150 years of Al-Ahram… a newspaper that wrote history from the heart of Egypt and created people’s awareness

150 Years from Al-Ahram…a newspaper that wrote history from the heart of Egypt and created people’s awareness

In an exceptional moment of loyalty to history, all of Egypt stood to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the launch of Al-Ahram newspaper, the oldest and most influential newspaper in Egyptian and Arab societal awareness. It is the intellectual and national entity that was able to shape the features of modern Egypt and record its victories over the course of a century and a half.

This celebration is proof that, after 150 years of successes, the Al-Ahram Foundation is still present in the Egyptian and Arab conscience. Therefore, in its commemorative issue, the newspaper reviewed scenes from national memory, stressing that it is an actual partner in shaping the awareness of the Arab peoples.

Participating in this national celebration will addressEarth GuardsThe history of the founding of Al-Ahram newspaper, and how it shaped Egyptian and Arab consciousness between its lines, as well as exploring the role ofJournalismin achieving sustainability goals; So keep reading.

The titles of the pyramids document the history of Egypt

Al-Ahram did not only celebrate the anniversary of its founding with nostalgia, but the pages of its commemorative issue revealed a memory of articles that made history, from the first issue issued in 1876 in Alexandria, until the present day, and it preserved in its archives an image of the nation as it steps towards glory.

From the conclusions of World War I in 1914 to the declaration of the republic and the fall of the monarchy in 1952, and from the nationalization of the Suez Canal in 1956 to the construction of the High Dam, where the pyramids seemed like a national archive that recorded the moment and gave it a longer life.

The most influential moments came with the clip “Crossing the Suez Canal” in 1973, then the beginning of the peace negotiations and the raising of the Egyptian flag in Taba, where every title was a bright page from the book of Egyptian history. Even modern challenges have passed through the Al-Ahram Gate, documenting them for future generations, as if they were saying in a broad title: We are here, monitoring, writing, preserving, and bearing witness.

Transformation stations and impact industry

Within the commemorative issue, Al-Ahram sailed on its own journey between its founders and pioneers, starting with the brothers Bishara and Salim Takla, passing through the era of Ibrahim Nafi, and ending with Muhammad Hassanein Heikal, whom the newspaper described as “the second founder.”

In detail, the Thecla brothers launched the first spark from Alexandria, carrying an Arab dream in a distinguished Egyptian press, and after that Heikal came to give the newspaper a political breath that crossed borders, and transformed it into an intellectual platform that keeps pace with the mind of the state and discusses its transformations with courage and professionalism.

During Nafi’s era, the newspaper entered an era of regional influence and journalistic expansion, when he established the structure of a new school of investigations and analysis, mixing information and vision. Heikal dealt with the pyramids as an artist deals with his painting. He reshapes it into more than one newspaper.

Al-Ahram and the conscience of the nation

Under the title “Her Exalted Woman,” the newspaper devoted its pages to presenting its own narrative as an integral part of the national spirit. Al-Ahram was not only a newspaper, but it was – and still is – a witness to everything that shaped the conscience of this country, and a mirror of its future.

Through opinion articles and interventions by public figures, Al-Ahram expressed its cultural depth and its extended role in preserving Egyptian and Arab identity. Its pages were an open window to the world of thought and creativity, and a platform for dialogue and noble disagreement.

Al-Ahram has understood from its early days that journalism is a responsibility through which awareness must be recorded and memory preserved. Therefore, each of its issues served as a wall on which Egyptians hung their hopes and questions, and each opinion article was a voice from within their collective conscience.

Sounds that created generations

Al-Ahram did not limit itself to covering events or documenting facts, but rather it was always a free platform for all intellectual and political currents. Its pages witnessed prominent figures who provided analyzes and wrote articles that shaped the awareness of generations of readers.

The newspaper provided a wide space for free thought, and embraced bold writers who contributed to building the Egyptian and Arab cultural scene. It was the window through which Egyptian and Arab thought looked at reality, and the reader interacted with it with his mind and soul, not just his eyes.

Journalism is a never-dying memory

Al-Ahram concluded its celebration with words from intellectuals, officials and politicians who exalted its importance and considered it a cornerstone in building Egyptian and Arab cultural awareness. President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi’s congratulations came to reinforce this meaning, considering it a “national edifice” no less important than any institution in Egypt.

Hence, celebrating the 150th anniversary of Al-Ahram is an occasion to affirm the importance of print journalism and its role in creating a civilized document, through which history can be reread, and the pursuit of building a free and responsible media continued.

In a time when speed prevails over depth, Al-Ahram remains the voice of national memory, and a bridge linking the past to the future, carrying the banner of journalism that believes that an honest word can change the fate of a nation. That is why we must preserve our journalistic and cultural institutions, so that they can be partners in shaping the awareness of entire generations.

In conclusion, the sustainability of awareness is no less important than the sustainability of water, air, or energy. Al-Ahram – with the solid institutional model it represents – reminds us that culture and knowledge are the basis for any sustainable future, and that free speech is an integral part of the system of social justice and moral construction.

Therefore, theEarth Guards Foundation believes that the 150th anniversary of the founding of Al-Ahram newspaper is a reminder of the power of the word in shaping people’s awareness and building their future, as journalism is able to be part of a sustainable future.