Well, the time has finally come. Froody and I leave Cairo this weekend. We took some time off of class to see a few more sites before we go.
The last thing we did with my in-laws before they left was see Saqqara. We all agreed it was much more interesting than the pyramids at Giza, yet everyone needs to see them, too. Many of the artifacts in the Imhotep Museum were so well-preserved, it was like they were just made yesterday. And remember, this is the oldest of the pyramids and started that whole pyramid trend. Even cooler than the pyramid and its complex was the tomb of a high official and Teti's pyramid. Unfortunately, cameras weren't allowed inside either and I wish I could share the details of the river scenes in the tomb and the star-covered ceiling of Teti's burial chamber.
After the in-laws went home, Froody and I were on our own. We did more exploring; there are still some things that still surprise me, like goats grazing in the street and huge mosques coming out of nowhere. We found the Ibn Tulun Mosque and the madrassa right next to it. We also met some school children who asked Froody to take their pic. Again, I love the friendliness of the people we've met here and everywhere. The minaret of the madrassa was a nice place to take pix of my hubby, too. The Ibn Tulun Mosque was lovely and there was something peaceful in the large, quiet space and the graceful curves repeating over and over again.
We also found Bab Zawela and the Tentmakers' bazaar. The walk through fabrics and quilts gradually became a walk through a market street, though with a "small meats" section we don't have in our own neighborhood. Sometimes we had to stop because the sidewalk and street were too crowded for anyone to make it through. Another surprise! an ancient door, probably 600 years-old and crumbling.
Finally, we made it to Rifai mosque and the Sultan Hussen madrassa, somewhere we've been meaning to see since Ramadan. Pretty incredible, don't you think? I find it strange that one was built in the 1400s and then in the late 1880s someone built another huge mosque right next to it. The new one (Rifai?) is also a family tomb.
3 comments:
I LOVE the stars on the ceiling in the Teti pyramid! I have to say, the Saqqara pyramids are by far my favorite site (so far, of course). I enjoy visiting them. The past is so much more alive there - at Giza, the present is much too interested in selling me crap at highly inflated prices for me to be able to actually see the Pyramids there. I've been ??? how many times now, and have never been able to appreciate the site, much less hear the tour guide. o well.. I also love your picture of the tent makers' area. It is an amazing place to visit. I've only brought my camera once, and I need to go back and take more pictures.
Hope you had a visit to Cairo that exceeded your expectations :-) and I can't wait to see where you go next.
I agree - Saqqara is so much more interesting than Giza.
Being inside one of the tombs is when i finally felt i was in egypt. the pyraimds at giza were cool, but somewhat of a disappointment. :-(
connie-stayed tuned! i'll definitely continue blogging.
cairotyp0-so nice to meet you! really love your life. :-)
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