| Cairo --- 5 March 2006 |
After breakfast at the Movenpick Heliopolis hotel at the Cairo airport we had a brief
orientation session led by our tour escort, Hesham Mansour, Our tour group in Egypt
consisted of sixteen persons, of which about ten had been with us during our travels in Jordan.
orientation session led by our tour escort, Hesham Mansour, Our tour group in Egypt
consisted of sixteen persons, of which about ten had been with us during our travels in Jordan.
From our hotel we took a forty minute minibus ride to the world-famous Egyptian Museum
located in the center of Cairo. The large two-story building was completed in 1902, but the
interior was recently completely modernized. A very large collection of 120,000 items is
exhibited covering all of Egyptian civilization, featuring ancient sculptures and funerary
objects, an extremely impressive collection. Nearly all items were labeled in Arabic and
English. Our very knowledgeable tour escort/guide provided additional details and
background information. Although we spent several hours in the museum there was not
enough time to see all. A wonderful way to start our tour of Egypt!
located in the center of Cairo. The large two-story building was completed in 1902, but the
interior was recently completely modernized. A very large collection of 120,000 items is
exhibited covering all of Egyptian civilization, featuring ancient sculptures and funerary
objects, an extremely impressive collection. Nearly all items were labeled in Arabic and
English. Our very knowledgeable tour escort/guide provided additional details and
background information. Although we spent several hours in the museum there was not
enough time to see all. A wonderful way to start our tour of Egypt!
Classic ancient Egypt got its start around 3,000BC and flourished under numerous Pharaohs
until around 500BC when Egypt weakened and intermittently became a colony of Persia,
Greece and Rome. The classic Egypt came to an end with the Roman conquest and death of the
last Pharaoh, Cleopatra, in 30BC. Those three thousand years or so comprise the period during
which the Pharaohs ruled Egypt, developed art and religion, and built temples, monuments,
tombs, and pyramids --- many of which remain until the present day. The ancient Egyptians
accomplished so much and did it so well!
The next major event was the Arab conquest around 640AD, which brought to Egypt the
Arabic language and the Moslem religion with its magnificent Mosques. Egypt subsequently
came under the control of a series of conquerors including the Umayyads, Abbasids, Tulunis,
Fatimids, Ayyubids, Mamelukes, Ottomans, Mamelukes, and Napoleon's French. In 1801, under
the leadership of Mohammed Ali, Egypt achieved self-rule and unity but later gradually came
under strong British influence. In the early 1950's Egypt regained full independence.
until around 500BC when Egypt weakened and intermittently became a colony of Persia,
Greece and Rome. The classic Egypt came to an end with the Roman conquest and death of the
last Pharaoh, Cleopatra, in 30BC. Those three thousand years or so comprise the period during
which the Pharaohs ruled Egypt, developed art and religion, and built temples, monuments,
tombs, and pyramids --- many of which remain until the present day. The ancient Egyptians
accomplished so much and did it so well!
The next major event was the Arab conquest around 640AD, which brought to Egypt the
Arabic language and the Moslem religion with its magnificent Mosques. Egypt subsequently
came under the control of a series of conquerors including the Umayyads, Abbasids, Tulunis,
Fatimids, Ayyubids, Mamelukes, Ottomans, Mamelukes, and Napoleon's French. In 1801, under
the leadership of Mohammed Ali, Egypt achieved self-rule and unity but later gradually came
under strong British influence. In the early 1950's Egypt regained full independence.
After the museum visit we had a nice Egyptian lunch in a downtown Cairo restaurant, after
which the minibus was ready to take the tour participants back to our hotel near the airport.
However, we two and five other persons on the tour elected to be let off the bus in the old
Khan-Al-Khalili quarter of Cairo, containing Cairo's leading market ("souk") and several
important mosques.
which the minibus was ready to take the tour participants back to our hotel near the airport.
However, we two and five other persons on the tour elected to be let off the bus in the old
Khan-Al-Khalili quarter of Cairo, containing Cairo's leading market ("souk") and several
important mosques.
We got off the bus near Al-Hazar, a large complex including a mosque, a university and a
madrasa. As we entered the attractive doorway of the Mosque and took off our shoes we
were approached by a man who seemed to be somehow connected with the Mosque and
proceeded to guide us around. Below are photos of some of what we saw.
madrasa. As we entered the attractive doorway of the Mosque and took off our shoes we
were approached by a man who seemed to be somehow connected with the Mosque and
proceeded to guide us around. Below are photos of some of what we saw.
Minaret of the Al-Azhar Mosque, Cairo
Doorway of the Al-Azhar Mosque, Cairo
Courtyard of the Al-Azhar Mosque, Cairo
Prayer Room of the Al-Azhar
Mosque, Cairo
Mosque, Cairo
From the Al-Azhar Mosque we continued walking through the adjacent colorful Khan
Al-Khalili Market, taking in the sights.
Al-Khalili Market, taking in the sights.
We were intrigued by the unusual pockets of the
above ladies' undergarment, available in several
colors. Will Victoria's Secret copy this design?
above ladies' undergarment, available in several
colors. Will Victoria's Secret copy this design?
A fez-making shop. We saw the felt placed over the
heated form Then over the felt the operator places a
casing similar to an upturned bucket and squeezes it
down using the screw device shown.
heated form Then over the felt the operator places a
casing similar to an upturned bucket and squeezes it
down using the screw device shown.
A stand selling antique items, many apparently
taken from old buildings being demolished.
taken from old buildings being demolished.
A shop selling general merchandise in
the Khan Al-Khalili Market, Cairo
the Khan Al-Khalili Market, Cairo
Walking through the Khan Al-Khalili Market we passed several more mosques including the
impressive Al-Mu'ayyad Mosque with its very ornate wooden doors. From this mosque we
walked back to the main street where we had gotten off the bus, and found an old seven-seater
taxi to take us back to the Movenpick Heliopolis Hotel. The taxi was missing a few
accessories such as handles to crank the windows up and down; the taxi had a single loose
handle which we passed around to adjust the windows.
impressive Al-Mu'ayyad Mosque with its very ornate wooden doors. From this mosque we
walked back to the main street where we had gotten off the bus, and found an old seven-seater
taxi to take us back to the Movenpick Heliopolis Hotel. The taxi was missing a few
accessories such as handles to crank the windows up and down; the taxi had a single loose
handle which we passed around to adjust the windows.