Showing posts with label Ancient Egypt. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ancient Egypt. Show all posts

Thursday, September 5, 2019

September 05, 2019

New Discoveries in Ancient Thebes

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New Discoveries in Ancient Thebes
Luxor has more and more secrets to tell
Written by and photos courtesy of Dr. Zahi Hawass

Luxor has more and more secrets to tell

New and important discoverieskeep emerging from the sands of Egypt. Many of these come from Luxor, known in ancient times as “Thebes', where recent work by an Egyptian team of archaeologists is revealing extraordi* nary material that adds to our under standing of the Golden Age of Egypt, the New Kingdom, during King Tutankhamun's reign.
Foundation Deposits in the Valley of the Monkeys
Since 2007, I have been leading the first-ever allEgyptian archaeological team to excavate in the Valley of the Kings. I have dreamed of such an expedition since I was a young inspector with a
foreign team that was working on the west bank of Luxor. I wrote some articles for Horus magazine about the amazing artifacts that we have found. However, new discoveries emerge! Most recently, our team has
uncovered four intact foundations deposits in the so-called 'Valley of the Monkeys', which is one term for the western arm of the canyons that make up the Valley of the Kings. These deposits, which would have been buried as part of the dedication of a new tomb, include pottery, weapons, tools, animal bones, and other artifacts. It is clear that they were buried as associated with a royal tomb, most likely of the late 18th Dynasty. This opinion is based on the style of the artifacts, specifically the blue pottery dated to the reign of Amenhotep III. They were found near the tomb of the Pharaoh Ay, successor to Tutankhamun. Egyptologists believe that when he became king, Ay, who was then an elderly man, married Tutankhamun's widow, Ankhsenamun, to secure his claim to the throne. I believe that Ankhesenamun's tomb is located in the Valley of the Monkeys, near that of her last husband, and that these deposits may mark its location.
The Tunnel of Seti I
Another major project on which my team has been working in the Valley of the Kings is the excavation of the mysterious tunnel that leads from the burial chamber in the tomb of Seti I far back into the cliffs behind. This was first discovered in October, 1817 by the colorful Italian explorer and engineer, Giovanni
Belzoni, who was the first man to enter this fabulous royal tomb in modern times. However, he only penetrated a short distance into the tunnel. Howard Carter, who was later to go on to discover Tutankhamun's tomb, restored the entrance to this passageway in 19021903, while he was serving as Chief Inspector of Upper Egypt. Nonetheless, he and his team were not able to go very far inside due to the danger of rock falls. In 1960, the Abdel-Rassouls, a local family well-versed in exploring the secrets of the Theban hills (famous, in fact, for discovering a cache of royal mummies - including that of Seti I - in the late 1800s), received permission to work in this tunnel, excavating 136 meters of its length before they gave up, again because of the danger of falling rock. The leader of this expedition, Sheikh Ali AbdelRassoul, told me about that adventure before he died, and encouraged me to continue exploring the tunnel as soon as I could. He was sure that there were great discoveries to be made here. Besides, he was certain that I was the one who would make them.
Egyptologists have long debated the purpose of this tunnel, with the majority believing that it was a symbolic structure connected with the route the deceased king would follow on his way through the underworld, traveling from death to resurrection. On the other hand, Sheikh Ali believed that it led to the real burial chamber of the king, and might still be full of treasures.
My team and I began our work in the winter of 2007. Over the course of two and a half years of excavations we have been able to reveal the tunnel's secrets. First, we carefully studied the geologic composition of the tunnel walls, so that
we could do our best to make sure that our work would be safe. Only then did we begin to excavate, clearing debris from the tunnel. As we worked our way into the downward-sloping passageway, we constructed a framework of steel beams to support the ceiling, and a small railway to transport the sand and stone rubble from the excavations backup to the surface. This railway came in handy in many ways as the work progressed; I even used it myself to get in and out of the tunnel! We also built awooden staircase so that the excavation the excavation team could climb up and down to the excavation site.“
 When we reached the part of the
tunnel where the Abdel-Rassouls had stopped their work, we realized that they had begun to diverge from the real route of the ancient passageway. That's why we shifted our course so that we could be back on the correct path. As we cleared the debris in this previously untouched area, we uncovered a number of interesting artifacts, including pottery sherds, two royal shabtis, a small
 faience boat, and several inscribed stone  fragments bearing the name of Seti I. At  approximately 140 m. from the entrance team found three rock  cut steps, each about 2.6 cm wide. Thiswas an amazing moment! We were all very excited at this new discovery. We

Restoration work inside the tomb of Ramesses II in the Valley of the Kings, Luxor. Photo: Jennifer Willoughby

continued, and found more and more steps - they were 54 in total. What we had uncovered looked just like the sort of stairway that typically leads down to a royal tomb!
Enthusiastically we continued our work, and began to uncover a second corridor cut from the rock, again with a carefully smoothed floor. On the walls of the first descending passage there was a rock-cut gate with a hieratic (cursive) inscription that reads: "Raise up the door jamb up and widen the passage!" - That was clearly directions to the workmen cutting the tunnel. As we removed the sand and debris from the new corridor we could see that gridlines had been drawn on its left wall, in preparation for some sort of decoration. My assistant, Tarek El-Awady, and I began to believe that Seti I had been building a tomb within a tomb. After that incident I began to visit Luxor more often, and checked with my team every hour when I was away.
Fortunately, another surprise was in store: my team found a second set of
stairs at the end of the new corridor. This new one consisted of 37 steps, with the final step left unfinished. Only one meter beyond this, 174.5 meters from the entrance, the tunnel ended in a blank wall. Based on our study of the unfinished step and the end of the tunnel, we theorized that while the workmen were just finishing the staircase they were informed of King Seti I's death, so they immediately stopped their work. Upon reaching the end of the tunnel and seeing the unfinished work, I was sure that the tunnel was originally meant to be a tomb within a tomb. Due to Seti I's death, his tunnel was never finished.
I was so happy that we were able to : reach the end of the tunnel, and uncov- er all of its secrets. On the last day of the excavation, I was down at the tun-> nel, sitting at the bottom of the second set of stairs and staring at the dead end that lay only a meter away. “This is a wonderful moment to enjoy,", I thought, 'having found the end of the tunnel, but if Sheikh Ali were here, he would be
very unhappy that no golden treasures were found inside', . I was also too tired to move. Therefore, I asked Tarek to help me get inside one of the railcars so that I could go back to the top. The excitement of discovery can also be physically exhausting!
The Tomb of Ramesses II 
Seti I's son and successor, Ramesses II ("Ramesses the Great") ruled Egypt for 66 years. After uncovering Seti I's tunnel, we began to wonder whether his son might not have carved a similar structure within his own tomb; and since he reigned for so long, perhaps he had enough time to finish it. Finding a complete example would tell us more about the nature of Seti I's tunnel, and help us solve this ancient mystery. Unfortunately, however, Ramesses II's tomb is in terrible condition, as many flash floods washed through it over the millennia and filled it with debris. Thus we are now completing major restoration work here, before we can search for a possible tunnel inside.
Several new chapters have been added to the archaeological story of Luxor in recent years. The discovery of foundation deposits in the Valley of the Monkeys, may lead to a new tomb, perhaps belonging to Ankhesenamun. The most exciting part of Luxor's archaeological tale is that I was finally able to solve the mysteries about the tunnel of Seti I. The mysterious Luxor has many stories to tell! One of these tales is the salvage archaeological campaign on the Avenue of the Sphinxes, located between Luxor and Karnak temples. It is my hope it will be just as successful as the excavations in the Valley of the Monkeys and the Valley of the Kings.
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Wednesday, September 4, 2019

September 04, 2019

Cairo of the Royals

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Cairo of the Royals
A Man's Dream and the Reality that Lasts for Hundreds of Years
Cairo of the Royals

with confident steps, he climbed the stairs at the end of the stone walkway that leads from the elegant mosque to the the mansion residence of that ruler, who named the Palace after his beloved wife and the mother of his sons; "Gawhara'.
He is now pleased with an idea that lurks in his mind. Turning around to face the wall of the castle that is now highly fortified, he toured the horizon that extends in front of him; the colors were ranging from ripe green to other richer shades, wonder ful scattered formations lie ahead, while shades of deep brown lighten up the place in a float manner as if he were looking into his favorite cup of coffee.
He whispered again to himself some other names; yet this time, these were feminine names: Al Mahrousah (the guarded city), Al Quahirah (the victorious city).
Thus the story began; Muham mad Ali Pasha, Mohamed Ali the Great, forerunner of the renaissance of modern Egypt and his story with his glorious city, Cairo.
Muhammad Ali began his proj ect to develop Cairo by expanding and widening its streets, cleaning and repainting them as well as up grading the city administratively, physically and culturally. The new plan of Cairo divided the city into a  number of main streets that connect the Castle (the seat of government)
with the areas to the West; such as Al-Rouda, through "Al-Khaleej Al- Masri" (the Egyptian Gulf) at Bab Al- Kharq (known now as Bab Al-Khalq) and the streets of Bab al-Louk, Al- Sayyeda Zainab and all those that pour into Bab Al-Kharq as the center of the new capital.
After the organization of the streets of Cairo, expanding them and planting trees on their sides, it was the time for
naming the streets and numbering the houses.
As the establishment of the Diwans (i.e. Ministries) was one of the most im portant pillars of the administrative thought of Muhammad Ali, he made sure to have an Office of Public Works, which was responsible for the
development of Egypt and its urbanization. We could
also find some Diwans that are designed by Muham
mad Ali in a way that reflects very clearly to the nature of
his civilization-oriented pro
gram; such as the Office of
the Translation and Diwan Al-Mobtada`aat (Creative
works) (i.e. Arts and Litera ture). On top of these arts was
that of Arab Calligraphy, as
Muhammad Ali was greatly concerned with developing
this art.
In his journey to rebuild Cairo, Muhammad Ali con
structed a number of Palaces for his residence and other
buildings to be the premises of his government. He also Ibrahim Pasha, son of Mohamed Ali Pasha and father of adopted the concept of "social Ismael Pasha, and the great commander who lead Egypts responsibility of the institu army to victories, one after another
tions of governance" which is a modern concept of our time, as he has created a number of public water fountains, service buildings and facilities for the people of Cairo including the Observatory of Bulaq, al-Azbakeyya Hose pital and governmental bakeries.
Therefore, there is no wondering that historians calls this man ‘Muhammad Ali the Great ... And indeed, he is the great founder of modern Egypt.
Detail from the Fountain Saray, Mohamed Ali Palace in Shubra

Ismail Pasha ... Another Story in the Love of Cairo
Whenever I walked in the downtown area in the heart of Cairo, I could hear his voice accompanying me in my tours, whispering to me his inquiries about my opinion regarding 'his new Cairo' and whether he succeeded in making it "a piece of Europe", worthy of being the capital of a great country like Egypt, and worthy also to be visited by his guests and friends, who are infatuated with this country.
The man is none but my great friend, Ismail Ibrahim Mohammed Ali, known to everyone as the famous "Ismail Pasha", or "Khedive Ismail Pasha", "the Khedive of Egypt".
He told me that in his early days in education, when he was sent by his grandfather in an educational mission to Europe, he frequently read and heard some painful remarks about Cairo made by the European travelers. They would say: "It is better to hear or read about Cairo rather than visit it. If you drink water from the Nile once, you must return to your country for medical treatment".
He said to me, as his face changed, that he had heard this saying once and thus he decided to change this image for good. I did not know that he is the
one who invented the argument that lasted for hundreds of years later as he,
Ismail Pasha Khedive of Egypt, is the Hone who first said, "Whoever drinks from the Nile of Egypt once must return to it again and again".
To make his dream a reality, Ismail Pasha did his best to create a city that is worthy of being the capital of Egypt and its people, and of course marking his achievement as well.
"Born with a golden spoon in the mouth", the best example of this characteristic is Ismail Pasha. Ismail was the grandson of Muhammad Ali Pasha, and son of inspiring military leader Ibrahim Pasha who led the Egyptian military to achieve great victories in every battle fought under his leadership when he was the commander of the Egyptian army under the Ottoman Empire and under the rule of his father Mohammed Ali Pasha. , The founder of the dynasty, Muhammad Ali Pasha, sent his beloved grandson to Europe on a scientific mission to Paris; and thus he joined the famous "Saint-Cyr" Military College. Out there, the young Ismail was described by one of his teachers as a "unique and rare model for a man who is born to rule and perhaps to make history".
Ismail Pasha began his rein by the abolition of bonded labor system, which has burdened the Egyptians for long. He kicked off the trade lib  famous "Orman" orchards that covered an area of 465 acres, all decorated with rare trees. He also built the Saray (Palace) gardens of Giza, which extended till the site of Abbas Bridge. Over an area of fifty acres of the orchards, the famous Zoo was set up later on.
Bearing in mind to highlight Egypt's image of civilization and modernity, Khedive Ismail built a museum for Egyptian antiquities in the courtyard of Azbakiyya. Khedive Ismail was the man of the impossible, the man who boldly faces obstacles, insisting on the
realization of his dreams that are evident from the art of architecture, stressing that his hobby – as he said to me - was "brick and cement". Therefore, he received the decree by the Ottoman Sultan granting him the title of "Khedive", means "the brave knight".


Written by Neveen Ahmed
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September 04, 2019

The Citadel of The Guarded Capital

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 The Citadel of The Guarded Capital

Between the People of the City and the Governor's Mansion


Mohamed Ali Mosque was moved to the Citadel.

The Fatimid fort, with its Palaces, was the headquarters of governance in the era of the Fatimids. When the power went to the Ayyubid dynasty, the headquarters of the government was moved to the Citadel.
When I stand before this great edifice, I come to discover that I need something greater than a time machine. This one day will not suffice to tour a whole historical era. Yet, I badly need to take this opportunity to visit the minds of those great people. I wonder how they were so talented and successful to choose this place as the site of the Capital. They selected a marvelous design; not only to make a great fortress, but also to create an architectural wonder that stands for thousands of years.
Saladin, this intelligent man had a genius military sense as he surrounded himself with distinguished men, such as the Secretary of State Baha'eddin Karakush, who has capitals been entrusted with the task of building the Citadel. Karakush wanted to immu nize Cairo against potential risks, and so he transferred the headquarters of the Fatimid rule to the fortress; to the Citadel.
Karakush also renewed Cairo walls as he  made them made of stones and not just clay bricks, and he extended these walls to surround not only Cairo the capital, but also all previous Egyptian (al-Fustat, al-Askar and Al-Qtaea).
If you are interested to start the jour ney, you must choose one of two inlets:
The first would be “al-Bab al-Gadeed” (the New Door), which was built by Muhammad Ali Pasha to replace the stairs runway door (which was the main gate of the Citadel). The Pasha decided to do so because he noticed that this runway and that of the "Inkishareyya" (the word refers to the bulk of the Ottoman army that is made of young men raised by the Caliph to be professional warriors) were not practical or appropriate for the passage of - vehicles and guns on wheels. Therefore, the Pasha paved the way for the ascendance and decadence from the Citadel. This new road is now known as the “New Door Street” or “Sekkat al-Mahgar" (the Quarry Road), overlooking the facade of
the Northern Gate. On the other hand, the western facade overlooks the “Inkishareyya” door and the old bureau of Books Archives (the Citadel registry log). This forefront area is characterized by its details that truly represent the architectural excellence of that time, as well as a commemorative plaque that reads: “O' you, the One Who opens closed doors!”. There area is also decorated with symbols of the Egyptian army, its units and weapons in the era of Mohamed Ali Pasha.
The second inlet would be the route of Bab al-Mokattam (also called the Mountain door). It was called so as it faces the cliffs of the Mokattam Mountain, i.e. the area that is now known as the gateway of Salah Salem. It is rumored that
when Muhammad Ali Pasha came to power, he paved the way between this door and his Citadel at Mokattam Mountain. Most of the features of this door and large parts of the wall are now lost.
The northern section of the Citadel is the first part of it that faces the land beneath, therefore, it was essential to fortify
this part with great towers. This area was allocated basically as a residence for the soldiers, training them and to prepare them to join the army. You can see the wonderful antiquities and the greatest monuments there, such as the Suliemani yah Mosque (Sareyat al-Gabal Mosque).
The place out there breathes the spiritu ality that separates you from the physi cal earthly world and welcomes you to the world of a spiritual magic, where the past puts the hallmarks of splendor on the scene. This mosque is characterized by it sharp slim Minaret (known as 'the pen cil'). Another monuments is the “Harim Palaces” ("Harim' means 'women'), which are three palaces that were mistakenly known by that name (Harim Palaces) while in fact they were built as houses for the orphans of the family of Moham med Ali, and the Mamluk princes. This area now includes the Military Museum, which tells the story of the Egyptian military since the Pharaonic era till the present day. Next to the Harim Palaces, there is “the Red Palace”, which was built to be the premises of the College of Engineering, and then it became the headquarters of the War College until it was moved to Abbasiya.
The soldiers' space is separated from the Sultan's royal space by the Citadel Gate (Bab Borg al-Quella), which is now known as the Military Museum Gate.
At this arena before the door, the princes used to wait for a permission to enter.
The name comes from the tower that was built by al-Zahir Baybars and then demolished by Sultan Qalawun to build in stead his the famous green dome, which stands before us at the forefront is the roy al part of the Citadel, facing the mosque of al-Nasir Muhammad Bin Qalawun, one of the most beautiful and celebrated
 . mosques for its majestic character. This mosque stands immediately in front of the most famous and central building in the area that attracts the eyes of visitors; the Mosque of Muhammad Ali. There is a common mistake usually made by many people as they call it “the Citadel of Muhammad Ali”, while in fact it is the Citadel of Saladin. The error is caused by the famous silver domes built in the famous Mosque of Mohammed Ali Pasha, which are based within the walls of the Citadel and thus became a hallmark of the Citadel of Saladin. The Mosque of Mohammed Ali Pasha has been established following the Ot toman-style of mosques in Istanbul. It is truly a masterpiece from inside and out side as well. To tell you the truth, if you became interested in visiting this mosque, you will not have time to visit the rest of the features of the Citadel; this captivat ing mosque will keep you for long explor ing its beauty and figuring out the secret of its greatness. Have you been deeply astonished of · magnificence and luxury of the place?! You are now prepared for another sur prising and astonishing monument,
al-Ablaq Palace. This palace, which you might assume that there are lots of mysterious stories filled with magic and mixed with myths stand behind it, has a living witness for all of its history. The witness is the old tree that stood by it, void of any leaves for a very long time. This brings to my mind the phrase “Trees Die Standing". We now have a date with another wonder; the well of Yousuf, which is not only a marvelous construction, but also a mark of miracu lous engineering, which commends this establishment to fulfill its mission. Or dinary people believe it is attributed to
the Prophet Yousuf (Joseph) (peace be upon him), but the fact is that the name refers to the father of Saladin, whose name was “Yousuf Al-Ayoubi”.
The most distinguishing feature of this sphere is the “Gawhara Palace”; and its name is said to refer to “Gawhar” wife of Muhammad Ali Pasha, who is pampered as Gawhara (meaning a “Gem”).
The palace comprises several complex rooms and each room has tales and stories, even each piece of furniture has its own archaeological historical significance. The Citadel ends by the Sultan's stables, where Bab al-Azab stands, the most beautiful among all Citadel gates. It is attributed to al-Azab soldiers (who are basically a platoon of the army that used to live in this place). This door/gate was previously known as Bab al-Silsela (the door of the chain). Although al-Azab door is not used by visitors of the Citadel today, it still exists standing with its two glorious towers majestically overlooking the Citadel Square beneath (Saladin Square), where the Eid (Feast) prayers were held, and the Sultan used to review and inspect his soldiers and meet the ambassadors. This place was also the site where the celebrations and processions are held; the most famous of which was the official parade of al-Mahmal that was coming out of the Citadel walls carrying every year the new sheets for the holy Kaaba donated by the Sultan of Egypt.
Saladin was not only an intelligent politician or a skilled military leader; he was also a genius man with a vision as he allowed for the first time the people to live within the walls of Cairo. Thus, he managed to provide security for Egypt, not only through walls, towers and warriors, but also by the best power that could defend this country; its people...
Written by Neveen Ahmed
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Wednesday, August 28, 2019

August 28, 2019

Cairo of Naguib Mahfouz

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Cairo of Naguib Mahfouz

He turned his passion for her into novels... she turned her passion for him into the world's top literary award

The Cairo of Naguib Mahfouz

dreamt that I was touring that Cairo of Naguib Mahfouz,  the novelist who made a record of the contemporary history of Egypt, with all its troubles, sufferings, horrors and major events in each and every novel he wrote, to the extent that we should take his works as a preserved historic document that witnessed the times this nation had. I remember the words of the great writer Gamal al-Ghitani who said: “No one has ever been faithful and sincere to his city as much as Naguib Mahfouz was to Cairo."
Mahfouz, the Cairo-man to the core, a plant that was rooted in the depth of its acolytes and alleys, is the one whose writings provide evidence for how deep his soul has melted in a particular way with
this Cairo entity that he discovered through his unprecedented ability to absorb the enormous figures and characters of its people (be they merchants, employees, bullies, rascals, belly dancers, beggars, dervishes or religious leaders). Mahfouz also managed to absorb, digest and integrate the local family relationships between children, parents, grandparents, husbands, wives and neighbors. He turned all that richness into heroes in his novels. That makes us very attached to these characters to the extent that we could envision them and acquire the ability to see their physical appearance through his words. For example, the character of “Ahmed Abdel-Gawwad”, the strict man in the famous trilogy, (Yehia Shahin in the film version) is said to have been revealed to Mahfouz through his encounter to one of the families that lived next door to his home when he was young. He says: “The house had closed windows all the time. They were never opened. No one ever was leaving the house except this man named Sheikh Radwan, with his majestic looks.” Mahfouz tells that his own mother used to accompany him to visit this family, and he saw that the man's wife is not allowed to get out at all.
Other people say that the character of “Ahmed Abdel-Gawwad” actually presents the well known Master Fishawi, the owner of the famous Fishawi café in Khan al-Khalili. While sailing with all your Sabeel Abdul Rahihan Katkhuda emotions and feelings in the vast sea of people of this Cairo of NaAl-Moezz Street guib Mahfouz, especially in the areas of Gamaleyya, Abbaseyya, alHussein and al-Ghoreyya, you would definitely be captivated by the spirit of this man who explored and interacted with these places and those people for nearly 100 years (Mahfouz was born in 1911). The one growing up in such atmosphere could be nothing but an innovative, creative writer. How could someone grow up in such an open-air museum of historical monuments evade the invitation to creativity of such impressive surrounding?
The Tour Starts from al-Hussein and Khan al-Khalili
I am now next to the Imam Al-Hussein mosque, which is a wonderful piece of gorgeous Ottoman-style architecture. Crowds from all over the world come to this mosque to become enriched with the 'blessings of that place, and to perfume their souls with its beauty. Voices of re- ligious chanters escalate and spread all over the area to pose on you - the ordinary passer-by - a peerless state of love!!
The glitter and the smell of incense rising from the old shops would attract you so that you follow the fragrance and let go your feet wonder unconsciously towards the beauty of the architecture and the genius construction of “Khan al-Khalili” as you encounter the kind tender faces of the traders, who came from Hebron area in Palestine dressed in their old uniforms. Here you can supply yourself with some of the pieces that bear a history within, and then return back loaded with a tangible memory, as well as the mental stateof-mind, which remains for ever.
This Khan is undoubtedly an architectural masterpiece, no doubt, yet to the left side, the road would lead you to a place that is a center of fascination, which is the most famous “Fishawy café”. By then you would realize that the eternal fascination is nowhere but here.
The charm of the Khan flows to AlMuizz Street, which is rich in artistic treasures. I cannot just call these pieces as historic buildings only, in fact they are architectural marvels made with unique style in every detail.
If Bab al-Fotouh would open the gate of tales, we would see the Mosque of Al-Hakem shining at our faces. It is the second largest mosque in Cairo, and it is an architectural masterpiece with an entrance of a huge stone structure. The mosque features an aesthetic decorated hallway and the oldest minarets remaining till this day. However, Bab al-Nasr brings us immediately to the tales of the wonderful museum-styled Street (AlMuizz Street). This masterpiece must take your breath away and capture your eyes. You will inevitably find many people fix- ing their eyes and adjusting their cameras to capture the looks of the magnificent decorations and the astonishing designs. Here you see also the school, mosque and fountain of Soleiman Agha al-Selehdar, with luster and splendor from outside that would catch your heart to delve into the very magnificent interior. Once you are out of your astonishment, you will be attracted by the façade that has not been matched in its decorations, carvings and inscriptions with any other mosques in Cairo. It is the mosque called Al-Aqmar, with its white colored moon-like stones. The name of this mosque and area was not only woven into the novel that has the same name, but it was also the background of many artistic creations. When you go through till you reach the Kottab and fountain of Abdel Rahman Kat-khuda, you will be surprised with this ultimately superior design and the attractive golden-colored scene. Maybe you will be caught in confusion as it becomes difficult to decide whether to complete your tour in the land of interlocutor art in Al-Muezz Street (Sultan Baeqouq Mosque, Muhammad Ali fountain, al-Ghori group, the Dome of al-Nasir Muhammad (and the most beautiful minaret of Cairo) and Sultan Qalawun group till you reach Bab Zuweila, which is decorated by the two Minarets of Al-Mouayyad mosque, or to move rightwards instead where you follow the tunnel that reminds me of a scene from the novel “Palace Walk”; the first volume of the famous trilogy by Naguib Mahfouz, which was turned into a movie later on - to take your path to Darb Cormez (Crimson Path) where Mahfouz was peering out of the balcony of his home to look upon his first beloved girl in his life (who was older than him and whom he never managed to talk to!! as he was silently in love with her when he was six years old!!).
As the literary critic Raymond Stock pointed, if Mahfouz was overlooking the love of his life from a balcony, he was also peering out on the other side of the human will; violence. From his home, Mahfouz overlooked al-Gamaleyya Police Station and al-Qady Square. That enabled him to witnessed many demonstrations against the British occupation, whose soldiers fired at the demonstrators. Mahfouz said: “What I recall as something that used to shake me from the inside was the demonstrations of women in al-Gamaleyya streets and al-Qady Square”. There are no words stronger than his own saying at the ceremony of receiving his Nobel Prize for Literature (October 1988) that he is the son of two civilizations that successfully mingled with each other in a glorious era of history: the seven-thousandyear-old Pharaonic civilization, and the 1400-year-old Islamic civilization. 
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August 28, 2019

Cairo Walls and Gates

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Cairo Walls and Gates

Even its walls and gates have stories to tell !

Cairo Walls and Gates

They are not entering the city through its gates!! The city through its gates!! The
pampered daughter of Caliph Al-Moezz had many gates and guards. None, including kings or sultans - could come to her without a prior permission. If you were fortunate enough to meet with her, one of its gates would be opened for you.
Cairo: The Legendary Princess
The beautiful Cairo was the only dwelling space for the Caliph, the military and their families.
The military commander Gawhar al-Siqilly, was the one who realized that his city will be a legendary, extraordinary princess. He built the high walls to protect Cairo and to enable his city to select the ones who will have the honor of visiting her.
As I was an extraordinary visitor, I had the privilege to enter the city from any door. How to pick one - and only one - while behind each door many stories stand; all derived from the events and people it witnessed.
Bab el-Fotouh
This is the “Gate” of the fortress city named Cairo from the north. “Bab al-Fotouh” means the “Door of Conquests/victories” as the armies used to come out from this point to carry out their missions to open new horizons and face the enemies. Bab El-Fotouh has two round towers flanking the big entrance. On top of the entrance,
there are high statues in the form of a ram with two horns. From the top of the towers, I could see the wonderful panorama of Islamic Cairo. Bab al-Fotouh has reached a level of magnificence to an impeccable extent as a model for the Egyptian fortresses in the Fatimid era. I can see the public here wrapping some thick threads or a strip of cloth around the head of one of screws of the wooden door. When I approached one of them, he told me that they usually keep this popular legacy of those who have wishes that they want to achieve. He advised me that I should do the same and pray to God to respond to my supplication and make my wish come true  .
Bab al-Nasr
On the northern side of the city stands the second gate of this city, through which the troops could be seen returning while carrying the banners of victory and dragging the prisoners of war captured in these victorious battles.
Bab El-Nasr has two square-shaped towers, featuring carvings that represent the machines of war at this time, and writing on the façade above the entrance in Kufi script that reads: “In the name of Allah. There is no God but Allah. Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. Imam Ali is the one blessed by Allah. May Allah's blessings be on the Imams, their descendants and companions."
The two gates (Bab al-Nasr and Bab Al-Fotouh) are linked together through a wall from the outside. Likewise, from the inside, they are connected by a number of tunnels. This truly makes them an architectural wonder that remains till our time telling a lot of history.

Bab Zuweila
 This is the third gate that shares with the other aforementioned two (Bab al-Nasr and Bab al-Fotouh) the glorious history of the people of Egypt and their civilization. These three gates are the only ones remaining so far. Bab Zuweila – like the other ones - was built to protect this city from the south. Very similar to Bab al-Fotouh, Bab Zuweila has two rounded towers. The gate was named after Moroccan troops of the tribe of Zuweila. People say that the Fatimid Caliph, Al-Moezz, when he came to Cairo came in through this gate, that is also distinguished by the two Minarets of al-Muayyad mosque, which are considered the most beautiful Mamluk minarets ever.
The people also call the place “Bab elMetwally" either referring to some Sheikh who was said to have miraculous acts such as flying over Cairo, or referring to “Motwally” (the incumbent tax officer).
Bab al-Farag
This gate was built to protect the southern part of Cairo just like Bab Zuweila. Yet, it was totally demolished and there are no traces for it left now. It was located at the site called Maquam al-Sett Saada near the Security Directorate of Cairo now.
Bab al-Barqueyya
This gate was named after range of soldiers who came from the city of Barqa. It was also known as Bab al-Ghareeb (the door of the stranger) named after al-Ghareeb mosque, the gate of which was built next to it. This section was demolished and then rebuilt in the Ayyubid era. Nev-ertheless, it was destroyed again and now al-Azhar University stands in its place.
Bab Al-Qarrateen , Bab Saada and Bab al-Qantara were also some of the original Cairo's Gates. What remains now of these gates is nothing but Bab al-Nasr, Bab al-Fotouh and Bab Zuweila. There is no stronger evidence for the intelligence
and awareness of the Egyptians and the value they give to history than their keenness to name the places of Cairo after the gates that existed before their demise. If they had not immortalized such names, we would not have known that Cairo had all these gates and we would not have searched for their stories.
Written by Neveen Ahmed

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August 28, 2019

Cairo, Her Name is her First Secret

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In the history of Cairo   

She is the most beautiful city ever. She is “Cairo"

         A 'Present Replete with 'Absent' Tales


She is beautiful ... stunning ... charming ... amazing ... fully
aware of her beauty ... Thus, her King may proudly come out in his royal parade. He may command palaces to be built, and so it happens. He shows his might, and so celebrations are held for him. And why wouldn't he do so as long as he managed to rise and share with her the throne of Egypt?
She is the one that won the title of the beauty queen over the years. Age can only increase her beauty and magnificence. She is the temptress admired and sought by many of those who save their money she is the one that won the title of the beauty queen over the years. Age can only increase her beauty and magnificence. She is the temptress admired and sought by many of those who save their money throughout the year, hoping that their wishes would be fulfilled and they get her acceptance and be allowed to visit her. The lucky ones are those to whom she opens the door to her secrets. Proud, she is always proud and victorious. She has never been controlled by anyone. If someone is tempted to challenge her, she stands there concurring and defeating him. She is the concurring one (in Arabic: al-Qahira).
She is more than three times the age of Paris, 7 times the age of Berlin, and 13 times the age of New York. In the old times, she was called “MinNafarre”, which means “the beautiful harbor”. She is the capital of unified Egypt since the unification led by King Narmer since 3,200 years B.C. This beautiful one is over 5,000 years old. We can say that it is the oldest capital ever. She is almost the only city that incubated four of the eldest civilizations: the Ancient Egyptian, the Romanian, the Coptic, and the Islamic. Although each of them has shaped her in a certain way, she managed to maintain each one of them distinctively and the remaining monuments are the witnesses for that. First and foremost, Cairo remains the capital of the Arab Republic of Egypt, one of the most culturally and culturally diverse cities. It has witnessed many different historical eras throughout the ages. It has a number of ancient and modern monuments. It became an open museum that includes Pharaonic, Greek, Roman, Coptic and Islamic monuments.

Yes! She is the most beautiful city ever. She is “Cairo".

 ? How did Cairo get its name


The history of the city is essentially the history of people, places, and events.
Previously, we heard in the popular walk, that a princess asked her father a palace, founded a city, and called her name "Cairo." So from the womb of the myth, Cairo was born and remained a legend. But how was a city like Cairo formed? And how do you write its history?

 Her Name is her First Secret

" Jawhar al-Ṣiqillī" the military commander of the Fatimid Caliph

 Al-Muizz Li Din-Allah, chose her location using his military sense, where al-Mukktam Mountain would act as a shield that protects the city from the east. Yet, he wanted to fortify it even more and make it more of a royal fortress for the Caliph, his entourage and his soldiers, thus he decided to establish a fence that would surround the four corners of the city. He brought the workers and summoned the Moroccan astrologers and fortune tellers to choose a happy sign for building the fence. They put beams of wood marking the locations of the fences, tied them with ropes and placed bells between each two beams. They told the workers to put down the clay and stones that are in their hands if the bells moved. It happened that a crow stood on one of the ropes, thus all the bells moved. The workers thought that the astrologers are the ones who moved the ropes, so they put down what they had in their hands and started building. The astrologers shouted: “Al-Qahir is on the rise”. “AlQahir” is the planet Mars, which is not a good omen because it is a symbol of war. This is the story that explains the name of Al-Qahira (Cairo). It is said that it was called (al-Mansouriyyah), taking after the name of the Caliph “al-Mansour” who is the father of the Fatimid Caliph Al-Muizz Li Din-Allah. Yet, al-Muizz himself is the one who changed her name to be “al-Qahira (Cairo), to make the name of the city a mark for its strong fortification.
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