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More Sites of Cairo

The Giza Pyramids are to the west of Cairo. Although they are huge (notice the tiny figures to the right and beyond the Sphinx) unobstructed views of them are hard to find This page has more famous sites: two mosques and the Giza Pyramids. The latter are rightly regarded as works of wonder, but I did not explore them and as usual have more photographs of the less spectacular aspects of life such as the Al Sorat Farm. The sites of Cairo are endless, but sadly so are the journeys between these sites. When you go to Egypt, as you should soon (for now it is cheap and people are so welcoming) take plenty of patience and good will with you. The Great Pyramid of Giza is both the oldest of the Ancient Seven Wonders of the World, and the only one intact. Built some 4,580 years ago, it is close to 500 feet high One of the traps that ferry visitors around the town and bring them to the Pyramids View from the Citadel across Cairo over the Sultan Hassan and Al-Rifai Mosques The main facade of the Al-Rifai Mosque. It was was built in the latter half of the nineteenth century as part of the modernisation that was going on in Cairo Interior of the Al-Rifai Mosque with its plaster and tile work. It owes much to the Mamluk period of Egyptian history some 900 years earlier The Mosque is the home of Egypt's last king - Farouk, and also of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi the last Iranian king who died in exile in 1981. Here the Iranian flag can be seen over his tomb The light and airy central part of the mosque with the Dikka, in the foreground, made of pure white alabaster The style of building was largely European and most of the materials were imported from Europe The two mosques check by jowl. At the back of the old (left) mosque can be seen its entrance set at a slight angle Main Pryer Hall of the Al-Rifai Mosque with decorations formed from 19 different types of marble coming from 7 different countries - no expense was spared The imposing entrance to the Sultan Hassan Mosque View up to the Cairo Citadel from the entrance to the Sultan Hassan Mosque The massed banks of hanging lamps in the biggest of the iwans with the dikka (place for intonement or readings) in the foreground Main facade of the Sultan Hassan Mosque which was completed in 1359. It was built as a Mosque/Madrassa with four wings, one each for the four schools of Sunni thought at the time The ablutions fountain sits in the centre of the courtyard with the four large iwans, for the four schools, leading off in each directions One of the side doors with its ablaq stone work - alternative courses of contrasting colour - popular in Islamic architecture The old mosque in the turmoil of modern Egypt is the site for contemporary film making The next page is about another side of Cairo, with a walk around the neighbourhood of my friend's house - elephant on roof and all.

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The last page was about the Citadel of Cairo A different side of Cairo To a mosque in Isfahan Or go to the page which was added one year ago.

Saturday 3rd June 2017