The Citadel dominates the Cairo skyline. It was built by an Iraqi Kurd named Salah el Din, who entered Egypt around 1163 with an army sent by Syrian ruler, Nur el Din. By 1171, he made himself ruler of the country and modernized the defenses of Cairo. This walled compound was completed in 1183. Several mosques and museums are contained within the compound.
The Citadel is also associated with Mohamed Ali, who ruled Egypt in the early 19th century.
Here I am in my green Hefty cinch-sack (just kidding). Because I had on shorts and a short-sleeved shirt, I was given this lovely gown to cover up before I could enter the Mohamed Ali Mosque. The interior of this magnificent structure was designed by the Turks, and you can see the elaborate carvings and designs in the Ottoman domes.
Another part of the Citadel viewed from outside the Mohamed Ali Mosque.
Coptic (Christian) Cairo represents approximately 10% of the Egyptian population. This area of old Cairo is gated to keep outsiders from entering unlawfully. Once inside, you descend the stairwell and enter a rabbit warren of underground tunnels, which include entry to the Church of St. George, a Greek Orthodox 7th century church that nearly burned to the ground in the 19th century. Below the sacristy is a sacred vault excavated from both sand and water where presumably the Holy Family spent the night while fleeing Herod through Egypt.
This is the front of the Hanging Church, named for the manner in which it was built - across the water gate into the old Roman fort of Babylon. When workers decided to add to the church, they discovered that they actually built the church on 2 pillars that had already existed below them. You can look through the window cut in the floor to see the water below.
Our faluca ride down the Nile to end our visit on a very quiet, peaceful note. My intrepid fellow travelers include Ricky and Joe (from England); Holli (my roommate from Denver); and Yvonne (from Canada).
3 comments:
Say, that's pretty cool about the sacred vault! Did you get to go in there?
I like your green hostess dress! You haven't said anything about shopping yet; will a long green dress be among your purchases... and some matching pumps? ;-)
Could you *see the pryamids along the Nile*? I need to know if those lyrics are accurate!
Seriously, Barb. What a fantastic trip. I love your blog and photos. I'm learning a lot and looking forward to the next post.
Hey Jim,
glad you are enjoying the blog. I'm certainly having fun putting it together (if only we could load our photos more quickly). We could not go into the sacred vault because it was a sacred area, and it was possibly unstable as well.
I received a lot of ribbing from my fellow travelers about my green mosque outfit - but should I buy pumps that contrast or go with the dress?
We did shop in el Khalili - a crazy marketplace with crammed alleys of merchant after merchant trying to wheel and deal. I could only make it down one alley before being totally overwhelmed.
Actually, because of the Aswan Dam, the Nile is now about 35 miles from the pyramids. We did see some very old B/W photos that showed the Nile right at their base however.
So the lyrics to *You Belong to Me* were true in the 50s but not so true 57 years later! Bummer.
I think, given the outfit, you can go wild and get pumps in a contrasting color. :-)
I've read several articles lately about people wheeling and dealing with owners in shops here. You might practice your bargaining skills in Egypt and when you come home be able to get Nordstrom's to come down on the price of those hot pink pumps you crave. If anyone could do it, I'll bet you could!
Love your sense of fun and adventure!
Jim
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