Dennis and Tommy were our guides today. After a relaxed morning, we headed to Al Muizz li din Allah Street. This street begins at the Bab al-Futuh (Gate of Conquest) built in 1087 as the northern gate of the old city of Cairo. There are at least 18 restored historic buildings and museums along this street. Below is a sampling for what we saw:
These children inside the Mosque of al-Hakim were eager to get their picture taken with Bonnie. The little girl in the sweater and knit hat did a great job with her English. Notice their variety of clothing.
The water pipe (sheeshah) is very common in Cairo. This street was loaded with shops selling sheeshahs, and just like the U.S., everyone is on their cell phone.
It is more common to see men walking arm-in-arm then men and women. Many Muslims feel it is inappropriate for there to be any physical contact between the sexes in public.
This is one of the court yards within the house of Mustaf Ja’far. This huge home was built in 1713.
The Madrasa and Mausoleum of Sultan Al_Nasir Mohammed ibn Qalawun was built in the late 1200’s and considered to have the best stained glass windows in Egypt.
We ended our day with a traditional vegetarian dinner at one of Tommy’s favorite restaurants, El Tabie el Domiate. Even though this restaurant was casual family dinning, it had solid granite floors and marble walls, both of which are plentiful in Egypt.
Tomorrow we leave Cairo and begin our Nile cruise. We have had such a wonderful time here, thanks to Dennis and Tommy’s hospitality and the great service from Sakkara tours.
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