The wonder of Cairo

He who hath not seen Cairo hath not seen the world: its soil is gold, its Nile is a wonder, its houses are palaces, and its air is soft, its odors surpassing that of aloes-wood and cheering the heart, and how can Cairo be otherwise when it is the mother of the world?

I was researching on fine arabesque design patterns when I stumbled upon this quotation from old Egyptian writings.

The words struck me hard as if Moses had rapped me on the head with his staff. Mother of the world indeed! Once again, that gnawing curiosity, that urge which led me to explore the world, its wonders and contradictions, tugged at my insides. Plus, it did not help that I watched The Ten Commandments a week ago.

Before embarking on my trips, I make it a point to devour every source of information on my destinations. I lost no time in perusing my encyclopedias and other resources in my personal library. But with too many references clashing with my excitement, none of the facts stuck. In the end, I settled for watching The Ten Commandments again.

I just had to go, to see and feel for myself the real Cairo.

I absorbed right away the evening breeze of summer heat (but nothing surpassing aloes-wood alas!) when I arrived in Cairo, the capital of the Arab Republic of Egypt. From the window of my hotel room, I saw a light from the towering pyramids of Giza along the Nile river. I realized right away what that old Egyptian writing meant. Mother of the World! And now I was gaping at her pointed breasts where the foundations of civilization once suckled!

Technically, one could say Cairo is younger than Egypt but that is not exactly true. The progression of a city’s life is a little different from the progression of a baby to an adult. As Catholic doctrine would state, life begins at the onset of conception. Cairo’s conception began from 5,000 years ago when the Pharaohs of old first built the pyramids and formed the flesh of the city. Over the centuries, the land was conquered and re-conquered by Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, Arabs and Turks leaving behind vestiges of culture and procuring more flesh to the foundling city. Cairo was finally born from these vestiges and established by Gen. Gawhar in 969 A.D. who christened the city, Al-Mansureya, later renamed Al-Muez and finally to Al-Qahira, Cairo. But the pyramids in my dreams, now a reality, were already old when the site was still a wasteland.

I was already in front of the Pyramids before first light. I was surprised to find the presence of Egyptian tourist guides, photographers and men with camels watching me, their eyes following my every move. A photographer offered his services. I declined, displaying my own camera and was about to take a snapshot when another guy told me that there’s a fee per click even if I used my own and that was because I was standing on their "occupied" space. It reminded me of some photographers in Burnham Park and Mines View Park in Baguio who charged one peso per click as long as you were standing on "established" territory.

In the end, I managed to annoy my would-be hustlers. Under their baleful glances, I happily sketched the Pyramids and its surroundings free of charge. Additionally, I scored extra points by using my telephoto camera to shoot from a distance undetected with no monetary charges. Manuel Baldemor, two-hustlers, 0.

One of the most interesting landmarks, standing near the Great Pyramids of Giza, is the 66-foot high Sphinx. Carved from limestone rock, the wise and ferocious Sphinx bearing the head of a man and the body of a lion, perpetually guards the pyramids. It was created in about 2500 B.C. under the decrees of Pharaoh Khafre who raised the second Giza pyramid. The condition of the Sphinx has deteriorated considerably and it will take many, many years to complete its restoration.

Gazing up at the Sphinx’s serene face, I saw its missing nose. I remembered all those jokes from movies and stories on how the face lost its schnozzle. An early 15th-century Arab historian fits the missing piece (no pun intended!) of the puzzle, reporting that the face had been disfigured in his time. Even so, the damage is still being wrongly attributed to Napoleon’s troops by many people. After thousands of years as symbolic protector, it is the Sphinx that needs protection by and from the modern world.

From day one, I absorbed a lot. I had to take it easy taking in every detail, for I knew every corner, house, chapel, mosque and perhaps even the cesspools themselves, represented a thousand years of history. I only had one month for my sightseeing but it was extremely inadequate. Nevertheless, I was determined to take in as much of Cairo as I could get in a month.

Of course, every tourist wants to see the mummy of Ramses the Great, Egypt’s most celebrated Pharaoh, builder of mighty fortresses and monuments throughout Egypt for 66 years. I made my way through the congested Egyptian Museum of Cairo. Thousands of visitors pass by each day to see the "King of Kings" as well as 26 other royal mummies. Unfortunately, the bodies of Ramses and King Tut-ankh-amun were not on display at the time, perhaps for security reasons. The museum also contained the most valuable collection of Egyptian antiquities in existence together with some priceless articles found in the tombs of their ancient leaders.

Of all the cities I visited before, I think Cairo has the most number of interesting historical landmarks of varying eras and dynasties. Besides ancient Egyptian attractions, there are also monuments of a later date but in no way inferior from the former. The Mosque of Sultan Hasan covers more than two acres and its loftiest minaret, 267 feet high, is the tallest in Cairo and build in 1357 A.D. Mosque El Azhar, known as the "splendid," was converted into a university nearly a thousand years ago. Students come from all parts of the Islamic world to gain a deeper understanding of the Koran. Tall and beautiful minarets standing up against the sky, call the faithful to prayer daily and were landmarks in Old Cairo when it was still a mere citadel (El-Kala), built in 1177 by Saladin.

Not so many years ago, camels were a fairly common sight in the streets of Cairo. Today, however, the sight has been replaced by automobiles locked together bumper to bumper, the same kind of traffic afflicting motorists in Metro Manila. Cairo is not all-ancient moments and tourist attractions. Like any modern city, its streets are lined with sights familiar in the western world, five-star hotels, department stores, shops and restaurants alive with urban movement and night-life. There are also innumerable cafes with chairs and tables spilling out onto the sidewalk. Around some of the tables, men sit playing backgammon, with the loser paying for the group’s coffee. The western part of the city which has handsome wide avenues (well lighted at night), has beautiful parks, luxurious apartments and condos mushrooming everywhere.

Still, my favorite part is the Old Cairo with its bazaars and the most fabulous is the Khan Al-Kahlili in the old quarter. Sometimes, the way is blocked by donkeys, carts and carriages with crowds of Egyptians, Arabs, Jews and Syrians hoping to make a sale. One tried to sell me an exotic perfume and cajoled me into his simple shop but I remembered those old wives tale of magicians and hypnotists using their irresistible, almost magical charms to break a sale. I avoided buying nothing for cautions’ sake, the thick smell of leather goods, perfumes and beautiful carpets filled the air.

As I made my last day through old Cairo, I felt there was one thing still missing. Then I caught a whiff of it... The fragrance of aloes-wood mingled with attar-rose perfume.