Getting to know You...

Al-Azhar Mosque
Here I've been 3 weeks in fabulous (?!?) Cairo and as per my previous lamenting posts I've barely gotten a chance to explore the city. So I decided to rectify the situation and grab some girls hire a guide and check out some of the sites.

On the appointed day I awoke to a hazy view of the building across the street and a chemical burning smell which made me wonder if there had been a bombing in a shoe glue factory or something but after asking some of the locals I was told it was just a mildly bad air quality day. In the same vein, funny floating things kept whizzing past my eyes which I presumed to be ash from said disaster which were actually little flys that come out from the Nile when it is humid out (which is rare gratefully). When I got home the table next to the terrace door I left open was covered in the dead little beasts.
But I digress...

First stop was Coptic Cairo which is one of the oldest sections of the city. After Jesus came along, Egypt was actually a christian nation for many moons starting in 64 AD when early Christians were driven out by the Roman Empire up until the Islamic invasions began in 639 AD. In fact, the Coptic Church claims to hold an unbroken line of patriarchal succession to the See of Alexandria founded by Saint Mark, a disciple of Christ making them one of worlds original sects of Christianity. The history is fascinating and the language, art and dogma are truly unique so it was a pleasure to be able to go through and see some of the churches and monuments. We also passed by the synagogue in Coptic Cairo which is the oldest in Egypt. Although now the Jewish population in Egypt has dwindled so significantly they often don't have enough attendees to even hold services these days.

Then after much debate and cajoling with the nervous tour guide he finally agreed to take us through the Northern Cemetery which is the larger section of Cairo's infamous city of the dead, a group of vast cemeteries that stretches out along the base of the Moqattam Hills.
This area is home to around 5 million of Egypt’s urban poor who live among the spacious tombs, grave markers and mausoleums and have come to represent the desperate housing crisis in the city. By now water, sewage, and electricity are provided in the "neighborhoods" and many families who own the graves look at their (often) uninvited tenants as caretakers of the area. Being that it was a relatively seedy neighborhood and we were in a not so subtle mini-bus with a tour company logo (we thought we were hiring a taxi!) we didn't stay long but I managed to further ensure my spot in hell by taking a few apparently unwelcome pictures before being shooed off by a lady I wouldn't want to meet in a dark alley.

We next made our way to Islamic Cairo, which is the ancient walled quarter and is home to some of the most impressive mosques and landmarks in the city. This area is amazing and I didn't give the group a choice before I beelined straight for the Bayt el Suhaymi, a gorgeous restored 17th century mansion along a perfectly hidden little side street in Fatimid. I fell madly in love with this house and the surrounding area and could have spent hours wandering around the labyrinth passages, peeking through the mashrabiyya screens, and and marveling at all the treasures of the old Islamic architecture I am so keen on. But eventually I started overhearing the girls asking the guide how to say "slow" and "hurry-up" in Arabic so I took the hint and scurried off after the group.

Reluctant as I was, I'm glad we moved on because the next stop was the incredibly lovely and blessedly peaceful Al-Azhar Mosque, which claims to be the oldest surviving university in the world (although Morocco makes a similar claim, so take that with a pinch of salt). I surrendered my shoes at the door and dawned a head scarf for the first time and walked peacefully around the huge inner courtyard that leads into the main area of worship full of rich sounds and men at prayer on the thick green carpets hidden among the many columns and curtains.

The last stop was the legendary Khan al-Khalili market. Here you can find anything from bread, American jeans, to fine gold Bedouin jewelry. Just wandering around is an experience in itself but I rallied up the nerve to try a little bargaining and left feeling a little ripped off but with an awfully purdy necklace! I felt redeemed by bargaining down to a very locals price on some beautiful mother-of-pearl inlaid boxes. All in all, it was a very successful day that was rounded out with fresh mango juice and meza (ie. yummy middle eastern appetizers) at the posh landmark Mahfouz Coffee Shop inside the Khan...we made a graceful exit as what appeared to be every man in the market waved and called out "goodbye Spice Girls"...I think I'm going to enjoy getting to know Cairo better.