07/02: Our Last Day in Egypt
Category: General
Posted by: The Agnew Family
Today we are spending the day seeing things from the more recent history of Egypt.
We started with a visit to the Unknown Soldier Memorial. It was here on October 6, 1981 that Anwar Sadat was assassinated. Yes, it was raining. First rain for the trip but luckily it didn't last long.
The Great Mosque of Muhammad Ali Pasha or Alabaster Mosque is a mosque situated in the Citadel of Cairo and was commissioned by Muhammad Ali Pasha between 1830 and 1848.
The ceiling in the mosque. The inside of the mosque was very beautiful.
Looking west from the citadel we can see the Giza Pyramids in the distance.
Another stop was the Hanging Church, an old Coptic Church. It is called the Hanging Church because it was built on the southern gate of the Roman Fortress. Some of the flooring has been replaced with glass so you can see the air space below the floor. The church was very nice inside but photography was not permitted.
Outside the church were some mosaics. This one shows Joseph, Mary and baby Jesus.
We also stopped to see Ben Ezra which is the old synagogue in Cairo (no photography) and Saint Sergius which is presumed to be the spot where the Holy Family lived during their flight into Egypt. (again no photography)
Last stop was the Khan el Khalili Bazaar.
The crowds around the churches were really bad and it was worse by the bazaar so I opted to sit in a cafe and people watch while Ed wandered through the bazaar with some of the group.
The group ended up in an area that had craftsmen. They watch a man making copper plates.
When we were driving back to the hotel we had one last look at the bazaar.
Egypt has been a very interesting trip, full of unexpected and wonderful things. I'm happy to leave the 25+ million people in Cairo and all the noise it brings. Sitting in our hotel room we hear constant traffic noise and what seems like non-stop car horns.
We started with a visit to the Unknown Soldier Memorial. It was here on October 6, 1981 that Anwar Sadat was assassinated. Yes, it was raining. First rain for the trip but luckily it didn't last long.
The Great Mosque of Muhammad Ali Pasha or Alabaster Mosque is a mosque situated in the Citadel of Cairo and was commissioned by Muhammad Ali Pasha between 1830 and 1848.
The ceiling in the mosque. The inside of the mosque was very beautiful.
Looking west from the citadel we can see the Giza Pyramids in the distance.
Another stop was the Hanging Church, an old Coptic Church. It is called the Hanging Church because it was built on the southern gate of the Roman Fortress. Some of the flooring has been replaced with glass so you can see the air space below the floor. The church was very nice inside but photography was not permitted.
Outside the church were some mosaics. This one shows Joseph, Mary and baby Jesus.
We also stopped to see Ben Ezra which is the old synagogue in Cairo (no photography) and Saint Sergius which is presumed to be the spot where the Holy Family lived during their flight into Egypt. (again no photography)
Last stop was the Khan el Khalili Bazaar.
The crowds around the churches were really bad and it was worse by the bazaar so I opted to sit in a cafe and people watch while Ed wandered through the bazaar with some of the group.
The group ended up in an area that had craftsmen. They watch a man making copper plates.
When we were driving back to the hotel we had one last look at the bazaar.
Egypt has been a very interesting trip, full of unexpected and wonderful things. I'm happy to leave the 25+ million people in Cairo and all the noise it brings. Sitting in our hotel room we hear constant traffic noise and what seems like non-stop car horns.