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Episode 1/6

After decades of stifling stasis, Egypt is in flux. The political system has gone through total upheaval following the overthrow of President Mubarak and Egypt is struggling to understand its new democracy. Shaimaa Khalil assesses the underlying challenges facing her native land in a major series for the BBC World Service.

In the introductory programme, Shaimaa returns to her hometown, Alexandria, to see how it has changed since the revolution of 2011. She visits old haunts and talks to family, friends and people on the streets to gauge their feelings on a range of political, economic and social issues. In the city they call the mermaid of the Mediterranean she finds a new sense of empowerment but also a distrust of the newfound voice of political Islam and an overwhelming sense of personal insecurity.

Produced by Daniel Tetlow.

Image: The Alexandria skyline