A City of Surprises

So today was quite a day. This morning we got up early and headed to Al Azhar Mosque, the oldest Muslim university. We were met by an expert on the Mosque's history who gave us background on the architecture and studies from the 13th century on. We walked in (took off our shoes of course) and through a stone corridor into a large open square with brilliant white marble floor, beautiful arches all around and two tall minarets reaching into the bright blue sky. Young men, and some women, sat here and there, studying, memorizing, praying. It's finals time right now for Egyptian students. We next made our way into the main teaching and prayer room of the Mosque, a long room with red carpet, stone pillars and young men sitting and studying. It was peaceful inside and, despite some stares from those who wondered who this large group was and why they were taking pictures of a study session, we were well welcomed.

After a normal day of classes, we all got dressed up for our first official program dinner. We went to Al Azhar Park, and it was absolutely amazing. The park was actually built by a religious group over a landfill that had become an eyesore in the city. Now waterfalls and shallow pools run through beautifully lush garden lined with palm trees. The restaurant sits at the top of a hill overlooking the park and we watched the sunset to one side over the city and looked out to another side and saw the Citadel- Salahadin's great fortress- looming over the city nearby. The food was great and after the sun went down, the park lit up (but just a bit, leaving a feeling of mystery and self-reflection to the night). The call to prayer could be heard from all directions- each mosque has its own muezzin who does the call.

Later, a few of us walked through Khan Al Khalili (the famous bazaar) again. It's different at night, especially on a Thursday night. Friday, in Islam, is the holiest day of the week and the midday prayer on Friday is very important. Therefore, the weekend here starts on Thursday night and the week starts Sunday morning. That means everyone's out late on Thursday and the bazaar is packed with families and merchants well passed 11:00. We walked around and were goaded into this shop and that. It was nice to be in a smaller group and be there at a time when most tourists weren't.

When the sun goes down in Cairo, the temperature is perfect. It's warm, but not hot, and a soft breeze usually blows in to keep things cool. I never would have expected the lush vegetation that hangs in the park or in other parts of the city, the contrast of that green to the city's old browns and grays makes it stand out brightly. The people here, as I've mentioned before, are incredibly friendly- rarely does a day go by where I don't get a "welcome" while walking down the street. A smile goes a long way here to start off an interaction and people usually reciprocate with a huge smile, usually a wave, sometimes a "hello"- I've run into no anti-American sentiment; though I'm sure it exists here and there, people are always excited to hear I'm from America and try to find some family connection to the states (usually it's pretty distant). Also, family is very important here and it's very evident when you walk around the parks and the bazaar on a Thursday and everyone is out with their children. This city has surprised me in many ways and, despite my talk of its dirty streets, terrible pollution, rampant poverty and sub-standard food, there are so many redeeming things (and even the not-so-great stuff you get used to) that have made this a great city to try out for a while.