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In Egypt, survival and the number 7 are inextricably linked. It's on the seventh day that a child's existence is first formally acknowledged to the world in a ritual that dates back to Pharaonic times.

But the ancient tradition - called the Sebou - has taken on new and not always happy turns since a revolution earlier this year ousted longtime President Hosni Mubarak.
Building An Infant's Character
Rabaa Amin Mahmoud watches proudly as a relative banging a mortar and pestle leads a time-honored procession for her newest grandson around the family compound outside of the Nile Delta city of Mansoura.

The noise startles the baby, named Hamza, who stirs in his mother's arms. Loud noises are part of this ancient Sebou ritual aimed at building an infant's character and making the child brave.

Mahmoud says this ceremony almost didn't happen. She explains that her daughter and son-in-law thought about calling it off after a relative died unexpectedly the night before, and their older daughter became ill.

But the family decided to stick with tradition and acknowledge Hamza's entry into the world, especially after his rocky start with jaundice and breathing problems.

Celebrating an infant who has survived the first seven days of life is a practice dating back thousands of years in Egypt. Back then, disease and poor nutrition meant babies were more likely to die than live.

These days, infant mortality rates are far lower, but Sebou is still widely embraced by all Egyptians, whether Christian or Muslim, rich or poor.

"It's the first rite of passage that differentiates a boy from a girl, that establishes this newborn as continuation of the family, that establishes a mother's and a father's roles," says Hania Sholkamy, an anthropologist at the American University in Cairo. "The ritual itself is all about advising the newborn about warding off evil spirits, about strengthening it, about giving it, you know, guts and a will to live."

Sholkamy says Sebou is also one of the few ceremonies celebrating the baby's mother. One of the traditional drinks served to guests is an expensive herbal concoction called moghat, which is meant to spur breast milk production in lactating women.

But Sholkamy says that as with many ancient rituals, Sebou has its detractors. They object to it as a pagan rite.

"There's always been an excuse to do away with it in the name of modernity, in the name of religion, in the name of austerity, you know, in the name of Westernization," she says. "But there's also always been a very good reason for women to get together and have a good time with their kids - and there is really no harm in it."
Sales Are Down
Like Christmas, Sebou over the years has taken on a commercial feel, one that often highlights the vast class divide in Egypt.

Wealthier Egyptians have been known to host elaborate Sebou parties, complete with DJs and expensive meals at top venues, says anthropologist Sholkamy.

"So Sebou is something you can celebrate with, you know, a bag of food and some water and an urn, an old urn you may have lying around, and you can celebrate it in the Four Seasons," she says.

In downtown Cairo, dozens of shops tucked along narrow alleyways are dedicated to Sebou-related fare. On display are the traditional urns, candles and cradles used in the ceremony. They are decorated with glittery fabric and ribbons, with blue for boys and pink for girls.

Sebou party favors are crafted in nearby workshops. Female workers take small Chinese-made crystal and porcelain figurines, and glue them to plastic bases etched with babies' names and birth dates. Others create little bags of candied almonds and chocolates.

Hamza's father, Ibrahim Muhammad, drove to Cairo the week before his son's Sebou ceremony to buy party favors. The $100 he spends is a fortune to most Egyptians. But it also represents a steep discount over the normal price, given he's the only customer ordering on this day.

Sales clerk Rasha Mamdouah says Sebou-related sales are way down this year. Where she used to get an average of seven daily orders, Mamdouah says she's lucky to get a single order nowadays.

She and other shopkeepers here attribute the slowdown to the growing financial hardship Egyptians face in the wake of the revolution that toppled Mubarak and crippled the economy.

They say early on in the uprising, many Sebou customers - in a show of patriotism - requested little flags or anti-government slogans to be added to party favors. These days, no one asks for those things.

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At 7 Days, Egyptian Babies Mark First Rite Of Passage

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In Egypt, families hold a ritual called the Sebou to formally acknowledge their baby to the world. The tradition dates back to the Pharaonic times. But since the revolution earlier this year, which affected the economy, the ceremonies have been tempered.

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Cotton sheets and clothing.

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The biggest and most famous monument is the Great Pyramids

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Ancient Egypt is one of the greatest civilizations known to humans in the world. It is also one of the oldest civilizations dated back to 3150 BC. The civilization is known for its intricate artwork and amazing stone monuments. They are the one who has created a calendar that has 365 days. They are the one who has introduced the first form of writing named as hieroglyphics. These things show how the great the civilization was at that time. The different art and architecture depicted by the civilization is a base for many different cultures in the world. The Egyptian kings ruled the civilization for a long era thus creating and many monuments in the world which are surviving even today. So here we are listing 10 most famous monuments of Ancient Egypt,

Monuments Of Ancient Egypt

1. Great Pyramid of Giza

The Great Pyramid of Giza is also known as the Pyramid of Khufu or the Pyramid of Cheops. It is considered to be the oldest of all the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. It is also the largest of all the three pyramids in the Giza. It is situated in Giza Necropolis of Egypt. The initial construction has been started by Egyptian Pharaoh Khufu then it was continued by his son Khafre and finally completed by Menkaure. It took almost 20 years to build the pyramid and approximately 2 million blocks of stone have been used in the construction.

The height of the pyramid is approximately 139 meters making it the highest pyramid of Egypt. It is also one of the beautiful world heritage sites.When you will visit the place you will notice nearby pyramid appears to be larger because it has been built at a higher elevation. The pyramid has basically three chambers, the first one has been carved into a beautiful bedrock, the second one is specifically for the King and Queen and the last one is king's chamber made up of granite. It is also listed under one of the oldest structures in the world.

2. Valley of the Kings

Valley of the Kings is basically the tombs that were constructed for the Pharaohs and the most powerful Egyptian nobles of the new kingdom. The valley has been situated on the west banks of Nile. The valley contains 63 tombs and chambers and has two parts namely East Valley and West Valley. The tombs have been decorated with the art and architecture of Egyptian mythology. The art on the tombs depicted the mythology of belief and rituals which they were following at that time. The Tutankhamun tomb is the most famous of all the tombs in the valley. It is one of the most important archaeological sites in the world. The valley of kings is also a UNESCO world heritage site since 1979.
The tombs are also stocked with many sacred objects. The people of Ancient Egypt believe that it will help the dead bodies to achieve eternal life. The tombs are being built with limestone and sedimentary rocks. It is also one of the most famous archaeological sites in the world.

3. Colossi of Memnon

The local people of Egypt called it as el-Colossat or es-Salamat. Colossi of Memnon are a huge structure of Pharaoh Amenhotep III who ruled the Dynasty XVIII. The structure is now situated in the modern city of Luxor. The twin statues of Amenhotep III can be seen in a seated position with his hands resting on his knees. The face of the statue is facing towards eastward. The Statue has been built with blocks of quartzite sandstone. The statue has a height of 75 ft. and weighing approximately 750 tonnes. The statues are very attractive and millions of tourist come here to visit the ancient site.The statues are quite damaged and the face is not recognizable. It is one of the most important and visited Ancient Egypt monument.

4. Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut

The Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut has been dedicated to sun god Amon-Ra and it is being built by Hatshepsut who ruled the kingdom from 1479 BC till he died in 1458 BC. The temple was found on the cliffs at Deir el Bahari which is situated on the west bank of the river Nile. It is considered to be the one of the unique monument of Ancient Egypt. The temple was designed by Senemut who is the royal architect of Hatshepsut. The wall of the temple has been kept at an axis such that the sunlight will come from the rear wall of the chapel. Hatshepsut's temple is a unique example of the classical architecture of the Ancient Egypt. You can also read about historical and precious monuments destroyed by war.

5. Pyramid of Djoser

It is also known as the step pyramid. It is also the first ever pyramid built by the Egyptian kings. It was constructed during the 27th century BC burial of Pharaoh Djoser by Imhotep and his vizier. The pyramid has a huge mortuary complex surrounded by the beautiful structures and the amazing decorations. The structure has six mastabas built in decreasing size, you can see in the below picture. The pyramid is approximately 62 meters high and made up of polished white limestone. It was also the highest stone cut structure in Ancient Egypt.
It is surrounded by the beautiful chambers and the galleries that have a total length of about 6KM. It was dedicated to the late pharaoh Djoser. The area in which pyramid was constructed also has temples and chapels.

6. Luxor Temple

Luxor Temple is a huge Egyptian temple complex that has six temples inside it. The temples have been dedicated to three Egyptian gods Amun, Mut, and Chons. It was situated on the east bank of river Nile. Now it is known as the Luxor city. The temple complex is also known for hosting one of the most famously Ancient Egypt festivals called Opet festival. All the temples have been constructed using sandstones. The place is also very much famous among the tourist for its history. The temple complex has been abandoned for very long time after that Alexander the Great has started the construction of the planet again in 320 BC. It has been built in such a way that the complex has many open areas so that the flow of air can be maintained.
The East and West coast of the river Nile has many temples that are very famous among the visitors. The temples are Temple of Seti I at Gurnah, the Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahri, the Temple of Ramesses II and Temple of Ramesses III at Medinet Habu.

7. Abu Simbel Temples

The Abu Simbel temples are the two massive rock temples situated near the village in Nubia of southern Egypt. It was constructed by the Egyptian king pharaoh Ramasses II. It was dedicated to the Sun Gods of Ancient Egypt known as Sun Gods Amon-Re and Re-Horakhte. The temple has been in the abandoned state for a very long period of time, later it was rediscovered by Swiss orientalist Jean Louis Burckhadt. It was built in the period 1264 B.C and 1244 B.C. At the entrance of the temple, it has 69 ft. huge statues of Ramasses II. The hall other temple has been constructed in such a way that it will remain connected to the inner chambers of the temple.
The temple is planned and constructed in such a way that the Sun rays will light the statues of the Sun Gods on every 22nd February and 22nd October. This is one of the unique features of the temple.

8. Bent Pyramid

Bent Pyramid is an Ancient Egypt pyramid located in the south of Cairo. It was built under the Old Kingdom Pharaoh Sneferu during 2600 BC. It is one of the finest examples of early pyramids that is being constructed at that time. It was built in such a way that it will arise till the 54-degree inclination but at the top it has a shallower angle of 43 degrees making it in bent appearance and hence the name. According to the Archaeologists, It was one of the finest examples of steep-sided and smooth-sided pyramids. It is situated near Lake Nasser. There is also an artificial water reservoir formed because of the construction of the dam at river Nile. The monument has been dedicated to Queen Nefertari and Egyptian Pharaoh Ramesses. We also recommend you to read about modern architectural wonders around the world.

9. Great Sphinx of Giza

The Great Sphinx of Giza is limestone statue of couchant sphinx meaning a lion's body and a human head in a mythical creature. It was situated on the west bank of Nile River in Egypt. The statue stands on the Giza Plateau. The face of the Great Sphinx is the face of Pharaoh Khafra. It is also one of the oldest and largest monuments of the Ancient Egypt. The statue is smaller than the pyramids that were constructed around him but it is still the largest monolith statue in the world. There are many conflicts between the Egyptologists over the point when it was built but a large portion of Egyptologists believe that it was built during 2500 BC by Pharaoh Khafre. Pharaoh Khafre is also considered to be the builder of the second pyramid at Giza. We have also listed most fascinating tombs And mausoleum in the world.

10. Red Pyramid

Red Pyramid was one of the finest and successful attempts by Pharaoh Sneferu in building world's first ever smooth-sided pyramid during the Ancient Egypt period. The height of the pyramid is 104m making it the world's 4th largest pyramid in Egypt. The pyramid has been built with red limestone stones and hence the name. The local people of Egypt called it as el-heram el-watwaat meaning the Bat Pyramid.
Initially, the pyramid has been built with Tura limestone but later almost all the Tura limestone has been taken to build buildings in Cairo displaying the red limestone that was embedded inside the monument.You will also find interesting reading about Ancient Egyptian Pyramids.

Abu Simbel Temples, Ancient Egypt, Bent Pyramid, Colossi of Memnon, Famous Monuments Of Ancient Egypt, Great Pyramid of Giza, Great Sphinx of Giza, History, Luxor Temple, Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut, Pyramid of Djoser, Red Pyramid, Valley of the Kings

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Top 10 Most Famous Monuments Of Ancient Egypt

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Ancient Egypt is one of the greatest civilizations known to humans in the world. It is also one of the oldest civilizations dated back to 3150 BC. The civilization is known for its intricate artwork and amazing stone monuments. They are the one who has created a calendar that has 365 days.

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Abdel Fattah el-Sisi

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Bilady, laki hubbi wa fu'adi ("My homeland, you have my love and my heart"; Arabic: بلادي لك حبي و فؤادي‎ Bilādī, Laki ḥubbī wa-fu'ādī) is the national anthem of Egypt. The melody was composed by Sayed Darwish (1892-1923) and it was adopted in 1979. This anthem replaced Walla Zaman Ya Selahy as the national anthem.

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The Kingdom of Egypt was granted nominal independence by the United Kingdom on 28 February 1922. Between the Declaration of 1922 and the Revolution of 1952, ten general elections were held (in 1924, 1925, 1926, 1929, 1931, 1936, 1938, 1942, 1945 and 1950). This era is generally known as Egypt's Liberal Experiment.

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Abdel Fattah el-Sisi

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18.5 Egyptian pounds equal 1 dollar.

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جعل لي كوب من الشاي

Make me a cup of tea.

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It is eaten usually with bread or rice.

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Eat like a Pharaoh! I don't care how you spell it (Molokhia, Molokheya, Mulukhiya) or what you call it (Jews Mallow, Jute Mallow, Mallow Leaves) because regardless of the name, this is one of my favorite comfort foods. It is a traditional Egyptian soup that was typically eaten by royalty in Ancient Egypt, but eventually became a very common food. When I was a teenager, my mother knew that there were two easy ways to get me out of bed once He-Man cartoons lost their allure. She would cook something that included sauteed onions or sauteed garlic. Within a few minutes as the smell permeated the house, I was up and floating towards the kitchen like a cartoon character led by his nose to follow the sentient scent of food. When I got to the kitchen and saw the sauteed garlic, it was usually going into a pot of Molokhia.

It is a low calorie food prepared using finely minced leaves of the Molokhia plant, which are then mixed with a broth, topped with sauteed garlic, and often served over rice or pieces of pita bread. Common pairings include roasted chicken, seafood, and roasted/fried rabbit! I think rabbit goes wonderfully with this soup. As a child, my brother always liked it best when our mother would tear up small pieces of chicken and put it in his Molokhia. Children often eat it this way even though that was never my preference.

Most people seem to agree that the taste of the soup is delicious, but where people differ is in their opinions on the texture. The Molokhia leaves, while packed with vitamins and nutrients as most green leafy vegetables are, tend to have a viscosity that some people don't find appealing. It is often compared to okra in this regard, but I think okra is much more slimy than Molokhia. Growing up with this soup, I don't see the texture as a problem at all, so the delicious taste is all I really care about.

At some point when I was in law school, I asked my mother how to really make Molokhia properly because to my surprise, I've had some really bad preparations over the years. I might be biased, but I'm convinced that my mother's recipe is the best (along with her stuffed grape leaves, but that's a different post!). When she told me how to make it, I was very surprised at how simple it was. I then realized that the reason the other preparations I'd had were so bad was that they were overly complicating the recipe with unnecessary, even detrimental, ingredients.

As you read the recipe below, the most important thing I can tell you is: KEEP IT SIMPLE. If you research Molokhia online, you will find recipes that include coriander, cardamom, bay leaves, and even mastik. DO NOT, I repeat, do not do this, no matter how enticing you might find those ingredients. Please. I've had versions that I found truly inedible. My personal feeling is that the second you complicate this recipe, is the second you ruin the wonderful flavors.

Lastly, don't worry about frozen vs. fresh Molokhia. I know people love fresh food, but we just don't have much fresh Molokhia in America. My family used to grow some in the summer, but it takes a lot of leaves to make one pot, so it wasn't really worth the effort. The alternative is frozen Molokhia, which is actually very good, so go to your local Middle Eastern store and grab a couple of packages. The rest of the ingredients are things you would normally have lying around.

Makes one pot with about 400 calories and about 4 large or 6 smaller servings of 100 - 67 calories each.
+ optional: 1 cup of cooked white rice at about 205 cal.
+ optional: half a loaf of large pita bread at about 160 cal.

Egyptian Style Molokhia Soup Recipe

Molokhia served over crispy pita bread.

1. Bring the broth back up to a mild boil and then just let it simmer. You do not want to boil this soup very hard. A low simmer is perfect.

2. After a few minutes take out the bread when it has a nice golden brown color to it. Watch it closely because it can go from perfect to flat out burned in seconds. Carefully remove the bread from the racks and let them cool. If you're not careful, the bread can shatter in your oven and that's just a huge pain.

3. In a small saute pan, heat up a tablespoon of vegetable or olive oil on medium heat.

4. That's it. Molokhia is ready to be served on its own, or over some rice and/or some toasted pita bread. Add salt to taste. If you happened to use chicken flavored bouillon cubes, then it might already be salty enough. If you just used chicken or beef broth then you will definitely need salt. At my house, we each add however much salt we want to our own bowl because we all have different tastes. Serve the Molokhia alongside fried/roasted rabbit, chicken, seafood, or a spinach pie!

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Eat like a Pharaoh! I don't care how you spell it (Molokhia, Molokheya, Mulukhiya) or what you call it (Jews Mallow, Jute Mallow, Mallow Leaves) because regardless of the name, this is one of my favorite comfort foods. It is a traditional Egyptian soup that was typically eaten by royalty in Ancient Egypt, but eventually...

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The push factor was that there was insecurities in Egypt because of the president, the pull factor was that i had the american passport and it was the easiest place to go.