10 things we miss from Egypt's not so distant past

This was applicable to both elite and working-class Egyptians. People would dress smartly, be it for everyday life or special occasions.

The fact that we often see old photographs of exceptionally well-dressed children is simply because there was no mass production of clothes the way we see today. 

This meant Egyptians, even those who were financially less fortunate, would have fitted clothes made for each person regardless of the materials' quality. 

Naturally, parents made sure their kids looked good, especially for photos. 

Be it little glass marbles or kora sharab  (a ball made of old socks), kids knew how to have fun without spending all of their parents' money.

With this new generation of tech-savvy youngsters, It's tablets, gaming consoles, and phones or bust.

Egypt was one of the biggest exporters of films in the region and a powerful source of popular culture to the Arab world.

Sadly enough, there has been a dramatic decline in the quality of Egyptian films in the past 20 years, leading to movies being produced based on a standard of commercial quality with a lack of substantive content.

The Egyptian music industry flourished with renowned poets, musicians, and singers.

When Umm Kulthum hosted concerts, one could see people gathering around radios in coffee shops to listen to her hour-long performances.

When the acclaimed singer - amicably referred to as The Star of The Orient - died in 1975, a wave of mourning rippled across Egypt and the Arab World.

Until this day, decades after her death, her timeless songs are still played and loved by many.

Those who know and are accustomed to modern-day Cairo would never believe the transformation it went through from the 1920s to the present day. 

Cairo went from palaces, clean and quiet streets, to a busy city that screams underdevelopment.

Egypt was once a melting pot, hardly afflicted by sectarian and ethnic bigotry.

Egyptian Jews once formed the oldest, largest, and most influential Jewish community in the Arab world. 

Now, less than 70 people, mostly senior citizens, comprise the shrinking Jewish community of Egypt, while Christians amount to less than 10 percent and Shiite Muslims to one percent.

It's beyond appalling to see female protesters in the 21st century suffering from atrocities their predecessors didn't face only a century ago.

In 2011, mobs assaulted female activists and protesters in order to prevent and scare them from participating in the 25th Jan revolution. 

In the years to follow, more protesters were sexually harassed and raped. In 2013, 80 sexual assaults took place in one day in Tahrir square.

And the infamous myth of "She asked for it because of her provocative clothing" was not an acceptable justification for sexual harassment back then. 

According to a UN report, 99.3 percent of Egyptian women and girls are subjected to sexual harassment in one way or another.

What is more worrisome than the number itself, is the societal indifference to the magnitude of the problem. 

Not to mention misinformation and stereotypes branding men as beasts incapable of self-control who deal with women as if they were pieces of meat.

The Huffington Post reported that more than 90 percent of the male respondents in the UN Women study attributed harassment to a woman’s provocative clothing (96.3 percent,) inviting conduct (97.5 percent,) enticing make-up application (95.2 percent,) disregard for cultural traditions (94.9 percent,) walk (93.3 percent) and talk (94.4 percent,) and participation in non-marital relations with the opposite gender (95.7 percent).

These days, many women get mocked and harassed while in the comfort of their own cars. The moral degeneration of our society makes public spaces less welcoming to females of all ages.

However, Egyptian women are reclaiming the streets with scooters to combat the rampant harassment they face on the streets and on public transportation.