Egyptian Village Research Articles

Exploring Artistic Hierarchies among Painters in Ramesside Deir el-Medina

Scholarship has described Deir el-Medina as a sophisticated community composed of highly trained and educated individuals, at least compared to most ancient Egyptian villages that were primarily focused on agrarian labor. The tombs at Deir el-Medina indicate that some community members were well-off financially and may have aspired to reach elite levels in ancient Egypt’s social hierarchy. However, this understanding of Deir el-Medina’s community lacks the nuance of the hierarchical structure that defines success and status among the workers, artists, and craftspeople living in the community. This paper will investigate how one’s status within the community might dictate the allocation of artistic roles in the execution of painted royal tomb scenes. It will explore who within the community would have the privilege of depicting the primary motifs of a tomb and who would be responsible for less noticeable areas of the tomb.

Transformation towards sustainable green infrastructure systems in Egyptian villages (a case study of Fayoum villages)

Transformation towards sustainable green infrastructure systems in Egyptian villages (a case study of Fayoum villages)

Green Practices in Action: Examining HRM’s Role in Fostering Environmental Performance in Egypt’s Hospitality Sector

This study examines the dynamic relationship between green human resource management (green HRM), environmental performance (EP), green employee behavior (GEB), and environmental knowledge and awareness (EKAW) within the Egyptian hospitality sector context. Using Pearson correlation coefficients and regression analyses on a sample of 400 staff members from hotels and tourist villages in Egypt, the study examines green HRM practices’ influence on EP, mediated by GEB and EKAW. The findings reveal significant positive correlations between green HRM practices and these mediators, indicating that comprehensive environmental strategies and incentive management are pivotal in promoting eco-friendly practices among employees. The study further confirms GEB and EKAW’s substantial mediating roles in enhancing EP. The results also suggest that while EKAW and GEB independently contribute to EP, their interaction, and the role of environmental awareness as a potential mediator warrant further examination. This research contributes to the literature on sustainable business practices by underscoring human resource strategies’ integral role in achieving environmental sustainability goals, highlighting the importance of incentivizing green practices, and cultivating an organizational culture prioritizing EKAW. These insights are precious for organizations seeking to enhance their ecological footprint through effective green HRM practices.

The use of decorated titanium oxide nanoparticles for the development of handmade textile heritage in Egyptian villages: Design, mechanical, flammability, and antibacterial properties

AbstractImproving eco‐friendly coating‐based materials for wool artifacts, such as kilim fabric can inspire new‐fashion design avenues for conserving ancient cultural heritage. Thus, this research addresses an efficient treatment agent from natural rosin acids (R) and dapsone (D) with variable sublethal proportions of synthesized titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs) (i.e., 0.1%, 0.3%, and 0.6%) for modifying kilim fabric (KF) using a dip‐coating method. The nanostructure of prepared TiO2 nanoparticles and their particle size were examined by x‐ray diffraction (XRD) and Zetasizer analyzer. The data showed that the majority of prepared TiO2 oriented to a rutile‐type structure with an average hydrodynamic diameter of 48.30–49.65 nm. The KF‐R/D‐0.3% TiO2 NPs specimen provided the best tensile properties reached ~3192 N compared with the untreated KF (i.e., 1125 N). This finding confirmed by SEM observations. Whereas, the specimen containing decorated TiO2 NPs (i.e., 0.6%) possessed higher flammability resistance property compared with other specimens. Moreover, XRD and FTIR results for treated KF specimens demonstrated the significant role of TiO2 NPs, which react with KF keratin either by new linkages or through chelating geometry to form a compact KF matrix. This contributed to enhance the tensile and flammability properties. Additionally, a great achievement in antibacterial properties occurred when TiO2 NPs used and their inhibitory zones were 18–36 mm, depending on the bacteria and specimen type.Highlights Novel treatment of KF fabric‐based bioagents with sublethal contents of TiO2 NPs was successfully prepared by dip‐coating route. The tensile force and flammability of treated KF fabric were greatly enhanced. A great achievement in antibacterial activity was noticed when TiO2 added. These treated fabrics have excellent possibility for use in conserving cultural heritage.

Abuse of Working Children in the Contemporary Egyptian Village A Sociological Study on Some Villages and Estates in Giza Governorate

Abuse of Working Children in the Contemporary Egyptian Village A Sociological Study on Some Villages and Estates in Giza Governorate

Decent Life Initiative and Sustainable Development Goals: A Systems Thinking Approach

Decent Life is a presidential initiative that was launched in Egypt in the year 2019. The initiative targets complex problems facing underprivileged villages in Egypt. This paper uses a systems thinking approach to gain a holistic view of the initiative dimensions and address the interlinkages between these dimensions from the perspective of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The paper used a causal loop diagram (CLD) as a visualization of the systems thinking approach to analyze the interactions and interlinkage between all the components of the system. The Decent Life Initiative works on improving economic, social, and environmental infrastructures, which are related to SDGs. To achieve the initiative’s goals effectively, this paper suggests working under the umbrella of three important factors: Raising awareness, adopting technology, and putting in place supportive policies and legislations. Finally, the paper suggests using system dynamics as a quantitative method, which uses stock-flow diagrams, to measure the impacts of the initiative on the achievement of the SDGs in Egypt.

Re-exploring Vernacular Architecture from The Lens of Regenerative Thinking: A Case Study Gharb Sohail Village in Egypt

Vernacular architecture has always been a source of inspiration for architects worldwide. It has offered meaningful solutions to many contemporary global challenges. On the other hand, the notion of sustainability is undergoing a paradigm shift towards regenerative sustainability, which has gained considerable interest in the last decade among academics, architects, and building professionals due to its holistic, integrated, and creative approach to real-world sustainability practices. Accordingly, the study attempts to answer the question of how far vernacular architecture has applied regenerative sustainability principles. So, the research aims to investigate the manifestations of regenerative thinking within the selected case study, focusing on the principle of whole-systems design integration. The research adopted a qualitative methodology that began with a thorough literature review to explore the distinction between regenerative sustainability and the conventional concept. In the analytical part, Gharb Sohail village was selected as a case study of vernacular architecture in Egypt to be analyzed from the perspective of regenerative sustainability. The findings revealed that vernacular architecture applied regenerative thinking significantly through its integration with the entire system because it is created by and for the context in which it is built and is considered a part of the ecosystem. The study makes a profound contribution by deeply exploring regenerative sustainability applications within the built environment and by offering affordable design techniques that help architects and urban planners, particularly in developing countries, create a resilient and regenerative built environment while conserving their cultural, social, and economic particularities.

Is Hepatitis E Virus a Neglected or Emerging Pathogen in Egypt?

Though Egypt ranks among the top countries for viral hepatitis and death-related liver disease, Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is a neglected pathogen. Living in villages and rural communities with low sanitation, use of underground well water and contact with animals are the main risk factors for HEV infection. Domestic animals, especially ruminants and their edible products, are one source of infection. Contamination of water by either human or animal stools is the main route of infection. In addition, HEV either alone or in coinfection with other hepatotropic viruses has been recorded in Egyptian blood donors. HEV seropositivity among Egyptian villagers was 60-80%, especially in the first decade of life. Though HEV seropositivity is the highest among Egyptians, HEV infection is not routinely diagnosed in Egyptian hospitals. The initial manifestations of HEV among Egyptians is a subclinical infection, although progression to fulminant hepatic failure has been recorded. With the improvement in serological and molecular approaches and increasing research on HEV, it is becoming clear that HEV represents a threat for Egyptians and preventive measures should be considered to reduce the infection rate and possible complications.

Opportunities and Challenges of Economic Empowerment of Rural Women in Light of Developing Egyptian Rural Villages of a decent Life in Some Governorates of the Arab Republic of Egypt

Opportunities and Challenges of Economic Empowerment of Rural Women in Light of Developing Egyptian Rural Villages of a decent Life in Some Governorates of the Arab Republic of Egypt

Developing the Egyptian village as a smart village in implementation of the sustainable development goals) Review of the executive plan for the "Hayah Karima" Initiative – Egypt)

Developing the Egyptian village as a smart village in implementation of the sustainable development goals) Review of the executive plan for the "Hayah Karima" Initiative – Egypt)

Methodological Paradoxes in Understanding Rural Egypt: Deconstructing Young Women’s Challenges in the Public Sphere

Despite noticeable efforts to include women in different facets of public life, rural women’s participation is low compared to their metropolitan counterparts, and to men in general. This paper argues that rural young women face double discrimination: first, through disempowerment in regards to basic economic, social, and cultural rights which facilitate participation in public life, and second, that their challenges are not fully captured by most research. Utilising constructivist ethnographic qualitative research conducted in three rural villages in Egypt, this study navigates through disadvantaged young women’s realities and captures the unique and unrecognised challenges they encounter in regards to participating in public life. In addition to sharing challenges common to most women, the findings reveal challenges specific to rural young women. Some of these challenges directly impede women’s participation in the public sphere; such as lack of ID, early marriage, and limited mobility while others indirectly limit their public participation, such as social norms, migration of husband, and marriage cost.

Review: The Rise of Coptic: Egyptian versus Greek in Late Antiquity, by Jean-Luc Fournet

Review: <i>The Rise of Coptic: Egyptian versus Greek in Late Antiquity</i>, by Jean-Luc Fournet

Bernard Shaw as Political Writer

Bernard Shaw as Political Writer

Eighteen Days in Tahrir Protests: The Perfomatives of Civic Action in Egypt’s 2011 Revolution

Abstract On January 25, 2011, a spontaneous mobilization of masses of Egyptian folks congregated in Tahrir Square calling for change in Egypt. ‘Bread, freedom and social justice’ is what Egyptian demonstrators chanted throughout their encampment in the Midan. Shortly after Tahrir Square had turned into a community of protestors congregating and setting up camp day and night in the large plaza, random protestors and performers started devising means of entertainment imbued with political satire with which to engage and incite the crowds. Songs and dances as well as lengthy dramatic monologues, verbatim testimonies, poetry recitations and various styles of storytelling emerged. Those performative acts of protest are similar in nature to renowned Egyptian dramatist Yusuf Idris’s recounting of the Egyptian village al-samir performance tradition, which was also performative and unruly in nature. This interdisciplinary study compares that indigenous dramatic art form, al-samir, with the revolutionary performatives of protest that sprang up extemporaneously in the Midan during the Egyptian revolution in 2011. The paper raises questions about the nature of protest and community formation, democracy, performativity and focuses only on the first 18 days of the January uprising, that specific historical moment only and its transformative effect on theatrical performances, performers and protestors at the time. The paper proposes that the Tahrir performatives of protest were an ephemeral phenomenon that appeared as embodiments and celebrations of political freedom in a specific time and place, and they ended when the call for democracy and the euphoria of the uprising of 2011 gradually faded away.

Renaissance Buried Alive in “The Collar and the Bracelet”

Through a close reading and interdisciplinary analysis of the 1975 novella al-Tawq wa al-Iswira (The Collar and the Bracelet) by Yahya al-Tahir 'Abdallah and the 1986 cinematic adaptation directed by Khairi Bishara, this article demonstrates how the textual and visual narrations converge and diverge in their representations of the Upper Egyptian village at a point of potential Nahda, or renaissance. It further demonstrates how the novella and the film utilize the image of the circle, alluded to by the titular collar and the bracelet, to uncover and disrupt the circular patterns of oppression that dominate rural life. These patterns of oppression are made manifest through the juxtaposition of binary oppositions: life and death, modernity and tradition, myth and science, and patriarchal structures and the push for increased gender equality. This study examines not only the question of Nahda/renaissance in the novel but also the representation of women and their position within the popular imagery. As this study uses parallel narratives to read Abdullah's works, it traces the link between the representation of women in the novel and other women's representations with a distinct presence in the mythology, literature and the folklore; such as Isis in the ancient Egyptian mythology, and Na'sa in the folkloric story of Ayyoub Al-Masri (the Egyptian Job). Even though it is apparent that men have absolute power and occupy the pinnacle of gender hierarchy power in the rural village of the novel, this article questions the veracity of such a claim. While the novel begins with what seems to be assent to that gender hierarchy, the hierarchy is revealed as false through different contexts: Egyptian mythology, anthropology, folklore, and intertextual reading with other works by Yahya al-Taher and writings of others.

Role of Strategic Plans in Egyptian Village Development and their Implementation’s Obstacles ( Case study of EL Minia District’s villages , EL- Minia Governorate )

The research deals with a very important problem ,namely studying the strategic plan project for the Egyptian villages and identifying the implementation situation of this plan and its effectiveness and success in achieving the sustainable development goals .This study was carried out through a field study of some villages of the Center-Minya Governorate, namely five villages representing 10% of the 43 villages in the Minya Center, in particular the focus was on the villages: Manshat Al Hawaslia - Bani Hassan Al Ashraf - Damshaw Hashem - Nazlat Hussein Ali - Al Barjaya. The research examined the topic in a systematic and scientific manner, based on the achievement of objectives, addressed the interface between inductive, analytical, qualitative, and indicative statistical approaches. The research ends with a set of conclusions and recommendations that are critical at the different levels, includeing , administrative , financial, legislative , land and property, community participation, technical, awareness, and evaluation levels .

Theory of Change for Exploring the Potential Role of Rural Women’s Social Inclusion for Temporary Economic Recovery after COVID-19: Evidence from Awni Village in Egypt

Theory of Change for Exploring the Potential Role of Rural Women’s Social Inclusion for Temporary Economic Recovery after COVID-19: Evidence from Awni Village in Egypt

Muhammad ‘Afifi Maṭar and the effective influences in his poetry

This study aims to introduce the poet Muhammad Afifi Maṭar through his life and upbringing, because of the importance of forming the personality of the writer and imprinting his qualities. The writer is the son of his environment, affected by it and affects it, and we cannot understand any literature unless we put it in its societal and historical context. It was necessary for the rural environment in which Rain grew up with its simplicity and diversity, and Egypt and the successive major events that it witnessed to cast a shadow on the poet, polish his poetry and sharpen his ideas. The study also aims to identify the most important effective influences in his poetry: poverty, his position on authority, alienation and imprisonment. These influences reflected the nature of political, social, intellectual and cultural life during the historical period in which the poet Muhammad Afifi Maṭar lived. The study relied on more than one method to achieve the desired results. It adopted the historical method in introducing the poet, his life and the most important events he lived through. And the descriptive analytical method to study the effective influences in his poetry by describing and analysing them through models of his poetry. The study reached several results, including: Poet Muhammad Afifi Maṭar was affected by the Egyptian village life, including its customs, traditions and beliefs. He portrayed with great depth and sincerity the suffering of the people of his village from poverty and need. His position on the authority embodied the image of the Arab intellectual in the face of it.

Performance Analysis of a Stand-Alone PV/WT/Biomass/Bat System in Alrashda Village in Egypt

This paper presents an analysis and optimization of an isolated hybrid renewable power system to operate in the Alrashda village in the Dakhla Oasis, which is situated in the New Valley Governorate in Egypt. The proposed hybrid system is designed to integrate a biomass system with a photovoltaic (PV), wind turbine (WT) and battery storage system (Bat). Four different cases are proposed and compared for analyzing and optimizing. The first case is a configuration of PV and WT with a biomass system and battery bank. The second case is the integration of PV with a biomass system and battery bank. The third case is WT integrated with biomass and a battery bank, and the fourth case is a conventional PV, WT, and battery bank as the main storage unit. The optimization is designed to reduce component oversizing and ensure the dependable control of power supplies with the objective function of reducing the levelized cost of energy and loss of power supply probability. Four optimization algorithms, namely Heap-based optimizer (HBO), Franklin’s and Coulomb’s algorithm (CFA), the Sooty Tern Optimization Algorithm (STOA), and Grey Wolf Optimizer (GWO) are utilized and compared with each other to ensure that all load demand is met at the lowest energy cost (COE) for the proposed hybrid system. The obtained results revealed that the HBO has achieved the best optimal solution for the suggested hybrid system for case one and two, with the minimum COE 0.121171 and 0.1311804 $/kWh, respectively, and with net present cost (NPC) of $3,559,143 and $3,853,160, respectively. Conversely, STOA has achieved the best optimal solution for case three and four, with a COE of 0.105673 and 0.332497 $/kWh, and an NPC of $3,103,938 and $9,766,441, respectively.

From Fisher wives to fish vendors: Gendered livelihood transitions in a fishing village in Egypt

Like women in fishing communities elsewhere, the women interviewed as part of this study play a pivotal in the fishing sector. When there is an aggravated depletion of fish capture in this coastal area, households witness very gendered livelihood transitions. Able-bodied men mostly seek livelihoods elsewhere. The women left behind face a situation of poverty and multiple transitions at the household, market and community levels. While the supply chain of farmed fish provided livelihood opportunities to these women, the transition was fraught with perils and challenges both at the market and household levels. Capital, in its different human, financial, and social forms, defines to a greater extent the parameters of these livelihood transitions.