Here is a page of personal photos of friends, visitors, family, etc.
Here is page of pictures I took of Medieval Islamic Cairo
Here is a page of pictures I took of Pharonic sites (Giza, Saqqara, Dashur, Luxor, etc .)
Here is a page of pictures we took of other trips in Egypt (Farafra Oasis, Sinai, Red Sea, Alex, etc.)
Here is a page describing our travels to Syria and Lebanon.
Here is our trip to Petra.
In Shobra with Walid and Ahmed's mother.
Back to the Medieval city to visit some of my favorite places with Ann-Marie and Camilla, some of which have been further renovated and opened. For example there is the Mosque/Madrassa of Sultan Ashraf Barsbay near the spice market in the Khan. Heading north up the Qasaba, we entered the Mosque and Mausoleum of Barquq, the mosques of Aqmar and Hakim, Beit el-Silhany and many other sites along the Qasaba north of Al-Azhar.
The Wikala of el-Goury is now open as a theatre venue, and the Sabil-Kuttabe/Mausoleum of el-Ghoury is all cleaned up from the outside. We went inside el-Ghoury Mosque/Madrassa and went up the minaret. Down the street towards Bab Zuwayla, renovations have progressed on the Sabil of Pasha Tusun, the Wikala of Nasifa and the Mosque of Mu'ayyad. The views from Bab Zuwayla are the best way to see this area. Further down the Street of the Saddlemakers I passed by the tomb of Hasan Sadaqa and received a VIP tour of the Palace of Taz by an archaeologist from Cairo University. The palace has been renovated as a musical venue and a museum.
Another day we started out at the Mosque of Ibn Tulun, then visited the Gayer-Anderson Museum. Next, we visited the Sabil-Kuttab of Qaytbay, the Mosque/Madrassa of Sultan Hassan, Mosque of el-Rifai, the Mosque of Aqsunqur (the Blue Mosque), Mosque of Maridani, Madrassa/Sabil-Kuttab of Um Shaban, and the Mosque of Qijmas al-Shaqi, followed by dinner at Abu-el Cid.
A Pyramid day, starting at Dashur, then Saqqara, then Giza.
We head to Luxor for two days at the New Winter Palace. On the west bank we visit the Tomb of Ay and Ramsses I. Other sites in the Valley of the kings and among the tombs of the Nobles. Other mandatory stops on the west bank inlcude the mortuary temples of Hatshepsut, Ramses the Great and Ramses III (Medinat Habu). Luxor Temple and Karnak pictures are waiting for the typically unresponsive Ann-Marie to send her pictures.
Back in Cairo, we drink in the ambience of el-Hussein Hotel, Fishawy's Cafe and the Khan al-Kalili.
Maureen and Steve arrive early (March 7) in order to make arrangements, including changing lots of money, getting us all booked into the Hotel Hussein, looking up former students and old friends, some of whom gathered at the the flat of Mike Lattanzi and Susan Silveus, others we met at Tabboulah's for Lebanese food, as well as family at Fekry's new place in Shubra.
When the rest of the group arrived, we went out to Filfilla's for dinner.
Next day we went on our first Medieval Cairo walk, north of the Khan al-Kalili and to Al-Azhar.
Next day we walked south through Bab Zuwayla, to Sultan Hassan and Ibn Tulun.
On day three we did the Old Kingdom Tour through Saqqara, Dashur and Giza.
Our "free day" took us to The Egyptian Museum, Nile Hilton for lunch, AUC, Coptic Cairo and the Nilometer on Roda Island.
Wednesday and Thursday we head for Luxor, where we checked into the New Winter Palace, did the east bank tour on Wednesday (Luxor Temple and Karnak), and in the morning crossed the Nile by boat, headed to the Valley of the Kings by taxi, and then to the Temple of Hatshepsut, followed by a nice lunch on the Nile Valley Hotel roof. In the afternoon, we visited Deir al-Medina, had a ritual reading of Shelly's Ozymandias at the Ramasseum, visited the mortuary temple of Ramses III at Medinat Habu, before heading back to our hotel in exhaustion.
On the final free days, there were trips to Alexandria, the Northern Cemetery and to the Wissa Wassaf Cultural Center
Some last Egyptian pancakes, and then back home.
July 19: Returned to the Ibn Tulun area where I visited on Sharia Saliba the Mosque of Taghri Bardi (1440), the Mosque of Shaykhu (1349), which is under substantial restoration along with the Khanqah of Shayku (1413) across the street. Turning up Sharia Suyufiya, I walked past (but not in) the Tomb of Hasan Sadaqa (1315), and the Mosque of Ganim al-Bahlawan (1540).
July 18: Farwell dinner in Rehab.July 17: Went to Rania Salah's engagement party on El Saraya, but I forgot my camera. Doh!
July 16: Lunch with Staff at Taboullah's. Thanks for a great year!
July 15: Went to the Citadel to vist the Ottomon style Mosque of Suleyman Pasha (1528) and the Mosque of Muhammed al-Nasir (1318). From there I took a cab to the Tomb of Imam al-Shefi (12th C) in the Southern Cemetery and the Hosh al-Basha (1854), the tomb complex of the family of Muhammed Ali, with its multiple domes. The latter actually had official tickets (12 LE), but the Tomb of Imam el-Shefi is a backsheesh black hole. They don't seem to get too many visitors here. Since there were no cabs in sight, I took the 25 p bus to Attaba square. Ana Masri, mish kidda?
July 14: On my way to the Khan, I stopped at the Mosque of Yusuf Agha al-Hin (1625), the Mosque of Malika Safiya (1610), and the Mosque of Burdayni (1529), all just south of the Museum of Islamic Art. I couldn't get into the sanctuary of the Malika Safiya Mosque, which has a beautiful Ottoman style dome.
July 13: The Fekry clan came over for a farewell dinner.
July 9: Went to the Ibn Tulun area to look at the double tomb of Sangar and Salar (1475), which is inaccessible. The Madrassa of Sarghatmish (1356) is right in from of Ibn Tulun. Up the street is the Mosque of Azback Salim (1495). Next I headed down to the cemetery area south of Ibn Tulun, to visit the Tomb of Sayyida Ruqayya (1133), one of the patron saints of Cairo. It was a wierd experince and I was too uncomfortable to take pictures. People come here to make petitions to the saints. I walked up Sharia Darb al-Hosr, past the Mosque of Khushqaddam (1366) to the Midan Qala'a, then up Sharia Bab al-Wazir to the Blue mosque, where I tried to get better pictures of the tiles. They need a wash job badly! The renovations at the Mosque of Salih Tala'i (1160) are really moving along. So are the renovations on Tahrir Square.
Dinner with the Department at the Thai restaurant in Maadi.
July 7: Returned to the Midan Qala'a area. Going up Sharia Saliba, I visited the Sabil of Umm Abbas (1867), the Khanqah of Shayku (1349), under restoration, the Sabil-Kuttab of Qaytbay (1479), which is now a museusm of Islamic art, walked past the Madrasa of Hasan, over to the Mosque of Mahmud Pasha (1567), the Mosque of Amir Ahkur (1503), and the Mosque of Gawahr al-Lala (1430).
I then headed up Suq al-Silah street to the Madrasa of Ilgay al-Yusufi, where school was in session, and the Sabil Kuttab of Ruqayya Dudu (1761). Continuing on past some old friends, I managed to get into the Mosque of Qijmas al-Ishaqi (1481).
After passing through Bab Zuwayla, I was surprised to see more signs of restoration completion at the Wikala of Nafisa Bayda (1796).
Crossing over to the Khan al-Kalili, I managed finally to get inside the Qalawan (1285) and Barquq (1386) complexes. They have a long way to go, but should be spectacular when finished. Also the Sabil-Kuttab of Khursaw has lost some scaffolding, and even the al-Salih complex is more visible now.
July 5: I visited the Madrasa of Sultan Hasan (1356-63), the masterpiece of Mamluk architecture in Cairo, and the Mosque of al-Rifa'i (1869-80 and 1905-12). The latter holds the tombs of the last Shah of Iran and King Farouk, the last King of Egypt, among others. After getting lost, I cooled off in the charming Mosque of Sayyida Aisha (1762).
July 3. On Sharia Muizz al-Din Allah, I got early morning pictures of the Madrassa and Mausoleum of Al-Salih al-Din Ayyub (1250), with its rare Ayyubid minaret.
Sticking out from that building is the Sabil-Kuttab of Khusraw Pasha (1535).
Down the street is the Madrassa of Baybars (1263), and the Sabil of Ismail Pasha (1828).
Farther down is the Mosque of al-Silhahdar (1939), under renovation, and off the main street winding around to the west is the Mosque of Abu Bakr Muzhir (1480), in very bad shape.
Heading back on Gamileya Street, I went past the Khanqh of Baybars (1310) and the charming Mosque of Gamel al-Din Ustader (1407).
Across from the Mosque of Hussein, which is not accessible to non-Muslims, is the Sabil-Kuttab of Ahmad Pasha (1864).
From the square there is a good view of al-Azhar Mosque and the Mausoleum of Abu Dhahab.
Dinner at Fekry's. Muhammed finally makes an appearance.
June 28: I returned to Sharia la-Mu'izz li-Din Allah to see the west side of the street early in the morning. The Mosque of al-Ashraf Barsbay, right next to the spice market, is under restoration.
Down the street is an important group of buildings, beginning with the Qalawan Complex, which included a hospital, a madrassa and a mausoleum, all of which is under restoration.
Next is the mausoleum and madrassa of Nasir al-Muhammed, Qalawan's son. Next is the complex of Barquq. I was able to climb the very rickety minaret of the Madrassa-Mausoleum of al-Salih al-Din Ayyub (1242), which is a rare survivor of the Ayyubid period, and get some views up and down the street.
Heading back towards Bab Zuwayla, I stopped at Beit Gamal al-Din al Dhahab (1634) and the nearby Fakahani Mosque (1735).
Passing through Bab Zuwayla, I visited the Maridani Mosque (1340), one of the earliest to use a mashrabiya screen to separate the sanctuary from the rest of the mosque. The collonade mixes Islamic, Greco-Roman and Pharaonic columns. The fountain in the middle of the courtyard is still in use. Next in line was the Madrassa of Umm al-Sultan Sha'ban, which was inaccessible because of restoration. Down the street is the Mosque of Aqsunqur (1347) or the "Blue" Mosque as it is called from the Syrian tile in the Qibla wall. From the minaret it was possible to see the Ayyubid Walls of the city. The Mosque of Khayrbak (1502) was badly damaged by the earthquake of '92, but I got an illegal tour anyway. By now I was too hot to visit more mosques, so I took some pictures from Midan al-Qala'a of Sultan Hussan, Rifa'i, Mahmud Pasha, and the Citadel before retreating to air-conditioning.
June 27: I returned to the Northern Cemetery. Starting from the Qaytbay complex, which runs from the Gate of Qaytbay (1474) to the Rab' of Qaytbay, a residential complex, I went north to the Tomb and Mosque of Sultan al-Ashraf Barsbay (1432). Then on to the Complex of Sultan Farrag ibm Barquq (1400-11). This latter is actually a Khanqah, a Sufi residential institution, but it has two mausoleums, the northern one for the Sultan and his brothers, southern one for the ladies. Both have enormous, high domes, with opulent decorations. There is a central courtyard surrounded by arcades. From the minaret it was possible to get good views of the necropolis. Farther north, the Complex of Qurqumas (1506) is closed for restoration.
On the way home I went to Bab Zuweyla, whose restoration is now finished. From the minarets it was possible to get good views of medieval Cairo, including some nearby mosques that are closed for restoration. Most important, from Sergio Sanabria's point of view, were the machicolations over the gate.
June 21: Sara and I set out for the Northern Cemetery, where many important monuments are surrounded by makeshift housing for Cairo's burgeoning population. First we got breakfast at my favorite tamaia and foul place. We tried to get to the northern walls of the Fatimid city at Bab Futuh (1087), which is accessible by the nearby Mosque of Hakim (1013). From the mosque, we could see Bab Futuh, but could not get to it, because of reconstruction. From the walkway over Salah Salem St. and from the minaret of Qaytbay, we could get general views of the cemetery. We explored the complex of Qaytbay, which includes a mosque, Quaytbay's mausoleum and a minaret.
June 20: A visit to Islamic Cairo cut short by a dead battery. Doh! The Aqunqsur Mosque (1347) is called the Blue mosque because of the blue tile on the outside brought from Syria. Down the street are views of the Ayyubid Wall (1176-1183) and the Tomb of Tarabay ash-Sherifi (1504).
June 9-16: Back in Cairo, Jinnyn hooks up with her friends at AUC, like Makki, while the rest of us get back to work. She visits the great Pyramids of Giza, Coptic Cairo, the Khan al-Kalili, with several trips to Euro-Deli. At the end of the week, Jinnyn and Steve fly down to Luxor for a couple days. Our first night we go to the Oriental Buffet, complete with belly dancing and whirling dervishes. Next morning we are up at the crack of dawn to avoid the heat. We go to the Valley of the Kings where we see several tombs and other odd things, climb to the overlook of the Temple of Hatshepsut, then visit the Ramasseum (Jinnyn's favorite), Medinat Habu Temple (also Jinnyn's favorite), and the Colossi of Memnon, before heading back on the ferry. Jinnyn thinks temples are cool, so we visit Luxor temple on the east bank (Jinnyn's new favorite), before taking a felucca to the Movenpick Hotel on Crocodile Island. The food there was mediocre and the service unaccommodating. Next morning we headed back to the west bank: Workman's village, Ptolemaic Temple of Hathor, Temple of Queen Hatshepsut (Jinnyn identifies with the Queen), Tombs of the Nobles (where we get expert guidance from local talent) and the Temple of Seti II. Back on the East Bank, I loll around the pool all afternoon while Jinnyn explores the souk. As evening falls, we take a carriage out to Karnak Temple, where we catch part of the Sound and Light Show before heading for the airport.
On her last day in Cairo, Jinnyn heads to the Khan al-Kalili again (!). After she buys God knows what, we wander through Islamic Cairo, visiting Bab Zuweyla, el-Ghoury Mosque and Madrassa, and the great Al-Azhar Mosque. Heavily laden with her goodies, Jinnyn sets out to the airport at 1:30 am. Bon voyage!!
While visiting the West bank with Jinnyn, we got to see the tomb of Horemheb (1323-1295 BC), which has been under restoration. I also took more pictures of the Tomb of Ramose for Ann-Marie, since we didn't get to that tomb. Other tombs Ann-Marie and I did visit were Sennedjem and Pashedu. On both trips I took more pictures of the Ramesseum. Also some pictures of Alexander the Great in Luxor Temple.
After an uncomfortable 9 hour bus ride, we plan to fly from Sharm el-Sheik on the way back. When we get to Dahab, we find it hard to get off our duffs to do any of the many exciting day trips. Sara and Jinnyn manage to snorkel, but Ahmed and I stick with our books. Jinnyn makes quite a splash on the beach promenade, provoking a pool on her ethnicity. Sara and Jinnyn find a 3-day excursion to Petra, for which we sign up--except Ahmed, who has no visa. He stays behind when we get on the ferry at Nuweiba heading to Aqaba, which departs more than an hour late. From there Muhammad drives us to Petra, passing by Wadi Rum and the Spring of Moses. Next morning we head off with Mahmoud at 6:00 am for Petra. Jinnyn has two words for Petra: Fabulous and CarAzy. We enter the Siq, a long narrow natural canyon that leads directly to the famous treasury, which we get to enjoy all by ourselves. We then head downtown, where the middle class lived, by the the Nabatean theatre, up to the Royal residences and tombs, before heading up to the monastery. Here valor gives way to discretion and we ride donkeys up the 811 stairs. The monastery was a royal Nabatean residence before being used as a Christian monastery. On the walk back we see parts of the old Roman city and take more pictures of the beautiful rose rock of Petra. Next day we visit Wadi Rum in a 4-wheel drive vehicle complete with tour in Jordanian Arabic--good thing we had Sara. Sara turned out to be even more valuable after we discovered our ferry had left Aqaba 2 hours early. We were compelled to go overland through Israel ("How do you pronounce your name, Jinnyn?" "Yes, just like the city in Palestine"). After many delays and unexpected snags, we made it to Sharm just in time to catch our flight back home. OK, I am never leaving Kansas again!
May 31: Jinnyn showcases her favorite exhibits at the Egyptian Museum, after reconciling with Akenaton.
May 27: Jinnyn Jacob arrives from Istanbul. Besides our other favorite places we took her to Dashur, where we descended into the heart of the Red Pyramid and saw the Bent Pyramid; Saqqara, where we saw the Step Pyramid of Zoser and the tomb of Meruruka, before retreating from the heat to Felfella's.
May 17-22: Steve goes to an ancient novel conference in Rethymno, Crete. Since this was strictly business, I only took a few shots of the Preveli Monastery we visited on the south before going to the beach, and a few memory shots of conference participants at various beautiful places.
May 13: We spent the Prophet's Birthday in Shobra, with the Fekry's. although Muhammed was a no-show again!
May 10: Islamic Cairo II: Al-Azhar to Bab Zuwayla. Although the Wikala and Mausoleum of Al-Ghoury (1505) were closed, the Madrassa, which now serves as a mosque, was open. The interior is beautful and I mangaed to go up the Minaret to get some views of Bab Zuwayla to the north and Qalawun to the south. Took some pictures of the exterior of the Mauseleum and exterior of the Madrassa from acrros the street. Up the street was the Sabil (fountain) of Tusun (1820) and the Wikala and Sabil of Nafisa, also closed. Visited the Mosque of Salih Tala'i (1160), being restored, but took some good pictures of Bab Zuwayla from the roof. I walked past the tent-makers and saddle-makers all the way to Muhammed Ali street before flagging down a cab home. It's hot!
May 2: jean is born!! Dad and Jean. Mom, Eli and Jean. More pictures of Jean are located on Nimis.net
May 1: Steve and Sara did an Islamic Cairo Walk from Khan al-Kalili to Bab Futuh. Several places were closed for reatoration (!) nevertheless we got some pictures of several important buildings on Sharia al-Mu'izz il-Din Allah. These included the Madrassa of al-Salih Ayyub (1250), the complexes of Qalawan (1285) and Barquq (1386); mostly closed, the Sabil-Kuttab of 'Abd al-Rahman Katkhunda (1744), the Mosque of al-Aqmar (1125), Bayt al-Shihaymi (1648-1796) and the Mosque of al-Hakim (1013).
April 25: Dar and Steve drove up to Wadi Natroun to see the Coptic monasteries where Dar had excavated years ago.
April 19-24: As Rene prepares to leave Cairo, she says goodbye to some friends and favorite places.
April 18: Dar Brooks-Hedstrom came to Cairo to visit Middle Egypt. We went with her to Old Cairo to see the Hanging Church, the Coptic Museum, and other Coptic churches tucked aroud a maze of streets there.
April 12: Shopping trip to Kerdessa with the faculty Services, with lunch at Andrea's by the Pyramids later.
April 10: My student Engy Khaled invited us to her Engagement Party in Heliopolis.
April 3-7: Rene and Steve head to the Sinai for three days of R&R at Sharm el-Sheikh. We stayed in the Sofitel in Naama Bay where we had the place pretty much to ourselves. The area is a remarkable set of contrasts.
Gary and John arrive. We went for a felucca ride on the Nile with the Fekry clan. We took in Islamic cairo, including a trip to the Citadel, the Muhammad Ali Mosque and the Khan al-Kalili. Then the mandatory trip to the pyramids. After dinner at the Lebanese Restaurant on the Nile City Riverboat, Sara took the boys to Alexandria on the train. Then the whole family (even Ahmed!) went to Luxor, where we checked out the east bank temples before heading to the west bank. We ranged through the valley of the kings, the tombs of the nobles, the Ramasseum, Medinat Habu, before taking a felucca ride. Check out the auspicious name of our fine vessel.
Here are some pics of Ann-Marie in Luxor for her parents' piece of mind.
After her Nile cruise, we took Ann-Maire to dinner at Abu El Cid and then for a tour of Islamic Cairo, including a trip through the Khan al-Kalili.
Next day we went to the pyramids of Giza, Saqqara and Dashur.
On Saturday, Feb 22, Maureen and Steve visited Rhoda Island, site of a 9th Century Nilometer, fitted with a conical dome in the 19th Century. The Nilometer was used to gauge the annual innundations of the Nile in order to predict and assess the size of the annual harvest. Next to the Nilometer is the Omm Kulthum Museum, honoring the famous Egyptian singer who alone could empty the streets of Cairo the first Thursday of every month with her live radio show.
On Saturday, February 15, there was a demonstration against the war in Iraq in downtown Cairo, under heavy police presence. Here are some pictures taken by my colleague Samia.
Here are some pictures I took in the Egyptian Museum today. They range from the Old Kingdom to the Greco-Roman Period.
Here are some recent pictures of Eli and family and here's some more.
My first destination was the "Tombs of the Nobles," the private tombs of various important New Kingdom officials--scribes, overseers, mayors. There are at least 400 such tombs in an area between the Valley of the Kings and the Valley of the Queens. They are much smaller than the royal tombs, but have vivid represntations of daily life: agriculture, hunting, fishing, wine-making, music. The guards here were exceptionally importuning, probably because they only get one customer a day, and I ran through quite a bit of basksheesh. The tombs were beautiful, but I didn't get as many good pictures as I hoped for.
Khaemhat (TT 57) Royal Scribe, Overseer
of the Granaries of Upper and Lower Egypt
Menna (TT 69) Scribe of the Fields of the
Lord of the Two Lands
Nakht (TT 52) Scribe, Astronomer of Amun
Ramose (TT 55) Governer of the Town and
Vizier (18th Dynasty)
Rekhmire (TT 100) Governer of the Town
and Vizier (18th Dynasty)
Sennufer (TT 96) Mayor of the Southern
City (18th Dynassty)
Userhat (TT 51) First Prophet of the Royal
Ka of Tuthmosis I (19th Dynasty)
Next I headed to Deir el-Medina, the village where those who built the tombs lived. Across the village on the opposite hill is a large necropolis where several private tombs are open. Near it is a Ptolemaic temple
Views of the Deir el-Medina Site
Tomb of Anherka (TT 359)
Finally, I went to the Valley of the Kings to see the Tomb of Ay (1327-1323), which is quite a distance from the main part of the valley. A nice, but very lonely man unlocks the gate and turns on the generator for you. The tomb is not in great shape, but is situated in a spectacular canyon.
Next day I set out with Muhammed for Abydos and Dendara, north of Luxor. All vehicles have to be escorted and leave at set times in a convoy. The convoy makes good time. The Temple of Sety I at Abydos is the most complete temple from the New Kingdom. It has two enormous hypostyle halls with numerous chapels and other chambers, all well-preserved structurally, although the decorations are pretty damaged. There is an important list of all the pharaohs from the time of Menes, with some notable exceptions (e.g. Hatshepsut) on one long wall. Several chapels have a false door at the end, indicating a passage to immortality.
Connected to the temple is the Osireion, where Osiris was "buried" every year. It is partly underwater now and looks like a sewer project of some kind.
At Dendara, the big atraction is the great temple to Hathor. Although it is from the Greco-Roman period, you could have fooled me. The site has two Mammisi, or birth houses, dedicated to Hathor, one Roman and one Ptolemaic, between which is squeezed a Coptic basilica. Views of these three buildings.
Next in line is the temple of Hathor, which is remarkably complete, with winding staircases to the roof, a colossal hypostyle hall with column capitals with the head of Hathor. The place is huge and one of the few temples that has such a complete roof. There was some color left on the ceilings and column capitals.
Also at the site is a temple of the birth of Isis and a sacred lake like the one at Karnak, now filled with palm trees.
Last day in Luxor, I headed back to the West Bank. I visited the Valley of the Kings again to see if any different tombs were opened since I was here last, but no luck. So I went to the three tombs I hadn't been to, all of them less spectacular and more damaged than the best tombs in the valley. I also hiked up to the overlook of Deir al-Bahri again, although once again it was not a clear day. However, I wanted to get some video from up above. I took a few stills with my video of Deir al-Bahri, especially the older temple of Mentuhotep, which can only be appreciated from above.
Tomb of Mentuherkepeshef (the
closed tomb of Hatshepsut is next door)
Tomb of Sethos II ( 1200-1194)
Tomb of Ramses VII (1136-1129)
Before heading back to the east bank, I visited the Temple of Sethos II, which is not as massive as the Ramasseum or Medinat Habu, but interesting and a good place to get some solitude for a while.
Finally, I visited the Luxor Museum, which has a very nice display, mostly sculpture. Next to Luxor Temple is a nice park where I ate a felafel sandwich. From here you can see clearly the mosque built within the temple.
The pictures below are organized in galleries. Click on a link to view each gallery.
We arrived in Beirut, where we stayed for two nights. We walked along the coast and around the rebuilt area, the so-called "green line" that divided the combatants during the civil war. We also ate excellent Lebanese food.
Next we drove to the Ummayad city of Aanjar, south of Zahle (Caution: this is an archaeological site). The city was built in the 7th century and destroyed a hundred years later. It is unique because it was not built over after its destruction, nor was it built over a previous occupation.
From there we stayed two nights in Zahle, where Helene Jacob's families are from. Zahle is a beautiful mountain city, famous for wines and a retreat from the heat of summer. We were cold.
We took a daytrip to the ancient site of Baalbek, one of the premier Roman temple complexes in the world. Here we took lots of pictures. Steve was very happy here. The complex has two huge temples, one to Jupiter/Baal, of which only six enormous (30 meter) columns remain to give a sense of the scale. We had Ahmed (6'4") stand next to them in one of the pictures. Can you spot him? Near that temple is the "smaller" temple to Venus, also enormous and much better preserved. Again, Ahmed provided scale.
After some sweets in the charming village of Baalbek we headed home to our happy little Hotel Akl in Zahle.
Next day we drove across Mount Lebanon on our way to Byblos. We had good views of the Bekaa valley and the Anti-Lebanon mountain range which separates Lebanon from Syria.
The City of Byblos. This is the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world, one of many "oldest inhabited cities in the world" we visited this trip (!). It is also the oldest seaport in the world.
On the way from Byblos we passed through Batroun and stopped at Jdabra, the hometown of the John Abdo Family. We had a hard time finding anyone in Jdabra.
Our next stop was Hama, Syria, where we stayed two nights, making day trips to excellent sites in the area (see below).
From Hama we took a day trip to visit the Krak des Chevaliers, the greatest of the Crusader Castles built in the 12th and 13th centuries.
After our visit to the Krak, we took a mountain road (!) to the ancient Roman city of Apamea. This site has a long main colonnaded street (cardo), with many interesting buildings, most of which we did not visit because of a minor revolt among those who wanted to see some living culture. Can you believe it?
Ahmed and Sara took a bus to Aleppo, but Maureen and Steve went on another archaeological excursion: first to the so-called "dead cities," medieval towns that were mysteriously abandoned without being destroyed. There are hundreds of these dead cities in Syria, some of them partially inhabited, others totally vacant. At one of them I was attacked by wild dogs, just as the guide book said I would. What's up with that?
Next we headed for St. Simeon's Monastery, the site of an important early Christian church. The church consisted of four basilicas arranged around a central pillar commemorating the pillar on which St. Simeon the hermit spent the final days of his life.
Then we drove to Aleppo, where we spent two nights. We had a drink at the Baron Hotel, where we saw Laurence of Arabia's unpaid bill, had lunch by the medieval citadel, had a Turkish bath (hammam), shopped the souqs, and ate a nice dinner at Beit al-Wakil, a 450 year old house converted into a hotel and restaurant.
Next day we drove west along the Euphrates River, heading to Raqqa, where we photographed the "Baghdad Gate," the gate through the old walled city that led to the east.
On into the desert, we passed by the medieval city of Resafe (no stopping allowed) on our way to Qasr al-Heir Ash-Sharqi, a pair of forticifcations from the middle ages in the middle of nowhere. We had tea with the Bedouin who keeps the keys to the castle. Our purpose here was to discover the machicolations over the main gate, which we eventually found.
Next we drove to Palmyra, a Syrian city of the Roman empire, best known for its infamous queen, Zenobia, a Cleopatra-like femme fatale. The ruins include a long colonnaded street, a theatre, and a huge temple to Bel, which was later used as a fortification by the Arabs. A nearby Arab Citadel also provided views of the whole area. We returned to our hotel and waited for the bus to take us on the road to Damascus. You want more Palmyra ruins? Click here.
In Damascus we checked into the Semiramis, a nice comfortable hotel, for the final phase of our trip. Damascus is famous for its beautiful mosques, outstanding domestic architecture, souqs, baths, more souqs, and good food. Did I mention the souqs? We visited the Ummayad Mosque in the old city, which is one of the most important mosques in Islam. The first to have a mirhab, a niche indicating the direction to Mecca, it has exceptional mosaics, a shrine to John the Baptist, and three minarets. It is next to the souq and the west entrance is near vestiges of an old Byzantine colonnade. Around it are maddrassas (schools) and the tomb of Saladin. We also saw some other mosques in the old city.
Next day, after coffee at the train station--in a train, actually--we set out for the souqs and the Azem Palace, an outstanding example of 18th Century domestic architecture, which is now a museum. We explored every corner of the souqs, including the Khan Assad Pasha, a famous 18th century caravan stop, now under renovation.
Next day Maureen and Steve headed south for two sites of interest. The first was Ezraa, where we looked at two important early churches and a ruined mosque. The Church of St. George is dated to 515 AD by an inscription over its main door. It is one of the earliest examples of an octagon within a square plan. The Church of St. Elias is a 6th C. church where a funeral was taking place, so we only photographed the outside.
From Ezraa, we made our way to Bosra, where few western visitors go because it sounds like Basra, which is in Iraq. Bosra boasts one of the best preserved Roman theatres in the world, preserved in part because of the Arab fortifications that were built onto its exterior. Nearby we found two Christian churches, a 3rd C. Roman basilica that was converted into a Christian church and associated with the monk Bahira, whom Muhammed consulted during his visit to Bosra. The cathedral of Bosra is badly ruined, but is a circle in a square construction of great historical importance (mostly to Sergio Sanabria). After checking out the churches we wandered around the old city of Bosra, which has a bath complex, colonnaded streets, and an impressive Nabatean gate.
Next day we woke up to a massive anti-war demonstration outside our hotel. Steve went to the national museum, which only allows pictures outside in the sculpture garden. The entrance to the museum is the monumental entrance to the desert castle of Qasr al-Heir al-Gharbi, the sister of the Qasr al-Heir Ash-Sharqi castle we visited.
Our last day we spent shopping, eating, and wandering. Maureen and Steve visited the little chapel of St. Anninias, which marks the spot that St. Paul was lowered over the walls of the old city. We had a nice meal at the Old Damascus restaurant, north of the Ummayad Mosque before heading to the airport for our duty free.
Abu Simbel is near the Sudan in upper Egypt. When the high dam was built in the 1950s, many monuments in upper Egypt had to be moved to higher ground. The most dramatic such salvage operation was for the two temples built by Ramses II, the Great Temple dedicated to himself and the Theban triad, and the Temple of Hathor dedicated to his favorite wife, Nefertari.
The front of the Great Temple has four collosal statues of Ramses II sitting. One of them was damaged by an earthquake. The first interior room is a hypostyle hall with has eight collosal pillars depicting Ramses as the god Osiris. The interior of the hypostyle hall is decorated with scenes depicting Ramses' victories over his enemies, especially over the Hittites at the battle of Kadesh. The innermost room has statues of the deified Ramses sitting with the other gods. The wall decorations depict the sun barque of Ramses. The temple was oriented so that twice a year the rising sun would illuminate the four statues in the shrine. Several storeroom depict offerings from Ramses to various gods.
Next to the great temple is a smaller temple dedicated to Queen Nefertari and the goddess Hathor, who is often represented as a cow. The exterior of the temple has six collossal statues, two of Nefertari and four of Ramses, with smaller statues of their children. The first interior room has pillars with the head of Hathor on the inner side. The front walls depict Ramses smiting Asian and Nubian enemies. Other walls depict scenes of Ramses and Nefertari with various deities.
We stayed at the Nefertari Hotel. We were the only guests (!)
We stayed at the International Hot Springs Hotel in Bahariyya, where we could soak in the natural hot springs, view the oasis and were entertained by Bedouin dancers.
We visited the tombs of two 26th dynasty pharoahs and saw the "golden mummies" in the small museum. The tombs and mummies are not as grand as the ones in Luxor.
We visited the Salvation Temple built by Alexander the Great to commemorate his safe arrival on his way back from Siwa. The temple has representations of Alexander the Great as Pharaoh, but you have to look closely. This area is filled with unexcavated tombs.
We drove into the White Desert in 4-wheel
drive vehicles. The oasis is a vast depression that was once an
inland lake. The white sand is formed from the shells of the water
life that lived here for millions of years and the place is full
of their fossils.
The Old City of Bawiti is made of mud bricks complete a tomb of a 17th Century Pasha.
The Hot Springs are used to irrigate the oasis. There are remains of a Roman fort and a lively retail trade on the Champs d' Elysses.
El Gouna is a brand new development on teh Red Sea--all less than 10 years old--all owned by We took a cruise around the many properties developed in El Gouna in many architectural styles. But where are the people? We stayed in the Movenpick Resort, which was very nice.
We had Ahmed and Sara, Tariq and Hala (newlyweds) and the Mike Latanzi/Susan Silveus family for Thanksgiving dinner
Saqqara is the site of the earliest pyramids and the mortuary complexes of many Old Kingdom Pharaohs. The earliest pyramid is the Step Pyramid of Zoser (2628-2609), built by the master architect Imhotep.
The first great project in stone, executed by Imhotep,is the wall encircling the Zoser Complex. Over 30 meters high, it was completely buried in sand before the excavation. The recessed paneling si similar to the mastabas of the first two dynasties. There is one real entrance and 14 dummy entrances.
The Hypostyle Hall leading into the Complex is the first use of columns instead of supporting walls, but due to diffience about their strength, the colums were engaged in a wall.
The mortuary complex of Zoser included his Step Pyramid, a great courtyard, the Heb Sed court, where the Pharaoh renewed himself annually, and a unmber of other buildings that sport various architectural elements. The burial shaft at th esouthern end of the complex communicated with the pyramid. Other pyramids dot the surrounding area.
The Pyramid of Teti (2311-2281)
The pyramid itself has largely disappeared, but the tomb chamber
is intact
The Tomb of Mereruka, Son-in-Law of Teti
Of Dashur's eleven original pyramids, the most famous remaining are the "bent" pyramid of and the "red" pyramid, both built by Sneferu (2573-2549), the father of Cheops, the pharaoh of the Great Pyramid of Giza. The bent pyramid is so-called because half-way up, the angle was changed to a steeper one. Much of its limestone casing is still intact. The red pyramid is the first true pyramid . It is possible to go into this pyramid's center, which is a corbelled vault.
This group of men from the Suez region sang praise poems, and traditional, love songs, but the oldest guy in the group and the three young kids stole the show. The young girl's dancing moves were astonishing. The concert was at Beit Harrawi, a 16th C. Home.
Al-Azhar is one of Cairo's oldest mosques, founded in 970, and the oldest university in the world. The main entrance and first courtyard to Al-Azhar Mosque are later enlargements to the original mosque. There are many madrassas and mausoleusm in the complex, and many beautiful mirhabs. The three minarets are from the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries from left to right.
We then passed through a medieval gate, past a fountain (sabil) on our way to Beit al-Harrawi (18th C. house) and Beit Zeinab al-Khatoum, a rstored Ottoman era house.
There was a musical group from the Horn of Africa, reatil opportunities, and a dramatic performance at All-Saints Cathedral in Zamalek
Madame Soheir took her class to the Khan the first thursday of Ramadan. It was crazy down there.
We ate abundantly at Fekry's and then went for a walk through Shobra, which was hopping for Ramadan.
This olive plantation was out in the desert away from Cairo's pollution.
The first Pylon and first court were built by Ramses II, attatched
to the rest of the complex on a slightly different axis. The older
part was built by Amenophis III. It was connected to Karnak temple
by an avenue of Sphinxes. There used to be two obleisks in front;
now the other is in Paris. A mosque was built inside the temple
several meters above the old temple floor.
One of the four obelisks that used
to stand between the third and fourth pylons
Across the central court is the Festival
Temple of Tuthmosis III
The limestone barque sanctuary of Sestrotis 1 (1972-1926) reconstructed
in the Open Air Museum (the so-called "White
Chapel"), made of limestone, was the oldest part of the complex.
Parts of it were recovered from the third pylon where they had
been used by later builders. There were two other sanctuaries
in the Open air museum, along with the sanctuary of Hatshepsut
(the "red chapel").
The so-called Collossi of Memnon. They are all that is left of the temple of Amenophis III.
The New Kingdom kings (1550-1163 BC) gave up on pyramids and tried to hide their tombs in the desert hills on the West bank of the Nile. Only King Tutankhamun's tomb survived to the 20th Century unrobbed.
General Views of Valley of the Kings
Tomb of Tuthmosis III (1479-1425) A well-hidden tomb stashed away in a limestone cliff and then descending deep into the mountain.
The plan of the tomb with a deep
descent, a left hand turn and a deep shaft to trap robbers.
The stairs leading up into the canyon
The stairs leading down into the
tomb
Trapezoidal antechamber
Oval-shaped burial chamber
Detail of cynocephali in the antechamber
Detail of Sun god with ram's head
making his journey through the night
Tomb of Amenhotep II (1427-1401) One of the deepest tombs, descending down 90 stairs, across a deep pit. There is a large undecorated hall before a 90 degree left turn to the burial chamber.
The passage leading down to the
tomb
The undecorated hall before the jog
to the left.
The tomb chamber
The Sarcophagus with the mummy inside
The ceiling is completely covered
with stars
The sarcophagus
The walls are covered with the complete
text of the Book of Amduat.
Detail of hieratic script of Book
of Erudite.
Tomb of Tuthmosis IV (1401-1391) Most of the walls in this huge tomb were never finished.
This famous temple is modeled on the temple of Mentuhotep which is next to it, but 600 years older.
The area around the temple is
dotted with tombs
General view of t he temple
View of the temple
Ruins of the Temple of Mentuhotep
The second terrace
representation of the Queen
representation of Horus
ramp leading up to the the third
terrace
Statues of the Queen
Remnants of the colonnade of the
third terrace
Looking into the Sanctuary of Amun
head of Hatshepsut with paint
Decorations in Sanctuary
Mentuhotep temple from second terrace
The two temples from the hills above
Looking toward the Nile from above
the temples
Mentuhotep temple from the hills
above
The mortuary temple of Ramses II. The ruins of the colossal statue of Ramses in this temple inspired Shelley's poem "Ozymandias."
This temple complex includes the mortuary temple of Ramses III, which completely overwhelms the Temple of Amun that was built earlier by Queen Hatshepsut.
The Hanging Church is so-called because it is built over the Water Gate of the old Roman Fortress.
The Coptic Museum
A Coptic letter written by Saint
Basil. Coptic is the Egyptian language written in Greek characters
Early sculpture with Egyptian Necklace.
Coptic sculpture typically had exaggerated eyes
Female figure holding papyrus plants
Depiction of Leda and the Swan
Depiction of Phrixus and the Golden
Fleece
Coptic Cross shaped like the Egyptian
Ank or sign of life
A page from the Gnostic Gospel of
St. John discovered at Nag Hammedi in 1948
Page from the Gnostic Gospel of St.
Thomas
Decorative Coptic Capital
Gravestone with Coptic Cross and
inscription with Egyptian hieroglyph (staircase) for death
Views of Cairo from Cairo Tower
Tahrir Bridge with Citadel in the
distance
Southern end of Zamalek Island
Southwestern side of Zamalek: Gezira
pool: pyramids in distance
October 6th B ridge into Mohandissen
Northern end of Zamalek Island
Eastern side of Zamalek Island
Tahrir Square and AUC are in the
center of the picture
Can you see the pyramids in the distance?
Eastern side of Zamalek Island
In Rehab chez Meshawi with Ahmed's family (Oct. 11, 2002)
Fekry and Asmi
Fekry, Sito, Asmi
Dia, Fekry, Sara, Reda, Sito
A Feast!
Meshawi serves
The fruit course
Persimmons
Rehab has grass!
Rehab is a new community outside
Cairo proper
Asmi snoozing
At the nearby mall
Maureen, Ahmed and Sara
Mezze!
From our Hotel Window
The Corniche
Saad Zaghoul Square
In the Greco Roman-Museum
Alexander the Great
Sculpture Garden
falcon sculpture
mosaic
Queen Berenice and Rene
Vase
glass votives
ceramic votives
ivory votives
tiny glassware
ceramic representations of the Alexandria
Lighthouse
ceramic dolls
hairdo options in Ptolemaic Egypt
The original pigtail do
Nubian head
"I am, on the one hand,..."
Famous Fayoum death portrait
Wooden sarcophagus
burial chamber
At the Roman Theatre Site
excavations below the street
in the Odeon
in the Odeon
from a distance
With Ahmed and Sara
In front of our hotel (The Cecil)
Picking out fish at Qadour's
Qadour's
Rene in front of the Cecil Hotel's
famous elevator
At the Motazah Palace Grounds
Swimming in the Mediterranean near
Motazah Palace
On the beach
On the Beach
Beach
More beach
New Library of Alexandria
The Turkish Quarter on the way to Abu Ashraf
street
Old Turkish house
buying guavas
Turkish houses
Turkish houses
Picking out fish at Abu Ashraf
Or we could do lamb across the street
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The Solar Boat House Museum at the Pyramids
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The Sphinx
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Some of my favorite buildings in Cairo
At the "Palace" Marriot near our apartment
Omar Effendi's Department Store
At Andrea's on Zamalek island
Ahmed grilling our fillet mignon
Rene and Steve with our new tablecloth
Ahmed and Sara with our new tablecloth
The Andalusian Gardens of Zamalek
The Corniche with Cairo Tower and Minaret
The Nile City Houseboat with Pharaonic needle on left
Bridge to Zamalek looking towards the Opera House
A nice Egyptian rug: look familiar?
Brother-in-law, brother, father,
Steve
Ahmed with his brother and sister,
Rene
Ahmed's parents show us how to
handle mangos
The young people (Is that Randy
Jacob?)
Sito with Asmi, Ahmed's nephew
Going up
Sara's Living Room
Room with a view 1
Room with a view 2
Sara's living room
At the Greek restaurant
Downtown!
happening scene
Groppi's sweetshop
downtown
inside the shopping mall
drinking yogurt on the square
Steve's swollen eye
