A Day in Alexandria

Friday morning, the entire group ventured off on a bus north to Alexandria.  The bus ride is about 3 hours long and we made a stop in a bizarre place.  It was a restaurant and zoo mixed together.  The food was pretty good, as they served a sort of honey pie dish called fatir, but the zoo was a bit troubling and bordered on the unethical for how they treated the animals.  Curt though has told me that this place was a a paradise for the animals compared to the zoo, which he described as horrific and awful.

Anyway, we left and about an hour later, at about 12, we finally made it to Alexandria.  It is extremely beautiful, as the Mediterranean greets you so warmly.  I simply love the Mediterranean, and I have now seen the other side of it.  I was stunned by its allure and the peace it gives.  As I stood by the sea, the waves completely drenched me, but I felt so liberated by the gentle breeze and the sound of the waves crashing against the rocks.  It was as mesmerizing a view as I could ask for.  I have been in Cairo for about four weeks and it is a city of traffic, constant noise, and extreme pollution.  Although I love Cairo, Alexandria proved to be a haven away from the clamor of the city.  The peacefulness of the sea was a perfectly welcome break from Cairo.

We first went to Fort Qaitbey, which sits right by the sea where the legendary lighthouse of Alexandria used to be.  The fort itself has nothing in it, but it is at a perfect location, as it has splendid views of the rest of Alexandria (including the dock and the Bibliotheca Alexandrina) and of course the Mediterranean.  A group of us went inside and went as far up as we could go in order to enjoy the best possible view.  We were there for about an hour simply enjoying staring at the sea.  You can truly get lost in its infinite beauty.  Finally we left the fort and went to eat at the fish market, where I enjoyed a delicious and fresh sea bass.  The restaurant was also by the water and enjoyed a great view.

After walking along the water for about an hour, we finally met up with everyone to go to the Bibliotheca Alexandrina.  This is the palace of libraries that seeks to somehow replace the original library at Alexandria.  It does an excellent job in creating a balance between modern and historical.  The panels on the exterior of the library are specifically built to not let in harmful rays that could possibly harm the precious books it houses.  Inside, the library has room for about 8 million books and has a multitude of small museums.  In my short time there I went to the Anwar El Sadat museum and the manuscript museum.  The Sadat museum contained personal items that belonged to the former president.  Everything from his pipes, his Qur'an, and photos with other heads of state including Margaret Thatcher, Jimmy Carter, and King Juan Carlos I were in this small exhibit.  However the most shocking piece of his history in the museum was the suit he wore on the day he was assassinated.  It is still bloody and the bullet holes are clearly visible.  I saw many Egyptians there, either sad women weeping for their slain president or proud fathers with their sons.  This is a man who has played a critical role in history, as he signed the Camp David Peace Accords, but he was by no means an exemplary leader.  On a more cheerful historical note, I also visited the manuscript museum which was truly amazing.  Early versions of the Bible, the Qur'an, and academic texts flooded this exhibit.  It was incredible to see such historical texts that were hundreds of years old, and some even over a thousand years old. The only negative aspect of the library was that you had to pay 5 Egyptian Pounds to get in.  That is less than $1, but in a country that some people make just over $1 a day, it seems a bit wrong to charge an entrance fee.  As my friend Nick put it, "It is unethical to charge a fee to gain entrance to the sum of all human knowledge."

We finally left Alexandria, ending a perfect day by the sea and at the library.  I would have loved to stay there for a full weekend, but alas I enjoyed my short stay.  I will hopefully one day return to this enchanting city.

Nostalgic Visits

Thursday, as usual, I had Arabic class to start the day.  We had an exam, and then Hassnaa took us to a restaurant where we had to use Arabic.  Also, we were surrounded by children as we walked over to the restaurant.  They followed us and were constantly trying to speak with us.  After class, me, Zack, and Nick went to downtown Cairo to visit some historical establishments.  Our first stop was the Yacoubian Building, which is the subject of one of the books we have to read.  Once a home for elite Cairenes,  the building has since lost its glamor. 

Then, we went to Groppi, which is a famous desert place that used to be among the most elegant and popular establishments in Cairo.  Groppi was also part of one of our books, The Man in the White Sharkskin Suit, and while it was a glorious venue in the early 20th century, it has certainly lost its allure.  Although it is in a prime location, it is unfortunately empty.  Dirty chandeliers that once were beautiful adorn the ceiling, and the marble floor that once had tables and tables full of elites and foreign officers now lays barren.  It was rather sad to see how drastically this establishment has changed in the last 50 years.  As it was a success of the colonial era, Groppi was targeted by the Nasser regime and since the 1950's it has had a steady decline.

We then went to Lehnert and Landrock, a famous bookstore and photo gallery.  It had an amazing collection of old photographs of old Cairo, the pyramids, Alexandria, etc.  After being in the gallery for quite a while, we proceeded to go eat at another Groppi location.  This other Groppi has a large courtyard that is also quite beautiful.  However, once again, the place was empty, the food poor, and the elegance of the past, unfortunately gone.  It is evident that the Cairo of the 1930's and 1940's no longer exists.  The sort of posh elite that frequented Groppi no longer exists.  However, I believe that if someone invested money, and attempted to reestablish it as it was in its glory days, Groppi could become quite popular once again, if only among tourists and nostalgics.

When then went to Midan Opera, where there is a statue of Ibrahim Pasha.  In the days of cosmopolitan Cairo, the statue had the beautiful backdrop of the majestic opera, but now an unattractive and bland government building takes its place.  I also saw a couple of old movie theaters named the Metro and the Miami.  These cinemas were very famous and illustrious, yet now they are look extremely worn.  Overall, I get the feeling that Cairo was an incredibly magnificent and classy city in the early 20th century, but it has lost its grandeur and now only a few vestiges of that eminent past remain.

At night, I went with a few friends and the professors to an Oud music performance.  An oud is a stringed instrument that is common in traditional Middle-Eastern music.  Nassir Shama was amazing in his performance.  The music really reminded me of flamenco music, as there definitely are similarities, and possibly flamenco could have been influenced by this type of Arabic music, as Andalucia was dominated by the Moors at one point in history.  I really enjoyed the show, which was at the Culture Wheel.  This venue is under a main road, but nevertheless, it is a very intimate and lively place. 

The day was incredible as I got to see the remains of once-great establishments that I have read about.  I would love to be able to somehow see Cairo during its glory years, but I feel as though these places at least give you a sense of the city that was once called the "Paris of Africa".

Sufi Dancing and a Journey through Narrow Cairene Streets

Last night was one of the best nights since my arrival in Cairo.  Nothing was truly planned, but it turned out to be an amazing night.

Yesterday, as always I had Arabic class.  Directly after class our Arabic group went to lunch at Cafe Noir with Professor Sullivan and Cynthia Rapp.  We basically discussed Egyptian politics, cultural, and important societal topics with Professor Sullivan.  Mainly we spoke about the Egypt-U.S. relationship and about the current regime that controls Egypt.  After lunch, I had planned to go to Zar music in downtown Cairo.  I really wanted to go explore this area and see some historical sights like Groppi's and the Yacoubian building, and also shop in famous bookstores like Lehnert and Landrock.  However, the group decided to go to see Sufi dancing instead at the Khan al-Khalili, which is a massive market that seems like a maze of small streets.  At the 'Khan', vendors often say things like, "How can I take your money today?" or if you are with women they say, "Lucky man! Want a belly dancing dress? She make you very happy tonight...".  Today one vendor even called me "Casanova" as I was walking with my friends Katie and Lauren.  Anyway, I am sure that the women on this trip have excellent stories about the remarks vendors make to them.  At times though, they do flirt with the line between funny and actually harassing the girls, and I have found that the best way to stop this is by telling them that the girls are my sisters.  It truly dissuades them from wanting to sell me belly dancing dresses for them, for example.

After walking a bit through the 'Khan', we went to the Sufi dancing show.  Sufism originally comes from Islam, although many Muslims see sufists as non-practitioners of Islam.  Sufi dancing, or the Whirling Dervish, is where a group of men in elaborate and colored robes spin around for a very long time, creating an artistic, almost hypnotic scene.  They remove one part of the lower robe (the part that spins), until they are in their base robe, if you will.  Let me also give some  background on what exactly Sufi dancing is.  It is considered active meditation as  Islamic prayers are read and music is being played.  The man who is spinning looks to be in a trance-like state at times.  The music mainly consists of percussion, flutes, a type of violin-like instrument, and a man singing religious verses.  Also, there was this one percussion player who looked so happy.  He appeared to be having the time of his life.  He was by far my favorite in the show.  The following pictures can sum up this dance so much better than any explanation I could ever offer. 

After the Sufi dancing, me, Zack, and Nick went across from the Khan al-Khalili to explore a bit.  We walked for a good amount of time through mixes of dirt roads and broken concrete with multiple shops around us.  However, we were no longer in the tourist area, for we were the only non-Arab people in sight.  You could also tell that we were no longer in a touristy area because there were no longer English signs anywhere.  We walked through a historic carpet and clothes market, which in the past used to be the silk market.  The streets very narrow and we could get the sense that we were seeing a true Cairene market.  Also, we accidentally saw Bab Zuweila, which is a beautiful gate with two minarets on either side of the gate.

We walked a bit more and we saw that everyone was watching the Al-Ahly - Zamalek game, for you could see crowds of people crowding around miniature televisions in their small shops.  Once in a while you would random shouts of excitement when Al-Ahly scored (Al-Ahly ended up winning 3-1).  We also saw mules carrying carts of melons, chickens and roosters, piles of meat ready to be cut, and basically anything else you can imagine.  Finally, we did find a place to eat, and we ordered Kushary, which is a mix of pasta, rice, tomato and hot sauce, meat, and lentils.  It was extremely good and cheap, and we were able to enjoy some of the match.  As we walked down the street I spotted these delicious looking pastries.  They were like massive chocolate covered croissants and I had to have one to end the adventurous night.  The croissants were amazing and it was also pretty good news to hear that they were only 1 Egyptian Pound, or around 20 American cents. 

At this point we had no idea where we actually were and realizing it was around 11:30, we decided to head back to our hotel in Zamalek.  Overall, it was a fascinating and almost surreal experience.  I hope that in the little time I have left I can have more nights like these, for I feel that I experienced some true Egyptian culture tonight that cannot be absorbed in the tourist destinations we often go to.  Last night we were basically forced to communicate in Arabic and we stuck out so much due to our appearance.  Ultimately, it was simply a marvelous day filled with spontaneity.

Egyptian Museum, Arab League, and St. Andrews

I recently went to the world famous Egyptian Museum.  Unfortunately I was not able to take pictures, but hopefully I can convey how spectacular some of the artifacts in the museum are.  I went with my roommate Curtis and our good friend Caitlin.  Located in downtown Cairo, the Egyptian museum is a massive terra-cotta colored building.  Inside are some of the most precious treasures of ancient Egypt.  Mummies, jewelry, tombs, and statues inundate this museum.  It almost seems as though there are too many things.  Among some of the highlights were the lines of small sphinxes, elaborately decorated sarcophagi, and striking statues of Nefertiti, Khafre, and Zoser.  However, the most amazing and unbelievable exhibit is the room filled with Tutankhamun's antiquities.  I was so impressed by the mint condition of King Tut's sarcophagus.  The gold and the colors are as vivid as ever, and it is truly mind blowing to think that they are such amazing condition after over three thousand years.  His death mask is incredible as well, as it is made out of solid gold!  I was extremely pleased with the Egyptian Museum.  Being a huge history buff, it probably is one of the best museums I have ever gone to.

Yesterday, we all went to the Arab League.  I wasn't sure what to expect from this visit, as the US Embassy visit was quite disappointing.  However, this was completely different for the better!  We arrived there, dressed in suits, and were ushered into a very elegant looking room with a long wooden table with microphones at every chair.  We then had a very intelligent, and in-depth discussion with a high ranking diplomat.  He was so methodical in the way he answered each and every question.  He took his time, choosing each word perfectly, wanting to make his point perfectly clear.  This diplomat answered each question as though he had been preparing for it beforehand, and for the most part, he addressed everything we asked thoroughly.  We talked about everything from terrorism, democracy, elections, economic development, and human rights.  Ultimately I was extremely pleased by the experience.  The actual building has a certain grandeur attached to it.  The assembly room and the outside patio were quite fascinating sites as well.  This is certainly a place that I would enjoy to work in some day.  This type of intergovernmental work is what I am interested in, especially after this positive experience.

Today we went to St. Andrews, a center for refugee assistance.  There, workers educate and give legal assistance to refugees from Iraq, Ethiopia, Sudan, and Somalia.  It was inspiring to hear the director of the legal assistance department talk about their work helping relocate refugees.  It seems like frustrating and sad at times, but I believe it must be such a rewarding experience to assist these people.  Again, I would love to perhaps work for them in the future.  Being able to help people that escape persecution and safely relocating them so they can start their lives anew seems extremely noble and gratifying.

Luxor

Last Thursday, most of our Arabic group went to Luxor for just a couple of days.  Luxor is a city around 700 kilometers from Cairo and is the home to some of the most priceless treasures of ancient Egypt.  We were all so excited see all the amazing temples and tombs, but first we had to get there, which ended up being an adventure on its own.


We took an overnight train to Luxor that left at around 9 PM.  The train we boarded looked to be an artifact from the 1960's, but inside it was not too bad.  However the food was ridiculously bad.  We had some kind of mystery meat, tahini that had a weird taste, and spongy bread.  It's a good thing that I came prepared and brought 2 baguettes, Nutella, Gouda cheese, and Laughing Cow cheese for the journey.  I actually had a pleasant experience on this train, as I slept extremely well.  This was a stark contrast to most of the others on the trip, as many complained of bed bugs.  

Anyway, we finally arrived in Luxor at around 8 AM on Friday.  Seeing how our hotel did not have our rooms prepared, we decided to go to Karnak Temple and Luxor Temple.  As I got off the bus I experienced the hottest morning of my life (around 40 degrees Celsius), but did not mind as I was fascinated by the grandeur of Karnak Temple.  This is a massive complex of multiple sanctuaries and obelisks that are still somewhat well preserved.  You can still see the original color on some pieces of hieroglyphics.


We then went to Luxor Temple which had a really cool obelisk at the entry.  Inside it had beautiful columns, statues, and drawings of Alexander the Great.  Alexander ruled Egypt and during his reign he preserved the gods the Egyptians worshipped.  Thus he is in some drawings in Luxor Temple along gods like Amun, which really surprised me.

Finally, after a few hours of touring the two temples, we went to our hotel, the Iberotel.  It is a great hotel with a magnificent view of the Nile.  The Nile in Luxor is completely different than the Nile in Cairo.  While in Cairo you have see tall buildings and still hear the busy streets, in Luxor it is completely peaceful.  One one side there are hotels and a road, but on the other side you just see trees, making for a beautiful sunset.  We took a boat ride on the Nile that was truly spectacular.  The view was incredible at sunset and being able to relax for an hour and a half on the Nile was wonderful.  Also, our driver Ramadan stopped at Banana Island, where we were given fresh bananas that were quite good.  I should also mention that we lounged at the hotel pool for hours, where most of the group got severely burned by the punishing Luxor sun (my poor British friend Jamie received the worst).  It was so relaxing though to just sit back and swim for a few hours.  Our group culminated the day by going to a restaurant by the Nile.  There I split a hot dog pizza with my friend Jackie.  At first we were kidding about ordering the ridiculous sounding pizza, but then we were so curious, we had to order it.  Surprisingly, it actually wasn't bad at all.  Ultimately it was a great end to an amazing day.

The following morning, we left for the Valley of the Kings at 8 AM.  Under a scorching heat, we went deep into tombs that had beautiful drawings and hieroglyphics on the walls.  The sight of the valley with the tombs within was extraordinary.  After that we went to Hatshepsut's Temple, which was my favorite site in Luxor.  It was built right on the valley, almost giving the appearance of being carved into the rock.  We finished off the day by going to Medina Habu, a temple that really stood out to me because of its hieroglyphics.  The carvings in this temple were really deep, which really accentuated the drawings.  I will leave the pictures to describe these temples, as they truly show how spectacular these sights are.

After the tiring day in the hot sun, we went back to the hotel and lounged at the pool for a few more hours.  I then went with my friends Zack and Riley to Luxor Museum, where we saw two mummies and a couple of statues that are in excellent condition.  After this visit we basically left for the airport and flew back to Cairo. It was really nice to go to Luxor and be able to do tourist visits and relax, as it made this excursion feel like a mini-vacation.  In Cairo we constantly have class, work, and events planned out for us.  It was perfect to have a couple of days to relax by the tranquil Nile before returning to the chaos of Cairo.

Cairo University Dialogue and Al-Ahly

A huge part of this experience is to actually 'dialogue' with students from Egypt.  We had already had a discussion with the AUC students, but Sunday, May 16th, we went to Cairo University.  CU is located in downtown Cairo and has a beautiful campus.  We were there for about an hour and a half discussing very important issues with the Egyptian students.  Mostly, we talked about politics, and how different our perspectives are on certain issues.  Although we differed on many things, we found a lot of common ground, showing that although we grew up and study in completely different places, we are not far apart in our core beliefs and morals.  It was a passionate discussion and at the end everybody wanted to exchange phone numbers, facebook names, and emails.  It was a completely different experience than AUC.  While at AUC, the students basically left as soon as the discussion finished, at CU we had to be pulled away by our teachers.  These students were very different than the AUC students too.  Both are extremely intelligent, but I found the CU students to be more down-to-earth.  The AUC kids are upper class students who live in the best areas of Cairo and study in a university far from central Cairo.  In contrast, the CU kids are middle class who study in the middle of the city, and thus truly experience the essence of Cairo.  Overall, I loved this experience and I look forward to seeing some of these students again.


Last Monday, a group of us went to a football match between Al-Ahly and El Entag El Harby.  Abduh was kind enough to organize our transport and security for the game.  Our awesome drivers Zezu and Fares took us to Cairo International Stadium.  It was one of the last games of the season, and surprisingly the stadium was completely empty.  Although it can host around 75,000 spectators, I would estimate that only around 2,000 people were actually at this game.  Regardless, the experience was great, as we saw the Al-Ahly ultras and the small, drum-beating group of El Entag El Harby supporters.  In the end Al-Ahly won 1-0.  The security at the game was astonishing though.  I am pretty sure that there more security guards and policemen than spectators at the game.  There were sections completely empty of fans, but with anti-riot police.  We had an incident where a few Egyptian fans began to speak to us and one even handed his small child to my friend Jackie to take a picture (apparently the man thought she was a famous actress).  Security unfortunately intervened and the fans who did nothing wrong were ushered by the police out of the stadium.  On the drive back from the stadium, I saw the street lined with hundreds of police, which was pretty comical seeing how there was no danger whatsoever of any hooligan-like violence.  

Anyway, I am very glad that I went to the football game, as it was a completely different experience than the games I have gone to in the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium of Real Madrid.  Football, I have learned is also extremely important for Egyptians.  Throughout my stay, I have seen that no matter the language barrier, football unites people like nothing else.  Everyone here loves either Al-Ahly or Zamalek, and everyone sides with teams like Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester United, or Inter Milan.  For me, I love that football is such an integral part of their culture.  The Egyptians are very proud people, and many are still visibly shaken when you mention the Egypt-Algeria elimination that culminated in Egypt not being able to participate in the World Cup in South Africa.  Today I was talking to Abduh about the Al-Ahly - Zamalek rivalry (the Egyptian version of the Real Madrid-Barcelona or Yankees-Red Sox rivalry) and he told me that fans go absolutely crazy and that it is not uncommon to see riots or police interventions when they play each other.  However he then proceeded to tell me how the country unites for Egypt.  Rich, poor, Zamalek, or Al-Ahly; everyone feels the red Egyptian jersey.  It just proves to show how a country that is so divided on many issues can ultimately unite over something as simple as football.

Coptic Cairo Day

Egypt is a country that is predominantly Muslim and of course, Arab.  However, before they were invaded by the Muslim Arabs in the 7th century A.D., Egypt had a significant Christian community and actually was one of the first states to adopt the new faith.  We visited  the Coptic Christian capital in Cairo where the Churches of St. Barbara, St. Sergius, and St. George are located.  We also visited Ben Ezra Synagogue and Mosque of Amr ibn al-As.  They were all incredibly beautiful and fascinating, but my favorite was Amr ibn al-As.  It is the only mosque I have ever been in, and it was so tranquil and stunning.  That day we saw places of worship for three major religions.  It was quite the experience, as I learned so much on these religions that I had previously not known.  For example, in the 20th century, up to 80,000 Jews lived in Egypt.  However, because of the Nasser regimes' forced exile of the Jewish population, now only 200 Jews remain in all of Egypt.  The history behind all of this is quite intriguing.



Later that day we went to the Zabbaleen village. The Zabbaleen are an extremely poor Coptic Christian community that collect trash as their work.  They recycle about 80% of the trash they collect, while waste management companies recycle about 20-30%.  I had seen the documentary "Garbage Dreams" about the Zabbaleen, but I was completely shocked by their actual living conditions.  Their streets are completely filled with piles of huge bags of garbage.  Everywhere, all you see is trash.  On the sides of the street you see people, from young boys to old men, working with the collected trash coming in on pickup trucks.  We also saw their Muqattam Church.  This church is built within a hill, where one can see beautiful carvings on the walls, and a large stadium-like seating.  It is the most unique church I have ever seen, and it possessed a simple, natural beauty that one does not often associate with places of worship.

We then went to Abduh's house for a wonderful lunch.  Abduh is one of the coordinators of this Dialogue.  He is friends with both Professor Sullivan and Cynthia Rapp, and he works very hard to make this Dialogue as incredible and well planned as it is.  Somehow, we fit around 45 people into his home and then proceeded to have a scrumptious meal.  It reminded me somewhat of a Thanksgiving feast, as there was such an abundance of food.  Abduh and his family were gracious hosts and I am truly thankful to them for providing such an incredible meal for our entire group.

Later that day, after the delicious food at Abduh's and resting a little bit at the Flamenco, I went with the group on a Felucca ride on the Nile at sunset.  A Felucca is a traditional sailing boat used in Egypt and in other countries of the Middle East.  It was so relaxing and absolutely magnificent.  It was a perfect end to a busy day, as I enjoyed a beautiful view and great company.