I'm neglected this blog terribly, ever since I got back from Egypt. But now in the final act of betrayal, I'm starting a new one about my experiences in London while I pursue (hopefully not in vain!) my PhD.

Check it out at http://presentbutnotvoting.blogspot.com/

Egyptian Nightlife, late night cafe culture (Part III of III)

Now my three part series on Sharm El-Shaik comes to an end, with this somewhat long post. This post has been a long time coming, and covers not only Sharm El-Shaik, but all of my time in Cairo. It has required much "research", going out late at night until the wee hours. My thanks to Ahmed, who has been invaluable in this regard.

The Cairo skyline at night, Cairo Tower in the middle

The biggest difference between Egypt and back home is that alcohol is generally a no-no, while not illegal, it carries a heavy social stigma. It has three major replacements: coffee(Turkish and Normal), cigarettes and Shisha (aka Hubbly-Bubbly back home). In addition to discussing them, I think I will describe my nights out in Sharm el-Shaik, as well as the difference between Egyptian and um, normal coffee-shops (cafes).

Me smoking Shisha (with the Nile in the background), not one of my best moments

First let me discuss Shisha (aka Hookah). Technically it is a water based pipe for smoking, usually tobacco of some type. Since the tobacco smoke passes through the water before inhaled, it becomes moist and becomes less harsh on the tongue (apparently, I don't have any points of comparison). It is really common in Egypt (although it originates in India), it is as common as tea and coffee is in any social situation. I'm not sure I enjoyed it - it made me rather dizzy and pretty nauseous, although I did feel rather relaxed (that could have been because I was finally blending in).
Cigarettes and Coffee come in a close second to Sisha in terms of popularity. The Egyptians smoke like chimneys (not quite as bad as Italians, but close), although the government is starting to crack down on the practice. Cigarette prices are a lot lower than South Africa, although I don't recognise any of the big brands, so they might be of a lower quality. Coffee comes in Turkish and regular varieties. Turkish coffee makes you knurd (well, its Discworld equivalent), according to Terry Pratchett, the far side of sober, and I completely agree. I don't remember much of my knurd time, but I came to with several empty bottles of water around me, and a bad feeling about the ANC conference. I will and try acquire some of this substance when I get back to South Africa, it is in a word, awesome.

The Naguib Mahfouz Coffee Shop, a rather classy Egyptian Coffee Shop in Khan al-Khalli (see the shopping post)

The next topic is naturally the location of where these substances and practises are observed and abused. There are what are called Egyptian Coffee Shops, which date back about 200 years, and can be found on many a street corner. They vary in furnishing (usually just some small, brass tables and chairs) and quality, but contain several common elements:

• Men Only - men go here to get away from their wives (hence most of the clientèle are older men), also there is usually a TV with sport on.
  
• Sisha and Black Tea are the order of the day - anything else is considered slightly wimpy for some reason
• Several Old guys will be lurking around any time of the day or night - this is to provide background noise. No one appears to understand them, really.

Inside one of the many cafes in Cairo

The other location that are increasing in popularity are cafes. If they sold alcohol, they would be upmarket pubs back home. They are popular with younger Egyptian people of both sexes, and form the backdrop of what is the Cairo social scene. An interesting mix of styles are available and incorporate everything from Mediterranean to Parisian to American motifs. One of my favourites was a French styled one, in what was once the Hotel Versailles (there is actually a surprisingly strong francophone influence in Egypt). All of these cafes provide the traditional Sisha, tea and coffee, along with often a spectacular array of culinary offerings and beverages, depending on the cafe's particular styling.

I apologise for the rather lopsided nature of this photograph of Naama Bay's main street at night (12am) from the Camel Bar's roof.

Finally I must cover the night life of Sharm El-Shaik. Being an international tourist spot, it invariably caters to foreigners who want to drink and then embarrass themselves on the dance floor. Besides the before mentioned beach bars, there are several well known night clubs (all of which only get going after 12am). I visited the one called Pacha on Sunday, and it is clearly modelled on Ibiza lines (The cover charge would make even a Capetonian baulk, and the drink prices were downright criminal). I was lucky enough to get the funky house night and all was right with the world (I even taught some Russians the Wetsuit). This explains the hangover I had during the trip to Ras Mohammad (the previous post, remember, honestly). Finally, I would like to express my deep-seated thanks to the African continent, somehow it has imbued me with a sense of rhythm (well, compared to the Russians).

Thus finishes my three part account of my trip to Sharm el-Shaik, with a little bit of Egyptian night life for free. I have left out quite a bit, but that was because me lying around on gorgeous beaches all day and swimming in a nice, warm ocean is boring to read about. I cannot thank Ismail enough for organising my little holiday, during my big holiday. I really enjoyed the rest.

Coming Soon: The Shoppers Guide to Egypt - my penultimate post, mostly about pretending to be a penniless refugee from war-torn Outer Mongolia (I got bored, OK?).

On Egyptian Society (Part II) - this one might be a while coming. Expect a lot of disjointed ramblings with little underlying merit to them.

Ras Mohammad, National Park (Part II of III)

My epic Sharm El-Shaik trilogy continues, although this entry details my day trip to Ras Mohammed, a National Park that encompasses the Southern part of the Sinai Peninsula and the surrounding sea. It is 480 square kilometres in size and hosts a multitude of wild and plant life, both in and out of the water. My primary concern was the sea life, as I took a boat/snorkelling tour of the peninsula. As soon as I got in the water, I could see why this is a world renowned dive spot - it made the most exotic fish tanks look like those glass bowls with single goldfish in them. But I am getting ahead of myself, let me start again at my beginnings (Thanks, Kipling).

Aqua Vision, our faithful vessel

I arranged the trip through my hotel, and I was picked up promptly at 8:30, out front. I was nursing a rather large hangover (see Part III of this series), and the buffet was just starting to kick. Luckily we had a half hour wait at the tourist harbour, and with the aid of a large bottle of water, I was good to go. I also took the chance to rent a snorkel and mask. The group I went out with on the trip wasn't very talkative, but maybe it was the visible effects of the before mentioned hangover that deterred them. They were also all couples, so according to some people (no names mentioned), they don't need to socialise anymore. The weather was sunny and clear when we set out, and I used the opportunity to make up some sleep, and work on my tan.

The 1st snorkelling spot, the thing in the middle is a diving buoy

After a short safety briefing (5 fish to look out for, I later found one of them). We cruised for about half an hour until we got to the first snorkelling reef. There were several other boats around, so I gathered it was quite a popular spot. In line with the rules of the National Park, I wasn't allowed to swim over the reef, but there was plenty to see on its sides. For the uninitiated, coral reefs are similar to tree trunks, in that only the outer layer of coral is alive. The bulk of the reef is made up of the skeletons of the dead coral. The top layer attracts all manner of kelp, sea urchins and fish. I really enjoyed cruising along, and then diving down whenever I spotted something interesting. The fish were incredible too, most of them were brightly coloured, to blend in with the reef.
The first reef I visited was 5m high, and a couple of square kilometres across. The half hour I had was no where enough time to fully explore the reef, but alas, we had plants to see.

The cunning dolphin, posing for a photo

The Aqua Vision then set off for the next spot, just around the point of the Sinai Peninsula. While we were cruising along, dolphins were spotted off the port bow (I've always wanted to use that expression). Being the intelligent buggers that they are, they soon hitched a ride on the ships wake, and presented all aboard with a great photo opportunity. Apparently they are quite comfortable around boats, in fact, humans in general, and they seem to be having fun all the time. Basically that makes them smarter than most humans.

The 2nd Snorkelling spot, the change in colours indicate different salinities

The next reef we stopped was near to a lagoon, which had lots of Mangroves growing on its shore. A mangrove is a species of plant that can survive off salt water, using a built-in filtration system. The fish were slightly bigger (some amazing big flat ones, angel fish, I think), attracted by the leaves from the mangroves. After another too short snorkel, we set off back towards the harbour, since our final snorkelling spot was near to it. On the way back we had lunch, which was an interesting challenge, since there was a bit of a swell. Luckily my hangover had long since been banished, and everything stayed in its right place.

The cliff that bordered the final snorkelling spot

The final snorkelling spot was outside the National Park, and it has suffered as a result (lot less fish and plants). It also seems to be a popular practise spot for scuba divers, and was quite crowded with them. We stayed here a bit longer than the other spots, and so I got a good chance to swim around the reef. The reef was also fairly close to shore, and I could see the holiday houses on top of the cliff, just a few metres from the beach. If anything it was a powerful reminder of why it is important for governments to protect nature, as this reef was in the process of dying.

A salty sea cat, hanging around the harbour, preying on unsuspecting rat tourist

With the sun on the wane (about 3:00pm), we made the short trip back to harbour. I really enjoyed the cruise: the reefs were amazing and a boat trip on a sunny day is always nice. I got sun burnt too, something I haven't managed in about a year (ahem, university). All in all, a grand day out.

Coming Soon: Egyptian Nightlife (part III), I should finish this tonight.

A Shoppers Guide to Egypt: Paying 20% of the asked for price.

Sharm El-Shaik, an Egyptian Seaside Resort (Part I of III)

The Beach Boardwalk, Naama Bay

I'm sorry for a week long lack of blogging, but I was finishing up some work (3D modelling, damn vector calculus), and then I was jetting off to Sharm El-Shaik, a renowned holiday spot. I was there from early on Saturday to late yesterday (Tuesday) and I must say that I had a very good time, lots of thanks to Ismail for sending me. My activities however can be summarised quite succinctly: beach, lying in the sun, drinking and watching BBC in varying degrees of anxiety(it was covering the Polokwane conference).

Palm trees next to crystal clear sea

More specifically I was staying in Naama Bay, a sort of tourism orientated enclave, to the North of Sharm El-Shaik. Sharm El-Shaik itself is on the Sinai Peninsula, the little bit of land that separates Africa from Asia. As I mentioned above, it is a popular tourist destination (Europeans and Russians mainly) and is a world famous diving spot. The mountainous interior of the Sinai peninsula is home to the Bedouin people (nomadic desert dwellers, well they used to be) and Sharm serves as a gateway to the peninsula. A point of interest is that the Bedouin were the inspiration for Frank Herbert's Fremen people in the Dune Science Fiction series. I did meet a few of them (a lot work around the resorts and beaches), but I couldn't tell them apart from the other Egyptians straight away(this could be a failing on my part), usually it came up when I asked them where they were from.

More of the beach front, one of the many seaside bars (a potentially dangerous combination)

I arrived early on Saturday morning (I took the 5 o'clock from Cairo, arrived in Sharm International at 6 o'clock). The sunrise was quite spectacular, rising over desert mountains. I appreciate all sunrises I see, considering that 6 o'clock approximates to my personal midnight. I got to my hotel, Hotel Karamare, a very nice resort with some unfortunate decoration, and had a power nap after watching some BBC(my hotel in Cairo only gets CNN). Upon waking I hit the hotel breakfast, which unfortunately for the hotel's profit margins, was a buffet. Once full of every conceivable type of breakfast, I went for a stroll around town, town being the seafront part of Naama Bay.

Something of a cross between a pigeon and a starling, chilling in a beachside cafe

Naama Bay is both unique and generic: it is full of souvenir shops (all called 'book stores' for some reasons, the only writing in sight is on the postcards), and really, I must admit that most of the souvenirs are awful (as in crimes against taste awful); the scenery however is amazing: palm trees, desert mountains, crystal sea and try as it might, the people trying to sell crap just can't do anything about that. The atmosphere of the town is also nice, extremely relaxed, lots of cafes and people sitting around doing nothing. In particular the beachside bars and restaurants managed to hit the right note, and definitely were a positive.

The shore of Sharm, as seen from the other side

After my wanderings around town, I lay on the hotel beach and swam in the warm sea. Being the Red Sea (now I only need to swim in the Arctic and Antarctic seas), it is quite warm although it seem a bit saltier than what I was used to(I was probably imaging this). That night, after another exercise in profit margin shrinking at the buffet, I decided to take the nightlife by storm. But that is another story.

Coming Soon: Egyptian Nightlife (Part II of III), Cairo cafes, Sharm El-Shaik clubs, Seesa, funky house music and Russians, all the gory details.
Rus Mohammed (Part III of III), I snorkel around one of Egypt's only Nature Reserves, home to colourful reefs and mangroves, plants that live off salt water.

Coptic Cairo, Babylon-in-Egypt...

As I mentioned in a previous entry, the Egyptians have their weekend on Friday and Saturday. Friday is much like Sunday back home, most businesses are shut and people relax. It is also the day for family gatherings (the Mashhour family has been good enough to have me for two of theirs), family being an important part of social life( as it is everywhere I think, participants willing or not). But, back to my point, the weekend is back to front here, since Saturday is the same as home, sort of a half day.

Part of the Roman Ruins,note the ground level (3 stories underground!)

I used my Saturday this last week to visit the oldest part of Cairo, what is popularly called Coptic Cairo. It is named after the Coptic people who live there, and who have lived there for many years. The Copts were one of the original branches of Christianity, founded by St Mark. They split from the Catholic Church pretty early on, disputing the dual nature of Christ. It was the dominant belief system in the region from the 1st century AD, until the advent of Islam in 639AD. At the same time, Egypt was mainly controlled by the Romans, being of key strategic importance because of its wheat exports (this is sounding oddly familiar, what is it with this region?). Cairo was the site of the Roman fort of Babylon-in-Egypt, guarding the strategic meeting point of trade routes that the occurred on the city's present location.

Sharia Mar Girgis (Street of St George)

The area today is completely pedestrian and seems to have undergone something of a restoration recently. It is in very good condition and quite clean (for any inner city area I have ever seen). It contrasts rather strongly with the pyramids, with only a few souvenir sellers, content to stay in their shops. It reminds me of the Citadel in that way, I think it is the presence of the holy buildings. Apparently the Coptic people represent quite a powerful group economically, and so that could be a factor too. An important indication of their wealth is the amount of fine woodwork that is found throughout the churches and shrines. As Egypt is a desert country, wood was traditionally a great sign of wealth, and it seems the Copts were forest-rich.

The entrance of the nunnery of St George

The first place I visited was the convent of St George, known as Mar Girgis here. The saint is thought to have been a Roman soldier here, who was killed for his (Christian) beliefs. Stories of him were taken to Europe by the crusaders, and the English were apparently quite impressed. Convents and Monasteries are quite big in Egypt, with many functioning ones across the country. Visitors aren't allowed into the Convent, but they are allowed to visit the shrine.

The entrance to the Church of St Sergius

Then I wondered along to Church of St Sergius. This is one of the holiest sites of Christianity, because the church is apparently built above a cave where the holy family sheltered when fleeing Herrod's "Massacre of the Innocents". One fact that speaks to the age of all of the churches and sites here, is that most of the entrances are below ground level. The churches are all lavishly decorated, and this one was no exception. Coptic symbols such as the Ankh (the loopy cross thing) and the Coptic heart are worked in wood and ivory all over the shrines and screens. Unfortunately photography is frowned upon inside the assorted shrines, so the shots I have of the insides are minimal.

The Tower of the Church of St George

The Church of St George is especially spectacular, although it is interestingly enough a Greek Orthodox Church. I'm not really sure of the Story behind that, considering that all of the signs are in Greek. I imagine it has something to do with the Greek population that formed in Egypt during the period when the Greeks, Romans and Byzantines ruled Egypt. It is set on quite a high set of stairs, and I suspect it is to escape the fate the other sights have suffered in the area (being overtaken by the ground). Like all the other churches, it had a place to light candles. Of interest too was the graveyard that was attached. It was rather large and contained a large number of number of ornate grave stones and mausoleums, although I didn't linger in it too long. Not out of fear of the deceased, rather I felt uncomfortable. It seemed the cemetery was a hot date spot for couples. Well different strokes and all that...

The front of the Museum

I especially enjoyed the Coptic Museum (I like museums it seems), which has recently been restored - lots of low lights and glass. While the Egyptian Museum deals primarily with the ancient Egyptian civilisation, the Coptic Museum deals with primarily the Coptic period (1st to 8th century AD). Big displays of their textiles, which was what they were famed for. One of the most interesting displays is what is reputed to be the oldest book (cover and pages) in existence, an 1500 year old copy of the gospel of St Mark. It was stored in a very impressive glass fridge, with absolutely no humidity in the case.

Side of Ben Ezra Synagogue, interesting Frankish crosses at the top

Also, I quite unexpetedly stumbled upon a synagogue. This is unexpected because Egypt and Israel don't have warm relations (several wars in the last 50 years). And since most of Israel is Jewish, the religion and the state are often associated with each other. This was not always so apparently, and during the Jewish diaspora, Egypt, and Alexandria especially was one of the first new centres of Jewry. The Ben Ezra Synagogue is testament to the fact that for a long time part of Egypt's history there was a active Jewish population in the country. The synangue itself is not in use today, but is in very good condition, and is quite well maintained.

The famous Hanging Church, not in the hangover sense apparently

The final stop on my tour of Old Cairo was the famous Hanging Church (Al-Muallaqa). It is dedicated to the Virgin memory (reminded me of a lot of Catholic Churches in that way), and is used every Friday and Sunday. Its marble and fine decorations are stunning, and it contains a mix of influences, from about the 10 century onwards. It gets its name from the fact that it was built over two water gates of the old Roman fort, was so suspended over the Nile. Ground water is still a problem, and there is a project on the go to prevent it from damaging the foundations of all the churches and crypts.

Just to prove these aren't photos in my guidebook!

While I was waiting for a taxi, I started chatting to some of the policemen on duty at the entrance of Sharia Mar Girgis. They were quite friendly and very interested to hear that I was from South Africa (The Egyptians generally are it seems). We lamented the fact that it was so hard to get Benny to train with Bafana. The police were from a special squad that deals with Tourism and Antiquities, and could speak passing English. However I soon grabbed a taxi, and went back to my hotel via a rather roundabout route.

Coming Soon: Sharm el-Shaik. I'm hitting the famed seaside resort this weekend. I'm looking forward to some sun and lying on the beach reading! I've also heard the snorkelling is pretty good.

The Pyramids of Giza

Using another free day, Wednesday, I decided to do one of the big ones, the Sphinx and the Pyramids. The Sphinx and the Pyramids have been around for a long time (4500 odd years), and will be around for quite a while more. By popular consensus, they are the iconic symbols of Egypt and are a potent reminder of the ancient civilisation that built them. They are on what is known as the Giza Plateau, a piece of desert thrusting towards the Nile, several square kms in size. It took me about 45 minutes to get to the Giza Plateau from my hotel, although I would have preferred it took me an hour (the taxi driver was clearly enjoying the lack of traffic on the highway). I was distracted however, as we drew closer, for the Pyramids dominate the skyline, towering over the apartment blocks and farmlands of the Giza suburb.

Giza flats, on the way to the Pyramids

It was foolhardy of me to go to the Pyramids alone, since this is a world renowned site (aka tourist magnet) in a third world country. Needless to say the scamming started as soon as I stepped out the taxi. There are "government employees" (touts for camel and horse tours of the Plateau) and vendors of every description. I suppose I can attribute this to racism, in that as white male it was assumed that I had lots of money (Pounds, Dollars and Euros!) to throw away on tasteless trinkets and frivolities. On the other hand, I should face the reality that all white people who come to this (and most other countries) do in fact have plenty of money to spare, and what is so wrong with sharing (historically) ill-gotten gains? Needless to say as a student from South Africa (the Rand is weaker than Egyptian Pound, about LE0.8:R1), I don't have to worry with being scammed out of lots of money, since I don't have much to start with. My saving grace at the Pyramids was exactly this - I didn't take a lot of money, and a lot of single pound notes. I used the single pound notes to pay off the assorted self-appointed guides, and I must admit that the more determined ones earned some harsh words (yes John, I was a colonialist prick, but I was justified,OK?).

One of the Queen's Pyramids of the Great Pyramid

Once I dispensed with the local entrepreneurs/parasites, I was quite free to wander around some of the most impressive man-made objects I have ever seen. There are nine pyramids on the plateau, numerous funerary temples and of course, the Sphinx. There are the three main pyramids, from the 4th dynasty of the Old Kingdom. The six other pyramids are two sets of three "Queen's" pyramids, smaller pyramids built for queens and important relatives of the Pharaohs.

The Base of the Great Pyramid (of Khufu)

The first Pyramid, the Pyramid of Khufu (Cheops in Greek), is called the Great Pyramid, as it is actually the biggest of the three pyramids (due to an optical illusion and its missing cover, it appears smaller than the second pyramid). It is immense and until the Lincoln Cathedral was built, it was the tallest building in the World (it held the title for 3000 years). All of the pyramids were originally smooth sided, like the "cap" of the second pyramid, but the smooth limestone was quarried away over the years for the monuments of the civilisations that followed the Ancient Egyptians. On the top of all the pyramids there was also gold caps, which caught the morning and evening sun's rays, but these were probably the first to go. If I was cruel, I would insulate a similarity between the current commercialisation of the complex, and the stripping of the pyramids' covering. Oops.

The Pyramid of Khafre, (look at the horse on the right for scale)

The second pyramid, the Pyramid of Khafre, is probably the most intact of all the pyramids, since it still has some of its limestone cap. It also does not have any queen pyramids, although the reason for this unknown. In modern times, a rather contrasting building has been built in front of the Pyramid, to house a boat found buried in front of the Great Pyramid. It is called the Solar Boat Museum, as the boat that it houses is thought to resemble the boat which the Ancient Egyptians thought carried the sun across the sky each day. Personally I found the building rather boxy and angular, like a 80s's conception of a futuristic building.

The Pyramid of Menkaure, with that of Khafre in the background

The final Great Pyramid, the pyramid of Menkaure, and is the smallest of the three. This could be caused by several things: after several generations of massive pyramid building, the government was over extended; the government had actually declined in power; or since his funerary temples are the most extensive, that the Egyptian religion had started moving towards smaller tombs, easier to hide and maintain for eternity. It also has a great big gash in its side, with quite a few of its "core" stones removed during the Middle Agents.

The Sphinx with the Great Pyramid in the background, look for the birds on its head!

The Sphinx is one of the oldest recognisably man-made monuments in Egypt, pre-dating everything else on the Plateau. It was probably carved out of a naturally occurring chunk of sandstone while the Ancient Egyptian Civilisation was expanding out of Memphis (its first capital). I found it quite sinister and it didn't surprise me to learn that is is called Abu al-Hol (Father of Terror in Arabic). Its nose wasn't lost because of Obelix, as I was disappointed to learn, my guidebook claims it probably fell off in the 15th century. Recently its base has been reconstructed, having suffered the worst from some sort of water damage in the past. Apparently most of the work was done using similar techniques as those of the ancients, and so took quite a while.

I did promise a video

I have neglected to mention that the tourists were out in force (I suppose I was one of them). However they tended to travel in groups, and by taking a rather unconvential path (I sort of wove through the Pyramids and looped back to the Sphinx), I was able to beat the crowds. The complex is definitely more orientated towards bus-loads of tourists, and so I think by being a lone traveller, I was at least spared somewhat the brunt of the commercial assault.

I was rather sad when I saw this one on the side of the Great Pyramid

I spent the whole of my afternoon walking around the plateau, and my shoes were covered in its grey sand (well, I was warned about the sand in Egypt). I left as the sun was setting on the pyramids, and it is a pity my camera-phone couldn't handle the light. The pollution-aided sunset was amazing.
Right, I'm off to bed, but...

Being a bit of an idiot, this photo was part of rather cunning ploy by a particularly persistent vendor,
who was rather keen on my prescription sunglasses...

Coming Soon: Coptic Cairo - I visit one of the oldest Christian Denominations and the oldest part of Cairo (the Roman Fort of Babylon-in-Egypt). I actually did this today, so it is just a matter of me writing up the post. The Rambling continues!

Al-Qalaa (the Citadel)

My ticket to a busy day

Yesterday's great expedition was to the Citadel of Cairo, famously founded by Salah ad-Din (Saladin, bane of Crusaders everywhere) in 1176AD. Unfortunately it is on the other side of Nile, so it took a while to get there in the taxi (and to convince the driver that just because I'm a tourist it doesn't mean I should pay double the regular rate, I mean, honestly!). The complex is home to several mosques, museums and innumerable souvenir stalls, and as a whole serves as a showcase of Islamic architecture through the ages. It was also home to Egypt's rulers for over 700 years, and so is an important part of Medieval Egyptian History.

The Mountain Gate, the modern entrance to the Citadel

The Citadel was originally built to the North of the city (the city has caught up to it by now), on a strategic, raised piece of ground (the Mokattam Hills). It drew inspiration from the various castles and citadels Saladin had laid seige to in his assorted campaigns, with impressive fortifications (over 3kms of fortress walls and towers!). I took over a 100 pictures and it seems my poor camera-phone took strain at times, but I think I got some good shots.

The Northern side of the Mohammed Ali Mosque

The Citadel is dominated by the Mosque of Mohammed Ali, one of the popular symbols of Cairo. It was built by Mohammed Ali, the ruler of Egypt from 1805 - 1849. Of Albanian descent, Mohammed Ali is widely regarded as the founder of Modern Egypt (19th century onwards) and certainly shaped much of what Egypt is today. The mosque is a magnificent example of Turkish architecture and contains the body of Ali himself.

The Central Dome of the Mosque

Inside the decorations are breathtaking, covering the ceiling and walls in a tapestry of gilt and marble. Of course, everyone takes their shoes off and most women cover their heads, but other than that visitors are free to wander around and take plenty of photos.

A view out across Cairo (part of at least)

Around the Mohammed Ali Mosque are some of the best views of Cairo. From up there, it is easy to believe that it is home to 18 million people. I was relatively lucky in that there was a bit of a breeze blowing, and so the skies were relatively clear. On the skyline there was the unique site of the three pyramids of Giza, unfortunately my rather puny digital zoom couldn't quite make it. At this point I was accosted by a large group of pre-teen schoolgirls who simply demanded that I have several photos with them. I have no idea why - I attribute it to sun stroke on their part. My good luck seemed to hold however, and I was soon rescued by a sympathetic teacher.

Mosque of an-Nasr Mohammed

The Mosque of an-Nasr Mohammed is one of the last examples of Persian architecture in Egypt. Before Mohammed Ali and the French, Egypt was ruled by a warrior caste called the Mamluks for about 500 years. Originally the Mamluks were slaves and the palace guards of Saladin, but they were richly rewarded for their services and emerged as the dominant class in late medieval Egyptian society. When Mohammed Ali came to power he faced opposition from the remnants of the Mamaluks. To cement his power, in 1812 he massacred 500 of the most powerful amirs. He also tore down most of the buildings attributed to them. The an-Nasr Mohammed Mosque survived because it was in use of a stable at the time, but since then it has been restored to its former glory. While not as ornate the Mohammed Ali Mosque, it has its own charm. Of note are the pillars inside the courtyard, all of which were looted from different older monuments, but blend in the most disturbing fashion.

The main dome of the Mosque of Suleiman Pasha

The final mosque was that of Suleiman Pasha, and was built by the Turks (they ruled here for awhile too). It has recently been restored and the tile and marble inlays inside it are stunning. I got there quite late in the day and it was empty. With the late afternoon sunlight streaming in and the coolness of the marble under my feet, the beauty was only enhanced. There is also quite a large mausoleum at the back of mosque containing the tomb of several important imams and military officers (janissaries to those familiar with the Ottoman Turkish Army).

A T34, the greatest tank of WWII, painted in dessert colours.

Before I visited the garden and the Suleiman Pasha Mosque, I went to the military museum. The building it was in had been the harem palace of Mohammed Ali and a military hospital by the British in World War II ( Interestingly enough Egypt only officially declared war on the Axis powers in February 1945, but it did host the Allied war effort in the Eastern Mediterranean for most of the war). But now it is packed full of assorted military paraphernalia from Egypt's rather colourful history. The balance was a bit too modern for my liking (everyone knows I disapprove of modern militarism). I did enjoy the displays of the 1950s era weaponary, mostly left overs from World War II including T34s and Sherman tanks.

One part of the Garden Museum

After the military museum quite a contrast was the rather odd garden museum (the name comes from my guide book). I couldn't find any labelling (well any English labelling), but I really enjoyed it. It was almost Zen Garden like, with a collection of pillars from throughout Egyptian history among patches of grass and various geometric walkways. In the late afternoon with almost no one around it was peaceful.

Hi Ma, I'm OK.

While I was wandering around the garden museum my alarm went off to remind me to leave. I had been warned to be out by 4:00pm and the custodians had looked quite resolute, so I made my way to exit.

Coming Soon: The Pyramids and Sphinx. I really need to get around to doing this. Or maybe the Shopping Guide to Egypt, whatever happens first.