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.