GROPPI OF CAIRO

                

Picture of Groppi (2002) Photo Y. Sharobim

GROPPI, once the most celebrated tearoom this side of the Mediterranean was the creation of Giacomo Groppi (1863-1947) a native of Lugano, Switzerland. In time Maison Groppi became chief purveyor of chocolate to monarchs and pashas throughout the MidEast. Whenever pashas, beys and resident-foreigners traveled to Europe they took with them cartons filled with Groppi chocolates. During WW-II King Farouk air freighted via Khartoum, Entebbe, Dakar, Lisbon, Dublin a lacquered box emblazoned with the royal arms of Egypt and Great Britain. Inside, to the delight of the then-princesses Elizabeth and Margaret of England, were 100 kilos of Groppi chocolates.

Groppi Stickers

After a short apprenticeship with an uncle in Lugano and a brief employment in Provence, south of France, Giacomo Groppi arrived in Egypt in the 1880s to take up employment at Maison Gianola, a popular Swiss pastry and teashop on Bawaki Street, Cairo. In 1890, Giacomo Groppi, now aged 27, bought out Gianola's interests in its Alexandria's Rue de France branch and proceeded to open his own pastry and dairy shop.

By 1900 Groppi was running a successful enterprise annually exporting 100,000 cartons of eggs to the United Kingdom.

At Maison Groppi's second Alexandrine branch, on Cherif Street, Giacomo introduced crème chantilly for the first time in Egypt. This was a new technological feat which he acquired while touring the Exposition Universelle in Paris. Groppi was also the first chocolatier in Egypt to employ a female staff. In 1906, he sold his company to a Frenchman, Auguste Baudrot, and retired. For the next 60 years, Baudrot was regarded first amongst equals whenever compared to Alexandria's other famous tea rooms: Pastroudis, Trianon and Athineos. All three were run by Greeks.

Having lost his entire savings during the economic depression of 1907 Giacomo Groppi was obliged to return to what he knew best: making chocolates, pastries and dairy products. But out of deference to Baudrot, Groppi moved his activities to Cairo's al-Maghrabi Street (later, Adly Pasha Street). With only "La Marquise de Sévigné" and "Maison Mathieu" (renamed Sault) pausing as competition, Maison Groppi was ensured success in the nation's capital.

Old picture of Groppi

The formal opening took place on 23 December 1909. By the time WW-I broke out, Groppi's Tea Garden had become a favorite with the British Army of Occupation. A deli was added enhancing Groppi's image as the purveyor of quality food products.

In 1922 Maison Groppi inaugurated its own cold storage company--Industrie du Froid--employing over 120 workers and producing a daily output of 2,400 blocs of ice.

Coffee

In 1928, Giacomo Groppi's son, Achille, launched his famous ice cream, a technology he imported from the United States. The names of his delicious specialties were as exceptional as they tasted: Sfogliatella, Morocco, Mau Mau, Peche Melba, Maruska, Comtesse Marie, Surprise Neapolitaine. Cairenes were grateful to Achille for yet another creation: the Groppi tearoom situated on Midan Soliman Pasha (now, Talaat Harb).

Decades later, Groppi of Cairo would open a terrace café in Heliopolis overlooking Avenue des Pyramides and the legendary Heliopolis Palace Hotel (now, Uruba Presidential Palace).

To accommodate the less privileged Maison Groppi launched a chain of pastry and coffee shops "A l'Americaine".

Groppi Heliopolis

Thankfully Groppi's two main branches miraculously escaped complete destruction during the anti-British Black Saturday riots of January 1952 which ended with the burning of Cairo. In March 1954 Egypt's emerging strongman Colonel Gamal Abdel Nasser ordered the placing of a bomb in Groppi's patisserie. While the detonation caused widespread panic, thankfully no one was hurt. The objective of Nasser's macabre exercise was to promote a feeling of public insecurity. The power struggle among the Free Officers had reached a new climax and the vicious smear campaign against Egypt's first president General Mohammed Naguib had somehow made its way inside Groppi.

Groppi Gardens Adly Pacha St.

Forty years later, the legend of Groppi exists in name only. The rot and decay of the socialist 1960s had taken their heavy toll. By the time Egypt returned to the ways of an open economy, Groppi's descendants had already abandoned the trade and left Egypt.

The rest is history. 
Article contributed by: Aziz Matta 

L’Étrangère…

L’Étrangère…


Quelques années avant ma naissance, mon père connut une étrangère récemment arrivée dans notre village.


Depuis le début, mon père fut subjugué par cette personne, si bien que nous en arrivâmes à l'inviter à demeurer chez nous.


L'étrangère accepta et depuis lors elle fit partie de la famille.
 Moi je grandissais, je n'ai jamais demandé d'où elle venait, tout me paraissait évident.
 Mes parents étaient enseignants : ma maman m'apprit ce qu'était le bien et ce qu'était le mal et mon père m'apprit l'obéissance.
 Mais l'étrangère c'était une conteuse, une enjôleuse.
 Elle nous maintenait, pendant des heures, fascinés par ses histoires mystérieuses ou rigolotes.


Elle avait la réponse à tout ce qui concernait la politique, l'histoire ou les sciences.
 Elle connaissait tout du passé, du présent, elle aurait presque pu parler du futur !
 Elle fit même assister ma famille à une partie de football pour la première fois.
 Elle me faisait rire et elle me faisait pleurer.
 L'étrangère n'arrêtait jamais de parler, ça ne dérangeait pas ma Maman.
 Parfois maman se levait, sans prévenir, pendant que nous continuions à boire ses paroles. Je pense qu'en réalité, elle était partie à la cuisine pour avoir un peu de tranquillité (Maintenant je me demande si elle n'espérait pas avec impatience qu'elle s'en aille.)
 

Mon père avait ses convictions morales, mais l'étrangère ne semblait pas en être concernée.
 Les blasphèmes, les mauvaises paroles, par exemple, personne chez nous, ni voisins, ni amis, ne s'en seraient permis.
 Ce n'était pas le cas de l'étrangère qui se permettait tout, offusquant mon père et faisant rougir ma maman.


Mon père nous avait totalement interdit l'alcool. Elle, l'étrangère, nous incitait à en boire souvent.
 Elle nous affirmait que les cigarettes étaient fraîches et inoffensives, et que pipes et cigares faisaient distingué.
 Elle parlait librement (peut-être trop) du sexe.
 Ses commentaires étaient évidents, suggestifs, et souvent dévergondés.
 Maintenant je sais que mes relations ont été grandement influencées par cette étrangère pendant mon adolescence.


Nous la critiquions, elle ne faisait aucun cas de la valeur de mes parents, et malgré cela, elle était toujours là !
 Cinquante ans sont passés depuis notre départ du foyer paternel.
 Et depuis lors beaucoup de choses ont changé : nous n'avons plus cette fascination.
 Il n'empêche que, si vous pouviez pénétrer chez mes parents, vous la retrouveriez quand même dans un coin, attendant que quelqu'un vienne écouter ses parlotes ou lui consacrer son temps libre…


Voulez-vous connaître son nom ? Nous, 
nous l'appelons… 

Télévision !


Il faudrait que cette belle histoire soit lue par tout le monde.
 Attention :
 Maintenant, elle a un époux qui s'appelle Ordinateur……un fils qui s'appelle Portable……et un neveu pire que tous : Lui c'est Smartphone !


Auteur Inconnu 

Le petit vendeur de semites.

Semites / Koulouria.

Texte de Regine ZAYAN - Octobre 2005.

Vous qui avez passe les jeunes années de votre existence en Egypte, vous vous souvenez sans doute de ces salles de cinéma que nous appelions cinémas en plein air : Strand, Normandy, Roxy et bien d'autres encore dont les noms font ressurgir dans notre mémoire tout un pan de notre enfance ou de notre jeunesse.

A Visiter powerpoint:   Koulouria / Semites

En fait des espèces de hangars à ciel ouvert, tout decor absent, garnis de sieges en bois ou en osier sans grand confort, et ou régnait une joyeuse liberté : tant que la seance n'avait pas commence les enfants couraient a droite, a gauche, les adultes interpellaient d'une rangée de sieges a l'autre, grignotant des pépins , en recrachant ostensiblement la coquille, mâchonnant des bubble gum. C’était alors a qui soufflerait la plus grosse bulle, bulle qui ne manquait d'ailleurs pas de s’écraser sur le nez de l'expert en la matière, déclenchant des crises de fou rire!

Puis venait l'instant ou la seance commençait. Les enfants regagnaient en hate leur places; le silence s'installait progressivement et l’écran nous livrait les images des Actualités, moment important pour les parents qui appréciaient ces informations car la télévision n 'avait pas encore fait son entrée dans nos demeures.
Ensuite, comme pour consoler les enfants des images rébarbatives qui venaient de defiler, la projection du dessin animé était lancée, déclenchant une explosion de joie, de rires et d'excitation enfantine.
Ainsi, grands et petits étaient satisfaits. Il fallait alors faire une pause: l'entracte!

Le brouhaha reprenait de plus belle. Et pourtant.. et pourtant, du cour de cette cacophonie, émergeait une voix attendue de tous :  Sémites wou "do-a", semite, "guebna" we "beidd" lançait le jeune vendeur qui portait, accrochée à son cou par une solide courroie, une corbeille ou s'empilaient les couronnes de ce pain particulier parsemé degraines de sésame bien dorées. Accompagnant les semites, le jeune homme offrait des sachets remplis de ce qu'il qualifiait de "do-a " mais qui n'en était pas vraiment : l'authentique "do-a"  est composée de graines de coriandre et de sesame grillées, réduites en poudre et relevées par du sel et du cumin. Celle des cinémas en plein air était tout simplement un melange d 'hysope (za'atar) et de sel. Personne ne s'en plaignait, tout le monde semblait se regaler faisant des miettes partout.

Mais qu'importait ! La joie et I'insouciance régnaient.
Notre vendeur de sémites courait dans tous les sens, répondant aux appels des spectateurs, dont certains lui demandaient meme un tarif dégressif s'ils achetaient trois ou quatre semites! Le jeune homme, souhaitant seulement liquider son stock avant la fin de I'entracte, cédait quelquefois, mais toujours avec le sourire.


Enfin arrivait l'heure du film. Notre plaisir atteignait des sommets lorsque la projection nous offrait un film français. Cependant, Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, Frank Sinatra, Olivia de Havilland éclipsaient eux aussi notre gentil petit vendeur de semites et nous emportaient dans un imaginaire qui nous comblait de bonheur.
Etait-ce une légère brise qui nous faisait frissonner parfois ou plutôt un certain assassin qui habitait au 21 ?...Enfin, à I'apparition sur l'écran de I'immuable The End, la foule, riant encore des gags de Laurel et Hardy ou séchant discrètement une larme traitresse, se levait bruyamment.Mais le calme s'imposait à nouveau et le public, debout, écoutait en silence I'Hymne Royal sous le règne du Roi Farouk avant que, des années plus tard, ne soient imposesdes airs révolutionnaires aux rythmes martiaux.

Les spectateurs quittaient alors les lieux, la marche militaire de Stars and Stripes Forever scandant leurs pas vers la sortie...

Click ci-bas pour voir le texte avec musique et photos en powerpoint  
***   Kouloura / Semites  ***

Ras El Bar

Ras El Bar (Egyptian Arabic: راس البر Rās el-Barr 

Which means "head of land", is a resort city in the Governorate of Damietta, in northeast Egypt. It is located at Mediterranean Sea, at the mouth of the Damietta River, a distributary of the Nile, opposite Izbat al-Burj. There are approximately 25,000 permanent residents in the city. However, during the summer peak holiday season, from July to September, the population quickly expands to over 250,000.

Location

Ras El Bar lies in a peninsula on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, and it is bordered on the western by the Damietta Nile branch. The area of "Lessan" is located in the extreme northern part of this peninsula, and it is at this point where the Damietta Nile arm flows in the Mediterranean sea, which gives Ras El Bar the shape of a triangle.

Ras El Bar Hotel 1960 - Painting by C.Charobim

Climate

The climate of Ras El Bar is very similar to that of Damietta, owing to its proximity, and contains a high percentage of iodine. Its climate is classified as hot desert (BWh) by Köppen-Geiger system.

Shores

The uniqueness of Ras El Bar as one of the world's rare points where a river meets the sea has offered it a great advantage which is having shores that overlook both the Nile and sea. It's even said that Ras El Bar existence is a result of that unique meeting as both the sea and the Nile left sand and alluvium.

Nature type of sand

For Ras El Bar to be a sandy beach instead of an alluvial farming land like the rest of the delta takes us back to ancient prehistoric ages. Initially, the Mediterranean Sea covered the whole delta, and then it began to fall back and the river deluged over the delta and covered the lower areas with alluvium. When it comes to Ras El Bar the sands of the sea played a main role in turning the spot into a sandy beach instead of normal muddy farming land. These sands are believed to have great medical benefits especially in noon times.

Animals and Plants

Many dolphins visit Ras El Bar shores

Many kinds of wild birds actually live in the Manzala lake

Also in the fall season many of the immigrating flocks of European birds pass by Ras El Bar in her course to South Africa

Infrastructure

The Famous Gerba 1958 painting by C.Charobim

Houses

The land renting system started back since 1898, then started building houses and villas that were named "e'sha" (hut). In 1902, the first civic time for that town was implemented, and it was considered that the streets are straight and parallels to maintain the town’s beauty. At the very beginning those huts were built of wood and other simple materials, had only one floor and hosted only one family. Actually they were built at the start of the summer and removed at its end. Nowadays, Damiettans preserved the design of the town and the spaces between every villa and the other. They built new villas using cement and bricks. Now single blocks have twelve units most of them with a garage. They are still named "e'sha" (hut) among locals, but in reality they follow the structure of a villa.

Roads

Inner:

Port Said Street: is the main access in Ras El-Bar and it connects its entrance to the beginning of "Lesan".

Nile Street: more like a shopping centre full of shops and hotels, and it exactly parallel to the Nile.

External:

Older roads that links Ras El-Bar with other governorates are available all year long.

Economical activities

Since early ages, Ras El Bar has been a main port for all kinds of goods that pass through the Nile and/or come from the sea.

Fishing

Ras El Bar is a huge centre for fishing boats that leave into the Mediterranean sea and returns loaded with different kinds of fish that helped in enriching this industry all over the country. It is also a spot for manufacturing ships of all kinds and sizes especially fishing ones.

Maritime transport and trade

Ras El Bar is closed the main port of Damietta, which handles international trade.

History

Pharaohs eras

The Huts in the 1950's Painting by C.Charobim

Actually Ras El Bar has been called many names since the Pharaos. Pharos called it the Mediterranean Sea (the great green sea), then came the Romans and called it "The Romans Sea" on 30 AD, and the spot where sea could meet a river was called (Be Tamosh) and it meant the place between two waves or two seas. The name itself Ras El Bar came from some sailors who felt that this place can be the shelter from the sea’s dangers. "Ras" is the start and "El Bar" is the land so it is the start of land and the shelter of any sailor. This place was mentioned in the Quran for three times only to stress out the mighty power of god that made both river and sea meet with a separator that can never be seen and stops them from blending.

Greek and Roman eras

Damietta was known as "Tamiats" during the Greek and Roman eras, and it was known as "Tamiat" during the time of Veterans Copts.

Islamic era

According to the Historical Documents, "Tamiats" was an important Coptic Bishopric during the Fifth Century. The name "Demt", which means "the ability" in the Syriac Language, was also mentioned in a verse sent to the Prophet "Idris" or "Herms". The sense behind the name is the ability that combined the fresh water and the brine water together in that place.

After the revealing of the Quran and before the Islamic conquest of Egypt, it was mentioned that Omar Ibn Al-Khattab recalled Prophet Muhammad's words as follows "Omar, you will open two ports in Egypt, Alexandria and Damietta. About Alexandria, it was destroyed by barbarians. About Damietta, its people are martyrs. This who does this for a night will be with me along with the other Prophets at Al Kuds".

According to Anas ibn Malik, who was one of the Prophet Muhammad's companions, the Prophet Muhammad said "Muslims will open a port that is considered the "ability" place, in which the olds of my 'Ummah' will live; a one night in this place is better than a thousand months worship; it is the "ability" place for those who sacrifice their souls for God." Then, Anas said "and what is that "ability" place, Prophet?" The Prophet Muhammad said "It is the place that is spelled with D, M, and T."

It is thought that the area of Damietta is called Caphtor by several ancient manuscripts including the Bible, Koran, Josephues, and Egyptian texts. The Torah may use the spelling "Kaftor". Being mentioned and described in the three Holy Heavenly religions is a great pride that Damietta has out of many beautiful places 

Crusades

Damietta' position on the West bank of the Nile river is a strategic location that urged many enemies' fleets to conquer the city, and that also urged its people to build a number of fortifying castles and towers to protect the city.

In 1218, The Crusaders started to approach Damietta, and they made a dike surrounded by a bailey to protect them, and they settled there where they initiated their assaults against the strong resistance from the Dumyaty people. The resistance stilled strong for four months, but the Crusaders condensed their attacks and they surrounded the whole city abandoning it and its people from any coming support. However, the Dumyaty people stand strong and kept resisting till the summer season came, and the flood filled the Nile river with water till the baileys were destroyed, and the dike became like an island surrounded with water. After that, the Crusaders were seeking a conciliating treaty to get out of the city and the whole country. After thirty years, the Crusaders came back to conquer Egypt as a starting point for invading Palestine and the other Arab countries.

In 1248, the king of France at that time, Louis IX, sailed from southern France with a great fleet until he reached Damietta's beaches. At that time, the Prince Fakhr El Din left the city with no army and ran away. However, the Dumyaty people resisted that fleet. They burnt their shops and everything that the enemy could make use of, and they retreated to the jungles and the inner places in the city to inveigle the enemy. Then, they started their enchorial stood out and they beaten the French in a number of battles. The last battle was at Faraskour, which is a city on the Nile River, where Dumyaty people killed a number of ten thousand men from the French, and they captivated the others along with the king Louis IX, and they imprisoned him. Later on, King Louis IX paid four thousand Egyptian Pounds to be released along with his men, and he left the Damietta on May 8, 1250, and that date became the National Day of Damietta later on.

The battle was known as Mansoura battle it took place at the recent mansoura city on the Nile River and the king of France at that time was imprisoned at Dar Ibn Lokman.

Modern era

The modern Ras El Bar

Damietta started to create a new path towards peace and safe life after struggling against invaders. The new path is representing its natural rule that it was created for, which is tourism.

Recently, an alleyway by the side of the Nile River was made at the city of Ras El Bar. The other side of the alleyway contains a number of shops and restaurants till it reaches the area of "El Lesan". "El Lesan" is the place where the Mediterranean Sea meets the Nile River, and it was also developed to compete with worldwide tourist places.

Courtesy partly From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The City of Damietta

In Ancient Egypt, the city was known as Tamiat, but it became less important in the Hellenic period after the construction of Alexandria.
The Abbasids used Alexandria, Damietta, Aden and Siraf as entry ports to India and the Tang Empire of China. Damietta was an important naval base during the Abbasid, Tulunid and Fatimid periods. This led to several attacks by the Byzantine Empire, most notably the sack and destruction of the city in May 853.
Damietta was again important in the 12th and 13th centuries during the time of the Crusades. In 1169, a fleet from the Kingdom of Jerusalem, with support from the Byzantine Empire, attacked the port, but it was defeated by Saladin.
During preparations for the Fifth Crusade in 1217, it was decided that Damietta should be the focus of attack. Control of Damietta meant control of the Nile, and from there the crusaders believed they would be able to conquer Egypt. From Egypt they could then attack Palestine and recapture Jerusalem. When the port was besieged and occupied by Frisian crusaders in 1219, Francis of Assisi arrived to peaceably negotiate with the Muslim ruler.
The siege devastated the population of Damietta. In October 1218 reinforcements arrived including the Legate Pelagius with the English earls Ranulf of Chester, Saer of Winchester, and William Aubigny of Arundel together with Odonel Aubigny, Robert Fitzwalter, John Lacy of Chester, William Harcourt and Oliver the illegitimate son of King John.  In 1221 the Crusaders attempted to march to Cairo, but were destroyed by the combination of nature and Muslim defences.

Market street in Damietta

Damietta was also the object of the Seventh Crusade, led by Louis IX of France. His fleet arrived there in 1249 and quickly captured the fort, though he refused to hand it over to the nominal king of Jerusalem, to whom it had been promised during the Fifth Crusade. However, Louis too was eventually captured and defeated and was forced to give up the city.
Because of its importance to the Crusaders, the Mamluk Sultan Baibars destroyed the city and rebuilt it with stronger fortifications a few kilometres from the river in the early 1260s, making the mouth of the Nile at Damietta impassable for ships.

Economy

Damietta is very famous for its furniture industry. In addition to the Egyptian market, its furniture is sold in Arab countries, Africa, Europe, US, and almost all over the world. Today, there is a canal connecting it to the Nile, which has made it an important port once again. Containers are transported through the new Damietta Port. The Damietta governorate has a population of about 1,093,580 (2006). It contains the SEGAS LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) plant, which will ultimately have a capacity of 9.6 million ton/year through two trains. The plant is owned by Segas, a joint venture of the Spanish utility Unión Fenosa (40%), Italian oil company Eni (40%) and the Egyptian companies EGAS and EGPC (10% each). The plant is unusual since it is not supplied from a dedicated field, but is supplied with gas from the Egyptian grid. As of 2010, EMethanex, the Egyptian division of Methanex Corporation a Canadian owned company, was building a 3600 MTPD methanol plant. Damietta also has a notable furniture and woodworking industries and is also noted for its White Domiati cheese and other dairy products and Pâtisserie and Egyptian desserts. It is also a fishing port.

Courtesy Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia