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    ChrisW

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    1. Magdy Hanafy’s new book on Egyptian medals (titled “Encyclopedia of Egyptian Protocol”), which is mentioned in a separate thread here, has some important new information on the Palestine War medal. It immediately answered some longstanding questions I had on the qualifications to receive the medal, and also the two devices worn on the medal: the “Events in Palestine” bar and the lotus blossom. As such, I have updated my earlier blog post on the medal: https://egyptianaskari.wordpress.com/2023/11/29/the-palestine-war-1948-medal/
    2. I just received my copy of this book the other day, and all I can say is, wow, well done. If you’re serious about Egyptian/Arab/Middle Eastern orders and medals, this book absolutely deserves a place on your shelf. Several questions which had dogged me for decades were immediately answered during a quick skim through it. The text is nearly 50-50 English and Arabic, the printing and photo quality are excellent, it’s well-bound. There are a few typographical errors I noticed, which could have been easily corrected, but they don’t detract. I asked the Ebay seller to make sure it was packaged securely, and — even though it was only slightly more well-packed that Owain’s description above (my copy was plastic-wrapped and placed inside a paper shopping bag inside the DHL plastic bag), it arrived in very good condition. Yes, it’s expensive, but arguably worth it for some people. Chris
    3. Thanks for the excellent review, Owain. This book does indeed look very good. I purchased a copy off Ebay and am eagerly awaiting it.
    4. Egypt’s parliament on 29 January 2024 moved to create a new civil medal, the Great Builder Medal, according to Egyptian press reports. This would recognize efforts by Egyptians, military and civilian, and foreigners, for exceptional accomplishments in the planning, design, construction, or support for major infrastructure projects These infrastructure projects have been a hallmark of President Abdel Fattah El Sisi’s tenure, ranging from the expansion of the Suez Canal, to numerous roads and bridges, to the construction of new cities culminating in the New Administrative Capital being built east of Cairo. The medal will come in three classes, although no details were published, other than the monetary awards which come with each class (250,000 Egyptian pounds, 150,000 Egyptian pounds, and 100,000 Egyptian pounds respectively). The monetary awards will not go to foreign receipients of the medal. The new medal will rank between the Order of Sports and the Medal of Distinction in Egypt’s civil decorations system. (The full order of precedence is now the Collar of the Nile, Collar of the Republic, Grand Cordon of the Nile, Order of the Republic, Order of Merit, Order of al-Kamal, Order of Labor, Order of Sciences and Arts, Order of Sports, Great Builder Medal, Medal of Distinction, and Medal of Merit.) No other details were announced, such as its appearance (it probably hasn’t been designed yet), more detailed award criteria, and when it might be issued. Sources: https://www.almasryalyoum.com/news/details/3087816 https://akhbar.live/التفاصيل-الكاملة-لتعديل-قانون-الأنوا/
    5. Best of luck in hearing back from the author and with your colleague’s visit in March! Thanks very much for the offer. I’ll give it some thought. Judging from the table of contents, the sections on the Military Star, Medal of Duty, Palestine Medal, Order of Liberation, and “Civilian and Military Official Outfits” could be of most interest to me. In general, I’d be most interested in any information on the medals that hasn’t already been published in the official protocols or existing works - such as numbers awarded, stories of recipients, award documents, variations, and that sort of thing. Best, Chris
    6. Thanks for alerting the community of this new book, Rusty. Any new reference on Egyptian medals is most welcome. There is a brief overview of this book on this site dedicated mostly to Arabic numismatics and philately: https://arabcollector.com/موسوعة-المراسم-المصرية/ The site should have an English-language tab at the top, and if that doesn't work you can view the site through Google Chrome or run the text through Google Translate for a translation. The article doesn't give much additional information or page views, unfortunately. Best, Chris
    7. For those interested, I’ve updated and rewritten my earlier posts on Egypt’s 1948 Palestine medal into an article for my new blog: https://egyptianaskari.wordpress.com/2023/11/29/the-palestine-war-1948-medal/ Regards, Chris
    8. Hi Amgad, Thanks for posting these. These all look like the collar insignia which identify the branch of the armed forces. I don’t know what country they’re each from, but the second might be Yemen because of the design of the eagle and the red/white/black colors. The first is probably veterinary (because of the caduceus and horse insignia). The second says Military College. The third is hard to determine, but the machinery cog is reminiscent of something relating to military production? Good luck!
    9. Graham correctly identified the insignia, the Military Technical College. The two stars on the shield mark this as dating from the United Arab Republic era, 1958-1971.
    10. The eagle & serpent on the front is the insignia of the Egyptian Army commandos (al-sa’iqa). How large is it?
    11. Attached are two pages from the Mauritanian military’s magazine, El Jeich, special issue for the 61st anniversary of independence, detailing the orders and decorations awarded to military and civilians for the Independence Day.
    12. Ron, Thanks for posting this rare piece. You ask a very good question, and one which I don’t have an answer for. It’s remotely possible that some Egyptian press reports of the time (newspaper, magazine, radio) might mention the award of these, which could help provide answers to your questions. But my years of trawling old Egyptian media have taught me that such insights are exceptionally rare. My assumption would be that this might be awarded to visiting foreign experts or academics as a token of appreciation, and possibly to Egyptians (either from within the ministry or elsewhere) who performed valuable services to the ministry. The value of these pieces (judging from silver content) probably makes them uncommon. Do you have any details of the circumstances under which you acquired this? That might help provide some clues. (For example, if you acquired it from an American academic who worked in Egypt.) Regards, Chris
    13. Very interesting, thanks for sharing. It’s rare to see items from the other side of that conflict. Although it’s kind of disappointing, and a little surprising, that nearly all the ribbons of these medals are identical. It must make for a boring, and confusing, ribbon bar. Are devices worn on ribbon bars to distinguish one from another?
    14. Jersey Buoy, That’s a very nice example of a belt with enameled branch of service insignia, thanks for posting. That’s the arm shield for the Infantry (al-Misha’a in Arabic). That particular design was used until around 2000 (I think, need to consult my notes). Owain, Your example may be a keychain. It’s particularly nice in that the reverse reads “Infantry Day, 2 April 1972.” That establishes several things: The specific date for the Infantry branch’s commemorative day, that your award was presented to an exemplary infantry enlisted man or officer, and that this particular design was used as early as 1972. Best, Chris
    15. Thanks for posting, nickstrenk! This is a very nice example of a UAR-era Military Technical Academy badge, usually given to students during graduations - and frequently worn throughout their military career. I’ve never seen bars like on this example. Also like the presentation box, probably from a tourist-oriented shop in the famous Khan el-Khalili bazaar.
    16. I’ve recently learned (via the Egyptian Facebook group “Heroes of the October 73 War”) that the officer in this photo is Ali Mahmoud Shoukry. He graduated from the Military Academy in 1949, commanded an antiaircraft artillery battalion during the Egyptian involvement in the Yemen civil war in 1962, commanded an antiaircraft brigade in Egypt’s Western Military Zone in 1967, then served in air defense units along the Suez Canal during the 1967-70 War of Attrition and 1973 War. He retired from the military in 1979. His biography on that site doesn’t mention if he spent time as a military attaché in Saudi Arabia so the origins of his Saudi Order of Abdul Aziz.
    17. Very nice to see a current award document - this one is dated April 2019 and issued in the name of President Abdelfattah ElSisi.
    18. Hi UKR, Thanks for posting that, it’s an extremely interesting insignia! I agree with oamotme about the translation. The skull and crossbones is very reminiscent of Egypt’s paramilitary groups of the time such as the National Guard and the student paramilitary Futuwwa Organization, suggesting this badge could be associated with a military/paramilitary training unit at Cairo University.
    19. That’s a good question and one I’ve pondered about Arab orders/medals in general. One partial reason may be that orders are more likely to be awarded to foreigners than medals, and therefore more of them end up In Western countries and more likely to end up on the auction block? Whereas medals in Arab countries generally stay in those countries and perhaps wind up in a local bazaar but otherwise are not as widely available to international collectors. Just a theory.
    20. That is a very nice example of an early Medal of Merit — and also an amusing story of how you came to acquire it! Thanks for sharing, Von Thronstahl!
    21. This photo from an Egyptian magazine shows the North Korean Order of the National Flag, First Class. The award document (in Arabic) indicates it was awarded to Egyptian General Saad el-Din el-Shazly, in accordance with Republican Decree 83 of 11 April 1973, and approved by Kim Il Sung on 12 April 1973.
    22. Fantastic photos, thanks as always Owain! Haftar served in the Libyan contingent fighting alongside Egypt in the 1973 war, so it's possible a few of the ribbons relate to that conflict. That last uniform is quite something, partly Russian or North Korean influence, partly President Sadat of Egypt's...?
    23. Thanks for posting! Ironic, given the LNA's recent setbacks.... Have we seen the rival GNA issue its own awards? Or either side continue awarding any Qaddafi-era awards?
    24. Martin, This shoulder slide is for a Syrian Air Force general (four star general). I think that most recent commanders of the Syrian Air Force have been major generals (two star), so this may be a reproduction or sample of a hypothetical rank slide, rather than being linked to a specific individual. Best, Chris
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