Egypt Trip 2011

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We met Ahmed, our guide in the hotel lobby again. Yesterday's protests were massive, larger than anyone expected, he told us. They were, also, right at the sites that we planned to visit today. About 4am police entered Tahrir Square with water cannons and teargas, clearing out the protesters. This morning everything appeared normal, save for the presence of large police trucks and groups of riot gear clad police. Fortunately, they appeared bored and Cairene life continued normally right past them.

Our first stop was the Egyptian Museum. It is an enormous, purpose built neoclassical building. A large wall surrounds it and, as with every tourist site and hotel, the entrance was manned by the omnipresent, well armed tourist police. We walked through a metal detector (Egyptians are given close scrutiny, tourists pass right through regardless if it alarms or not) and into a garden area. Ancient artifacts are strewn throughout; tourists gathered around them, kids climbed and played on them, ferrel cats lived on them. In the center is a derelict pond, containing papyrus, the symbol of Upper Egypt and Lotus, the symbol of Lower Egypt. The museum building is like the rest of Cairo: old magnificence peering through a patina of overuse and neglect. Cameras weren't allowed in. Thousands (120,000, actually), of statues, sarcophagi, papyri, furniture, jewelry and mummies occupy it's every corner. It is, I imagine, how a museum would appear in Victorian times: dimly lit, unairconditioned, unheated, ancient wood and glass cases housing displays and labeled with hand typed paper cards. The lower floor is organized by period: Early, Middle and Late Kingdom. There is no indication of significance or importance in any specific piece; perhaps the Egyptians have an egalitarian view of their treasures. As such, the Great Sphinx's headdress cobra and part of it's false beard are unlabeled, tucked in an out of the way alcove and hidden behind a scissor lift that shares it's space for storage. The only item that would be, perhaps, the museum's centerpiece is conspicuously absent: the Rosetta Stone. A pathetic, miniature representation greets visitors, while the original is proudly displayed in the British Museum.

Notables of the museum:
-Many stone sarcophagi, made of limestone, granite, alabaster. The are enormous pieces, weighing tons. They were carved out a single piece of stone, first shaping the sides, then the interior. Finally, the cover was cut off the bottom by a bronze saw (iron was not available yet). How do we know this? There was one in the museum, lying on it's side, partially finished. The sides and interior are complete. Looking behind it, at the bottom, reveals a top that had been sawn about 2/3 across and then, heartbreakingly broken off. I could still hear the ancient Egyptian curse words flying when this very nearly finished piece had to be abandoned.
-Statues of queen who declared herself king, Hatshepsut. She ruled for 22 years. The likeness of her face is different from the other pharaohs. The headdress and false beard of the pharaoh adorns a feminine featured face.
-Egyptian art remained very much the same over 3 millenia. This tradition was broken, briefly, by Ahkenaten, the heretic king. He abolished the religious tradition of polytheism and declared Aten, the Sun God, as the only. It was the first monotheism. He changed the art also. Pharaohs had always been represented in youth as well muscled and in stylized poses. Ahkenaten was represented with an unconventional long face, gynoid in shape. There were statues of him affectionately playing with his children. This flawed, humanness was short lived. Polytheism and the stylized art returned after his reign.
-Mummy display. This required additional fee from the rest of the museum (100 Egyptian pounds, about $17US). It was the only modern appearing part of the museum, aside from the new gift shop that you were required to exit through. The 2 rooms (kings and queens) were sterile and severe compared to the untidy, homey feeling of the rest of the museum.
-King Tut's Exhibit: This occupies most of the second floor. Gobs of furniture, chariots, weapons, statues, clothing (even the royal underwear, an immortality of sorts that I can't imagine the boy king would have considered or hoped for), jewelry, and more gold than seemed possible. But, we were sharing the space with a Japanese tour group whose tiny aggressive women held none of the personal space morays that we westerners possess. T and I were fed up with the crowd, so we left.

That afternoon T went with Melanie, our tour guide for the next day, to an Egyptian's home for Egyptian cooking lessons. I went with Ahmed to explore the Coptic area of Cairo. The Copts are a Christian minority in Egypt, about 10% of the population. St. Mark is said to have introduced Christianity to Egypt and until the Muslim conquer, they were the religious majority. In 451 AD the Coptic church split from Catholic Christianity. Ever since, their church has been headed by the Pope of Alexandria. Ahmed and I passed through a security checkpoint, into an area of ancient buildings and cemeteries. We descended a stone staircase 20 feet that led to a gate and to the street level of 1700 years ago, before generations of Nile floods and human existence piled on top of each other. At this subterranean level were two sites that we visited.
-Ben Ezra Synagoge. Originally a Coptic church, that was sold to the Jewish community in 882 AD to pay taxes levied by the Muslim rulers. It is said to be the site where Moses was found in a reed basket on the bank of the Nile.
-Abu Serga Church: It is the oldest Coptic church in Cairo (4th century AD). It is built in the traditional Coptic style, with 2 rows of columns that separate 3 areas of equal size. In front of each of the areas are altars. These altars are typically closed unless they are being used, but this church has one that is continuously open. It houses a portal that descends into the crypt where Jesus, Joseph and Mary were said to have hidden for 6 days during their flight to Egypt. Cameras weren't allowed in these last two sites.
-St. Virgin Mary's Coptic Orthodox Church (Hanging Church): Built in the 7th century AD, on top of the gate tower of the ancient Roman fortress of Babylon, it's nave is suspended over a passage. It's roof is said to be the same size and shape as the hull of Noah's arc

After leaving the Coptic area of Cairo, Ahmed took me to the oldest mosque in Egypt, the Amr Ibn Al A'as mosque. Built in 642 and constructed in the old tradition of an open, central court yard. It is large, able to accommodate about 3000 worshipers. It has a men and women's section. Ahmed had not yet performed noon prayer, so he excused himself and I walked about the mosque. It was quiet, mostly empty, save for a few men praying and serval children doing what children do in church: running around, playing, making noise. This was temporarily suspended when they were yelled at by an elderly man polishing the marble floor of the courtyard, but youthful Id soon defeated the imposed solemnity and the playfulness resumed. After his prayers, Ahmed and I walked around the mosque and chatted about Islam. He was a devout, well educated muslim. He spoke to me about the message of equality in Islam (men and women were separated for prayer because the bending and prostrating required during prayer would not be proper in a coed setting) and its peaceful message. Taking a life, including one's own was contrary to Islam. Thus, suicide bombers were committing a mortal sin. It's a shame that murders and crooks have hijacked Ahmed's religion, presenting one of hate and intolerance. Such it is with most religions, though.

We met Tatjana and Melanie at Vivian's home. Getting there required passage on an ancient French elevator. Vivian is Coptic and her home was still decorated in the splendor of Christmas, celebrated on January 7, by the Coptic calendar. It was an elegant home of an upper middle class family. Vivian was about 5'4", dressed in black with heavy eyeshadow and passable English. She was a gracious host. T had cooked an Egyptian meal with Vivian and her servant: Koshari and baba ganoush. It was delicious. During dinner we chatted with Vivian. Life as a Copt was difficult in Egypt. As a religious minority, they suffered from intolerance and diminished opportunity.

We left Vivan's home after dinner, stuffed and exhausted, still fighting the effects of jet lag. T was asleep by 830. I held on until 11.

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Photos

Cairo
I was certain this guy would loose his carefully balanced cargo, but he biked out of our sight, not a loaf lost.

Children playing in Amr Ibn Al A'as Mosque
Women's section is behind the wooden wall

Comments

[Dale]

Extremely interesting. I am especially enjoying the details, as well as the history. Can't wait for the next entry.