Egypt Explorations

Salamu Aleikum! It has been quite some time since I updated my blog, so please accept my apologies! School has been pretty hectic (Egyptian style!) and I have had lots of tests and field trips. I am enrolled in two art and architecture classes, one about Islamic art and architecture, and another about Ancient Egypt. We have taken some amazing field trips, and those have definitely been the highlights of the past few weeks.

First we went to Ibn Tulun mosque in Cairo, which was built by the Abbasid governor Ibn Tulun in 876 AD. Its an amazing piece of architecture, and is colossal. It was really cool to enter through the massive gates of the surrounding wall, because immediately the noise of Cairo was blocked out. We even got to climb the minaret, which is a tower-like structure that used to be used for the call to prayer. Here is a nice panorama video of the surrounding city:

The next, and definitely best fieldtrip that I have taken since I’ve arrived in Egypt, was to Dahshur and Saqqara. The weather that day was absolutely stunning, and we were so fortunate to have beautiful clouds, occasional bright sun, and incredibly clear conditions. We were about 40 minutes outside of Cairo, and we could see all the way to the city, and even past it! The lighting conditions were ideal, and I really enjoyed using my camera on the trip.

So on to the good stuff… Dahshur has two main pyramids, the Bent Pyramid, and the Red Pyramid. The Bent Pyramid is called this because about halfway up, the architects had to change the angle at which they were building it because it would have collapsed due to the immense weight of the stone.

The Red Pyramid is gorgeous, and we got to go inside the burial chamber. Making your way down a hundred-yard shaft four feet tall by three feet wide, and slanted at a 30-degree angle makes you use muscles you never knew you had. Inside you really get a sense of how important these kings who built the pyramids were. So much work and resources went into these structures, and they are really only fit for a king. Here is a shot of both the Bent and Red Pyramids from a distance, the inside of the Red Pyramid, and a hieroglyph shot from Saqqara.

We then took our bus to Saqqara, which is a burial complex that has been built on by Ancient Egyptian dynasty after dynasty. There are basic hieroglyphs mixed with complex and revolutionary building structures that came later. The Bent Pyramid is definitely the most recognizable piece on the premises, but due to restoration, we were unable to enter. Our teacher (Dr. Ikram…GOOGLE HER!) did an incredible job of showing us around, giving analysis, and getting us VIP access to virtually everything on site at Saqqara… yeah it pays sometimes to go to AUC and have the best teachers in the region! On a side note, apparently she was a consultant for the recent Mummy films, and when it came time for the premier in LA she declined attendance due to a class she had to teach…WORD.

I also visited the Pyramids at Giza last weekend, which was a fun trip as well. The weather was not nearly as nice as the previous weekend however, and the smog/fog was extremely bad. We had a somewhat rushed tour there, but my favorite site was definitely the Sphinx. Hopefully I’ll get to upload a couple of pictures from the Giza trip soon!

On another note, the second Eid break is coming up (religious break in observance of Islam), and it corresponds almost exactly with Thanksgiving. I have not yet decided where I will travel, but I definitely want to get out of Cairo, and maybe even out of Egypt. There is a possibility that I will go to Lebanon, which I have heard is really beautiful. I have an itch to visit the White Desert out West, but we will see if I can pull that together or not. The H1N1 (swine flu) ghost has not disappeared here in Egypt, and there is a good chance that AUC will extend the Eid break until December 5^th in-line with the government’s closure of all public schools until this time. Gotta love Egypt…

I am also in the process of registering/researching classes I will take next semester, and since this is my senior year, graduating is my NUMBER ONE PRIORITY. Enough of spending Dad and Mom’s money! I need to make sure that each and every credit I take here in Egypt will transfer back to my home University without any problems, so I can hopefully only stay an extra semester in Boulder.

Well that is all for now, I love and miss you all back in the States. The support from you guys has been amazing, and if I have been distant please accept my apologies. This is definitely the most exciting time of my life, and enshaAllah this experience will open many doors for the future!

With Love,

Eric