Hurghada...HOW TO DESIGN INVITATION CARD WITH PHOTOSHOP ?

Hurghada is a city in the Red Sea Governorate of Egypt. It is a main tourist center and second largest city (after Suez) in Egypt located on the Red Sea coast. Hurghada stretches for about 36 kilometers (22 mi) along the seashore, and it does not reach far into the surrounding desert. 

A photo from Hurghada in an invitation card  

Hurghada was founded in the early 20th century, and until a few years ago, remained a small fishing village. But today, it has gone on to become the foremost tourist resort of the Red Sea coast and an international center for aquatic sports. If it takes place in or on the water you can do it here, like windsurfing, sailing, deep-sea fishing, swimming, but, above all, snorkeling and diving. The unique underwater gardens offshore are some of the finest in the world, justifiably famous amongst divers. The warm waters here are ideal for many varieties of rare fish and coral reefs, which may also be observed through glass bottom boats. 

Its Climate 
Hurghada has a Subtropical-Desert climate, with mild-warm winters and hot to very hot summers. 

About Hurghada
- located on the West Cost of the Red Sea around 40 km cost line.

- population: 55.000 including around 7.000 foreigners.

- There are around 200 hotels in Hurghada.

- there are 70.000 tourists from Europe coming every week to Hurghada.

- sun is shining 99% days in the year

- hotest months: July, August, coldest months:
January, February

Holiday in Hurghada 
Hurghada is an exciting and vibrant holiday destination suitable for all ages and can be found on the western side of Egypt's Red Sea Riviera. 
Hurghada is known as a party town, particularly among Europeans.Locals and others will tell you that life begins at night in Hurghada, with the many, many clubs.  
Hurghada is perfect for those seeking total relaxation with fantastic weather and warm sea temperatures throughout the year.

Things to Do in Hurghada 
There is plenty to do in Hurghada ranging from day trips to watersports. 
--Hughada Diving is also popular as many people look forward to exploring the underwater marine life. 
--In the meantime, take advantage of the relaxing atmosphere and stunning scenery and spend time exploring Hurghada and the area around this fascinating city.
--Excursions are always available for visitors. With day trips to other parts of Egypt.
--Enjoy sea and sand .
--Hurghada Diving:Enjoy fantastic underwater marine life.
-- Hurghada Watersports: Choose from sailing, fishing and windsurfing, and more like banana rides, pedal boats and canoeing.
--Hurghada Shopping 
--Hurghada Nightlife :Beside hotels, duty free shops and some restaurants ,and discos,and cafe shops .

I designed that card as an invitation card to visit my lovely and favorite place .You can fold it in the middle.

HOW TO DESIGN THAT CARD ?

Sharm el-Sheikh "City of Peace" ... HOW TO DESIGN SIMPLE INVITATION CARD WITH ILLUSTRATOR

 Sharm el-Sheikh is one of the most popular tourist places in the Arab world. But there are also some very good reasons to visit it if you are not the common tourist, who likes to lie on the beach all day. It is one of the finest diving spots in the world and a trip into the desert is an unforgettable adventure. 

Sharm el-Sheikh card

Sharm el-Sheikh is a city situated on the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula, in South Sinai Governorate, Egypt, on the coastal strip along the Red Sea. Its population is approximately 35,000 (2008). It is popular with package holiday makers and divers.

Its Name 
 Sharm el-Sheikh is sometimes called the "City of Peace", referring to the large number of international peace conferences that have been held there.It is also transliterated as Sharm ash- Shaykh and popularly known simply as "Sharm".It means bay of the Sheikh.

Its History and Geography 
 Sharm el-Sheikh is on a promontory overlooking the Straits of Tiran at the mouth of the Gulf of Aqaba
About 40 years ago, Sharm el-Sheikh was nothing but a small fishing village with about 100 Bedouin citizens,but its strategic importance led to its transformation from a fishing village into a major port .
Sharm el-Sheikh city has been subdivided into five homogeneous centers, namely Nabq, Ras Nusrani, Naama Bay, Umm Sid and Sharm El Maya[ Na'ama Bay part of the city is the center of nightlife and dining: most of Sharm's clubs, cafes, restaurants and shops are here].There is also an airport in Sharm el-Sheikh. Sharm el-Sheikh Airport is the largest in the Sinai, and receives plane-loads of charter tourists daily in the winter high season. The only airline for local flights is Egypt Air .
The land plan shows that the total area of Sharm el-Sheikh is expected to be about 42 square kilometres by the year 2017.

 During the 2011 Egyptian protests, President Hosni Mubarak reportedly went to Sharm el-Sheikh and resigned there on 11 February 2011.

Climate 
 The average temperatures during the winter months (November to March) range from 15 to 35 degrees Celsius (59-95°F) and during the summer months (April to October) from 20 to 45 degrees Celsius (68-113°F). The temperature of the Red Sea in this region ranges from 21 to 28 degrees Celsius (70-84°F) over the course of the year. 

Sharm el-Sheikh's invitation card

Tourism  in Sharm
Sharm el-Sheikh's major industry is foreign and domestic tourism, owing to its dramatic landscape, year-round dry and temperate climate and long stretches of natural beaches. Its waters are clear and calm for most of the year and have become popular for various watersports, particularly recreational scuba diving and snorkeling which some consider to be among the best in the world.There is great scope for scientific tourism with diversity in marine life species; 250 different coral reefs and 1000 species of fish.

Diving
 Diving is the main activity in Sharm el-Sheikh. When you dive into the warm water of the Red Sea and leave the remote desert behind, you will enter a world full of life and colors.


 After all of what I had mentioned about Sharm I decided to design an invitation card with its name .That you can fold like a book in the middle .
The card is designed with illustrator ,and the picture with photo-shop.I hope you will like both .

 HOW TO DESIGN WITH ILLUSTRATOR .  

Sinai Peninsula...How To Group Many Photos Together with Photoshop?

Sinai is the land of discovery.It is the route to the Promised Land, where Isis sought Osiris and the Pharaohs found gold.After 8,000 years at the heart of history, experience the continuing contrasts. Sinai is where rock meets coral reef and the desert stops at the sea.It is the grandeur of granite meeting golden beaches. Here, you will find tropical fish and rare birds, spectacular sunsets and clear starry nights.

Some places in Sinai 

The name Sinai is derived from the Mount Sinai . 
The Sinai Peninsula or Sinai is a triangular peninsula in Egypt which is about 60,000 km square  It lies between the Mediterranean Sea to the north, and the Red Sea to the south.It is the only part of Egypt located in Asia. Egyptians also refer to it as the "Land of Fayrouz" The peninsula is divided into two Egyptian governorates[North ,and South], and has a population of approximately 1.3 million people.
 
North Sinai[ Shamal Sina] 
El-Arish: has shady palm beaches , Mediterranean waves and the glowing colors of Bedouin crafts.

South Sinai[  Ganub Sina] 
Sharm el-Sheikh: is the simplicity of sun, sea and sand. The luxury of five-star hotels, water sports, shopping and entertainment.

• Ras Mohamed: is a world famous paradise of coral gardens and tropical fish. 
• Mount Moses: sometimes referred to as the Holy Mountains (El-Tur) .The 7,497 foot mountain has 3,750 steps hewn out of stone by monks of St. Catherine's Monastery, which is located just to the North.
• Dahab: Dahab means "gold" in Arabic. In Sinai it means golden sands,and turquoise sea. It is one of the most beautiful beaches in Sinai that presents divers and snorkelers a wide variety of tropical fish in every color of the rainbow. 
• Taba: It lies at the northernmost edge of the Gulf of Aqaba. In modern times, it is best known as the last piece of land that was returned to Egypt following Israel's occupation of Sinai. 

 Sinai is one of the coldest provinces in Egypt because of its high altitudes and mountainous topographies. Winter temperatures in some of Sinai's cities and towns reach −16 °C (3.2 °F).

Interesting Sites of Sinai 
-Blue Desert The Blue Desert: lies western and very close to the monastery of St. Catherine's. The Belgian artist Jean Verame has painted many boulders with a blue color  It was - with the permission of the late president Anwar El Sadat - meant to symbol the end of the war between Israel and Egypt.
-Blue Hole: This most famous and probably most beautiful diving spot in all Sinai, also known as "The Canyon", lies approx. 10 km north of Dahab.
-Coloured Canyon: The Colored Canyon has become a very popular safari destination. It lies close to the town of Nuweiba and can be combined with a trip to the St. Catherine's Monastery. 
-Ayun Musa  Ayun Musa (Moses springs) is a small oasis, situated south of Suez.
-Hammam Pharaon: Approx. 45 km south of Ras Sidr, there is the Pharaoh’s Bath called Hammam Pharaon. There are hot water springs as well as a cave that leads inside the bath. It is very hot here and it smells of Hydrogen Sulfate.
-Ras Mohamed: The Ras Mohamed National Park is a nature protected area approx. 30 km south of Sharm El Sheikh.
-Tiran Island: Tiran lies in the Gulf of Aqaba, right between Ras Mohamed and Saudi Arabia, divers are attracted to this place, that offers plenty of opportunities for brilliant views and underwater safaris. 
- There are more places to visit in Sinai .

I had collected some pictures from Sinai to show you its beauty that comes from its nature .I designed photo shop picture to collect some picture on a blue background to resemble the pure blue color of its sea ,and white dots to resemble the falling snow in winter.I had been there long time ago and I could not forget it ,and its nice palm beach in El-Arish with the golden sand and blue water and clear sky .

HOW TO COLLECT THAT PICTURES TOGETHER ?

Red Sea

The Red Sea is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia.The connection to the ocean is in the south through the Bab el Mandeb strait and the Gulf of Aden. In the north, there is the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Gulf of Suez leading to the Suez Canal .

The Name 
Red Sea is a direct translation of the Greek Erythra Thalassa . Arabic Al-Baḥr Al-Aḥmar or Baḥr Al-Qalzam.The name of the sea may signify the seasonal blooms of the red-coloured Trichodesmium erythraeum[ is a type of filamentous cyanobacteria] near the water's surface.
Another hypothesis is that the name comes from the Himyarite, a local group whose own name means red.
It is theorized that it was named so because it borders the Egyptian Desert, which the ancient Egyptians called the Dashret or "red land"; therefore it would have been the sea of the red land.The mountains surrounding the red sea [ Red Sea Mountains]is high and reddish in color.
The Red Sea is one of four seas named in English with color terms [ the Black Sea, the White Sea and the Yellow Sea].

In the photo you can see the red color of the stones of the mountains of the red sea .  

Its History 
The earliest known exploration of the Red Sea was conducted by Ancient Egyptians, as they attempted to establish commercial routes to Punt [type of boats]. One such expedition took place around 2500 BC, and another around 1500 BC. Both involved long voyages down the Red Sea. 
Along the history there were many attempts to connect The Red Sea with The White Sea ,that ends with The Suez Canal ,that  was opened in November 1869.

Its Geology
The Red Sea was formed by Arabia[ Arabian Peninsula] splitting from Africa due to movement of the Red Sea Rift. The sea is still widening and it is considered that the sea will become an ocean in time.
The Red Sea is a rich and diverse ecosystem [ An ecosystem is a biological environment consisting of all the organisms living in a particular area, as well as all the nonliving, physical components of the environment with which the organisms interact, such as air, soil, water, and sunlight].More than 1200 species of fish have been recorded in the Red Sea, and around 10% of these are found nowhere else. This also includes 42 species of deepwater fish .

The Tourism
The sea is known for its spectacular  sport diving sites, such as Ras Mohammed ,and Rocky Island in Egypt and less known sites in Sudan such as Sanganeb, Abington, Angarosh and Shaab Rumi .Popular tourist resorts include El Gouna, Hurghada, Safaga, Marsa Alam, on the western shore of the Red Sea, and Sharm-El-Sheikh, Dahab, and Taba on the Egyptian side of Sinaï, as well as Aqaba in Jordan and Eilat in Israel in an area known as the Red Sea Riviera.
Tourism in the South of the Red Sea is presently considered risky because of the presence of pirates originating from uncontrolled zones of Somalia. Large vessels such as cargoes are sometimes attacked by heavily armed high-speed boats. The situation is even worse in the Gulf of Aden between Somalia and Yemen.

I had never dive under the red sea but I had tried to imagine what is there and I designed that picture .
I designed it with photo-shop ,using the Custom Shape Tool ,and Free Transform to adjust the size[ scale] direction .  

Thanks
MR

Colossi of Memnon of Pharaoh Amenhotep III...With Photoshop Lesson

 The Colossi of Memnon are two massive stone statues of Pharaoh Amenhotep III. For the past 3400 years (since 1350 BC) they have stood in the Theban necropolis [ Thebes is the Greek name for a city in Ancient Egypt located about 800 km south of the Mediterranean, on the east bank of the river Nile. The Valley of the Kings is located also in Thebes.], across the River Nile from the modern city of Luxor.

The original picture Colossi of Memnon of Pharaoh Amenhotep III  

Home...With Illustrator Design

A home is a place of residence or refuge[ Refuge is a place or state of safety]When it refers to a building, it is usually a place in which an individual or a family can rest and store personal property. Most modern-day households contain sanitary[ Sanitation is the hygienic means of promoting health through prevention of human contact with the hazards of wastes.] facilities and a means of preparing food.Animals have their own homes as well, either living in the wild or in a domesticated environment. Home is also used to refer to the geographical area as a town city or country in which a person grew up or feels they belong, or it can refer to the native habitat of a wild animal.
There are cultures in which members lack permanent homes, such as with nomadic people[ communities of people who move from one place to another, rather than settling permanently in one location].

Terminology  
The word "home" can be used for various types of residential community institutions[ An institution is any structure or mechanism of social order and cooperation governing the behavior of a set of individuals within a given human community ] in which people can live, such as nursing homes, group homes and foster homes. 
In computer terminology, a 'home' may refer to a starting view that branches off into other tasks, e.g. a homepage or a desktop.


Psychological impact  
t can be said that humans are generally creatures of habit , the state of a person's home has been known to physiologically influence their behavior [ Behavior or behaviour refers to the actions of a system or organism], emotions, and overall mental health .
The loss of a home can be a valid cause of grief[ anger ]. 
Some people may become homesick when they leave their home over an extended period of time. Sometimes homesickness can cause a person to feel actual symptoms of illness.
In the past the mother was the person who ran the household. The house was a place for women's work more than anywhere else. Now these duties are now shared between mother and father.


I had designed that artwork very simply to give a design for a quite home showing husband and wife talking and watching television ,beside the heater to give warm atmosphere to the home .


That artwork is designed with illustrator.


HOW TO DESIGN ?

Pharaoh { The Ancient Egyptian King } ... How To Add Brick's Background ? Photoshop Lesson

Pharaoh is a title used in many modern discussions of the ancient Egyptian rulers of all periods.The title means ‘’great house’’ and describes the royal palace.The title of Pharaoh started being used for the king during the New Kingdom, specifically during the middle of the eighteenth dynasty. For simplification, there is a general acceptance amongst modern writers to use the term to relate to all periods.

                                                                                          

The original picture

   The picture after fixing 

Here I had a picture of a Pharaoh  wearing the Nemes [ The nemes was the striped head cloth worn by pharaohs in ancient Egypt. It covered the whole crown and back of the head and nape of the neck (sometimes also extending a little way down the back) and had two large flaps which hung down behind the ears and in front of both shoulders] headdress, a false beard, and an ornate kilt holding the ANKH [ key of life, the key of the Nile]


I wanted to add a background to the picture to change its look.


How to add the background ? 

Firist of all, open the document with transparent background.

• Fill the layer with the color you like .[ Edit menu -Fill]  
• Go to Window menu and select Style to open the Style panel .Select the style orange gradient with shadow .
• Go to Filter menu and select Texture - Mosaic tiles .  
• Add new layer ,then place the picture [ File menu -Place] .
• Save your picture. 

Thanks a lot

MR

Manal Raafat

Egypt

 Egypt my lovely country .
 Egypt is more than 7,000 years old . Across the centuries there have been numerous cultures and peoples who have lived in Egypt and ruled it too. The name now is  Arab Republic of Egypt .

Some important and lovely faces from Egypt ,old and new .I had grouped it in one picture .

Its geography and Location
is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean region, the Middle East and the Islamic world. Covering an area of about 1,010,000 square kilometers (390,000 sq mi), Egypt is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, the Gaza Strip and Israel to the northeast, the Red Sea to the east, Sudan to the south and Libya to the west. 
Egypt is one of the most populous countries in Africa and the Middle East. The great majority of its estimated 85 million people live near the banks of the Nile River, in an area of about 40,000 square kilometers (15,000 sq mi), where the only arable land is found. The large areas of the Sahara Desert are sparsely inhabited. About half of Egypt's residents live in urban areas, with most spread across the densely populated centers of greater Cairo, Alexandria and other major cities in the Nile Delta.
Egypt is famous for its ancient civilization, with famous monuments such as the Giza pyramid complex and its Great Sphinx. Its ancient ruins (remaining s), such as those of Memphis, Thebes, and Karnak and the Valley of the Kings outside Luxor. 

Its Economy 
The economy of Egypt is one of the most developed and diversified in the Middle East, with sectors such as tourism, agriculture, industry and service at almost equal production levels. 

The development of its Name  
The ancient Egyptian name of the country is Kemet which means "black land", referring to the fertile black soils of the Nile flood plains, 
The English name Egypt was borrowed from Middle French Egypte, from Latin Aegyptus, from ancient Greek Aígyptos .

Egypt has many periods in its history.

• Pre-historic Egypt.
• Ancient Egypt.
• Ptolemaic and Roman Egypt.
• Arab and Ottoman Egypt.
• Muhammad Ali dynasty.
• Modern Egypt. 

 Its Climate 
Most of Egypt's rain falls in the winter months. Snow falls on Sinai's mountains and some of the north coastal cities such as Damietta, Baltim, Sidi Barrany, etc. and rarely in Alexandria.
Temperatures average between 80 °F (27 °C) and 90 °F (32 °C) in summer, and up to 109 °F (43 °C) on the Red Sea coast. Winter temperatures average between 55 °F (13 °C) and 70 °F (21 °C). 

 Religion
Egypt hosts two major religious institutions.

•  Islam , as its state religion. Around 90% are identified as Muslim.
•  Christianity ,There is a significant minority of Christians in Egypt, who make up between 5% and 10% of the population[  the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria ].

Capital,and largest city: Cairo

Official language: Arabic, Arabic is the official language, spoken languages & varieties are: Egyptian Arabic,

Currency    Egyptian pound (EGP)

Time zone    EET (UTC+2) . Summer (DST)    EEST (UTC+3)
 

Egyptian Museum

It is the second most frequently visited and certainly one of the most important attractions in Cairo after the Great Pyramids of Giza and Sphinx.
The Museum of Egyptian Antiquities, known commonly as the Egyptian Museum, in Cairo, Egypt, is home to an extensive collection of ancient Egyptian antiquities. It has 120,000 items, with a representative amount on display, the remainder in storerooms.

History and Description 
It was built in 1835 near the Ezbekeyah Garden .The museum soon moved to Boulaq in 1858 because the original building was getting to be too small to hold all of the artifacts.The new building was to be constructed on the bank of the Nile River in Boulaq. In 1878, after the museum has been completed for some time, it suffered some irreversible damage; a flood of the Nile River caused the antiquities to be relocated to another museum, in Giza. The artifacts remained there until 1902 when they were moved, for the last time, to the current museum in Tahrir Square.
The last museum in Tahrir Square was built during the reign of Khedive Abbass Helmi II in 1897, and opened on November 15, 1902. It has 107 halls. At the ground floor there are the huge statues. The upper floor houses small statues, jewels, Tutankhamon treasures and the mummies.
The Museum also comprises a photography section and a large library. The Egyptian museum comprises many sections arranged in chronological order.
A hall for the royal mummies was opened at the museum .The Royal Mummies Room is another highlight of the Egyptian Museum. Here you can see the mummies of many great Egyptian rulers, including Ramses II, the builder of the temples at Abu Simbel. 
More than a million and half tourists visit the museum annually, in addition to half a million Egyptians. 


Interior design
There are two main floors of the museum, the ground floor and the first floor.
On the ground floor there is an extensive collection of papyrus and coins used in the Ancient world.
Several languages are found on these pieces, including Greek, Latin, Arabic, and the Ancient Egyptian writing language of hieroglyphs. The coins found on this floor are made of many different metals, including gold, silver, and bronze. The coins are not only Egyptian, but also Greek, Roman, and Islamic. 
On the first floor there are artifacts from the final two dynasties of Ancient Egypt, including items from the tombs of the Pharaohs Thutmosis III, Thutmosis IV, Amenophis II, Hatshepsut, and the courtier Maiherpri, as well as many artifacts from the Valley of the Kings.

I had collected some pictures for the entrance of the museum ,its hall,and some antiques  in one picture .

HOW TO MAKE ? 

Valentine's Day

It is an annual commemoration held on February 14 celebrating love,and affection between intimate companions,and friends.Valentines Day is a day to express your love, and to celebrate the spirit of love.lovers express their love for each other by presenting flowers,gifts,sweets and also sending greeting cards .The day first became associated with romantic love.

Modern Valentine's Day symbols that have been used over a long period of time, include:

•  The heart-shaped outline,because it was believed that the heart was the seat of all human emotions .
• Roses ,and its red color .The color red is associated with strong emotions .
• Ribbons,scarf or handkerchief.
• Traditional symbols like Cupid,and birds.

 I designed that card to send for everybody in that occasion .

That card is designed with both illustrator and photo shop.

I got the flowers from illustrator and open it in photo shop ,then with the layer style and Type tool option I wrote the word  .

I wish for you all happy valentine's day and happy life . 
Please accept my card as a gift for you in that occasion,
you can find more in Art Work

Tahrir Square

Some characteristic items in the square and its branches. 

Today I want to give you an idea about Tahrir Square [ Midan Al-Tahrir , Liberation Square] 
It is a major public town square in Downtown Cairo, Egypt.The heart of Cairo. The houses there are combination of old and modern styles In addition it is the public transport center almost for all Cairo places and extensions ,so the square is one of the most important and busiest areas in the city.

Its History  
No body can forget the rule of Khedive Ismael and his dream to create a ‘Paris on the Nile’ .He chose some of the best engineers in Egypt at that time like Ali Mubarak that had been graduated in France to help him to achieve his dream.The engineers designed the square to have wide,wide roads,and public gardens and royal palaces. He started his series of palaces or ‘Kasr’ such as Kasr al-Aini, Kasr al-Nil among many others.By that time its name was Midan al-Ismaileyya[ Ismaileyya square], and likewise the district was called al-Kahira al-Ismaileyya afterthe Khedive.
One of the first constructions on the site was Al-Nil Palace which housed the army of the khedive and was later theheadquarters of the British Army of Occupation in the late 1880s.
It was renamed Midan al-Tahrir or Liberation Square in 1954 .

Its Features 
At the centre of Tahrir Square is a large and busy traffic circle. On the north-east side is a plaza with a statue of  Omar Makram [ in the picture], and beyond it the Omar Makram Mosque.The area around Tahrir Square includes the Egyptian Museum, the Mogamma government building, the Headquarters of the Arab League building, the Nile Hotel, and the original downtown campus of the American University in Cairo.

I had grouped some picture for the day and night in Tahrir Square, to give you idea about the importance of that square . That is not the only important square in Egypt .