The Cross and the Crescent

I continue to be amazed at the crowded conditions of Cairo. Every hour is rush hour in this city, with cars darting in and out having no regard for the lines on the road (if there are lines). We headed out this morning and fought traffic to get downtown Cairo, where we toured the Egyptian Museum. Among many treasures (everything is authentic, except there is a copy rather than the original of the Rosetta Stone), we got to see the findings of King Tut’s tomb. Tut’s father, perhaps influenced by Abraham, had steered Egypt toward the worship of one God rather than many gods and goddesses, but Tut, the boy king, changed his name to indicate he was a worshipper of the pantheon. His tomb is the only one found intact in the Valley of the Kings, never having been robbed. The collection is immense, and we only had time to take a cursory look at it.

From the museum, we went to tour a huge mosque, in the midst of a fortress called the Citadel of Salah Al-Din. The fortress was originally built to protect Egypt from the Crusaders, and eventually became the burial place of the ruler Muhammed Ali (not the prize fighter!). His tomb is here, and the mosque was built for that purpose, plus it was his place to worship (he had his own private balcony). We learned about the ritual washing required to enter the mosque, and that all of the moons on the tops of mosques point toward Mecca so that Muslims will know which way to look when praying.

From there, we squeezed our bus through more narrow, clogged streets to the Christian area. In a small area, there were nine churches (and one former church that is now a Jewish Synagogue). The oldest church in Egypt is called the Hanging Church, because it was built hanging over the ground between two towers. Until recently, the area below the church was flooded with groundwater, but after a visit from Hillary Clinton (which she was first lady), United Nations funds were used to drain the water and now you can see all the way down. It is a beautiful Orthodox church, one of the oldest in the world.

We also visited the church that covers the grotto where, it is believed, Mary, Joseph and Jesus stayed for 2½ months during their time in Egypt (Matthew 2). The grotto had also been flooded but is now dry, though it is only opened once a year (and that once was not today). We spent some time in meditation and prayer in the church, remembering the ways God protects and provides for us.

Our final church stop was a synagogue that used to be a church. In the 9th century, the Muslims enacted a tax on the Christians, and since they had no money, they “sold” the church to the Jewish community for their use as a synagogue. There is evidence in the architecture of both Christian and Jewish use (as well as Arabic/Muslim influences). It sits on the place the Jews believe Moses was pulled out of the water by Pharaoh’s daughter. The problem, however, as our guide pointed out, is that the capital at the time of Moses was Luxor in the south, not Cairo or Memphis. Moses would have lived in Luxor, most likely. So this synagogue is where they remember that event, even if it happened far away.

Our lunch stop was a beautiful and yummy restaurant, outside along the shores of the Nile. As we ate fish and chicken and ke-bob (as well as fries), we watched sailboats and other small boats go by on this famous river. The stop was worth just sitting outside by the river (and the food was great as well).

After lunch, we visited a papyrus factory, and were taught how papyrus was made into the first paper. Of course, there were also opportunities to buy (which most of us did!). The paintings they do on papyrus now are beautiful. We skipped an opportunity to learn about Egyptian perfume and opted instead to head back to the resort to swim. It’s been very hot here today again, and we’re all getting a bit antsy to get home.

The political situation, by the way, continues to divide the country. While there's no immediate threat to us or anyone, it continues to be a topic of discussion among our group as well as with our guide. Many are not happy with the "new regime" (as our guide called it), and probably just as many are happy. Our guide today expressed great concern for the future of his country. He's afraid for where they might head.