The story of an incredible journey through Egypt.

Day 0 11 april 2012

The beginning.
On 11 april 2012 it finally happened, my dream trip could begin. At 10 am on the train to Schiphol, from where I departed at 1600 hours to Caïro in Egypt. I deliberately took the train at 10 oçlock, so that I didn't need to switch trains while I was en route. Because of this I arrived a little bit early at the airport, but who cares, plenty to see there.

Having arrived at the airport in Caïro, I was neatly picked up by Olette Freriks the tour guide and by George, the driver and guide for the first three days.
Olette is the founder of Horus-travel Luxor and she has an extensive network of guides, drivers and inspectors in Egypt, a fact from which I have made good use during this fantastic journey.

Dag 1, thursday 12 april 2012

Today's program is very relaxed, with a visit to the museum of Cairo and then a tour of the city with visits to a view of the local mosques that Cairo has to offer.

At 8 o'clock we were picked up by George and he brought us, skilful driving through the traffic chaos that characterizes Cairo neatly to our first goal of today the museum of Cairo.

Video of the museum in Caïro.

Museum of Caïro.

(Clik on the image for more pictures)

For general images of Cairo click on this line.

The museum, founded by Auguste Mariette was very interesting and gave already a good impression of things to come during this trip. Moreover, they are busy to build a new museum, which should be ready in a few years and which means that the current museum will be empty afterwards. I'm not sure if that is a good thing, because the building is very impressive and fits the collection, but we will see how they manage that in the futuire when it will be ready.

Video of Tahir square.

For images of Tahir square, click on this line.

After a once again exciting ride through Cairo, including the famous Tahirsquare and along the Citadel, the Alabaster mossque of Pasha Mohamed Ali (Arabic: مسجد محمد علي, Turkish: Mehmet Ali Paş Camii), the mosque was built by Muhammad Ali Pasha between 1830 and 1848, we arrive at the Sultan Hassan mosque and the Al-Rifai mosque.

Video of the Citadel.

For images of the Citadel, click on this line.

Sultan Hassan mosque.
The Sultan Hassan mosque is not only a mosque but also a Madrasa school). It is a beautiful mosque in the style of the early Mamluk architecture in Cairo. It was built in 1356-1363. The much beleaguered Sultan Hassan came to the throne when he was 13 years old. Is this deposed and again appointed to 3-fold. Unfortunately he was killed just before the mosque was finished, his body was never recovered and he is not buried in the mosque. His sons are there buried in the rear of the mosque.	Click on the ticket for more images.

Behind the entrance is a dark tunnel and comes out in an open area. Here are 4 spaces called Iwans here were the lessons. The eastern Iwan is the Mihab. A bronze door on the right leads to the room where the sons of Sultan Hassan are buried.

Video impression of the Sultan Hassan mosque.

For pictures of the Sultan Hassan mosque, click on this line.

Al-Rifai mosque

The mosque opposite the Sultan Hassan mosque is the Al-Rifai mosque the construction of this mosque was started in 1867, 500 years later than the Sultan Hassan mosque and was finished in 1912. Members of the modern royal family are buried here and also Kadive Ismail and King Farouk are buried here as are the Shah of Persia.

Video impression of the Al-Rafai mosque.

For pictures of the Al-Rifai mosque, click on this line.

After this visit to this beautiful mosques we drive to the oldest mosque in Egypt.

Al-Azhar mosque

The Al-Azhar mosque in the old Arab town of Cairo, was built in 971 in honor of Fatima Zahra, one of the three daughters of Muhammad.

For pictures of this mosque, click on this line.

The initiative for the construction& came from Jahwar, the commander of the Shiite Fatimids. The mosque quickly grew into an important religious center.
Even now, the high quality faculty of Theology at Al-Azhar University, the oldest university in the world, is connected to the mosque, and remains as one of the most important Islamic centers in the world.

Video of the Al-Azhar mosque.

After all this we pay a visit to Coptic Egypt including the Ben-Ezra Synagogue and the "Hanging Church" .

Explanation of the Koptic beliefs.

Ben Ezra synagoge

Behind the St. George's Church you will find the oldest synagogue in Egypt, the Ben Ezra Synagogue.
This place is for the Jews in Egypt always been a sacred place. According to them, the synagogue is at the place where Moses as a baby was found among the reeds.

For images of Coptic Caïro, click on this line.

The building was erected in the fourth century as a church, but changed in the ninth century in a synagogue.
In the synagogue in the 19th century sacred Hebrew scriptures were housed here.

Video of the place were Moses as a baby was found,
according to the Jewish beliefs.

El Moalakka or Hanging church

The Hanging Church is undoubtedly one of the most impressive of Cairo.
The term Hanging Church derives from the fact that the construction of the church on the south gate of the Babylon Fort depends. The church was originally founded during the fourth century by the Coptic Christians, but the present building dates from the seventh century and was rebuilt for a big piece in the tenth century and restored in the 19th century.
During an earthquake in 1992 the church was severely damaged, like many other medieval buildings in Cairo. The church is dedicated to the Virgin Mary and contains many attractions including more than 100 medieval icons and a pulpit from the eleventh century.

Video of "The Hanging Church".

Khan-el-Khalili.

After all the mosques and churches we take a walk through Khan-el-Khalili, a nice shoppingarea in old Caïro.

Video of Khan-el-Khalili.

Well today did I see almost all the important buildings in Cairo and although this is not really my area of interest I was satisfied over this and heade back to the hotel Mayorca, to have a shower, a bite to eat and enjoy a nice cold Stella beer with all the thoughts by the day of tomorrow, when the Giza plateau's will be visited.

	Continue to Day 2
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