During these sad times, when women are perceived as inferior and made to feel like just going out on the street is a sin, when alcohol is getting banned from beaches, when schools and universities are mostly smelly conglomerations of mindless robots, when women are criticized for riding bikes because it “might make them lose their virginity”, when you need to hide from the public to kiss the person you love but everyone joins in on a random street fight; we bring you pictures from Egypt’s golden era to make you feel even more sad because once you see them, you’ll wish to go back in time.

BEACHES

Summer 1959. Source: Foreign Policy

1950s. Source: bigpicture.ru

Cairo’s annual swimsuit competition, 1949. Source: vintageegypt.tumblr.com


Alexandria, 1959. Source: Foreign Policy

Sidi Beshr, 1959. Source: Foreign Policy

Summer 1955. Source: Foreign Policy

Summer 1964. Source: Egyptian Streets

Ramadan in summertime, 1949 Cartoon. Source: vintageegypt.tumblr.com

Agami, 1956. Source: Foreign Policy

 

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Soap ad, 1960. Source: Egyptian Streets

Vespa Ad in 1950. Source: Egyptian Streets

Stella beer ad, 1953. Source: pinterest

Omar Effendi ad, 1948. Source: Egyptian Streets

WOMEN

Woman traffic officer, 1960s. Source: Egyptian Streets

Women army volunteers, 1950s. Source: Egyptian Streets

Mena House, 1950. Source: Fox photos

COLLEGE

Cairo University, 1960. Source: Egyptian Street

Skirts in Aswan schools, 1966. Source: Egyptian Streets

Asyut University, 1959. Source: pinterest