Anwar El Sadat's Tomb

Yesterday, Deb and I stopped at Cairo's Unknown Soldier Memorial that former Egyptian President Anwar El Sadat had commissioned in 1974 to honor the lives that died in the "October War". On October 6, 1973 Egypt and Syria launched a surprise attack on Israel on Yom Kippur; the holiest day in Judaism. The war lasted only 20 days, but cost high casualties for all three countries. Egypt alone lost 15,000 soldiers. Anwar El Sadat was assassinated in 1981 after serving only 11 years in office. He was killed by Islamic fundamentalists who opposed the peace treaty he signed in 1979 with Israel, which consequently led to Egypt's expulsion from the Arab League that same year. Egypt would not be reinstated back to the Arab League for another 10 years. When Anwar El Sadat died, he was buried at the Unknown Soldier Memorial that he built, which ironically is directly across the place that he was assassinated. Today, Egyptians still have mixed sentiment for their 3rd president. Love him or hate him, they now refer to the memorial site as Anwar El Sadat's Tomb. The open air pyramid design was unique, and adjacent gardens were beautiful.

Cruisin' the Nile

Early this morning Debbie and I cruised on the Nile on one of the many festive boats docked in downtown Cairo. The weather was perfect, and the summer breeze felt wonderful on our faces!





We quickly found our respective corners and relaxed.

Isn't the painted mermaid on the boat above utterly whimsical?

We shoved off and the boat's colors flapped smartly in the wind.

To open waters we went, ready to explore whatever lay ahead.

Then began the series of campy poses. LoL.

We saw other folks out and about also enjoying the Nile.

This restaurant looked like it would be a fun place to dine.

In the summer, wealthy tourists rent out waterfront homes on the Nile. Can't you just see yourself waking up to a healthy dose of sunshine and stepping out onto your private boat for a li'l jaunt arount the Nile?

And then, it was time to head back. Siggggh.

We left totally relaxed and ready for our next adventures.

Egyptian Museum of Antiquities

Yesterday, Deb and I visited the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities in downtown Cairo. The pics above and below were the only ones that I took, bc the museum didn't allow any pics to be taken inside. The museum had over 120,000 relics that ranged from pre-historic times to Greco-Roman. Like most visitors, we primarily wanted to see the mummy exhibits and King Tut's treasures. We couldn't wait to see King Tut's bling-blings. LoL.

However, when we got there we found the museum's maintenance and cleanliness to be disappointing. The building was built in 1900. It had dingy walls, poor lighting, no central air, dusty exhibits, and still had aged index cards taped on the outside of each display typewritten in English and Arabic. Egypt had moved to the 21st century, but the museum housing a treasure trove of ancient pharonic relics had not. This was disturbing! There were so many sarcophaguses, statues, and ancient objects at the museum that looked as if they were stuffed in any nook and cranny that could fit them, with little regard for design or arrangement. It was total sensory overload! The artifacts were literally piled on top of one another. The museum had 2 levels, and the upstairs contained the primary exhibits we wanted to see. I downloaded some interior pics from the web. Bare in mind these shots were a bit deceiving bc they were taken far away and in the main lobby of the museum that wasn't overly crowded.

The mummy rooms were very eery. Seeing the blackened and gnarled skeletal remains left visitors with a lasting visual. If I was a kid, I would have had nightmares! However, the mummies were still kewl to look at, especially since I saw the newly discovered mummy of Queen Hatshepsut, whose temple I visited in Luxor!

What wasn't disappointing, however, were the exhibits of King Tut's treasures that were found in his burial tomb in the Valley of the Kings that I toured in Luxor. It should be noted that his mummy remains in a climate controlled glass box in his tomb in Luxor, that draws hundred of thousands of visitors annually there. The discovery of King Tutankhamun by archaeologist Howard Carter in 1922 catapulted the 19 y/o pharaoh to be the most widely known Egyptian King in the world. This was primarily due to the tomb's nearly intact treasures that still had over 3,500 objects, and were now on display at the Cairo museum. Another factor for his notoriety was the much ballyhooed "curse of the mummy" that was coined after a series of mishaps and fatal accidents occurred after the tomb was opened. Regardless if there was a curse, King Tut's treasures were truly spectacular to behold!

Despite the physical discomforts that we suffered (it was soooo hot!) inside the museum, it was still WORTH viewing the ancient exhibits that remained surprisingly well preserved and beautifully crafted. Ancient crafters of that era were parallel to none! Just be sure to visit the museum when it's cooler out. LoL.