Coptic and Islamic Cairo

We started our last day in Egypt by going to the Salah el Din Citadel of Cairo. It was built in 1176 to protect Cairo from the Crusaders and was used as the seat of the king and government in Egypt for many centuries and dynasties. Inside the citadel we visited two mosques. The first is the older of the two and was built in the 1300s. It had a large green dome and it's called Mosque of El Nasser Mohamed. The second took 18 years to build starting in 1818 and is referred to as the Great Alabaster Mosque of Mohamed Ali Pasha. It houses the tomb of Mohamed Ali. It's a very beautiful mosque and still used today. The whole citadel is in a beautiful area overlooking the city and you can also see the pyramids in the distance.

Our next stop is known as the Coptic Cairo area. It's a big religious area with lots of churches and a synagogue. It's also the location of the Cavern Church (aka Abu Serra Church). It's a very beautiful church, and more importantly it's built over the cavern where the Holy Family stayed when they were fleeing Israel where the Roman Empire was persecuting babies. It's believed that they stayed in the cavern for 3 months when Jesus was a baby. How amazing is that?! We were able to go down into the cavern, where we could see part of the original floor and the nook where they believe the baby Jesus slept. It was pretty moving to be there.

We also visited the Hanging Church in that area as well, which was built over a Roman gatehouse. Yasmine told us that when they started building the church they didn't know it was there but then they found it buried so they just built the church right over, which is why it's called "hanging". We were able to go in the church and then look down and see the gate below us. It's one of the oldest churches in Egypt and was built in the 3rd century.

Then we left Coptic Cairo and made a brief visit to the Egyptian Museum so we could check out the museum's exhibit of King Tutankhamen. His tomb was discovered in 1922 nearly intact and many of the artifacts recovered from his extensive tomb are on display in the museum. He became pharoah at 8 years old and died when he was 19. His tomb was unusually small for a pharoah, which indicates he may have died unexpectedly before a grander tomb could be completed. So he was possibly buried in a tomb intended for someone else in order to bury him within the customary 70 days after death. Although his tomb was small it was still very lavish including a solid gold coffin, face mask, thrones, sandals, food, and fresh linen. King Tut is probably the world's best known pharoah largely because his tomb is among the best preserved and therefore his image and artifacts are the most exhibited. 

We also walked around the rest of the museum a bit. It has a ton of very old statues and stones with hieroglyphics. Everything was very interesting but it's hard to take everything in. 

After the museum we headed to the market where we got some falafel for lunch. Then we walked through part of the Cairo Bazaar just to get a feel for it and look at some of the souvenirs. We didn't buy anything there. We thought we would be hassled by the street vendors but again, we really weren't bothered. Occasionally they would ask as we were walking by if we wanted to buy anything and we would politely decline and that would be the end of it. No big deal. We also walked along "el Moez" street which is 1000 years old and is lined with unique Islamic Buildings.

Another great day with Egypt Tailor Made Tours! Our guide, Yasmine, and driver, Sayed were both very knowledgeable and helpful as always!

I finally published my recap for our time in Southern Africa so check it out!

We have to check out of our hotel before midnight tonight in order to catch our 3am flight. Yuck. :( But don't feel too bad for us because we're going to Greece!

Alexandria

We got an earlier start this morning. Our guide and driver picked us up and then we drove to Alexandria, which took about 2 hours. Our first stop was the catacombs of Kom El Shokafa and was built by a nobal man named Alexander (not Alexander the Great). We went down 99 steps around the well where they would lower the bodies into the tomb. Once we got down there it was cool and humid, and kinda creepy. We were shown the main tomb where Alexander and his family was presumably buried, and then also the public side tombs as well where there were lots of spots for bodies and vases of ashes (which they call locoli- the spaces for the vases of ashes). There were no bodies in there anymore and haven't been for a long time. Sometimes the Mediterranean Sea gets into the tomb and washes things away, or perhaps it was robbed. Yasmine also pointed out and described the unique artwork in there as well. It was unique because it was a combination of Egyptian, Greek, and Roman art all mashed together. It would have Egyptian gods depicted in ways that would never happen in Egyptian art. It seemed maybe Alexander saw an Egyptian tomb and really liked it so he decided to build one for himself but didn't get it quite right. We weren't allowed to take pictures here, so you'll have to visit to see it!

In the tomb there was also a dining room since it was customary for people to eat there after visiting with the dead. Then would eat out of jars and then after they were done they would toss and break the jars to get rid of evil spirits. This resulted in a mountain of broken jars at the surface of the tombs which gave the place its name.  

Yasmine also told us a story about the club that used to be right outside the tombs. It was during the reign of King Caracalla of Rome who was perceived to be a very crazy and cruel man who dressed in strange ways and killed his brother to be in power. When he visited Alexandria the townspeople dressed up on of the crazy locals to dress like the king, presumably to show him what he looked like. But this angered the king. For revenge he invited everyone to a festival in the club outside of the tombs and when everyone was there he locked the door and slaughtered them all. From that point on the club was no longer a club but became part of the tombs as well. We were able to see the human and animals bones that remained there, although we have no idea how many people perished there. It's also unknown what ultimately happened to King Caracalla as he disappeared.

Outside of the main catacombs we were also able to see the Tigran Catacomb, which had been moved there. It was another example of very unusual artwork as it was also a mix between Egyptian and Greek symbols and gods. There were no names or cartoushes associated with the tomb though so we don't even know who built it. 

After we left the catacombs we went to visit the Roman amphitheater. Rome ruled Egypt from about 31 BC to 641 AD, so almost 700 years. During that time they built the amphitheater. It was initially intended to be used as a small theater for music performances. Throughout the years it was altered to fit other needs, such as a place for the public to meet and discuss current issues. It seemed to be built with classic Roman architecture so that was neat, and they are still excavating and finding new areas even today. 

Then we drove through Alexandria and stopped at the Stanley bridge to take some pictures. This was the original road of Alexandria and where the city grew from. From there we were taken to a lovely restaurant called the Fish Market and it overlooked the Mediterranean Sea. We were treated to full meal including Egyptian bread including several sauces (including a garlic sauce which was delicious), salad, and pickled beets to start. Then we each had a fish dish; I had the fried fish filet while Matt had the grilled fish. Both were really good. I especially liked the light batter and spices on my fish. It was also served with traditional Egyptian rice which was very flavorful. 

After lunch we drove over to the Qaitbay Fortress. It is a citadel and was built to protect Alexandria against the Turkish attack. It was built on the site of the original Alexandria lighthouse. We got out to take lots of pictures with the fortress and the sea. While we were there lots of locals wanted to take pictures with us, which was the first time we encountered this and at first we thought they were trying to sell us something. Yasmine said this was because we were blonde and exotic. We also got to experience some rare summer light rain while we were here in Alexandria. At first we weren't sure if it was rain or spray from the sea!

Our last stop in the city was the Biblioteca Alexandria (Library of Alexandria). There used to be two ancient libraries of Alexandria which had long been destroyed, but this new one was built more recently and opened in 2002. The architecture was really unique and designed to only let in sunlight but not rays as to not disturb the readers. It also lets in blue and green light which represents the earth and sky and is relaxing to the eyes. We learned about how the library is adapting all of the books to be available electronically and online so that's really cool. They also explained the different museums and exhibitions that are in the library and we visited one about President Anwar Sadat. It had a lot of his belongings and information about his life. He was a great Egyptian president and after many years of war he signed a famous peace treaty in 1973 which earned him and the Israeli Prime Minister the Nobel Peace Prize, making him (President Sadat) the first Muslim Nobel laureate. He was president for 11 years before he was killed in office in 1981 by Islamic radicals. His funeral was attended by three former US presidents: Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, and Richard Nixon. 

This was the end of our Alexandria trip and we drove back to Cairo, ever grateful for our wonderful driver Sayed as he navigated the absolutely crazy traffic. There are literally no rules on the road in Egypt and I'm so glad we aren't trying to drive ourselves around! And also for Yasmine who has been able to share so much interesting history with us about the incredible places we're visiting!

After dinner at the hotel I decided to try some hookah (or "shisha" as they call it here). When in Rome! It was really nice as we sat out on the patio by the pool.

Pyramids and Sphinx

We made it to Egypt! We landed shortly before 6pm yesterday evening and made it through passport control and customs with no problems. Since we booked our entire time here with a tour company, a guide met us as soon as we got off the plane and took us through all of the airport hoops. Then he took us to our driver who whisked us off to our hotel. Wow, the driving here is terrifying! They have lane lines on the highways but they pay no attention to them. Literally we were on a 3-lane highway with 5 cars across. They just weave in and out and it's insane. Often the cars converge in front of you and then you have to slam on the breaks and hope the guy behind you doesn't hit you. Luckily our driver was good, but it was over an hour drive and I chomped my gum so hard that my jaw was sore by the time we made it to the hotel.

The hotel we're staying at is very nice. We're staying at the Cairo Pyramids Hotel, which is a 5-star hotel. Since the US dollar is so strong compared to the Egyptian pound we're paying less than $60/night for the room. It has two pools, one with a swim-up bar, and several different restaurants here on the premises as well. We got settled in to our room and then grabbed some dinner at the Italian place by the pool which was nice and also cheap. Oh, we can also see the pyramids from our room!

By 6am it looked like the middle of the day since the sun rose so early, so we were up bright and early. We got ready, after I spent awhile stressing about what to wear, and went to breakfast. I kept reading that women need to be covered up, so I dressed in pants and brought a long-sleeve shirt and a scarf to cover my head, but I wore a t-shirt since I couldn't bear wearing the long-sleeves in the upper 80 degree heat. Turns out we stressed for nothing because our guide, Yasmine, showed up wearing a t-shirt and pants like me and later mentioned that I could wear whatever I wanted and it would be fine. 

So Yasmine met us at breakfast and then we hopped in the car with our driver, Said. Our first stop of the day was Saqqara, which contains the step pyramid. The Step Pyramid, or Pyramid of Djoser, was the first ever Egyptian pyramid and is said to be one of the earliest large-scale cut-stone construction. Before going to the pyramid however we went to the museum to learn a bit about it's history. At the museum we learned about the high priest Imhotep who built the pyramid for Pharoah Djoser. We were also able to see some remnants of the temple such as columns and ceiling pieces and represent some of the first ever pieces of their kind. We also got to see one of the first ever mummies which was really cool. It was the mummy of Merrenre I and he was partially unwrapped so you could still see his facial features and also his toes. So weird! This was from literally somewhere around 2,290 BC, over 4,000 years ago! Unfortunately I wasn't able to take any pictures in the museum, so you all will just have to go for yourselves!

After the museum we went were able to go inside King Titi's tomb, which is unique since it has a lot of pyramid text inside (there are only two pyramids with text inside). To get into the tomb we had to crawl down a very narrow tunnel. Yasmine was able to read some of it for us and describe what the writing was talking about. We also learned a bit more about pyramids in general. They were built as tombs and the purpose was to facilitate a successful journey into the afterlife, so they left food and other necessities that would be needed for the journey. A lot of them also recorded everything that the person owned (slaves, livestock, plants, equipment), with the thought that if they recorded it there then they would be able to use those resources in the afterlife as well. These recordings were in the second place we went which was the tomb of one of the rich and powerful priests, Qagemini, who had more than 50 titles. 

Then we walked through what's left of the Complex of King Djoser, which is where the ceiling and pillar pieces came from that we saw in the museum. After we got through the temple we got our first good look at the Step Pyramid. We walked all around it while our guide told us about the history of the pyramid so that was really cool. We also saw lots of donkeys, horses, and camels around. We were able to climb up near the pyramid and get lots of good pictures. 

Then we left Saqqara and went to Memphis, which used to be the capitol of Egypt. There we were able to see a huge statue of Ramses II, who was a very famous and powerful pharoah. He was king of Egypt for over 80 years and had over 100 children. He was a well-loved ruler and brought peace and prosperity to Egypt during his reign. We also saw lots of other things in Memphis, including a small sphinx statue and a smaller statue of Ramses II.

After we left Memphis we went to a Papyrus Institute, where we were shown how to make papyrus into paper. They peel the green off and then slice the papyrus. Then they flatten the strips with a roller in order to remove all of the water and sugar. Then they soak the strips in water for 1-2 weeks. Then it's laid in a cross-pattern- horizontally and vertically to get the size of the sheet you want. Then it's pressed for awhile and that's it! We were able to view all of the beautiful papyrus paintings they had and we ended up buying one that we really liked. Hopefully we can make it home without damaging it!

It was lunch-time by this point so we were taken to a local restaurant where we each got a shawerma wrap which was really good; I got chicken while Matt got beef. 

Then we moved on to the big Giza pyramids! We spent lots of time there taking a ton of pictures. It's truly incredible how big the limestone blocks are that the pyramids are made of. I can't imagine trying to move one of those! It's crazy that they had hundreds of thousands of slaves working for over 20 years on those pyramids. The Great Pyramids consist of 3 pyramids: The Great Pyramid of Giza (also known as the Pyramid of Khufu or the Pyramid of Cheops) which stands at 138 meters, the Pyramid of Khafre which stands at 136 meters, and the Pyramid of Menkaure which stands at a modest 65 meters high. The Great Pyramid is the oldest of the Ancient Wonders of the World and also the only one left in existence (how crazy is that?!). It was also the tallest man-made structure in the world for more than 3,800 years (take that, Burj Khalifa!). There were also several boat-shaped pits surround the pyramid which housed complete boats for the deceased pharaohs to take to the sun. We opted not to buy tickets to go inside the big one but instead went inside one of the smaller ones. Again, it was a very tiny tunnel down a steep ramp in order to get into the pyramid. We saw the tomb and went right back up since it was hot and crowded down there. 

We were also able to get on some camels and take lots of great pictures with the pyramids in the background. The camels are so tall! I felt like we were so high while we were riding them. They walked us around a bit and so that was fun. And we had good views of the pyramids. The purpose of the pyramids is thought to have been constructed to house the remains of the pharaohs who ruled over Egypt and therefore it also stored lots of treasure and artifacts that the king would need in the afterlife.

A few hundred meters away from the pyramids is where the Great Sphinx is located. The face of this particular sphinx is believed to be of Pharoah Khafre, although that's not known for sure since there have been no inscriptions or markings found. It was cut from bedrock and is 73 meters long from paws to tail and 20 meters high. It is the oldest known monumental sculpture in Egypt and is believed to have been built during Pharoah Khafre's reign (2558 - 2532 BC). The Egyptian sphinxes are said to represent protection. We got lots of great pictures of the sphinx with the pyramids in the background. 

That was our day! We got back to our hotel shortly before 4pm and decided to hit up the pool for a bit which was refreshing. We grabbed dinner at the hotel buffet and called it a night.

We booked our entire stay in Egypt with a company called Egypt Tailor Made Tours and so far we've been very happy. The logistics have all went smoothly and our guide and drivers have been great. It's been really nice to have our own private guide and driver so we can go at our own pace and we don't have to worry about driving on these crazy roads ourselves. Plus every time we start walking out of an area our driver is there waiting with a nice air-conditioned car ready to whisk us away to the next Egyptian wonder. Our guide, Yasmine, is very knowledgeable so we've learned a ton (much more than I was able to record here). Plus she loves to take lots of pictures of us with my camera so that we can remember everything. Which is actually super nice since it would be really tough to find strangers we trust to take pictures of us at all of these sights! Most of my pictures from today are credited to her!

We're off to explore Alexandria tomorrow!