Omar Sharif a foreigner of some sort. He bridled at travel restrictions imposed by the government of Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser, leading to self-exile in Europe. He was a lifelong horse racing enthusiast, and at one time ranked among the world's top contract bridge players. Omar Sharif, whose adopted surname means "noble" or "nobleman", was born as Michel Dimitri Chalhoub in Alexandria, Egypt, to a Melkite Catholic family, either of Syrian or Lebanese descent: he belonged to a small ethnocultural minority known as the Levantine 'Antiochian' Greek Catholics of Egypt ("Rum Katuleek"), an offshoot of the Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch.
Egyptian Swift pigeon judges to settle differences among beginners. That system worked adequately and led to regional varieties of the breed. The main local groups are: "Safi", "Otati", "Anbary Asmar", "Ahmar Gohzar", "Bolk", "Mesawed", "Rehani", "Karakandy", "Absy", "Halaby", "Egyptian Halaby", "Egyptian Absy" and "Kojook". Egyptian Swift pigeon The Egyptian Swift is a breed of fancy pigeon developed over many years of selective breeding. The name swift was given by reason of a resemblance to the bird of that name. Egyptian Swifts, along with other varieties of domesticated pigeons, are all descendants from the rock pigeon ("Columba livia"). The breed is known for its