The source of my expertise? Why, I took one whole class on the topic last semster, and I have thus visited the various Fatimid monuments of Islamic Cairo on at least two previous occassions. I am practically a professional tour guide. Geek that I am, I even printed an informational itinerary for the visitors. If they managed not to lose those sheets in the desterts/seas/rivers of the rest of their vacation, I am sure they will study from them for years to come. Perhaps they will post the papers on their bulletin boards, or store them in Pee Chee folders. How else could they remember that this (below) is al-Hakim Mosque, completed by Caliph al-Hakim bi-Amr-Allah in 1013 AD? I guess they could look it up online, but that would be cheating. Evil, evil cheating.
We started our tour by walking through the Khan al-Khalili to visit Bab Zuweyla, one of the gates of the old walls. On the way, we passed this gentleman who was guarding the Muhammad Ali fountain. He wanted five pounds each for us to enter, so we passed and will never know whether the interior holds unicorns, or monkeys with typewriters, or perhaps the mysterious contents of the bag at the center of the picture on the right.
Bab Zuweyla is different from the other remaining gates because it has two towering minarets peeking out of its peak. Those were added to the eleventh century edifice in around 1415 AD. And now you can climb them! The view of the Muhammad Ali Mosque at the citadel is one of my favorites in the city.
This door is from a mosque next to Bab Zuweyla. I have been there twice now and have yet to find it open, but the door is impressive nonetheless.
Here I am, awaiting my flock. They were occasionally errant but luckily I never had to unfurl my neon flag to usher them in the proper direction. I only unfurled the flag to signal the passing cats. This way please!
On the road through Islamic Cairo back to al-Hakim mosque - Al-Mu'izz li-Din Allah Street, if you're taking notes - the contemporary and ancient cohabitate. Visitors can, for instance, relieve themselves in a space-age, self cleaning toilet. They can do so, that is, if they are willing to wait the five minutes that it takes to self-clean.
Visitors can also shop for one of this season's hot ticket items: Lamps the size of Number 6:
If this lamp had leg-holes, it would be an excellent Haloween costume - asumming that Number 6's Haloween plans do not involve moving more than six feet from a wall outlet. Also, doesn't it look like she is causing that bucket to levitate merely by the force of her will?
* I have been instructed, for copyright reasons, to inform the reader/internet/world that the pictures in this post were not taken my me. Rather they are the sole property of one MES, who rivals my Guest Photographer of yore in patience for extended sessions of picture-taking or, as they professionals like to call it, photography.
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