Tour with Seddik!

Shine from the Shrine: Tour of the City of the Dead (Al-Qarafa)

Saturday, January 19, at 10:00 a.m.

For reservation: call: 0100-67-68-2-69
or email: ahmed.seddik@gmail.com

The scintillating City of the Dead, anecdotally known as Al-Qarafa, is
so full of life and amenities that if you sum, you realize it is more
town than slum. We will be able to label the fabled vast necropolis
and feast our eyes on monuments glorious from the City Victorious.
True to the vision of some of its founders, the City of the Dead has
the power to entertain the mind and retain the body. Around 100,000
Cairenes live here amongst the dead. At the pinnacle of Islamic art,
the monuments are architected to articulate the vision of the stellar
dweller. Picnic among the graves in the City Beyond the Walls!

We attempt to see:

Mausoleum of Ibrahim Pahsa Halim
Tomb of Al-Torjoman
Mamelukes St.
Sultan Ahmed St.
Mausoleum of Sir Ahmed Hassanein Pasha, Author of the Lost Oases
Tomb of Narriman Sadek, Cinderella of the Nile, the Last Queen of Egypt
War Martyrs Tombs
Amir Kabir Qurqumas Complex
Mausoleum of Princess Shwikar
Mausoleum of Muhammed Talaat Harb, Egypt's Leading Economist
Tomb of Omar Makram, Revolutionist
Tomb of Noubar, First Prime Minister of Egypt
Mosque and Mausoleum of Sultan Faraj ibn Barquq
Mausoleum of Al-Ashraf Barsbay
Tomb of René Jean Marie Joseph Guénon, French Author and Intellectual
Mausoleum of Khedive Muhammed Tewfik Pasha
Tomb of Professor Ali Moustafa Mosharafa Pasha, Egyptian Theoretical Physicist
Compound of Sultan Al-Ashraf Sayf al-Din Qa'it Bay
Tomb of Emir Tashtimur
Chinese Tomb
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Tour of the City of Mansoura

Sunday, January 20, 8:00 a.m.

For reservation: call: 0100-67-68-2-69
or email: ahmed.seddik@gmail.com

Lying on the east bank of the eastern branch of the Nile, the City of
Mansoura is a truly glorious city. Its very name Mansoura, Arabic for
victorious, testifies to its rich heritage. At the Battle of Mansoura
in 1250, the Egyptians defeated the Seventh Crusade and captured King
Louis IX. of France and held him captive in the house of Ibrahim ben
Lokman, that we can still visit today.
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Before They Go Graffiti Tour of Cairo
Walk and Let the Walls Talk!
Monday 21 January, 2013 at 7 a.m.

For reservation: call: 0100-67-68-2-69
or email: ahmed.seddik@gmail.com

Mubarak's code of laws had shackled creativity and his Draconian
regime had stifled free expression, yet failed to kill them. Now,
post-Revolution Cairo is rife with graffiti gracing its walls to extol
and reflect on the potent political events that are shaping Egypt and
the region. What do these murals mean? What stories do they tell?
Explore, interpret and photograph the graceful, gargantuan graffiti in
Cairo as you walk along walls full of political street art!

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Thomas A. Edison: Father of Invention

Story by Ahmed Seddik [for children]

Monday 21 January, 2013 at 7 p.m.

Al-Balsam Bookstore, Dokki
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An Epic Tour of Cairo

Tuesday 22 January, 2013 at 8 a.m.

Walking Tour of Zamalek Island, Down Town, Islamic Cairo, the City of
the Dead, Al-Fustat and Coptic Cairo in a single day.

A Seddik solution for Cairo traffic.
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A Walk through the Gates of Time

Tour of Islamic Cairo

Wednesday, 23 January, 2013 at 6:00 a.m.

For reservation: call: 0100-67-68-2-69

or email: ahmed.seddik@gmail.com

In this beautiful tour of words and deeds, history and architecture
are elegantly braided together. Travel back in time to the splendid
scents, sights and sounds of historic Cairo, the fabled bridge between
ancient Egypt and modern Egypt. This is the story of the rise and fall
of the Islamic Empire.

In this tour, I shall prove that there exists an architectural
historian technique whereby history can be interpreted through
architecture. Behold! Seddik technique is unique.

"Travel. Set out and head for pastures new. Life tastes richer when
you've rode warm feet. No water that stagnates is fit to drink, for
only that which flows is truly sweet ...." - Ibn Battuta

"behind the gates of glory and façades of fame lie unique stories of
rise and fall that teach us to never give in, in nothing great or
small, in the march of history against the juggernaut of time. When
domes dominate a relief of belief reveals the architecture of history
in the history of architecture through abodes beyond the boundaries of death.

The minarets dot the I's and cross the T's of architecture, furnishing
a Rosetta Stone to untangle the web of history. The palaces of
startling elegance provide visual biographies highlighting the
salience of sailing in the sea of history and granting us a passport
to the past.

List of what we might or might not see during our tour:

Al Sioufiyya
Al Khiyamiyya
The Mosque of Salih Tala'i
Ahmed Maher
El-Darb El-Gadid
Bab Zeweila
Mosque of Almuayyad Sheikh
Wekalat Nafisa Albayda
Haret Al-Zahabi
Haret Al-Roum
Haret Al-Aqqadeya
Mosque of Alfakahany
Al-Kahkiyeen
Funerary Complex of Sultan Qansuh al-Ghuri (a glimpse)
Al-Azhar Mosque
The Mosque of Muhammed Bek Abu El-Dahab
Al-Hussein Mosque
Khan Jarkas el-Khalili
Haret Al Sanadyqyah (Boxmakers)
Alhamzawi Al-Saghir
Sultan al-Ashraf Barsbay Complex
Jawhar Al-Qaid (Commander of the Army)
Bayn al-Qasrayn (Palace Walk of Naguib Mahfouz)
Mosque and Sabil-Kuttab of Shaykh 'Ali al- Mutahhar
Al Maqases
Sekket Al-Badistan
Al Westani
Al Bab Al Thaleth
Haret Al Saleheya
Madrasa and Mausoleum of al-Malik al-Salih Najm al-Din Ayyub
Al-Zahir Beibars
The Qalawun complex
Bait El Kadi (House of the Judge)
Sultan al-Nasir Muhammad ibn Qala'un Madrasa and Mausoleum
Sabil-Kuttab Mohamed Ali
Sultan al-Zahir Barquq Funerary Complex
Egyptian Textile Museum (just make a brief mention of)
Darb Kormoz
Al Khoronfesh
Al Qasabi
Sabil-Kuttab of Abdel-Rahman Katkhuda (Ottoman)
The Mosque of al-Aqmar
Haret Al Sananeeri
Haret Al-Darb al-Asfar
Bayt Al-Suhaymi in Al-Darb al-Asfar
Mosque-Sabil of Suleiman Agha el-Silahdar
Haret Bergewan
Amir Al Gyosh Al Goani
Al Dabeeba
Darb Al Waraka
Bayn Al-Sayareg
Haret Al-Morakeshi
Al-Hakim Bi-Amr-Allah Mosque
Sour Misr Al Qadima
Bab Al Fotouh (Gate of Conquests)
Albanhawy
Bab Al Nasr (Gate of Victory)
Gamaliyya
Wekalat Qaitbey
Haret Alotoof
El-Jashankir Mosque
Kasr Alshok
Al Mashhad Al Husseini

*A digital version of this tour by Ahmed Seddik is available as a
'PocketGuide' with voice, downloadable from Apple Store.

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Behind the Sun: Revolutionary Tour of Cairo
Led by Ahmed Seddik

Friday, 25 January 2013 at 7:00 a.m.

For reservation: call: 0100-67-68-2-69

or email: ahmed.seddik@gmail.com

The Revolutionary Tour of Cairo presents an eyewitness epic account of
the rise and fall of a regime, the revolution and the revelations--
the decisive moments that led to the ultimate triumph of the power of
the people and the demise of a tyrant. Through the architectural,
sculptural and literary itinerary I shed a flood of light on the
revolutionary figures in art, politics, economics, poetry and singing.
They are the seminal influential figures who made Egypt revolutionable
and the Egyptians susceptible to revolt. We start from Zamalek and end
in Tahrir. Egypt is a gift of the Nile and the Egyptian freedom is a
gift of Tahrir. Every time I give the Tahriri Tour -- from evolution
to revolution -- I reload it as we, Egyptians, continue the struggle
to eliminate the micro-Mubaraks from the sclerotic institutions in the
country.
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Egyptian Trees

Ahmed Seddik

Tuesday 29th, January at 7:00 p.m.

Al-Balsam Bookstore, Dokki

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Botanical Tour of Cairo
By Ahmed Seddik

Friday, 1 February 2013 at 10:00 a.m.

For reservation: call: 0100-67-68-2-69
or email: ahmed.seddik@gmail.com
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Testimonials:

I have hired Mr Seddik on two occasions – once in Egypt and once in Libya. On both occasions he was working as a translator and fixer for the BBC team. We were working in a high pressured environment, doing very long hours and I was extremely impressed with him. He has excellent English – better than any other translator I have worked with so far in the region.

He is confident in dealing with journalists and communicated with the people we interviewed in a respectful and friendly manner. He has a vast knowledge of politics and current affairs as well as the history of Egypt and the wider Middle East. This was invaluable both for interviews and in general conversation.

He is also particularly good at turning dry facts into fascinating anecdotes and was often able to entertain and educate us with interesting stories about Egypt’s history. He is obviously passionate about the country, its history and culture.

What most impressed me about Mr Seddik however is his energy and enthusiasm, even after working for extremely long hours. Many other translators I have worked with have been irritable after working for very long hours, but Mr Seddik remained alert, cheerful and hardworking no matter how many hours he had done.

He was always punctual, courteous and is good at taking the initiative when needed.

Helena Merriman
Broadcast Journalist
BBC World Service
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I am a producer for The CBS Evening News, a national nightly newsprogram in the United States. In early February, Correspondent Terry McCarthy and I were sent to Egypt to cover the events of Tahrir Square, and we hired Ahmed as our interpreter, our guide, and what we in the news business call a “fixer” – that is, someone who can arrange the interviews we need, sort through the facts we want, and generally make our lives easier in a foreign country.

Ahmed was amazing. He helped us navigate through Cairo at a very difficult time with a combination of street smarts, great attitude, and an uncanny command of the English language. Also, there is no higher-pressure environment than television journalism, and we had Ahmed working for us about 20 hours a day for 3 weeks; he never failed to jump at the assignment and he never complained.

In Ahmed we found not only an amazing producer, but a great resource for all things Egypt. His offhand knowledge of Egyptian history, of pharaohs and antiquities, of hieroglyphics and pyramids is astounding. He can quote ancient Egyptian texts from memory. In many ways he was our tour guide and history professor on top of everything else.

Sincerely,

Erin Lyall George

Producer

The CBS Evening News
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COPPER POT PICTURES hired Ahmed Seddik to be our fixer when we traveled to Egypt in June 2012 to film WE MUST GO, our documentary about the Egyptian Football team. Though we had tried to sort out various rights and permissions prior to traveling to Egypt, it wasn’t until Ahmed came on board that we started to see results. From permissions with the various football associations to permits from the Egyptian government to our daily transportation, Ahmed arranged everything. It was unbelievable. He is a motivated and capable fixer who assured that everything was taken care of prior to our arrival. Ahmed paved the way for a smooth shoot; we didn’t have to worry about anything except doing our jobs. He met each new challenge and wrinkle to the shoot with a positive attitude and a willingness to see that our wishes were carried out. His services were invaluable. We have shot documentaries around the world and much of the success (or failure) for our projects depend on the talents of our local fixers: I am pleased to say that Ahmed is the best we’ve worked with and I look forward to a continued partnership on WE MUST GO and future Copper Pot projects shot throughout Egypt and the Middle East. My only hesitation in writing this glowing review is that I want to make sure no one else hires him when we need him!

—
Dave LaMattina
Producer/Director | COPPER POT PICTURES
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I am a correspondent with BBC News, based in London. I worked alongside Mr Seddik for almost 2 weeks earlier this year when I was on assignment in Egypt. During that time I found him to be an outstanding
individual who would be an excellent asset to any organization.
Specifically he has an acute awareness of how the media works, the
demands that the modern media operates under, and the need to handle
such demands with clarity, consistency and integrity. His language
skills, especially his knowledge of English, are absolutely first
class and he has an ability to express himself in a manner that many
native English speakers would find difficult to improve upon. I have
absolutely no hesitation in recommending Ahmed Seddik.

Yours sincerely,

Michael Buchanan
Correspondent
BBC News
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BBC TV’s ‘Newsnight’ programme employed Ahmed Seddik as a translator,
researcher, fixer and guide for two weeks in Cairo in November 2011 and
found him to be a resourceful, highly-informed, hard-working and
invariably good-humoured colleague.

Ahmed has a vast store of knowledge about Egypt and its history, as well
as a valuable network of well-placed contacts in many walks of life. He
is a constantly engaging and informative companion and is able to work
calmly and effectively in highly pressured circumstances.

Ahmed was unfailingly cheerful and cooperative when required to work the
extremely long hours often required by TV crews. He is not only an
excellent interpreter/translator with an astonishingly rich and accurate
knowledge of English, but also a fixer with the imagination and
resourcefulness to contribute his own ideas.

Tim Whewell
Correspondent
BBC Newsnight
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TIME Magazine’s Cairo Bureau has periodically employed Mr. Ahmed Seddik for translating assignments since 2004. He has performed all his tasks with a high degree of expertise and professionalism. Mr. Seddik is also extremely well educated and informed about all aspects of Egyptian life, including politics, culture and society. In every way, he has greatly assisted TIMEcorrespondents in their work.
I wholeheartedly recommend Mr. Seddik’s services, and would be delighted to receive any requests for further elaboration on my recommendation.

Scott MacLeod
TIME Middle East Correspondent(since 1995)
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I had the opportunity to work with Ahmed Seddik last summer in Cairo, where I was temporarily based as a correspondent for Time Magazine. Though he clearly was far too qualified for the task, he cheerfully served as my translator for a couple of stories. I found him to be a precise interpreter, providing me with excellent translations of what was said in interviews, often a rarity where the need for speed overrides the desire for colorful, exact phrasing.
He also demonstrated a willingness to work long hours, and at the last minute. If I have the opportunity to return to Cairo, I will be sure to use his translation services once again.

Regards,
Aryn Baker,
Associate Editor,
Time Magazine Asia

Siamo stati al Cairo per un weekend lungo, purtroppo durante i disordini di
piazza di novembre, che ci hanno impedito di visitare il museo egizio a Piazza
Tahrir. Ma anche senza il museo, il viaggio è stato straordinario. Meravigliose
le piramidi e il plateau di Giza, bellissima la visita alle moschee e alle
strade del cairo islamico, entrambi posti che abbiamo visitato con la nostra
guida Ahmed Seddik, la cui mail era indicata sulla Lonely Planet e che abbiamo
contattato dall’Italia subito prima di partire. Ahmed ha fatto una grande
differenza: è affidabile, preparato, pieno di entusiasmo, appassionato di
storia, archeologia, letteratura, geroglifici e conosce i luoghi come le sue
tasche. Alle piramidi ci ha fatto vedere tombe delle quali non avremmo mai
capito neanche la presenza, ci ha portato a vedere un panorama strepitoso da un
posto un pò più lontano ma senza turisti, e ci ha pagato addirittura lui il
ritorno con il cammello come “regalo” di benvenuto. Con lui ci siamo
avventurati in posti dove non saremmo andati da soli, abbiamo capito tanto
della storia dell’egitto e delle piramidi e anche dell’orgoglio degli egiziani
di oggi. Insomma, posti meravigliosi, clima perfetto.. speriamo che la
situazione politica si tranquillizzi presto, perchè non vediamo l’ora di
tornarci e di portarci anche i nostri figli!

Silvia Cavallo

“You are a student of the finer point of the English language.”

Hugh Sykes, BBC, the World at One

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I have the privilege to recommend to you Ahmed Seddik as an excellent guide and efficient  informant. I am fortunate both to have known Ahmed as a fellow student at the American University  in Cairo and to have seen how he developed his college interests into his current profession.  Although he makes guiding and lecturing his profession, Ahmed is a veritable renaissance man due  to his passion for learning. He delights in learning various subjects and can claim expertise in many.  Ahmed has a talent for drawing diverse connections from his numerous interests into any talk or  tour. In addition to his tours, Ahmed makes good use of his talent in his frequent lectures on diverse  topics at the Sawy Culture Wheel, a famous cultural center and academic forum in Zamalek, and  elsewhere.
In the tours I have attended, Ahmed was lively, engaging, and spontaneous. Both the tour to the City  of the Dead and Islamic Cairo were chock‐full of information, partly due to Ahmed’s vast memory for  fact and stories. On his tours each monument has a story and every side street is another step back  in time. The tours I attended lasted about five hours each, although he has told me they can stretch  longer or take less time depending on the audience. When I took the Islamic Cairo tour, we went the  full length of the Fatimid city from gate to gate in four hours. His tour of Islamic Cairo is especially  nice because it takes place in the wee hours of the morning. The streets of the Khan el‐Khalili are  amazingly serene at that time, which makes for a stark contrast with the market’s usual chaos. If you  should take the tour make sure to see the inside of the mosque and madrasa of  Barquq; Sultan Plum had an eye for beauty. On these tours, Ahmed is always thinking about ways to  improve and innovate. For example, while leading us through the streets of Islamic Cairo, Ahmed  thanked the street cleaners and pondered organizing them to keep the roads cleaner. Ahmed says  he has never given the same tour twice. I believe it.
Ahmed’s style of guiding and touring is not like that found on any other tour. It has more artistry in it  than the others. But the faint of heart beware, he is more than half a poet. Emblazoned on his  business card is the Arabic palindrome malik kalim, meaning “king of words.” And certifiably, he can  claim to rule his words. Ahmed is a possessor of a veritable treasury of terms and an arsenal of  anecdotes. Don’t think it tedious if he recites a list of synonyms or lines of poetry. Listen attentively.  It is all part of the tour.
Bryan Kraemer
PhD. Candidate Egyptology
University of Chicago