Exploring Jordan and Egypt

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Thursday, 10 March 2022 - Our last day in Egypt started with a morning visit to the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization to see the mummies of 20 kings and queens including Hatshepsut, Ramesses II, and Nefertari, explored Coptic Cairo including Saints Sergius and Bacchus Church and ancient icons, strolled through the Islamic Quarter with Bab al-Futuh gate and al-Muizz street, enjoyed lunch at Zeeyara rooftop restaurant, and concluded the day with flights home in the evening.

egypt2022 — Our weather for the whole trip was nice - except for one day in Madaba.

egypt2022 — Our first stop was the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization.

Beautiful objects on the first floor - but the real draw to this museum is that it contains the mummies of 20 Egyptian kings and queens. The most famous are Hatshepsut, Ramesses II and Nefertari.

No pictures in the mummy section.

egypt2022 — Uraeus is the cobra symbol for the goddess Wadjet and closely associated with the pharaohs.

egypt2022 — Artwork on the bottom of a wooden sarcophagus.

egypt2022 — Egyptians playing senat - an ancient game.

egypt2022 — Our favorite - the scarab - again in a boat holding the sun while it travels from dawn to dusk.

egypt2022 — Another scarab in a cartouche - not King Tut, someone else.

egypt2022 — As the Egyptians believed: Upon the Sun Gods arrival from the other world, he purifies himself in eastern horizon before dawn. The four gods "Horus" (north), "Seth" (south), "Dewen-anwy" (east), and "Thoth" (west), pour the water of life and power over the Sun god from the four corners of the universe.

Here in alabaster, King Amenhotep II, becomes the sun god in the moment of his purification on the horizon.

egypt2022 — We then toured the mummies in the lower level - very interesting....

From the NMEC we drove to the Coptic Quarter and walked around. Coptic Cairo was a stronghold for Christianity in Egypt both before and during the Islamic era, as most of its churches were built after the Muslim conquest of Egypt in the 7th century.

egypt2022 — This is lumber in between bricks to protect the building from earthquakes - giving the brick walls some flexibility.

egypt2022 — Saints Sergius and Bacchus Church is traditionally believed to have been built on the spot where the Holy Family, Joseph, Mary and the infant Jesus Christ, rested at the end of their journey into Egypt. They may have lived here while Joseph worked at the fortress.

Saints Sergius and Bacchus Church is one of the oldest Coptic churches in Egypt, dating back to the 4th century.

egypt2022 — The church is of significant historical importance, and in fact, it is where many patriarchs of the Coptic Church were elected. The first to be elected here was Patriarch Isaac (681-692)

Currently it is the Episcopal Church of Cairo.

egypt2022 — The church is dedicated to Sergius and Bacchus, who were soldier-saints martyred during the 4th century in Syria by the Roman Emperor Maximian.

egypt2022 — There is a collection of ancient icons against one wall of the church.

egypt2022 — The Church was built in the 4th century and was probably finished during the 5th century. It was burned during the fire around 750. It was then restored during the 8th century, and has been rebuilt and restored constantly since medieval times.

egypt2022 — The most interesting feature is the crypt where Mary, Joseph and the infant Jesus are said to have rested. The crypt is 30 feet deep and, when Nile levels are high, is often flooded.

egypt2022 — The artwork in a dome over the altar.

egypt2022 — The altar

egypt2022 — This structure is a pigeon coop

A peculiar competition popular across neighborhoods in Cairo involves releasing the birds in the air allowing them to mingle with flocks raised by rival breeders. Then, as the birds are recalled back to their coop, a couple of pigeons from the opponent's flock gets drawn in. At this point, the breeder will trap these birds and keep them. Some breeders specifically train their pigeons to lure in birds from rival groups.

egypt2022 — We drove to the Islamic Quarter entering through the Bab al-Futuh gate - a medieval city gate in the old city wall. Strolling down al-Muizz street - a long street through the heart of the district.

This is Masjid Al Hakim a 10th-century mosque with a grand entrance, large inner courtyard, and 2 minarets.

egypt2022 — Not practical - must be artwork.

egypt2022 — We ate lunch on the rooftop restaurant of a boutique hotel - Zeeyara in the Le Riad Hotel de Charm.

This is a small chandelier in the hotel main hallway.

egypt2022 — Colorful Hookahs in a sidewalk store.

egypt2022 — Shoppers in a small market.

egypt2022 — Juice vendor - there were several along the street.

egypt2022 — Newspapers in a stand in front of a store - we were attracted to the various colors.

Later in the evening we headed to the airport and the flights home.

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