Quarters, including granite columns and fabulous statues, including one of Isis and a sphinx with a head thought to be that of Cleopatra's father. There may vary well be an underwater exhibit in the future.

Heading towards the mainland  past the Abu El-Abbas Mosque and connecting with Shari Faransa street leads to the Suq district. Just before entering the district one finds the interesting little Terbana Mosque (4).  In the Suq district (5), one finds Alexandria's only surviving wakalas, which is a part of the El-Shorbagi Mosque complex founded in 1757.  This was also the area where Alexandria's Jewish community lived, but most have now migrated to Israel. Different areas have specialized in different goods and one may find all manner of products from jewelry to Medicinal plants (Suq El-Magharba) to Bedouin clothing (Suq El-Libia).

Continuing down Faransa one passes Midan Tahrir (6) and the street turns into Salah Salem, and finally connects with Al-Horreya. 

However, Midan Tahrir, popularly called Manshiya, has considerable history.  The areas was once home to Diplomats and known as Place Des Consuls, but after the statue of Mohammed Ali was placed here in 1873 the name was changed to Midan Mohammed Ali.  In 1882, it was bombarded by the British and all but destroyed.  The Alexandria Stock Exchange was once located here, and it was from the midan that Nasser announced the nationalization of the Suez Canal. 

The street named Al-Horreya (Tariq abd el-Nasser) which transverses the area from east to west was in ancient times the Canopic Way with the Gate of the Sun at the eastern end and the Gate of the Moon at the western end.  At that time, there were probably columns lining the road. The main north to south street, now Sharia el-Nebi Daniel, ran from the East Harbor all the way to Lake Harbor on Lake Mariout.  

Just south of the  intersection of Al Horreya and el-Nebi Daniel was the site traditionally thought to be the burial place of Alexander the Great, but that has not been located, and may in fact be beneath the Mosque of Nebi Daniel (7) or in a nearby Greek necropolis.  The famous Alexandria Library was probably nearby. However, the only real antiquities site that can be viewed in the area is Kom el-Dikka (8), a small Roman theater that has been excavated. Nearby is also a bath house of the era.  To the east is the Antiques District where dealers sell antiquities, books, old weapons and furniture.  Here is also the Attarine Mosque, which was once a church dedicated to Athanasius.

Further south along the tramway is Popey's pillar (9) and nearby the Catacombs of Kom ash-Shuqqafa (10).

Wondering along el-Nebi Daniel are several other attrations, including the French Cultural Center, and nearby the Eliahu Hanabi Synagague (11), which is the only active synagogue in Alexandria and houses the combined treasures of the seven former Alexandrian synagogues.

Back to the north on el-Nebi Daniel, next to the harbor where Ramla station is now located at Midan Saad Zaghlul was the location of the Caesareum (12).  This was a magnificent temple begun by Cleopatra for her lover Antony and subsequently completed by their enemy Octavian, though none of this remains.in situ. Nearby is the well known Cecil Hotel, built in 1930,  Smerset Maugham stayed here, as did Winston Churchill, and the British Secret Service one maintained a suite for their operations.  

Midan Saad Zaghlul (13) is the entertainment heart and nerve center of Alexandria. here, as terminals and train stations provide a backdrop for cinemas, restaurants and night spots.  It was the setting of Lawrence Durrell's Alexandria Quartet and the famous Alexandria coffee houses. The square is dominated by an impressive monument dedicated to Saad Zaghlul, a former national leader.

The Greek Quarter and Bab  Rosetta District

Back on Al Horreya heading east, as we pass the Graeco-Roman Museum (a notable museum well worth a visit) we move into the Greek Quarter of Alexandria, one of the most beautiful residential districts. The wonderful old villas include the massive Miclavez building, which is opposite the Town Hall and nearby the Adda Complex built in 1929.  This is where the wealthy Greeks lived at the turn of the century, and the streets are still named after the Ptolemic, Pharaonic, Abbasid and Fatimid rulers.  Further east is the Greek Orthodox patriarchate andthe Church of St. Saba.

Further east, Al Horreya opens into a beautiful green area known as the Shallalat Gardens..which was once the fortification of Bab Rosetta.  But in 1905, Alexandria created a garden area here with waterfalls and the only Alexandria cistern which can be viewed.  This cestern is an example of those which once dotted Alexandria providing fresh water to her inhabitants.

The Corniche

The Corniche is doted with Casions bult on stilts and rows of beach huts.  The avenue here did not always exists, for until the 20th century, the areas remained fortified by a five mile long wall with towers which had protected the city since the 13th Century.  In the early 1900s, a strip of land with a width of about 100 yeards was reclaimed from the sea, and the area became popular with beach goers. That is no longer the case, but it remains a lively area of Alexandria. 

On the western end of the Corniche near Silsila where the New Alexandria Library is being constructed is the Shatby Tombs which are said to be the oldest in Alexandria. Nearer the San Stefano area across the tram tracks is also the Royal Jewlery Museum.

The Mahmudiya Canal

A walk along the Mahmudiya Canal brings wone face to face with the working class and industrial districts of Alexandria, and is pleasent along the old paved road bordered by the canal and sycamore treets.  South of the Greek district along the canal is the Antoniadis Gardens, which seep with history.  Here, the poet Callimachus lived and taught, and in 640 AD, Pompilius prvented the King of Syria from capturing Alexandria.  But less then a year later, Amr Ibn el-As camped here, before taking the city. The well known Water Traffic Circle is also in the area.

Here one finds the Zoological Gardens, the small Museum of Natural History and the Fine Arts Museum in the Moharrem Bey area, and a Rose Garden.  The beautiful public gardens extend into the surrounding area where the Antoniadis Palace is located, and there is even a nearby Roman tomb.

El-Muntaza

Muntaza Gardens

This area along the coast about 15 miles east of Alexandrias old district along the Corniche is  where many of the modern Alexandrian hotels are located, as well as one of the elegant heritage hotels.  Khedive Abbas II built the Salamlik as a residence.  Here also is the magnificent Montaza Palace.

The Gates of Alexandria

Bedouins of Egypt

by Ruth Shilling and Jimmy Dunn

Notation: All of the photographs and some parts of this story are by Ruth Shilling, of All One World Egypt Tours, an AETBI member in good standing.

Bedouins are, of course, not limited to Egypt, nor are they limited to a specific region of Egypt, though the more traditional Bedouins do normally inhabit the desert regions, including the Sinai and the Eastern and Western Deserts. However, these days, they can also be found in many of the resort communities of the Sinai and even in the larger cities of Egypt, such as Cairo.

Explaining the Bedouin life and culture is really a tricky topic, a moving target at best. The reason for this is that they are an ancient people, with ancient customs and traditions, who these days are often subjected to a modern and changing world. Some Bedouins have become completely modern, with modern trappings such as cell phones and color TVs, perhaps most influenced by the Egyptian tourism trade and by various government policies. For example, up until recently, Bedouin men were obligated to do military service with other Egyptian men. Of course, they came back to the desert very much changed. Others live their lives in a tradition that dates back thousands of years, and are really very little changed from bygone days.

Today, we tend to group Bedouins into one cultural group, which is a bit misleading. Some of them, such as the Alagat tribe, wander throughout Egypt's deserts, continually searching for fresh grazing for their camels and goats and water for their families, though they generally stay in one overall region. They don't wander aimlessly, but return annually to various locations in their territory where the land and water can sustain them for the season. These days at least, others are not nomads at all. For example, the Hamada tribe are miners who generally stay in one place, while the Gebelieh tribe, originally of Balkan descent from what is now Yugoslavia, remain near the St. Catherine's monastery in the Sinai. This actually sets them apart from most of the tribes, who originated in Saudi Arabia long ago.

For the more traditional Bedouin, little in the desert escapes his eye. He knows where and when he can find water and whether it's just brackish or toxic. Shrubs tell him when it last rained and how much. Signs left in the sand proclaim who has been there before him, when, the directions from which they came and departed, the size of their flocks, and perhaps even the ages of their camels. Bedouins navigate by the stars, familiar landmarks, and stone markers left on a previous trek. They travel light, leaving caches hanging in trees. Other travelers, if in need, are welcome to the food and water but are bound not to touch the remaining articles.

Clothes

Though how they dress depends on the weather and on personal taste, the Bedouin dresses for the desert, his layered and flowing robes absorbing the sun's hot rays while allowing cooling breezes to circulate. He winds a cloth around his head and neck to retard moisture loss that can lead to heat stroke and to shield his face against the harsh, dry sand. Women wear black dresses and head covers embroidered in tiny cross-stitch designs: blue for unmarried women, red for married. They cover their faces with a veil highlighted in the same stitches and often decorated with shells and coins. Most of the traditional Bedouins dress very modestly.

However, more typically today, Bedouin children often wear modern clothing rather than the traditional dress worn by their parents.

Homes

Many traditional Bedouin live in tents of goat and camel hair panels that the women have woven on their narrow ground looms and stitched together. The tents are usually divided into two rooms, one for greeting guests and such, and one specifically for the women.

When the tribe moves, the Bedouin wife is in charge of dismantling the tent, packing it on the camels, and reassembling it at the new site. She can roll up the sides so that the cool breeze enters, or stake them down, making it secure in a sand storm. However, these days, even many traditional Bedouins build very simple houses, most frequently of stone or today, brick, in a more or less seasonal location where they may return as a base camp.

Nomadic Life

The Bedouin often band into small, tightly knit tribes and in some tribes, their leaders, picked for their wisdom and judgment, retain their positions by finesse and largesse, for their proud Bedouin brethren would find direct commands insulting. However, that is certainly not always the case, and perhaps some of these traditions are changing. For example, in the Alagat tribe the leader, or Sheikh, is not chosen; it is passed from father to oldest son. The same also applies to the Hamada tribe.

The family unit is the basis for domestic life. Strong family ties and taking responsibility for ones relatives is expected. Both boys and girls usually marry in their late teens, and some men have more than one wife. In the event that there is more than one wife, they do not live in the same household, and the man is expected to divide his time equally among them. These days, therefore, he may have one wife in town and an apartment there, and one wife in the desert. Having more than one wife is therefore a rather expensive proposition.

Marrying of first cousins is common, but there are also marriages between tribes. Divorce is possible for both men and women. In case of divorce, at least in olden times the tent belonged to the woman, while the man took his domestic animals. However, we know that this is not always true today. At least in the Alagat tribe, the party who gets the children is decided by the Sheikh, and both husband and wife get a meeting with the leader to explain their point of view.

To the traditional Bedouin, hospitality is mandatory, and guests are welcomed to a tent for three days and three nights. The teapot or coffee pot is always on for either kinsman or stranger. In exchange, the host expects conversation, for the Bedouin thus keeps abreast of the news.

If water is far away, the men and boys make the trip with camels, or these days pickups, bringing it back in goatskins, or more modern vessels. They also go into the nearest town to exchange news and barter, trading rugs, cheese, milk, goats, and camels for cloth, jewelry, rifles, flour, rice, tea, sugar and coffee.

Modern inroads into the desert are changing the Bedouin's life. Over the past, some rulers of Egypt have provided farm land to the Bedouin, and encouraged their settlement. Many families have settled, building houses, and the handmade tents are disappearing. Trucks bring water in 100-gallon barrels and move goats to pasture. The Bedouin is investing in land and businesses, and sending his sons to school in Cairo and Alexandria and the nearby governorates, where more higher institutes and universities were set up recently. Although the more typical Bedouin still keeps himself apart from the sedentary Egyptian, his ancient desert lifestyle is vanishing; the Toyota pickup is steadily replacing the camel. Nevertheless, even modernized Bedouins will, at times, seek out the desert to escape the trappings of their modern world.

In the final analysis, Bedouin life goes on, but is being encroached upon by our modern world. Today, one may still travel through the Sinai, or the Western Desert and find trail markings beside roads, or see the isolated traditional Bedouin family. These may represent the final chapter of an ancient tradition.