This morning we headed for Old Cairo, so named because it is the oldest part of Cairo, and, in fact, predates what is now Cairo. Some Egyptologists believe that there was a settlement here as far back as the 6th century BCE. Later, the Romans built a fortress here, which was called Babylon. Some of these Roman walls still exist. Later, it became a Christian stronghold, with as many as 20 churches built within an area of one square mile. Today there are only five churches remaining. Our first stop that morning was the Coptic Church of St. Sergius where it is said that Jesus and the holy family stayed after the fall of Jerusalem in 70 A.D.
Continuing our ecumenical journey through the old city, we next stopped at Ben Ezra Synagogue, the oldest synagogue in Egypt. The building dates from the 19th century, but the land for the synagogue was purchased in 882 CE by Abraham ibn Ezra of Jerusalem.
Not wanting to leave anyone out, we continued our journey to the Amr Ibn el Asse Mosque, the first and oldest existing Mosque in Egypt. For several centuries, this Mosque had been the religious and social center of the cosmopolitan city and the old capital al-Fustat. In 641 CE. Amr entered Egypt after the surrender of Alexandria. When the whole country became under Muslim rule, Amr chose El- Fustat as the capital of Islamic Egypt.Next on our itinerary was the Citadel of Saladin built by Salah El Din El Ayyubi, founder of the Ayubbid dynasty. Looking like a medieval stronghold, the Citadel was started in 1183 CE. Six centuries later (1830 CE.). the impressive Mohammed Ali Mosque was built within the compound. Also on the site is the Jewel Museum, the Cairo Carriage Museum, and the Military Museum.
According to Amr, our guide, the Mohamed Ali Mosque is amongst the most interesting Mosques in Egypt. It stands proudly on the highest point inside the courtyard of the Citadel of Saladin, and is also called the Alabaster Mosque. The architect was Yousf Boushnaq, a Turkish man who had come over from Istanbul to build this great Mosque for Mohamed Ali, the ruler of Egypt from1805 until 1849. In 1899, the Mosque showed signs of cracking and repairs were undertaken, but some of these repairs were not adequate. Therefore, in 1931, during the reign of King Fuad I, the big main dome, the semi domes and the small domes were demolished and then reconstructed according to the original design. The project began in 1931 and was finally completed in 1939.
It was an interesting morning. The Old City has a different feel than the more modern, cosmopolitan side of Cairo. It was even more apparent when Amr “let us loose” at the Khan-el-Khalili Bazaar, a major marketplace for both locals and tourists. The market was originally built in 1382 and has remained Cairo’s most important shopping area.
With camera in hand and lots of $1.00 bills, we ventured out to see what treasures we could find. Since several of us had recently been in the main bazaar in Istanbul a few months earlier, there really wasn’t a lot we wanted to buy. However, walking around the neighbourhood immediately surrounding the bazaar was wonderful--an insight into a way of life foreign to many of us: relaxing with friends over a Huka,
buying bread on the street,
and having lunch with a friend, curb side.
None of us wanted to leave the bazaar,
but it was time to get back to the hotel to finish packing and get ready for our farewell dinner.It seems incredible that three weeks earlier we had arrived in Tel Aviv and sat down to our first Shabbat dinner. There were so many special moments in Israel:
- our visit to Caesarea, the town King Herod built in the first century BCE,
- going to Atlit, the Illegal Immigrant Detention Camp that tells the story of the struggle of Jews fleeing Europe from Nazi persecution and death,
- visiting Nazareth, the boyhood home of Jesus,
- watching the planes take off and having a special tour of Hatzerim Air Base,
- crossing the Sea of Galilee,
- walking the Twelve Stations of the Cross,
- standing on top of Mt. Scopus and seeing the old city of Jerusalem and the Temple on the Mount as it dominates the skyline,
- standing at the Kotel--the Western Wall,
- crossing the border into Bethlehem and visiting the Grotto of the Nativity,
- walking through the Children’ Memorial at Yad Vashem
- and celebrating the B’not Mitzvah of Barbara and Pamela Handel and Zoe and Stacie atop Mt. Masada.
- standing in front of the Pyramids of Giza,
- cruising the Nile, ballooning over the Valley of the Kings,
- seeing the mummies at the Egyptian Museum,
- walking through the great temples of Karnak and Luxor, and
- visiting Abu Simbel was my dream come true. I had finally made it to Egypt.
It had been a wonderful trip with memories that will last a lifetime.
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