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Egypt in Pictures: Sparrows (18)

Feb 17th, 2011
by khanserai.
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In support of the Egyptian people who achieved their calls for change, I will post photos of Egypt for each of their 18 days of protest, for viewers to see what their lovely country is really like. Photos are from a 5-6 week stay in Egypt in the summer of 2008.

To end this 18 picture series, I leave you with photos of the loudly chirping sparrows, (called asfoor because of the “seeo seeo” sounds they make), that greet you every morning in Cairo. There are not as many pigeons around probably because pigeons are eaten as a Cairene delicacy. But sparrows are everywhere, managing to survive with very little, and always cheerful the next morning; similar to the people of this ancient land.

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And yes, the trees they live on are covered with some really BIG thorns!

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Egypt in Pictures: Ibn Tulun Mosque (17)

Feb 17th, 2011
by khanserai.
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In support of the Egyptian people who achieved their calls for change, I will post photos of Egypt for each of their 18 days of protest, for viewers to see what their lovely country is really like. Photos are from a 5-6 week stay in Egypt in the summer of 2008.

In Cairo, the City of 1000 Minarets,  every old street seems to have not one but two or three mosques, many times just opposite each other. The story goes that everyone rich wanted to build a mosque, and prove themselves by outdoing their neighbors mosque! Needless to say, there are HUNDREDS of mosques in Cairo that are meant for seeing, but they are unfortunately not very well utilized or maintained. It is tempting to follow the UN 1000 Minaret Heritage trail but there is really not enough time to cover it all unless you are in inhabitant of the city!

Ibn Tulun Mosque is a 9th century mosque in Cairo, known for it’s spiral minaret that features an external staircase (rather than inside the column). The view from the top of the minaret is wonderful, and you notice what Cairo is really like, not just the shiny, glossy version that is visible in travel brochures!

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Egypt in Pictures: Alexandria (16)

Feb 14th, 2011
by khanserai.
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In support of the Egyptian people who achieved their calls for change, I will post photos of Egypt for each of their 18 days of protest, for viewers to see what their lovely country is really like. Photos are from a 5-6 week stay in Egypt in the summer of 2008.

Alexandria is a city on the Mediterranean coast for tourists and middle class Egyptians (the richer ones go to other resort towns!). Famous for its library (the new one is rather high tech), extremely busy (and littered!) beaches, picturesque Corniche, Roman ruins, the beautiful al-Mursi Mosque, citadel and palaces, the pace of the city is definitely slower than Cairo. You have no choice but to stop at cafés along the boardwalk to nibble on fatir (local stuffed “pizza” ), sip drinks and watch people go by. Transportation options include trains, microbuses, streetcars, taxis, buses and horse drawn buggies. The photo is of the Citadel seen from across the Corniche.

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Egypt in Pictures: Sultan Mosque (15)

Feb 14th, 2011
by khanserai.
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In support of the Egyptian people who achieved their calls for change, I will post photos of Egypt for each of their 18 days of protest, for viewers to see what their lovely country is really like. Photos are from a 5-6 week stay in Egypt in the summer of 2008.

In the city of a 1000 mosques, the Sultan Mosque is definitely one of the highlights. Built in the 14th century, its history is tragic (building accidents, assassinations etc) however the space itself is compelling. Entering through enormous doors you weave your way through winding passages to the core. Along the way you will come across old men sitting and chatting with their friends, and discover unexpected wind and light towers as you turn corners. When you finally arrive at the center, you are treated to an enormous courtyard with an ablution fountain in the middle, and four caverns (iwans) around it. Each of these were built for students from the four main sunni schools of thought. The hundreds of lanterns are old and chipped but the place has an amazing sense of calm as you find a corner for yourself in one of the iwans. There are graves and other prayers areas behind each of the caverns. The photo is of the courtyard.

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Egypt in Pictures: Al- Azhar University (14)

Feb 12th, 2011
by khanserai.
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In support of the Egyptian people who are demanding reforms in their country, for each day the protests continue, I will post daily photos of Egypt for viewers to see what their lovely country is really like. Photos are from a 5-6 week stay in Egypt in the summer of 2008.

Cairo and Egypt are known for the famous Al-Azhar University, founded in the 10th century for religious scholarship. Even with the decline in both buildings and the quality of education, the name has instant recognition around the Muslims world as being a university that teaches orthodox Islam. We had met with Sh Tantawi when we visited, however I forgot to take my camera and have no photos of the inside of the main campus. The library was quite interesting.

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Egypt in Pictures: Ibrahim Pasha (13)

Feb 11th, 2011
by khanserai.
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In support of the Egyptian people who are demanding reforms in their country, for each day the protests continue, I will post daily photos of Egypt for viewers to see what their lovely country is really like. Photos are from a 5-6 week stay in Egypt in the summer of 2008.

The Cairo Citadel also houses the Military Museum. The statue is of Ibrahim Pasha, a well known 19th century general.

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Egypt in Pictures: Muhammad Ali Mosque (12)

Feb 11th, 2011
by khanserai.
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In support of the Egyptian people who are demanding reforms in their country, for each day the protests continue, I will post daily photos of Egypt for viewers to see what their lovely country is really like. Photos are from a 5-6 week stay in Egypt in the summer of 2008.

In the city of a thousand mosques, Muhammad Ali Mosque is one of the more famous ones, housed inside the Citadel complex. The photos show the exterior of the mosque, as well as pictures taken from the inside.

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Egypt in Pictures: Nasr Mosque (11)

Feb 10th, 2011
by khanserai.
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In support of the Egyptian people who are demanding reforms in their country, for each day the protests continue, I will post daily photos of Egypt for viewers to see what their lovely country is really like. Photos are from a 5-6 week stay in Egypt in the summer of 2008.

An-Nasr Mosque is one of the two main mosques inside the Cairo Citadel complex. Most tourists flock to the Muhammad Ali Mosque that is glitzy, better maintained and much bigger. This one built in the early 14th century by the Mamluks is several centuries older and showcases a completely different style and ambience.

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Egypt in Pictures: No Photo! (10)

Feb 10th, 2011
by khanserai.
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In support of the Egyptian people who are demanding reforms in their country, for each day the protests continue, I will post daily photos of Egypt for viewers to see what their lovely country is really like. Photos are from a 5-6 week stay in Egypt in the summer of 2008.

Inside the citadel compound there is also an old castle, Bijou Palace (Qasr al Gawhara). There are tour guides who will happily show you around the main areas, and if you look interested enough (or someone in your party is willing to give a tip) will actually unlock the padlocked areas and take you into areas that are supposed to be closed to the public. And they will encourage you to take photos, even when the posted signs say “No Photo!”

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Egypt in Pictures: Cairo Citadel (9)

Feb 9th, 2011
by khanserai.
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In support of the Egyptian people who are demanding reforms in their country, for each day the protests continue, I will post daily photos of Egypt for viewers to see what their lovely country is really like. Photos are from a 5-6 week stay in Egypt in the summer of 2008.

The Cairo Citadel is a walled compound with mosques and museum inside. It was built at the time of the Crusades to protect the city. It provides a spectacular view of the city.

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