Today was about visiting sites in Cairo proper. Sita set an agenda for us however our guide Heba (who is with us for our entire stay in Cairo) suggested schedule changes to jump around the other tourist crowds. We put ourselves in her talented hands and we’re glad we did.
Our first stop was at the Mohamed Ali Mosque at the Citadel of Salah el-Din. Muhammad Ali of Egypt was an Albanian who came to Egypt as a military commander in an Ottoman force in 1801. He liked Egypt “more than the Egyptians” to quote Heba, rose through the ranks to become the governor and de facto ruler (Pasha) of Egypt. He worked to modernize many aspects of Egyptian life and society and was responsible for the introduction of cotton to the country, a crop I thought was native until today. Around 1830 he commissioned the mosque in memory of his eldest son who died in 1816. Completed after Mohamed Ali’s passing Situated high on a hill in the Citadel of Salah el-Din, is known as the “Alabaster Mosque” in reference to the materials it is constructed from.
Our next top was the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities. Originally this way our first stop of the day, Heba suggested going a little later in the day to avoid the crowds since most do make it their first stop. I thought it was pretty crowded but Heba assured us it was less full than usual. Full of unique Egyptian treasures, the most well known being Tutankhamun’s treasures including his gold funerary mask, nesting golden coffins and many other priceless treasures. Sorry, no pictures allowed of the more popular pieces. I had a chance to see these artifacts when they toured the United States in the late 1970s, and it was nice to see them again. If you want a laugh on the tour from back in the day click here.
Our final stop was the Khan El Khalili bazaar in central Cairo. A vibrant place, I was more taken with the architecture than the mostly touristy goods for sale. We eventually did find items we did like making our first non book purchase of the trip. Heba also recommended a stop at Khan El Khalili Restaurant et Naguib Mahfouz Coffee Shop for a quick bite where I indulged in a pidgeon stuffed with savory rice and Kim had a seafood Tajine. Originally we were scheduled to go in the evening however Heba suggested going earlier and I am glad she did, as we left a phenomenal amount of buses pulled up and disgorged tourists and we were glad to avoid the additional crowd.
