Rome: Gammarelli /  by Justin Merriman

 A priest stands in the doorway of Gammarelli's tailor shop.
Lorenzo Gammarelli, 40, stands in his tailor shop, Gammarelli, which his family has owned since 1798. The shop that sits off of a small piazza near the Pantheon, has made the traditional papal cassocks starting with Pope Pius XI in 1922 and the 6 following pontiffs thereafter, according to records. When asked if he ever tried on the papal garments, Lorenzo laughed and said: “I was tempted, but I didn’t.” To find out more about this story read Betsy Hiel's reporting in the 

Rome: Sede Vacante /  by Justin Merriman

 Emma Connaughton, 20, and Joshua Walden, 21, both of Northampton, England embrace in St. Peter's Square in the Vatican City, the papal enclave within Rome on Saturday evening. Cardinals from around the world are gathering in Rome and are expected to soon announce a date for the conclave where 115 cardinals will chose a successor to Pope Benedict XVI, the leader of some 1.2 billion Catholics worldwide, who resigned Feb. 28.
A man stands in St. Peter's Square in front of the basilica early Wednesday morning in Vatican City, as the College of Cardinals continued their General Congregations at the Vatican in preparation for the conclave that will elect the next pontiff.
  Light streams in through a window near the Monument to Maria Clementina Sobieski at St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican. The Basilica's interior is decorated by some of the great artists like Geon Lorenzo Bernini and Michelangelo.
 A nun leaves the Altar of St. Joseph after praying in St. Peter's Basilica
 A priest stands near the Altar of St. Joseph in St. Peter's Basilica
 St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican.
 Bailey Marget, 21, a student from Richmond, Virginia, takes photographs of the interior of St. Peter's Basilica as she visits the Vatican City on Sunday, March 3, 2013 .  “I wish that we could have a pope that respected women more and valued their role in the Catholic Church more,” said Marget. “I am Catholic but believe in a lot of spirituality. I want more understanding from the church,” she said.
 As the College of Cardinals continued their General Congregations at the Vatican in preparation for the conclave that will elect the next pontiff, people visit St. Peter's Square in Vatican City.
 Papal Swiss Guards stand near an entrance to St. Peter's Basilica.
 Brother Luke Gill, 24, of Richmond, Virginia, who is studying to become a priest, stands outside of St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican on Monday.  “It is exciting to be here in the heart of the church during such a special and exciting time,” he said. “We all want that father figure in the pope, to guide us and show us the way to fall more in love with Christ,” said Gill.
 Cardinal Daniel DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, left, and  Cardinal Sean O’Malley of Boston, right, answer questions from the media at the Pontifical North American College in Rome, during a briefing on the General Congregations. Cardinal O'Malley, lived in South Hills and attended Saint Gabriel and Sacred Heart Elementary Schools in Pittsburgh and St. Fidelis High School Seminary in Butler, PA. Cardinal DiNardo was raised attending St. Anne Parish in Castle Shannon and after his 1977 ordination he served at St. Pius X in Brookline and Madonna del Castello in Swissvale.
 A lone bird flies above St. Peter's Basilica.
 St. Peter's Square in Vatican City.
A couple embracing each other sit, basking in the light, in St. Peter's Square in Vatican City.

Egypt: Pyramid of Djoser /  by Justin Merriman

An outtake from Egypt: A man sits atop a donkey near the first Egyptian pyramid, the Pyramid of Djoser in the Saqqara necropolis. The ancient step pyramid, built in the 27th century BC, was built for the burial of Pharaoh Djoser by Imhotep, in Saqqara, Egypt.

Egypt: Hatshepsut Temple /  by Justin Merriman

One of my outtakes from Egypt: A lone bird flies above the rocky cliffs that surround the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut in Luxor. Hatshepsut reigned from 1479-1458 BC and is regarded as one of the most successful pharaohs, reigning longer than any other woman of an indigenous Egyptian dynasty.  The mortuary temple is dedicated to the sun god Amon-Ra and is is considered one of the "incomparable monuments of ancient Egypt." 

Egypt: Egypt Shake? /  by Justin Merriman

 Egyptian anti-government activists perform the 'Harlem Shake' as a protest in front of the ruling Muslim Brotherhood headquarters in Cairo on Thursday evening.  Recently four Egyptian students who were taking part in another 'Harlem Shake' video were arrested for committing "a scandalous act." To read more about this read Betsy Hiel's reporting in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

Egypt: Amid shortages, Egyptians grow to miss Mubarak /  by Justin Merriman

Long line of trucks sit on the road of the Nile's west bank in Luxor, Egypt.  The trucks are lined up, waiting on the side of the road for hours, sometimes as long as 7 hours,  to fill up their tanks with diesel fuel, often only to find the besieged gas station has run out of fuel before they reach the pumps.  The diesel shortage is wreaking havoc on people’s daily lives, leaving some reminiscing over the days of former president Mubarak. Egypt’s foreign reserve has plummeted by nearly two-thirds since Mubarak’s ouster. Tourism, one of the country’s key economic sector is in a slump.The Egyptian pound has devalued by nearly ten percent, and violent crime is on the rise. “This is the worst crisis, because it has been going on for a year and a half and it is never ending,” said Ehab Shookry, the owner of a franchise gas station. “People are really very tired.” To read more about the situation read Betsy Hiel's reporting in The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.