Our guide didn't take us to the Medieval Weapons Museum in the Citadel
because he said it wasn't that interesting so we spent most of our
time there visiting the huge mosque of Mohammad Ali (no, not the boxer).
Mohammad Ali was the viceroy of Egypt in 1805 when he helped free Egypt
from French rule. The mosque was built between 1828 and 1848 and is
in the middle of the Citadel. The mosque is also known as the Alabaster
Mosque because it's made mostly of alabaster.
The mosque has a large courtyard with a famous clock tower. The clock
tower was a gift from France. Egypt in return gave France one of
the obelisks from Luxor Temple
which now stands in Place de Concorde
in Paris. The joke from our guide was that the clock never worked
but the obelisk continues to work 4000 years after being built. The mosque
inside was amazing! There were these old glass globes that were obviously
lit with candles but now are all electric. There was also a huge
chandelier in the middle. We were also told the rugs that lined the
floor of the mosque were original from around 1840. They were a little
worn but still in pretty good shape.
The mosque is open to the public but like many other religious buildings
around the world they require visitors to be dressed modestly. For some
reason poor Michelle was singled out and asked to wear a "cape" over her
clothes. She offered to zip up her sweatshirt all the way up but that
wasn't enough for the woman at the door. We also had to remove our shoes.
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The mosque on the drive up the hill.
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The medieval walls.
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An ancient catapult?
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More old looking walls on the other side of the valley.
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Our only visit to a mosque on this trip.
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The mosque of Mohammad Ali Pasha.
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You can clearly see the alabaster here.
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Walking towards the entrance.
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Courtyard.
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Close-up of the thing in the middle.
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French clock tower by the courtyard.
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Cool hanging lights inside the mosque.
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Very elaborate domes.
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Chandelier in the middle.
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Fancy pulpit.
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Even the columns are covered in alabaster.
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Leaving the mosque and putting our shoes back on.
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Matt, Melanie, Sheila, Bob, Kathy and Lily.
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An older mosque is nearby also in the Citadel.
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Carmen and Melanie checking out the hazy view of Cairo.
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Leaving the Citadel.
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