The Mediterranean Cruise Directory Egypt is “Misr” in Arabic. It occupies the northeastern corner of Africa, and is connected to Asia by the Sinai Peninsula. Egypt is bordered by Libya on the west, Sudan on the south, Israel on the east, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north. Egypt has a surface area of 386,662 square miles, approximately the same size as Texas. The population of Egypt is about 75 million. Cairo, Egypt's capital city, has a population of more than 17 million. This great metropolis is the meeting place of Africa, the Arab world, Europe and Asia. Cairo is the most important city in the country and is the political, cultural, and economic center. The oldest part of Cairo lies in the vicinity of the Khan El Khalili Bazaar and Al Azhar Mosque. The modern part of Cairo was built by a descendant of Mohamed Ali, in the 19th century.  Today a sprawling city, with its ever expanding suburbs, surrounds this historic core.  The most famous mosque, the Mohamed Ali Mosque, was built in Cairo in his memory. Cairo is known as the city of a thousand minarets due to the profusion of mosques. In approximately 3000 B.C., a civilization emerged on the banks of the River Nile. It reached a stage of development and sophistication that none of its contemporaries surpassed. The ancient Egyptians' ability to organize society, keep careful records, and maintain the continuity and advancement of their civilization almost without interruption for 30 centuries set them apart from all other civilizations. A land of motion within the stillness of centuries, the silent felucca sails in contrast to the chaos and cacophony along the Nile. Among today's monuments are the world's largest textile mill, one of the highest dams, and the largest manmade lake. Yet, all the noises of construction, cries of street vendors, even the braying of donkeys, in ever-expanding Cairo are absorbed by the eternal quiet of the deserts. Egypt is a country with many secrets tied to its past. It is an explorer's land, with places to find treasures such as antiquities, gold or jewels. It is a place to see palaces and bazaars, where the real and the reproduced can be considered. It is a land where flowers bloom in the desert and in the underwater gardens. For those who can “drink the water of the Nile,” the rewards are magnificent.

Noble Savage myth covers up truth (The Edmond Sun)
The late Joseph Campbell maintained that civilizations are not based on science, but on myth. "Aspiration," Campbell explained, "is the motivator, builder and transformer of civilization." Our technological society has been built on Francis Bacon's myth of the New Atlantis.

Lanka's role in Saarc (Daily News)
SUDHARSHAN SENEVIRATNE Director General. Central Cultural Fund Professor of Archaeology. University of Peradeniya Excerpts from the D.A. Rajapaksa memorial lecture 2008 by Sudharshan Seneviratne, Director General, Central Cultural Fund and Professor of Archaeology.

Nonfiction review: 'Loot' by Sharon Waxman (San Francisco Chronicle)
Loot The Battle Over the Stolen Treasures of the Ancient World By Sharon Waxman Times Books; 414 pages; $30 The title, stamped in gold capital letters on the dust jacket, gives away the author's agenda: This is a muckraking book about art objects from ancient...

Cha-cha moves affect Arroyo credibility (Philippine Daily Inquirer)
The junking of the impeachment complaint against President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo by the justice committee of the House of Representatives was predictable despite the protestations of impeachment advocates that the 100-page complaint with 500 pages of attachments was substantial.

O.C. gets month's worth of rain in 6 hours (Orange County Register)
The most powerful storm to hit Orange County in more than two years slammed the region.

Greek FM: Hu Jintao's visit highlights friendly ties between China, Greece (People's Daily)
Chinese President Hu Jintao's ongoing official visit to Greece reflects the excellent bilateral relations between the two countries, Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis said Monday in an interview with Xinhua. She said the past four years have witnessed numerous high-level meetings between the two governments, which have added to the dynamics of the relations between Greece and China. The ...

Chinese ambassador: President Hu's visit to Greece has historic significance (People's Daily)
Chinese President Hu Jintao's upcoming visit to Greece has historic significance and will upgrade bilateral relations, the Chinese ambassador to Greece said in a recent interview with Xinhua. Hu is scheduled to visit Greece for three days starting from Monday. "China and Greece are enjoying their best relationship in history. Greek President Papoulias visited China in June and the Chinese ...

Excerpt: Science Defines Future of War (Wired News)
The future of war is filled with poison gas, germ warfare and nuclear weapons. Each technological change shapes the risk calculations of our primate brains.

Tomb Raider: Underworld (Ferrago.co.uk)
Underworldly

Professor to present wonder of fungi (Washington State University Daily Evergreen)
Dugan says fungi play an important role in history, folklore and ancient civilizations.