TOURING EGYPT: Al-Azhar Mosque
Dear Foodie Fam,
There were a few moments in Cairo that took my breath away:
The first was seeing the Pyramids for the first time (see my entry “Tasharaffna”)
Another time was when I entered the Al-Azhar Mosque.
Dressed in Islamic fashion by dedicated attendants, I immediately felt literally draped in the hospitality of a precious culture, tradition and religious institution.
Al-Azhar Mosque, built in 972, boasts a name believed to originate from Muhammad’s daughter Fatimah (whose title was “az-Zahra”, “the shining/resplendent one”). Today, al-Azhar is treasured in the Sunni Muslim community as it is so close Fustat, a mostly Sunni city. Entering the building, it really does seem luminescent.
Sitting in the courtyard, we took in the peaceful view of many devout Muslims talking and learning from each other. This is the oldest university in the world. Since early days, it was a place for the Islamic Egyptian public to learn (once holding thousands of manuscripts), convene court hearings, pray and study previously secretive teachings. It has even hosted protests!
Thousands have studied here and today they learn in adjacent buildings while the Mosque is used for prayer, only. One can study religious studies, modern schools of medicine, science and foreign languages.
This was one of the most peaceful, reverent and humble spaces I’d ever been in. Al-Azhar’s architecture literally stands on the material of many Egyptian periods: Ancient Egyptians, Greek, Roman rule and Coptic Christian. The sea of reflective white flooring and the sunset sky, alone, enforced the reverenceI felt everyone had...
Everyone walked a bit softer, everyone sweetly smiled at the babies, everyone quietly but warmly shared studies in small groups and fed the wandering cats that seem to be an accepted responsibility of life in Egypt.
The cats. The cats in Cairo are everyones’ cats. This is a beautiful attitude I also saw displayed in other Islamic countries I’ve visited.
I made friends with a few, as is very easy to do anywhere you stop and sit in Cairo.
I wish we could have stayed longer... but we were off to the exact opposite vibe, next: the Grand Bazaar.