Magda, who comes originally from Aswan, now lives with her sister in Cairo. She is a licensed tour guide specialising in the Cairo area and she is fluent in English and Italian. Magda has a degree in journalism. which she uses to good effect as our Egyptian correspondent, keeping us up to date with the latest discoveries, many of which are too small to make the international archaeological scene, but which are reported in the Egyptian press. She has interviewed a number of leading Egyptologists in Egypt on behalf of Diggings and Archaeological Diggings. These include Dr Zahi Hawass, Director of Antiquities, Dr Mohamed Saleh, Director of the Egyptian Museum and the famous writer, the late Mustafa Amin.

Magda has a son, born in 1998, with the fine-sounding name of Yahia ed-Din abd Mohamed Yahia. I was most impressed at how well he speaks English, though I suppose it is hardly surprising as his mother is a guide in English and his aunt teaches English! The picture on the right shows Magda with her son and her sister in their flat. I took the photograph in 2006 when they kindly invited us to visit them for afternoon tea.

If you are the sort of person who dislikes organised tours, then it might be worth your while to contact Magda. Not only is the eager to show visitors round her homeland, but she can arrange transport for you, from picking you up at the airport to taking you round the pyramids. (Recently she has arranged the coach for the Diggings Tour.) I don't know whether she can arrange accommodation as well, but there's no harm in asking.

Magda can be contacted at:

Magda es-Sayed Ahmed

6 Abd el-Rahman Radwan Street

Khatem el-Morsaleen Street

Madquor

Giza Haram

Cairo

EGYPT

Phone: (00-20-2)-564-6691

Mobile: (00-20-1)-0505-5773

E-mail: smsoma@hotmail.com