Rawan Anani: Painting the Colours of Palestine · #5

(FR, EN and AR subtitles available) This is a conversation with Egyptian storyteller and content creator Beshir Shousha about making Egypt’s history come alive through storytelling, humour and social media. We explore how Egyptians and foreigners see Egypt, the journey of its temples and obelisks abroad, and the impact of Egyptomania. We also dive into the fascinating stories behind artefacts that left Egypt, from the obelisks to Nefertiti’s bust, and the question of their restitution.

(FR and AR subtitles available on YouTube) This is a conversation with Egyptologist Dr Arto Belekdanian about some of Ancient Egypt's greatest mysteries, from how the pyramids were built and what happened to the Sphinx's nose to the little-known stories of female pharaohs and the artists behind iconic masterpieces like Nefertiti's bust. We also explore hieroglyphs, royal rituals and why this ancient civilisation still fascinates us today. 00:00 Intro · مقدمة02:06 Becoming an Egyptologist · كيف بدأت رحلة علم الآثار05:24 How the pyramids were built · كيف بُنيت الأهرامات08:47 Purpose of ancient Egyptian art · 11:04 Ancient Egyptian artists names revealed · اسماء فنانون من مصر القديمة · فنانون من مصر القديمة13:33 Who made Nefertiti's bust? · من صنع تمثال نفرتيتي؟17:21 Female kings explained · الفراعنة النساء22:24 Q&A: Ancient Egyptian rulers & gods · أسئلة وأجوبة: حكام وآلهة مصر القديمة23:01 Ramses II, Cleopatra and the gods · رمسيس وكليوباترا والآلهة25:43 Nefertiti as possible female pharaoh · احتمال حكم نفرتيتي28:44 Useful resources to deep dive · موارد مفيدة للتعمق في الموضوع30:33 Writing hieroglyphs on a laptop · كتابة الهيروغليفية رقمياً35:20 The mystery of the Sphinx’s nose · لغز أنف أبو الهول38:40 AI and hieroglyph translation: Fabricius · الذكاء الاصطناعي والهيروغليفية41:06 Egyptian language and pronunciation · نطق اللغة المصرية القديمة42:45 Coronation rituals in ancient Egypt · طقوس التتويج45:23 Closing reflections · ختام الحلقة▶️ Video episode https://youtu.be/IDB8PxlhptE😎 GUEST Dr Arto Belekdanian is an Egyptian-Armenian egyptologist, and an AUC & Oxford graduate, he specialises in ancient Egyptian religion, kingship and royal rituals. He very skilfully bridges academic research and knowledge sharing with wider audiences through lectures, documentaries (National Geographic, the Discovery Channel, BBC Studios), and social media.🔎 FIND OUT MORE Instagram: @arto.belekdanian👁️ ABOUT Orient Expressed Orient Expressed is produced by Emmy Plaschy, to bring a new perspective and build bridges between the worlds of Europe and SWANA – with a focus on art, culture, and growth.

This is a conversation with Louis Barthélemy, a French artist and designer whose colourful, symbolic and rebellious work is carried out in collaboration with artisans of the countries he travels to. We talk about identity, intuition, colonial heritage, cultural appropriation and the deconstruction of toxic masculinity.

This episode follows Alaa Abu Elhamd, an Egyptian painter from Upper Egypt, whose work reconnects contemporary painting with ancient Egyptian visual heritage. We explore his symbolic, figurative language shaped by Luxor, his personal life, as well as the themes of spirituality, memory and rebirth in forming his artistic vision.00:00 Intro · مقدمة00:49 Who is Alaa Abu Elhamd? · من هو علاء أبو الحمد؟02:45 Artwork 1: from The White Wall (2023) · العمل الفني 1: من الجدران الأبيض04:41 Artwork 2: from The Fields of Iaru (2025) · العمل الفني 2: من حدائق اليورو07:02 Artwork 3: from Pomegranate Seeds (2022) · العمل الفني 3: من كان حب الرمان08:22 Meaning of blue colour in Ancient Egypt · معنى اللون الأزرق في مصر القديمة09:34 Artwork 4: Untitled (2020) · العمل الفني 4: بدون عنوان10:29 Why paint dark eyes? · لماذا يرسم العيون الداكنة؟11:05 Why skin looks like wood? · لماذا تبدو البشرة كأنها خشب؟12:21 The artists that inspire him · الفنانين الذين يلهمونه12:57 Can anyone become an artist? · هل يمكن لأي شخص أن يصبح فناناً؟13:55 Why Luxor is so special · لماذا الأقصر مميزة جداً؟14:46 His take on AI in art · رأيه في الذكاء الاصطناعي في الفن16:46 Current projects · المشاريع الحالية17:22 Luxor and its energy · الأقصر وطاقة المكان18:24 His favourite spot in Karnak · مكانه المفضل في الكرنك😎 GUEST Alaa Abu Elhamd is an Egyptian contemporary painter from Upper Egypt. He works in oil on canvas inspired by ancient Egyptian art and Luxor’s visual heritage. He likes to explore spirituality, memory and rebirth through symbolic figurative works. Assistant Professor at Luxor University, he has exhibited widely in Egypt and abroad, with solo shows including The Fields of Iaru (2025) and Biban, and won the Youth Salon Award.🔎 FIND OUT MORE Instagram: @alaa_abuelhamd👁️ ABOUT Orient Expressed Orient Expressed is produced by Emmy Plaschy, to bring a new perspective and build bridges between the worlds of Europe and SWANA – with a focus on art, culture, and growth.Season 2, Episode 4.Shot at: Lady of The Sun Guesthouse, Luxor, EgyptOutfit by: The Sahara CollectionShot by: Mobarak Saad AliCreative support: Yasmine @Heartfull Studio

This episode explores how artist Ziyad Jassam questions cultural identity as well as the contemporary realities of Iraq. We discuss expressionism, social taboos, and how best to perform and live your art.