Sunrise Walking Tour of Islamic Cairo
Monday, 1st of September at 6:00 am
WhatsApp and/or call: 01006768269 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.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Tour of Saqqara Pyramids, Tombs and Temples
Friday, the 5th of September at 7:00 a.m.
WhatsApp and/or call: 01006768269 or email: ahmed.seddik@gmail.com
"Journey back in time to find the mind behind the fine Pyramid of Zoser!"
“The glorious ground around the mound abounds with countless reliefs
revealing the site’s majestic nature through a hieroglyphic
signature.” - Ahmed Seddik
Monuments we are likely to see and/or explore:
Tomb of Horemheb, Generalissimo of the Egyptian Army
Tomb of the Manicurists and Pedicurists of the King
Tomb of the Prime Minister of Egypt Mereruka
The Valley Temple of King Unas
The Step Pyramid Complex
The Oldest Museum Label
Ancient Egyptian Graffiti
The Philosophers’ Circle
The Museum of Imhotep
The Pyramid of Userkaf
Tomb of Princess Idut
Tomb of Maya & Merit
Tomb of Kagemni
Pyramid of Unas
The Serapeum
Pyramid of Teti
Tomb of Ti
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Making El Fayoum Bloom
Tour of El Fayoum, the Garden of Egypt
Saturday, 6th of September at 7:00 am
WhatsApp and/or call: 01006768269 or email: ahmed.seddik@gmail.com
The sites that we are planning to explore:
The Graeco-Roman City of Karanis (Kom Oshim)
Quick visit of Fayoum Museum (most likely closed)
The Village of Tunis, the St Ives of Egypt
Medinet El-Fayoum, the Venice of Egypt
Lake Qarun (the Birka)
The Water Wheels (Al-Sawaqi)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tour of Coptic Cairo, the Babylon of Egypt
Sunday, 7th of September, 8:00 a.m.
The Hanging Church (Al-Muallaka)
The Church of Saints Sergius and Bacchus
The Ben Ezra Synagogue
The Coptic Cemetery
The Fortress of Babylon
The Mosque of Amr Ibn El-As
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Walking Tour of the Island of Zamalek
Monday, 8th of September at 5:30 p.m.
WhatsApp and/or call: 01006768269 or email: ahmed.seddik@gmail.com
----------------------------------------------------------------
Walking Tour of Giza Pyramids, Temples and Tombs
Your Visa To Giza
Thursday, 11th of September at 8:00 a.m.
WhatsApp and/or call: 01006768269 or email: ahmed.seddik@gmail.com
Pyramid of Khufu
Pyramid of Khafre
Pyramid of Menkaure
Pyramids of the Queens
Khufu's Boat
Tomb of Idu, Overseer of the Construction of the Great Pyramid
Tomb of Qar (G 7101)
The Sphinx
The Valley Temple of King Khafre
---------------------------------------------------------
Testimonials:
On ABC News:
http://abcnews.go.com/International/video/back-beginning-christiane-amanpour-moses-pharaoh-pharaoh-exodus-18086799
-----------------------------------------
In the lobby of the Egyptian Museum, Ahmed handed me his business card. Melek kelem, it read, in mirror-like Arabic script. This was no empty palindromic boast, I saw as soon as he started the ten-minute "preview' tour we'd arranged. Ahmed was indeed a Master of Speech, a Word Lord, even -- to stretch the effect into English -- an Emir of Rhyme. He had a dense and mesmerizing way of speaking, full of shifting rhythms and ridiculous puns. Ambling through the museum next to him felt more like jogging, trying to keep up with his ancient-Egyptian etymologies, mnemonics for hieroglyphics, and archaeology gossip.
Zora O'Neill, Travel Author.
------------------------------------
Witty and enthusiastic.
Arguto e pieno d'entusiasmo.
Lonely Planet
-----------------------------------------
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.
Erin Lyall George
Producer
The CBS Evening News
--------------------------
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.
Helena Merriman
Broadcast Journalist
BBC World Service
--------------------------
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.
Michael Buchanan, Correspondent, BBC News
--------------------------
“You are a student of the finer point of the English language.”
Hugh Sykes, BBC, the World at One
--------------------------
My aim was to take a break with a cultural and historic character. And having Egyptologist and tour guide Ahmed Seddik as my companion made my adventure unforgettable.
Amira El-Naqeeb, Travel Writer
-------------------------------
The Digger Who Can Figure:
http://fnewsmagazine.com/2011/08/the-digger-who-can-figure/
-------------------------------
"His name is Ahmed Seddik and he is the most delightful, smart and funny person you can imagine. He loves languages and speaks incredible English. He talked continuously without notes of any kind during our tours of the temples at Saqqara, the Pyramids and tombs in Giza, Islamic Cairo, and the City of the Dead--not just providing fascinating and encyclopedic information, both historic and modern,
but peppering his monologue with puns and alliteration."
Caroline Moore
-------------------------------------------
“Ahmed Seddik is the brightest Egyptian I have met since I came to Egypt. I have found his Egyptological knowledge prodigious.”
Professor Jerry Leach
-------------------------------------------
Ahmed Seddik worked with me as a discussant on the translation of Ahmad Faris al-Shidyaq’s monumental mid-nineteenth-century work al-Saq ‘ala l-saq (Leg over Leg) during 2012 and 2013, a work widely considered among the most linguistically challenging of Arabic texts in view of its use of little-known words, word-play and puns, and complex grammar. I reviewed and discussed in depth with Ahmed most of the cruxes of the text and benefited enormously from his in-put. His knowledge of Arabic grammar, verse, and the Quran is encyclopedic and his ability to untangle the contortions imposed from time to time on the language of the book by the constraints of verse and rhymed prose proved to be prodigious. Ahmed’s love of language in general and the Arabic language in particular made him the ideal partner in an enterprise of such a daunting nature. I can recommend him unreservedly to anyone involved in scholarly work involving the Arabic language arts.
Dr. Humphrey Davies
Monday, 1st of September at 6:00 am
WhatsApp and/or call: 01006768269 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.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Tour of Saqqara Pyramids, Tombs and Temples
Friday, the 5th of September at 7:00 a.m.
WhatsApp and/or call: 01006768269 or email: ahmed.seddik@gmail.com
"Journey back in time to find the mind behind the fine Pyramid of Zoser!"
“The glorious ground around the mound abounds with countless reliefs
revealing the site’s majestic nature through a hieroglyphic
signature.” - Ahmed Seddik
Monuments we are likely to see and/or explore:
Tomb of Horemheb, Generalissimo of the Egyptian Army
Tomb of the Manicurists and Pedicurists of the King
Tomb of the Prime Minister of Egypt Mereruka
The Valley Temple of King Unas
The Step Pyramid Complex
The Oldest Museum Label
Ancient Egyptian Graffiti
The Philosophers’ Circle
The Museum of Imhotep
The Pyramid of Userkaf
Tomb of Princess Idut
Tomb of Maya & Merit
Tomb of Kagemni
Pyramid of Unas
The Serapeum
Pyramid of Teti
Tomb of Ti
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Making El Fayoum Bloom
Tour of El Fayoum, the Garden of Egypt
Saturday, 6th of September at 7:00 am
WhatsApp and/or call: 01006768269 or email: ahmed.seddik@gmail.com
The sites that we are planning to explore:
The Graeco-Roman City of Karanis (Kom Oshim)
Quick visit of Fayoum Museum (most likely closed)
The Village of Tunis, the St Ives of Egypt
Medinet El-Fayoum, the Venice of Egypt
Lake Qarun (the Birka)
The Water Wheels (Al-Sawaqi)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tour of Coptic Cairo, the Babylon of Egypt
Sunday, 7th of September, 8:00 a.m.
The Hanging Church (Al-Muallaka)
The Church of Saints Sergius and Bacchus
The Ben Ezra Synagogue
The Coptic Cemetery
The Fortress of Babylon
The Mosque of Amr Ibn El-As
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Walking Tour of the Island of Zamalek
Monday, 8th of September at 5:30 p.m.
WhatsApp and/or call: 01006768269 or email: ahmed.seddik@gmail.com
----------------------------------------------------------------
Walking Tour of Giza Pyramids, Temples and Tombs
Your Visa To Giza
Thursday, 11th of September at 8:00 a.m.
WhatsApp and/or call: 01006768269 or email: ahmed.seddik@gmail.com
Pyramid of Khafre
Pyramid of Menkaure
Pyramids of the Queens
Khufu's Boat
Tomb of Idu, Overseer of the Construction of the Great Pyramid
Tomb of Qar (G 7101)
The Sphinx
The Valley Temple of King Khafre
---------------------------------------------------------
Off the Beaten Track Tour of Historic Cairo
Friday, 12th of September at 6:00 a.m.
WhatsApp and/or call: 01006768269 or email: ahmed.seddik@gmail.com
Itinerary:
Abdeen Palace
Al-Madbouly Mosque
Sheikh Rihan St. (Sultan Hussein)
Abdeen Mosque
Madrasa of Sultan Mahmoud Khan
Sabil Bashir Agha
Port Said St.
Sabil Bashir Agha Daralsaada
The Khedivial School
Fadel Pasha Mosque (Sheikh Muhammed Rifaat)
Sabil Mostafa Pasha
Mosque of Zulfiqar Bek
Sayyeda Zeinab Square
Bahlul Mosque (Timraz)
Lady Saliha Sabil
The Path of the Sun Street (Darb al-Shams)
Lajin Al-Saifi
Dome of Sidi Al-Arbaeen
Alhawd Al-Marsood St.
Marasena St.
Sheikh Abdul Majid Ellabban St.
Yusuf Bek Sabil
Salar and Singer Al-Jawali
Khudairy St.
Saliba Street
Mosque and School of Prince Sarghatmish
Mosque of Ahmed Ibn Tulun
House of Gayer Anderson
Madrasa of Prince Taghribardi
The Mosque and Khanqah of Emir Shaykhu al-'Umari al-Nasiri (1349-57)
Sabil of Prince Abdullah Katkhuda
Darb Al-Hosor (Way of Carpets)
Sabil and Kuttab of Qaitbay
Mosque and Madrasa of Qanibay
Mosque of Khush Qadam
Mosque of Sultan Hassan
Mosque of Al-Rifai
Mosque of Al-Mahmoudiyya
Mosque of Muhammed Ali Pasha
Mosque of Jawhar Al-Lala
---------------------------------------------
Walking Tour of the City of the Dead,
the Petropolis of the Mamelukes
Saturday, 13th of September at 8:00 a.m.
WhatsApp and/or call: 01006768269 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.
The lively City of the Dead is a treasure trove of masterpieces from
almost all eras of Egyptian history. Walking there gives you an
encyclopedic tour of Egyptian history. 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! It is a
kaleidoscope of culture.
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
Tomb of the First President of Egypt
Amir Kabir Qurqumas Complex
The Religious and Funerary Complex of Sultan al-Ashraf Inal
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
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
the Petropolis of the Mamelukes
Saturday, 13th of September at 8:00 a.m.
WhatsApp and/or call: 01006768269 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.
The lively City of the Dead is a treasure trove of masterpieces from
almost all eras of Egyptian history. Walking there gives you an
encyclopedic tour of Egyptian history. 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! It is a
kaleidoscope of culture.
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
Tomb of the First President of Egypt
Amir Kabir Qurqumas Complex
The Religious and Funerary Complex of Sultan al-Ashraf Inal
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
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Testimonials:
On ABC News:
http://abcnews.go.com/International/video/back-beginning-christiane-amanpour-moses-pharaoh-pharaoh-exodus-18086799
-----------------------------------------
In the lobby of the Egyptian Museum, Ahmed handed me his business card. Melek kelem, it read, in mirror-like Arabic script. This was no empty palindromic boast, I saw as soon as he started the ten-minute "preview' tour we'd arranged. Ahmed was indeed a Master of Speech, a Word Lord, even -- to stretch the effect into English -- an Emir of Rhyme. He had a dense and mesmerizing way of speaking, full of shifting rhythms and ridiculous puns. Ambling through the museum next to him felt more like jogging, trying to keep up with his ancient-Egyptian etymologies, mnemonics for hieroglyphics, and archaeology gossip.
Zora O'Neill, Travel Author.
------------------------------------
Witty and enthusiastic.
Arguto e pieno d'entusiasmo.
Lonely Planet
-----------------------------------------
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.
Erin Lyall George
Producer
The CBS Evening News
--------------------------
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.
Helena Merriman
Broadcast Journalist
BBC World Service
--------------------------
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.
Michael Buchanan, Correspondent, BBC News
--------------------------
“You are a student of the finer point of the English language.”
Hugh Sykes, BBC, the World at One
--------------------------
My aim was to take a break with a cultural and historic character. And having Egyptologist and tour guide Ahmed Seddik as my companion made my adventure unforgettable.
Amira El-Naqeeb, Travel Writer
-------------------------------
The Digger Who Can Figure:
http://fnewsmagazine.com/2011/08/the-digger-who-can-figure/
-------------------------------
"His name is Ahmed Seddik and he is the most delightful, smart and funny person you can imagine. He loves languages and speaks incredible English. He talked continuously without notes of any kind during our tours of the temples at Saqqara, the Pyramids and tombs in Giza, Islamic Cairo, and the City of the Dead--not just providing fascinating and encyclopedic information, both historic and modern,
but peppering his monologue with puns and alliteration."
Caroline Moore
-------------------------------------------
“Ahmed Seddik is the brightest Egyptian I have met since I came to Egypt. I have found his Egyptological knowledge prodigious.”
Professor Jerry Leach
-------------------------------------------
Ahmed Seddik worked with me as a discussant on the translation of Ahmad Faris al-Shidyaq’s monumental mid-nineteenth-century work al-Saq ‘ala l-saq (Leg over Leg) during 2012 and 2013, a work widely considered among the most linguistically challenging of Arabic texts in view of its use of little-known words, word-play and puns, and complex grammar. I reviewed and discussed in depth with Ahmed most of the cruxes of the text and benefited enormously from his in-put. His knowledge of Arabic grammar, verse, and the Quran is encyclopedic and his ability to untangle the contortions imposed from time to time on the language of the book by the constraints of verse and rhymed prose proved to be prodigious. Ahmed’s love of language in general and the Arabic language in particular made him the ideal partner in an enterprise of such a daunting nature. I can recommend him unreservedly to anyone involved in scholarly work involving the Arabic language arts.
Dr. Humphrey Davies
