During a photography trip in 2026, documenting Egypt’s cultural and architectural heritage

From expanding articles on the Arabic Wikipedia to helping build a community of volunteers in Egypt, my journey reflects two decades of commitment to free knowledge.

In August 2026, I celebrated twenty years as a Wikipedia contributor. What began as a simple search for information on the Arabic Wikipedia in 2006 has grown into a long-term commitment to improving Arabic-language content, supporting fellow volunteers, and strengthening the Wikimedia community in Egypt.

When I first encountered Wikipedia, the Arabic edition was still relatively small. Many articles were little more than beginnings, accompanied by invitations asking readers to help expand them.…