Egypt has been on my bucket list to visit for a long, long time.  About ten months ago I was connected to a private tour guide through a mutual friend and began planning my dream itinerary with him.  After sorting out a three week trip that I was really excited about, I sent the trip details to some of my friends to see if anyone wanted to come along.  Several agreed and flash forward to today where I am writing this blog from Egypt on Day 1 of the tour.  To say that I am excited is an understatement; the history here is incredible and I cannot wait to experience it first hand!

View from the patio at breakfast at the Mena House which sits adjacent to Giza.

The trip to Egypt was uneventful and our guide met us at the airport, walking us through the visa, customs, and baggage claim process before escorting us to our first hotel— the famed Mena House that sits adjacent to the Giza pyramids.  We arrived at the hotel around 5pm and the sun was low in the sky giving the pyramids a golden glow as I saw them for the first time.  We settled in and grabbed a light dinner before turning in for the evening.

Our tour guide, Hossam, met us in the lobby at 8:30am and we were off for our first day of whirlwind sightseeing in the old city of Cairo.  Cario, a city of around 23 million, hosts over 20% of Egypt’s citizenry, making it one of the largest cities in Africa.  I had booked a window seat on the incoming flight so I could see the city as we arrived.  My first impression, viewing the city from the airplane, was the sprawl of the city-it extended along the Nile, pushing out into the desert.  My second impression was the monochromatic nature of the city—tan/beige buildings sat on a tan/beige landscape.  But as we were driving from our hotel to the old city, green areas emerged, interrupting the unremitting shades of brown.  Other colors also made brief appearances, giving the city more texture than what I had initially seen from the air.

The Hanging Church, still in use by the Coptic Church. It still sits on the tower, even though the tower is buried.

A relic of St. George, one of many in the Hanging Church, around since the 3rd century.

Our first stop in the old city was the Hanging Church, so called because it was built above a gatehouse set in the wall of a Roman fortress.  Today the towers are buried as dirt and rock has accumulated around them over the centuries, and the church is not elevated very high off the ground – 29 steps gets you inside – but the name has stuck. Also known as St. Mary’s Coptic Orthodox Church, it is one of the oldest churches in Egypt, dating to the third century.  The Coptic Popes (and until that moment I did not know there were Coptic Popes) made the Hanging Church the center of their operations.  Today it still serves as a place of worship for the Coptic community and hosts numerous saints’ relics.  Hossam gave us a detailed history of the origins of the Coptic community in Egypt and how it evolved.  I learned a lot!

As we wandered through the narrow alleyways, surrounded by high walled buildings on either side, Hossam would suddenly turn into a nondescript opening revealing a courtyard hosting other old Coptic churches in the old city.  We also stopped by a Greek Orthodox Church, a later addition to the Christian community in Cairo, where a service (in Greek) was being held.  About 20% of Egypt’s population is Christian and as it was a Sunday, there were as many locals as tourists out and about visiting the churches.

Greek Orthodox Church, hidden in one of the many courtyards, still in use today.

Our next stop was the Ben Ezra Synagogue, the oldest Jewish synagogue in Cairo, only a few twists and turns through the alleys away from the Christian churches. The synagogue was beautiful inside with elaborate decorations and carvings.  The Jewish population in Cairo still exists although not as large as in past times.

Our final stop, rounding out the Abrahamic faiths, was the Citadel of Saladin. Saladin began construction of the Citadel in the 12th century, placing it on the highest hill in the Cairo region and using the fortress as the seat of government (which continued until the 19th century!).  While there have been several alterations and restorations in the last 800 years, much of the outer walls are original.  The complex hosts several mosques and museums in addition to the Gawhara Palace.  Hossam led us to the most recent and grand mosque- the mosque of Muhammad Ali, built in the 19th century and hosting his mausoleum. The mosque is built in the Ottoman style with several domes and an outdoor courtyard, reminding me of the architecture I had seen in Turkey and Uzbekistan.  The view from the Citadel’s walls was spectacular especially since the air was clear- no sand or haze — allowing us to easily see the pyramids at Giza, sitting on the edge of the city.

Mohammad Ali mosque in the Citadel of Saladin. Ottoman style so should look very familiar if you have read my Uzbekistan and Turkey posts!

After a nice lunch at a restaurant on a nearby hill, with another wonderful view of  Cairo, we headed to the Egyptian Museum. (The old Egyptian Museum.  We will be visiting the New Egyptian Museum later in the trip.). The original Egyptian Museum was created in the early 19th century to host artifacts that were rapidly being discovered and distributed by archeologists that descended on Egypt en masse.  The French and British were at the forefront of countries sending people to dig and that is why still today you can see important Egyptian pieces in the British Museum and the Louvre.  Eventually Egypt was able to assert authority over the archeological activities and divert artifacts, from small statues and jewelry to large statues and pieces of tombs, to the Egyptian Museum.  The two story museum was filled to the brim with objects. Hossam mentioned there are many, many more pieces that are still in storage (despite having the new museum space too).

Narmer- first king of the first dynasty, unifying upper and lower Egypt and starting the amazing story of Egypt (3100BC-ish)

Statue of Djoser, 3rd Dynasty Old Kingdom and first pyramid builder- the Step Pyramid. This is the oldest known life-sized Egyptian statue.

It was a bit surreal to walk through the various galleries knowing you were looking at statues from 2600BC, examining papyri, meters long framed on the wall, dating back a thousand years, and pieces of tombs that span the whole of pharaonic history.  In many cases the explanations and descriptions were not available, a testament, I suspect to the sheer number of objects that had to be cataloged and the rate (and manner) that the museum received the pieces.  Hossam guided us through the museum stopping and going into great detail for some of the more noteworthy pieces and then with the subsequent hour and a half of free time, I simply meandered here and there soaking in the atmosphere and trying to take it all in.  So much history…….

The old Egyptian Museum has a hodgepodge of stuff, including a “Hall of Mummies”.

We got an introduction to cartouches (circled in orange) which contain the king’s names. the one on the left with the duck above it is the birth name and the one on the right with the bee in front is the king’s reigning name. Thus starts my lesson in hieroglyphics!

Tomorrow we are off to Saqqara to start our journey with the Old Kingdom and the first pyramids ever built.