Cairo wasn’t in the best condition when we arrived. It had just rained, aggravating the windy chill which made us reach for our jackets, windbreakers, mittens and anything else that can help keep the freezing gusts away. As our van hit the streets of Cairo, we were all wrought with anticipation by our varied expectations of this enigmatic land. We were very excited to see the minarets of the mosques, the signs of antiquity that littered the city such as the walls that are practically torn down and the houses that lokk as if they were made from mud bricks. It was really like stepping back in time. But what was disconcerting, even to locals, was the presence of satellite disks on the roofs of these structures.
Our van headed towards a bridge, and to our delight, we were told that we were just about to cross the River Nile. Realizing its historical and religious significance, we were all grasped with anticipation for the dinner cruise on the Nile, which we were going to experience the next day.
It was almost dusk, and upon entering the city, I barely had to turn my head to see the Great Pyramids of Giza – all three of them. There we were, looking at the ancient wondering right before our very eyes, and with great incredulity, we almost couldn’t believe that our hotel was practically right around the corner. Who knew that modernity has made into one of the world’s sacred heritage? If not for the 11-hour flight, falling asleep would have been very difficult because of the great anticipation of what was to come.
We all started bright and early the following day. At the hotel, we met Biko (who interestingly happens to be long to the (in)famous Al-Fayed family), our designated guide for the next two days. He first took us downtown Cairo to meet the tour operator. Downtown Cairo is indeed quaint. It has remnants of the French influence blending with the feel of the 50s. from there, the Egypt Museum is just a stone’s throw away.
It was incredible sight to see a throng of people patiently waiting in line to get in the museum. I found out from Biko that museums and the pyramids get a total of 10000 visitors a day. For someone who used to work in an art institution, this information is awe0inspiring.
After a few minutes, we were inside the museum grounds. Biko gave us a few bits of information before letting us wander around. The most incredible thing he mentioned is the fact that everything in the museum is original – not one is a replica. We felt and touched works that were done centuries ago; works dedicated to the pharaohs and the gods; works, which before that day, were only present in books and magazines. We gazed at pieces, which served as triggers for the development of Western art. I felt liked a kid free to wander around in a candy store. The unfortunate thing was that we had to have our fill of these works with our eyes and stone them in nothing else but our memories because cameras were not allowed in the museum. There were thousands and thousands of items inside, and it was pretty obvious that we needed Biko to guide us to the most important pieces.
We started with a very important piece of artifact in Egyptian history called the “Narmer Palette” (pronounced in Na-armer), which depicts Menes (pronounced Mina) as the king of unified Egypt. Having discussed this with my students, it was quite unbelievable to see the actual palette right in front of me. And that was only the beginning. There were so many other important historical and artistic pieces that it made me feel as if I were riding a merry-go-round, with all the pieces spinning and spinning right before my eyes. The second level is best part of the museum: it contained the Treasures of Tutankhamen.
For this cavern of treasures, there was one common trait: gold. Everything was gilded and covered with this precious metal. A small room contained the more important pieces. Upon entering the room, I immediately saw the famous mask of Tutankhamen. I stepped out of the line and positioned myself right in front of the precious, precious object d’art. There I was, face-to-face with the world-famous king’s mask made from solid gold inlayed with the finest lapis-lazuli. It was, to say the least, mesmerizing. But that was before I saw the Gold Sarcophagus.
The God Sarcophagus was like nothing I have seen before. It was shimmering in all its splendor, showing the hieroglyphs which were etched with amazing precision. It will leave you breathless and speechless for there is nothing like it in the universe. Next to it is more famous sarcophagus – the one with lapis-lazuli, rose quartz, and turquoise gilded with gold. The sheer size of these sarcophagus is awesome. It is truly unfathomable how the ancient Egyptians were able to achieve this feat in art.
The last area we visited at the museum was that of the mummies. We walked in close proximity to the mummies, and we gazed at them with unabated veneration, for they were actual people who were part of the history of this once majestic land. Unfortunately, we had so much more ground to cover, so we had to reluctantly leave the museum.
Later in the afternoon, we came to the highlight of the day – we were finally going to visit the Great Pyramids of Giza. With over 100 pyramids scattered throughout Egypt (108 to be exact), the Great Pyramids of Giza are the largest. These were built for Cheops, his son Chephren, and grandson Mycerinos. Encountering these three pyramids was like stepping into an art history book and becoming one with history. The pyramids were larger than anything I have ever seen. The awesome scale of these structures makes one feel infinitesimal, puny even. And when you realize that they were made for three generations of deceased men, then they must have certainly been gods in the flesh.
A few meters away from the pyramids is a plateau where a herd camels await tourists for a seemingly once-in-a-lifetime 30-minute ride. Let’s just say that riding a camel feels pretty much like taking off on a space shuttle to the moon – it rocks you down, and it propels you up. With nothing else but a little “joystick” that you have to entrust your dear life to, a camel ride would be more ideal for photos. But it sure beats walking across the desert.
The following day, we went to Memphis – the home of Ramses II. The open museum has a number of statues dedicated to Ramses II, his family, and the god Ra. Similar to the Egypt museum, every single piece in the museum in Memphis was as exquisite and original. After going through almost all pieces in the courtyard, Biko led us to a fight of stairs that led inside a structure. What we thought of as just another museum of antique pieces apparently housed just one special piece.
He led us to the door of the structure and said, “We are about to enter an area where they found a small, but significant statue of the greatest pharaoh Egypt ever had – Ramses II. It’s rather small but you’ll like it.” And as we entered, we found ourselves staring at the biggest statue we ever saw. Apparently, the authorities had a difficult time positioning the artifact vertically because of its massive size, and so what they did was build a two-storey structure around it.
The beauty of the piece was overwhelming. In fact, I couldn’t help but shed a little tear, for I felt so privileged to be in its presence. It may seem like an exaggeration, but I really felt that I was amidst a holy presence. Perhaps, this is exactly how the pharaoh wanted his subjects to feel amidst his presence. Its proportions are perfect – the skin appears so supple, he must have bathed in lotion; the features of his face are in perfect harmony (an average person measure about the same siza as the statue’s nose, just to give you an idea of its scale); perfectly-ironed skirt – all of these are embodied in a massive display of Egyptian artistry carved from a single piece of stone. It was an experience never to be forgotten.
The last place we visited is something of great significance to Vhristian Egyptians. There was a time when Egypt became Christianized, most likely because of the importance of San Serghis to the story of the Holy Family. The San Serghis Chapel is place where the Holy Family took refuge when they fled to Egypt. The Cahpel of San Serghis, is a testament to the interconnection of the Islamic and Christian faith because it is believed that the remains of St. Serghis and St. Baquous are being preserved in the site. Looking absolutely medieval, it has an interesting mixture of Islamic, Christian and Greek influences
To cap-off the exhilarating trip to civilization’s genesis, we went on a dinner cruise on River Nile. We have certainly recognized its significance, and were all trying to feel the energy of its history. Maybe we were all trying to reincarnate the Moses story, or perhaps, trying to deepen our faith by just being on the same river that played a significant role in his life. However, the River Nile dinner cruise has other things to offer.
We were treated to the traditional belly dancing routine by this voluptuous woman, but what I found more interesting was a guy who was wearing red tights with a red skirt, who kept pivoting in circles. The pattern of his dress made it all more captivating. He will surely put any prima ballerina to shame.
After getting a rush from the impressive statue of King Ramses II and being inside a sacred plaxe of divinity, all that was left for us to do was reflect on how Egyptians effectively express man’s humanity and divinity – and how divine it is to be human. It’s a paradox, it’s a contradiction. It’s a mystery, it’s a puzzle. It is royalty, it is celestial. It is romance, it is adventure. It is majestic, it is divine. It is Egypt.
