Today (November 10, 2022) we got picked up around 10am to start our day. The itinerary today included the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization, Mohamed Ali Mosque, and Al Azhar Park. We got to sleep in today as well and were picked up around 10am. We arrived at NMEC around 11am due to traffic. I took so many photos at the museum, that I am going to just try and caption everything rather than make walls of text.
A crazy loaded truck. This was a common occurrence here.
City of the dead
Pillars at NMEC
Mohammad Ali Mosque seen from the NMEC
Entry into NMEC
Projector screen
We started in the prehistory period. Here is a summary of that period and information about the skeleton of Nazlet Khater, one of the oldest skeletons ever discovered.
Information of the predynastic period, the last stage of the neolithic period.
Horus Qa'a stela
Information about the dynastic period
Model of an apartment
How the bricks and towers were made
Models of soul houses with offerings
Various tools, including a plumb bob
Protective Goddesses statues found in the tomb of king Amenhotep II
Rare funerary stela of wood depicting Kaherset with his family
Ibis
Sandstone statue of Hapi the scribe
Baldachin - tent for temporary residence
Description of the temt
Statue of Akhenaten IV
Description of the statue
A board game called senet, similar to snakes and ladders
The coffin of lady isis
Funerary furniture of sennedjems tomb
Jewelry of Princess Neferuptah
A column, they have something similar in the British Museum.
Amun-Ra King of the Gods
This is a very very exciting piece in the museum. This is the very first documented prosthetic limb - a toe replacement. This was made for the daughter of a high ranking priest and lasted until her death, she was buried with it.
Rulers to measure with
"the finger unit is divided into different fractions"
Specific weights
The Greco-Roman Period
Column toppers
Roman Coins
The golden coffin of Nedjemankh, the US actually returned this to Egypt in ~2019 when we found out that it was stolen.
Coptic Art display
Tapestry fragment
Stole - item worn by the deacons in the coptic church
Into the Islamic period
A piece of a dome depicting the virgin mary with the christ child
Torah cases (Jewish holy book)
Minibar (pulpit) for Sultan Qa'itbay
Astrolabe - used to make astronomical measurements
Box of the holy Qur'an
Description of fountains and relevance is Islamic architecture.
The Hodge that carried the Holy Qur'an in the procession that brought the Kiswa to Mecca
The Kiswa covering the Holy Kaaba in Mecca description. The Kaaba is the most sacred site in Islam.
Before leaving the museum, we got to experience the amazing display of the 22 royal mummies. Here we were not allowed to take photos, and it was enforced. You can see pictures of all of the royal mummies in the NMEC site here https://nmec.gov.eg/mummies-hall/
Photo from an article when the exhibit first opened.
The grounds outside the museum were quite luscious
After spending the morning at the museum, we headed to the next stop which was the Mohamed Ali Mosque. This mosque is the largest built in the 19th century and the most visible in Cairo. The twin minarets make it stand out. It was modeled after the blue mosque in Istanbul.
From the mosque, you could also see the old aqueduct so the castle the mosque was situated in had its own water supply. The aqueduct fed from miles upstream on the river and although it did a great job of preserving elevation it still ended several hundred feet below the level of the castle mount. Ramy explained, the builders of the castle were extremely clever however and did not let this stop them. Instead, they built a shaft down to that level with a water screw in it to bring up the water level. Then they lowered a baby ox into the shaft where they raised it in a machinery room. Once it was fully grown it was used to power the screw to bring water up to the surface. Then when the ox needed replaced another baby was brought in.
Signage outside the mosque
The many domes of the mosque
Incredible detail in the architecture
Can you see the faint faint outline of the pyramids on the left side of the photos? It's just above the big Square building on the left side!
The faintest outline of the pyramids through the smog
Incredible 360° views.
Intricate details looking up in the hall
The alabaster covered courtyard of the mosque and the clock tower.
Interior of the domes
The minibar of the mosque
Hunter appreciated this fire truck
Kenyan A330
After visiting the beautiful mosque, we headed to our last stop of the day, the Al Azhar Park. It was great to explore and talk to Ramy, leaning more about him and his family, as well as more Egypt history. He's been such an excellent guide this whole time and we can't believe the trip is almost over. It's been jammed packed with knowledge and amazing history.
When you enter the park, a fountain welcomes you. There were a few kids playing in it. The park splits off in two directions, and we started with heading uphill to higher points to see the views. It is one of Ramy’s favorite places to take his kids and although we requested it he said tourists rarely do and his kids were jealous we were going there with him. On our walk, we talked with Ramy about how we wish we could have more time to see Luxor and Aswan. He told us there was still time and he could arrange a quick trip, leaving late tonight and returning back tomorrow night. He is well connected and can make anything you want happen, which makes him such an excellent guide.
At the top of the park, we were met with beautiful views and found some dogs. There was also a couple taking wedding photos. We then headed back towards the park entry, making sure to snap plenty of pictures and Ramy helping us get the perfect shots.
A view of the mosque we were just at.
Wedding photos!
After playing in the park, we were invited to a home cooked meal with Ramy's family. His mother was preparing a traditional Egyptian spread for us, and it did not disappoint. This experience was truly amazing as we had never gotten to do something like this while travelling. We got to meet Ramy's mother, wife, and 3 children. They all live in the same building, but on different floors. It's a very different expectation than in the US. Ramy's wife is from Indiana, but now lives full time in Cairo. It was amazing to get to hear the story of how they met and spending time between the US and Egypt. His oldest daughter is in grade 7 and incredibly smart. They had a wonderful relationship and enjoyed some playful bickering on a few history topics she was learning in school. His youngest son was very shy, but soon warmed up to us. Their middle son said hello, but then went back to playing with some other family members. The evening concluded with delicious food.
Ramy's hotel the Pyramid’s Eye
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