Omar Nok's Next Journey: Around the World Without a Plane
On February 8th, 2024, Egyptian adventurer and certified thrill-seeker Omar Nok dropped a bombshell: he was about to embark on his biggest, boldest journey yet—a flight-free trek across two continents and hundreds of cities, starting in Cairo and ending all the way in Japan.
For nearly ten months, Nok took the world along for the ride, sharing daily vlogs of his modern-day odyssey on Instagram—posts that felt like passports to the unexpected. From hidden alleyways to remote villages, from chance encounters to those 'only in the movies' moments, over 728,000 followers watched in awe as this 'crazy Egyptian' rewrote what it means to travel.
Then, on November 20th, 2024, after months of never boarding a plane, Nok finally took flight—straight out of Japan—closing a chapter that captured hearts and screens worldwide.
But, as one would expect from a daredevil of Nok's calibre, he wasn't close to being done.
Japan was followed by India, where Nok debuted a series of him crossing the sub-continent—again without flying. It was then that I reached out to him, both as a curious journalist and as a semi-obsessed fan who just so happened to have his number. I began to inquire about his trip to India; an adventure that I, someone who often postpones dinner due to an inability to get up and walk to the kitchen, deemed revolutionary.
That's when Omar Nok, in true Omar Nok fashion, casually blew my mind.
'India? That was just the warm-up,' he told me, his tone ever-casual. 'The real adventure is coming. Bigger. Wilder. More dangerous. And yes—my last hurrah.'
The bonafide adrenaline junkie expressed his desire to take a few steps back and settle down—but not before going out with a bang. Immediately, I began throwing out wild guesses—Russia to Antarctica, Cape Town to South America—but he just laughed.
'People aren't thinking big enough,' he said. 'This time, I'm heading west. All the way west. And I'll keep going until I end up right back in Egypt.'
Hold up. Egypt to Egypt? By way of what? The Sahara? The Atlantic? The Pacific? His answer was a simple, 'Yes.'
The plan? Start in late 2025. No flights. No fixed routes. Possibly no destination at all. This time, the unknowns are even greater. He might not find a boat. Or he might end up somewhere completely off-track. Unlike Egypt to Japan, where he'd mapped out several paths, this one's a zigzag from the Southern to Northern Hemisphere and back again.
I couldn't quite fathom the scale of it—let alone what keeps him dreaming bigger and bigger still. Turns out, it's all about the people.
'There was so much I didn't know about the world that I learnt on the way from Egypt to Japan—I saw the best of humanity. It's that faith that fuels me now.'
And so, another impossible journey is in the works. But if anyone can pull it off, it's Nok—the man who made strangers feel like companions and movement feel like magic. Because for him, this isn't just a trip. It's a full-circle act of wonder. Starting in Egypt, and daring to return, with a world of stories in between.
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CairoScene
a day ago
- CairoScene
Beneath Alexandria Lies a Roman Necropolis in Stone
Thirty meters under Alexandria, the Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa hold a world where Roman, Greek, and Egyptian beliefs were carved together into the rock. Somewhere deep in the heart of modern Alexandria, past the thrum of midday traffic and the chaos of satellite dishes and tangled wires, lies a quiet descent into the ancient. The Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa—Arabic for 'Mound of Shards"—are easy to miss. There are no looming colonnades or ostentatious façades above ground to signal their presence. Just a low entrance, modest and sun-blanched, tucked into the old Carmous district west of Pompey's Pillar. But thirty meters below the street, the silence thickens. The catacombs were discovered by accident in 1900 when a donkey reportedly vanished into a hole in the ground—an apt metaphor, perhaps, for how so much of Alexandria's Roman past has disappeared into the city's layered depths. What the donkey found, and what archaeologists soon unearthed, was a vast necropolis carved directly into the bedrock during the 2nd century CE, likely during the Antonine era of Roman rule. Today, the site is considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Middle Ages. Altogether, the catacombs span three tiers and several chambers, forming one of the largest known Roman burial sites in Egypt. Originally built for a single affluent family, the necropolis was later expanded for communal use. Whether this shift came from necessity, generosity, or profit is—like so much of Alexandria's past—lost to history. The descent begins at a spiral staircase, which once served as a practical pulley shaft for lowering bodies. Hollowed niches are still visible along the shaft walls, possibly once lit by lamps. The stairs circle around a central well, now dry, that draws the visitor's eye downward. This architectural decision, both functional and ceremonial, marks the beginning of a slow immersion into the underworld of Roman Alexandria. At the bottom of the staircase, the first chamber appears: a vestibule that opens into a six-pillared rotunda crowned with a domed ceiling. In the middle lies a circular opening to another shaft, which once functioned as the primary point of descent to the burial levels below. This uppermost tier houses the more ceremonial aspects of the catacombs. To the left of the rotunda is the triclinium , or banquet hall, which is an open space measuring approximately nine by eight and a half metres. There are still stone benches lining the walls where mourners would recline to share meals in honour of the deceased. It was here that the catacombs earned their name—archaeologists found heaps of broken terracotta plates and jars, funeral remnants that were shattered after use, never to be repurposed again. Beyond the rotunda lies the principal tomb chamber with a design that halts the visitor in place: a façade carved to resemble a miniature temple, complete with twin columns crowned by a hybrid of Egyptian papyrus and lotus motifs, intertwined with acanthus leaves, an unmistakable Greco-Roman flourish. Above these, a carved winged sun disk spreads its wings wide, flanked by Horus falcons, gazing out with eternal vigilance. Step inside, and syncretism becomes the dominant language. Three fixed-lid sarcophagi are embedded in the chamber walls, inaccessible except by a service passage that allowed bodies to be inserted from behind. Contrary to an initial inspection, these are not simple coffins. Each one is adorned with carved garlands and niches, shaped to hold the remains of up to three individuals. Reliefs show Anubis, the jackal-headed Egyptian god of embalming, dressed in Roman military uniform, a legionary's tunic and boots. Nearby, there is an etched head of Medusa serving a kind of Greek protective symbol, while images of the Apis bull and Isis add another layer of Egyptian funerary iconography. In no other place within the catacombs does one find a more potent depiction of such startling polytheism. Off one of the side passages lies a peculiar annex: the Hall of Caracalla. Named after the Roman emperor who infamously ordered a massacre in Alexandria around 215 CE, this chamber contains a tangled history. Human and horse remains were found here, buried unceremoniously. Some scholars believe it to be a communal grave for young Christian men and their horses, slaughtered in the emperor's purge. Others interpret it as a later addition with an uncertain function. Deeper still, the catacombs continue, though the lowest tier is now submerged due to groundwater seepage. To this day, it remains inaccessible. Archaeologists believe this bottom level held additional tombs, perhaps once reached by the same shaft that connects the upper levels. What lies beneath remains unknown. And yet, even in partial silence, the site speaks. The Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa reveal a city in flux—a place where Egyptian, Greek, and Roman cultures didn't just coexist, but collided, fused, and reformed into something wholly Alexandrian. Here, the dead were laid to rest beneath symbols from all three traditions—perhaps in search of a unity that eluded the living. And as you descend into the depths of the catacombs, so too do you fall into the folds of a city that was never just one thing—but always, somehow, all things at once.
Al-Ahram Weekly
2 days ago
- Al-Ahram Weekly
'Faces from Nepal' captivating photography exhibition is a must see - Exhibitions - Al-Ahram Weekly
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The exhibition includes a collection of rare caricatures that reveal the sarcastic and humane spirit of an artist who lived in the heart of Cairo and depicted its political and social landscape with his unique style. Sintes, an artist who came from the Spanish city of Valencia at the invitation of Prince Youssef Kamal in 1908, taught the art of engraving and left a unique artistic imprint (25 June – 20 July). Czech Embassy 4 Al Dokki Street, Giza, behind the German School, Tel 02 3333 9700/01 'Treasures of Czechia', an exhibition on Czechia's UNESCO heritage. Czech artist Markéta Zlesáková displays her unique work inspired by Czech folk ornamentation and Arabic calligraphy and ornament. The artworks will remain on display along the Czech Embassy wall (2 April- end of July). Duroub 4 Amrika Al-Latiniya St, Garden City, Tel 02 2796 2881/ 2794 7951 'Back to Life' exhibition by artist Salah Shehata (5-30 July). 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Since its founding, Mashrabia has supported young talent, amplified women's voices, and fostered connections between local and international art communities. Rather than a retrospective, this exhibition offers an open, evolving archive formed by memory, conversations, and the relationships that continue to grow around the gallery (29 June - 11 September, closed in August). Naguib Mahfouz Museum Tekkeyet Mohamed Bek Abul-Dahab, next to Al-Azhar Mosque, Al-Darb Al-Ahmar, Tel 0122 723 1573 'Algamalia in the Eyes of its Lovers' group photo exhibition is organized in collaboration with In Focus Photography Club (27 June -19 July). Picasso East Villa No 39 Al Narges 35th settlement, 90's St, in front of Lake View Compound, New Cairo, Tel 0122 0000035 'Summer Collection' group exhibition of painting and sculpture (25 June - 15 July). Safarkhan 6 Brazil St, Zamalek, Tel 012 70169291 The second edition of the gallery's 'Anthology' series. 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Egypt Independent
4 days ago
- Egypt Independent
Sisi orders continued airport development under int'l partnerships
NEW ALAMEIN CITY, Egypt, June 28 (MENA) – President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has directed that the development of Egyptian airports continue through international partnerships grounded in efficiency and sustainability, alongside encouraging private sector involvement. The steps are part of Egypt Vision 2030, aiming to transform airports into advanced regional hubs operating under the latest global systems, while also providing an attractive investment climate that ensures economic viability and sustainable development, Presidential Spokesman Mohamed al-Shennawy said in a statement Saturday following Sisi's meeting in Alamein with Civil Aviation Minister Sameh el Hafny and Chairperson of EgyptAir In-Flight Services Soheir Abdallah. The meeting reviewed the comprehensive strategic vision to advance the civil aviation sector, covering air navigation, fleet expansion, airport upgrades, and human resource development in support of Egypt's target to raise annual tourist arrivals to 30 million. The President was also briefed on the 'New Republic Air Gate' at Terminal 4 of Cairo International Airport, including the technical and operational specifications of the project, which will establish a new passenger terminal under the highest global standards, with a capacity of at least 30 million passengers, raising the airport's overall capacity to over 60 million annually. The project will fully comply with safety, security, and environmental sustainability standards. The minister further outlined the national strategy, developed with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) as the ministry's strategic advisor, to involve the private sector in operating and developing airports. The plan aims to be finalized by summer 2025 and seeks to enhance the civil aviation sector's efficiency, improve passenger services, and attract private investments and advanced operational expertise to develop 11 key airports, while fully maintaining public ownership of these strategic assets. Sisi instructed moving ahead with modern airport development approaches and to offer Hurghada Airport for private sector partnership by the end of 2025. The spokesman added the meeting also covered Egypt's air navigation sector, highlighting international praise for the country's air traffic management amid recent regional crises and neighboring airspace closures, which increased traffic over Egypt to more than 1,600 aircraft daily. Organizations such as Eurocontrol, ICAO, and IATA commended Egyptian air traffic controllers for managing the surge efficiently without compromising safety or operational discipline. The talks also tackled plans to restructure Egypt's airspace and upgrade radar and communication systems. The session further touched on EgyptAir's recent progress, including winning, for the first time, the Skytrax award for 'Best Airline Staff in Africa' for 2025 during the Paris Air Show. The airline also earned awards for best economy class meals, fastest-growing airline in Africa (for the second year running), and best cabin crew on the continent. The minister noted EgyptAir advanced 20 places from last year, ranking 68th among the world's top 100 airlines out of over 325 carriers, and outlined the airline's plan to grow its fleet to 97 aircraft by 2028/2029 to boost competitiveness and enhance passenger experience. Additionally, he reviewed efforts to upgrade EgyptAir In-Flight Services by improving infrastructure and equipment, training staff, modernizing ground services, elevating international service standards, and upgrading business lounges to meet the highest levels of comfort and service. The company is also working to improve its on-time performance. (MENA)
