Al-Azhar Park was well-designed and aesthetically pleasing.
It was a virtual oasis of beauty and tranquility.
Many were out walking or sitting in groups on the grass....
particularly, on the hillsides enjoying the view below.
The drive around the park was scenic and lush.
Al-Azhar Park was incredibly green; a virtual desert anomaly.
The panoramic view of "Old Cairo" was vast and beckoning.
We ate outdoors on the park's restaurant veranda.
Contentedly, under patio umbrellas offering us shade....
as we were afforded the incredible view below.
Friends and I had lunch at Cairo's Al-Azhar Park. Formerly a centuries' old landfill, it was transformed in 1984 to a 74 acre Islamic garden of serenity and tranquility generously donated by his highness the Aga Khan; costing him $30 million dollars to build. The park had a lot to offer: restaurants, cafes', shops, walking trails, children's playing area, fountains and gardens, grassy hillsides, abundant trees to rest under, and a panoramic view of the city below. We had lunch on the back veranda of "The Citadel View" Restaurant; a restaurant named for the ancient fortress that loomed formidably in the distance. (The Citadel will be discussed on a separate blog.) After lunch we enjoyed a leisurely stroll around the park, the sun warming our backs, and the gentle breezes cooling our faces. When the afternoon Islamic prayers began, and chanting could be heard from the loudspeakers of the Ottoman towered minarets, it was surreal to be standing way above the city and seeing the sea of buildings below. It felt as if we were being heralded to heaven. Another indelible memory of Cairo.
