Egypt, and Cairo can be strange, and even dangerous, so on the first morning Jim, with the help of Teddy, sets the 'Ground Rules'. Then they explore the hotel, and finally meet up with Faunus and Glaux - who had made their own way to the 'Mystic Land of Egypt. Then it's a few days of sightseeing - just like ordinary tourists, while they wait for a further 'message' to be delivered to Glen.
 |
| Sunrise over Cairo - Egypt |
As soon as the sun had risen a reasonable height above the horizon, Teddy marched into the bedroom, clambered up onto the bed, and started jumping up and down on the two sleeping occupants.
"Time to get up !", Teddy started shouting repeatedly.
 |
| Bathroom - Gezireh Palace - Cairo |
Jim and Ethan, having had very little sleep, were far from happy with Teddy waking them up, but as they knew that there was much to do, they didn't tell off Teddy, but instead just mechanically got up and went into their very large, opulent bathroom.
Meanwhile, Teddy rearranged the pillows, and quietly played his favourite Disney songs to himself - in particular 'Whistle While You Work'.
Jim decided to pay for the lounge on a weekly basis, as he didn't know exactly how long they would be staying at the hotel.
The manager of the hotel was pleasant, and spoke very good English, and made himself available to speak with Jim, and show him the lounge.
Jim needed the lounge as a place to speak to Zac and the 'boys' privately - and this was particularly important as the Egyptian authorities were known to employ 'plain clothe' security police, and so one could never be sure if conversations were being overheard or recorded by the 'waiters' and other 'hotel workers'.
In the 'private lounge', even if it were 'bugged', things should be safe, as Teddy, apparently, had a sophisticated 'jamming' device installed in his numerous internal circuits.
Of course the Egyptian Government's concern with surveillance was quite understandable, as Egypt had been politically unstable since the demise of Muhammad Ali Pasha in 1849.
Jim of course had no interest in such matters - but his main concern was to keep a 'low profile' in such a volatile environment.
The first priority however, was to meet up with the rest of the group, and have some breakfast.
Ethan went to the other rooms, and rounded up Zac and the 'boys', and then they eventually found a member of staff who guided them to a part of the hotel where they could have an informal breakfast.
"Well finally, somewhere in this place that's not all gold, marble and chandeliers !", Glen said.
And he was right... there was an area in the hotel designed to look like a 'simple' Egyptian eating place (only much cleaner and tidier).
And they served very nice omelettes, fried potatoes and meat (meat that the 'boy's couldn't actually identify but was very tasty) - with the ubiquitous 'shai' (Egyptian tea), that they were beginning to get a taste for.
And then they had a visitor.
صباح الخير."
"هل لي أن أنضم إليكم
'Sabah al khayr.
hal li 'an 'andum 'iilaykum ?'
- or something that sounded like that - or roughly translated.....
"Good morning...
Meanwhile, Teddy rearranged the pillows, and quietly played his favourite Disney songs to himself - in particular 'Whistle While You Work'.
'Whistle While You Work' is a song with music written by Frank Churchill and lyrics written by Larry Morey for the 1937 animated Disney film 'Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs'. It was performed in the film by Adriana Caselotti.As soon as Jim was washed and dressed he went down to reception in order to arrange a private lounge.
 |
| Private Lounge - Gezireh Palace - Cairo |
The manager of the hotel was pleasant, and spoke very good English, and made himself available to speak with Jim, and show him the lounge.
Jim needed the lounge as a place to speak to Zac and the 'boys' privately - and this was particularly important as the Egyptian authorities were known to employ 'plain clothe' security police, and so one could never be sure if conversations were being overheard or recorded by the 'waiters' and other 'hotel workers'.
In the 'private lounge', even if it were 'bugged', things should be safe, as Teddy, apparently, had a sophisticated 'jamming' device installed in his numerous internal circuits.
Of course the Egyptian Government's concern with surveillance was quite understandable, as Egypt had been politically unstable since the demise of Muhammad Ali Pasha in 1849.
 |
| Muhammad Ali Pasha |
محمد علی پاشا المسعود بن آغا - Muhammad Ali Pasha al-Mas'ud ibn Agha (4 March 1769 – 2 August 1849) was the Ottoman governor of Egypt from 1805 to 1848. At the height of his rule, he controlled Lower Egypt, Upper Egypt, Sudan and, briefly, parts of Arabia and the Levant, and he is regarded as the founder of modern Egypt. Following Napoleon's withdrawal from Egypt, Muhammad Ali rose to power through a series of political maneuvers, and in 1805 he was named Viceroy of Egypt with the rank of Pasha. Muhammad Ali modernized Egypt by instituting dramatic reforms in the military, economic and cultural spheres. Militarily, Muhammad Ali conquered Sudan. The dynasty he established would rule Egypt until the revolution of 1952.Although the popular view (encouraged by the government) was that all unrest, terrorist attacks and suchlike were inspired by the Israelis (or maybe the Americans), the reality of the situation was that the main opponents of the government were Egyptian Muslim fundamentalists.
Jim of course had no interest in such matters - but his main concern was to keep a 'low profile' in such a volatile environment.
The first priority however, was to meet up with the rest of the group, and have some breakfast.
Ethan went to the other rooms, and rounded up Zac and the 'boys', and then they eventually found a member of staff who guided them to a part of the hotel where they could have an informal breakfast.
 |
| Breakfast Corner - Gezireh Palace - Cairo |
And he was right... there was an area in the hotel designed to look like a 'simple' Egyptian eating place (only much cleaner and tidier).
And they served very nice omelettes, fried potatoes and meat (meat that the 'boy's couldn't actually identify but was very tasty) - with the ubiquitous 'shai' (Egyptian tea), that they were beginning to get a taste for.
And then they had a visitor.
صباح الخير."
"هل لي أن أنضم إليكم
'Sabah al khayr.
hal li 'an 'andum 'iilaykum ?'
- or something that sounded like that - or roughly translated.....
"Good morning...
May I join you ?...", a familiar voice said (the wrong way round ? - Arabic text runs right to left, and not left to right).
And, of course, it was Faunus, with Glaux sitting on his shoulder.
Now the odd thing, (and this shouldn't surprise you if you have been following this story properly), was that nobody seemed to take any notice of the baby owl sitting on Faunus' shoulder.
"I was wondering when you would turn up...", Jim said.
"Well I couldn't really leave all of you on your own here.
Some people think that America is a dangerous place, with all the guns and weird people, but this place has even more guns (and bombs) and weirdos - so you really need someone to keep you safe.", Faunus said.
"And anyway, only Teddy speaks Arabic (and ancient Egyptian, among other languages), and you can't really have a teddy-bear doing the translating for you, so me... with my handsome dark looks, can 'stand in' as your Arabic speaking 'friend' - and if you have any problems, I can probably help.", Faunus added.
"Yes... I can see that could be useful...", Josh said.
"So just call me Ali - you know, like in علي بابا (Ali Baba), for the rest of the trip.", and Faunus, or should that be 'Ali', sat down.
Faunus, of course was joking....
Then the waiter came over, and just to show off, Faunus ordered breakfast in perfect, colloquial Arabic.
"I see... very fluent..", Ethan said.
"So what's the plan for today ?, Faunus asked, as Glaux gradually went to sleep, (owls do that in the daytime).
"Well, we haven't decided yet, but I have found a private room for us where we can meet, so when we've all finished eating, we can go there and finish our talk.", Jim said.
So later they all adjourned to the private lounge, where some more 'shai' was served, while Ethan went to get Teddy.
"Hi Teddy - how's it going with the Arabic ?", Faunus asked as Teddy arrived, tickling Teddy's ear.
"Haven't had a chance to use any... so far...
And, of course, it was Faunus, with Glaux sitting on his shoulder.
Now the odd thing, (and this shouldn't surprise you if you have been following this story properly), was that nobody seemed to take any notice of the baby owl sitting on Faunus' shoulder.
"I was wondering when you would turn up...", Jim said.
"Well I couldn't really leave all of you on your own here.
Some people think that America is a dangerous place, with all the guns and weird people, but this place has even more guns (and bombs) and weirdos - so you really need someone to keep you safe.", Faunus said.
"And anyway, only Teddy speaks Arabic (and ancient Egyptian, among other languages), and you can't really have a teddy-bear doing the translating for you, so me... with my handsome dark looks, can 'stand in' as your Arabic speaking 'friend' - and if you have any problems, I can probably help.", Faunus added.
"Yes... I can see that could be useful...", Josh said.
"So just call me Ali - you know, like in علي بابا (Ali Baba), for the rest of the trip.", and Faunus, or should that be 'Ali', sat down.
Faunus, of course was joking....
Then the waiter came over, and just to show off, Faunus ordered breakfast in perfect, colloquial Arabic.
"I see... very fluent..", Ethan said.
"So what's the plan for today ?, Faunus asked, as Glaux gradually went to sleep, (owls do that in the daytime).
"Well, we haven't decided yet, but I have found a private room for us where we can meet, so when we've all finished eating, we can go there and finish our talk.", Jim said.
So later they all adjourned to the private lounge, where some more 'shai' was served, while Ethan went to get Teddy.
"Hi Teddy - how's it going with the Arabic ?", Faunus asked as Teddy arrived, tickling Teddy's ear.
"Haven't had a chance to use any... so far...
I've been stuck in a plastic bag !", Teddy replied rather petulantly.
Teddy wasn't very polite, as he'd been left in the suite while everyone else was having breakfast - not that he would have eaten any breakfast, but he still felt a little 'left out'.
"So Teddy, we all need a bit of advice as to how to go about things now we are in Egypt...", Jim began.
"I think you mean how not to behave like 'brash Americans'...", Teddy said, still obviously annoyed.
For some strange reason Teddy didn't think he was 'American', despite the fact that it was the place he was born - or perhaps more accurately 'created'.
"Well let me explain a few pertinent facts.", Teddy began.
"What's pertinent mean ?", Max whispered to Jim.
"Like important facts, having something directly to do with a particular subject.", Jim explained.
Teddy growled - in a sort of 'clearing his throat sort of way'.
"Now if you could just close the curtains a little, I can project some images onto that blank cream wall over there."
"Wowy ! - this is something new... A slide show !", Ethan said.
"Well actually it's an 'audio visual aid'... Faunus adapted one of my eyes to also serve as a projector lens." Teddy explained.
"Yes... well, nicer than a deadly laser I suppose.", Glen said, showing some rare humour.
"Now it's often stated in books and travel brochures that Egyptian people are very friendly, and that is superficially true....", Teddy began.
"However, Egypt is a very poor country - not because the people aren't industrious - by and large - but rather because for a very long time the country has been mismanaged.
To give an example, this fine palace was built on borrowed money by Ismail Pasha, who was ruler of Egypt at the time.
His creditors took it back, and sold it, and it eventually became an hotel.", Teddy continued.
"An hotel ?... shouldn't that be 'a hotel' ?", Josh asked, rather foolishly interrupting Teddy.
"As it happens - no.
'An hotel' is correct English.", Teddy said haughtily.
At that point everyone decided to 'tread carefully' as Teddy was obviously in one of his 'moods'.
Teddy continued...
"The point is that Egypt became virtually bankrupt, and still is, to all intents and purposes.
Now following recent years of 'austerity measures' aimed at 'reforming' the economy, at least 33% of Egyptians live well below the poverty line, and that figure is considerably up on previous years - so when these people see well-dressed rich people like you - and I mean to them you are very rich, well of course they would like to be your friend and, as a rich 'khawaga' - 'foreigner', you are expected to be liberal with 'baksheesh'.
Most adult male Egyptians live on less that $75 a month - so you see, there is a problem.
One common form of baksheesh is rewarding people for 'bending' of rules – many of which seem to have been designed for just that purpose.
Examples might include letting you into an archaeological site after hours - or into a vaguely restricted area etc.
This should not be confused with 'bribery', which is a more serious business, with its own etiquette and risks - best not entered into.
Egyptians also expect 'alms-giving' - the giving money and goods to the 'needy' is a natural act - and a requirement of Islam - even if you are not a Muslim.
The problem there is that so many people in Egypt are 'needy'.
'Hustling', of course, is a necessity for millions of Egyptians - asking for money for errands, or knowing a 'cousin' who can sort things out.
Such 'hustlers' usually focus on tourists, and 'tout' for hotels, push excursions, and steer tourists into shops - where their commission will be quietly added to your bill, and of course boys hustle for sex.
They’ll latch on to you, hail you on the street like an old friend - 'Hey ! Remember me ?'-, or say anything to grab your attention - You’ve dropped your wallet !'
If they don’t already know, they’ll try to discover where you’re staying, what your plans are, and pester you regularly.
Now we have Faunus with us, thank goodness, so I'm sure that he will be able to confuse all these kinds of characters - all male , of course - the girls and women are safely locked up at home.
But that's enough about poverty and money.
Two important things to remember - never discuss, or even mention religion or politics, and say nothing about why we're really here.
Remember - we're just ordinary - if quite rich tourists !", Teddy concluded, as he allowed the last image to fade away rather artistically.
"So where should we go today, Teddy.", Jim asked, hoping that deferring to the annoyed little bear would put him in a better mood.
"Well, as we have been talking about Muhammad Ali Pasha, and Ismail Pasha, I thought it would be appropriate if we visited the 'Citadel', and the 'Muhammad Ali Mosque'.", Teddy suggested.
"Right you are, 'big boy' !", Ethan said, trying to 'jolly things along'.
"And what's all this 'Pasha' business, Teddy... is it like a family name ?", Glen asked.
"Not really, Glen...
'Pasha' is a Turkish title that was granted to governors, generals, dignitaries and others.
In Egypt, which was for many years ruled by the Turks, it was later one of the highest titles.
Even today, after the abolition of the monarchy, it is considered a highly formal way of addressing senior males - a bit like the ancient Roman 'dominus'.", Teddy explained.
"Interesting...", Glen responded, despite the fact that he had been given a little more information than he could rightly deal with.
"OK - then let's all get ready to go out...", Jim said, "and I want you looking smart." - and so they left the lounge, and returned to their rooms.
So how do you get from El Gezireh to the Citadel in Cairo ?
Well you could take a bus, if you were prepared to stand in the crush of un-air-conditioned heat for an hour or more, or you could try to find an equally un-air-conditioned taxi, caught in a traffic jam for an hour or more - or you could travel in a limo so impressive that the Egyptian police would stop all the other traffic so that you could pass, in the mistaken impression that you were a high power, diplomatic party.
So it's obvious which option Jim took.
For the duration of the trip to Egypt, Jim had wisely obtained three armoured Mercedes Maybach s650 Pullman limousines - complete with chauffeurs.
It was Teddy's idea, as a perfect way to beat the hopeless traffic jams, keep away the 'hustlers', and obtain the cooperation of the police and security services.
And just to make sure that nothing untoward could happen, Faunus had equipped himself with an American diplomatic passport - taking on the well-worn identity of James Smith - one time CIA agent, Director of the Lowell Observatory etc - and now senior, Arabic speaking diplomat, at the American Embassy in Cairo.
Teddy wasn't very polite, as he'd been left in the suite while everyone else was having breakfast - not that he would have eaten any breakfast, but he still felt a little 'left out'.
"So Teddy, we all need a bit of advice as to how to go about things now we are in Egypt...", Jim began.
"I think you mean how not to behave like 'brash Americans'...", Teddy said, still obviously annoyed.
For some strange reason Teddy didn't think he was 'American', despite the fact that it was the place he was born - or perhaps more accurately 'created'.
"Well let me explain a few pertinent facts.", Teddy began.
"What's pertinent mean ?", Max whispered to Jim.
"Like important facts, having something directly to do with a particular subject.", Jim explained.
Teddy growled - in a sort of 'clearing his throat sort of way'.
"Now if you could just close the curtains a little, I can project some images onto that blank cream wall over there."
"Wowy ! - this is something new... A slide show !", Ethan said.
"Well actually it's an 'audio visual aid'... Faunus adapted one of my eyes to also serve as a projector lens." Teddy explained.
 |
| Khedive Ismail Pasha |
 |
| The Gezireh Palace - Cairo |
"Now it's often stated in books and travel brochures that Egyptian people are very friendly, and that is superficially true....", Teddy began.
"However, Egypt is a very poor country - not because the people aren't industrious - by and large - but rather because for a very long time the country has been mismanaged.
To give an example, this fine palace was built on borrowed money by Ismail Pasha, who was ruler of Egypt at the time.
His creditors took it back, and sold it, and it eventually became an hotel.", Teddy continued.
"An hotel ?... shouldn't that be 'a hotel' ?", Josh asked, rather foolishly interrupting Teddy.
"As it happens - no.
'An hotel' is correct English.", Teddy said haughtily.
At that point everyone decided to 'tread carefully' as Teddy was obviously in one of his 'moods'.
Teddy continued...
"The point is that Egypt became virtually bankrupt, and still is, to all intents and purposes.
Now following recent years of 'austerity measures' aimed at 'reforming' the economy, at least 33% of Egyptians live well below the poverty line, and that figure is considerably up on previous years - so when these people see well-dressed rich people like you - and I mean to them you are very rich, well of course they would like to be your friend and, as a rich 'khawaga' - 'foreigner', you are expected to be liberal with 'baksheesh'.
Most adult male Egyptians live on less that $75 a month - so you see, there is a problem.
 |
| Poverty in Cairo - Efypt |
Examples might include letting you into an archaeological site after hours - or into a vaguely restricted area etc.
This should not be confused with 'bribery', which is a more serious business, with its own etiquette and risks - best not entered into.
Egyptians also expect 'alms-giving' - the giving money and goods to the 'needy' is a natural act - and a requirement of Islam - even if you are not a Muslim.
The problem there is that so many people in Egypt are 'needy'.
'Hustling', of course, is a necessity for millions of Egyptians - asking for money for errands, or knowing a 'cousin' who can sort things out.
 |
| Everyday Street Scene - Cairo - Egypt |
They’ll latch on to you, hail you on the street like an old friend - 'Hey ! Remember me ?'-, or say anything to grab your attention - You’ve dropped your wallet !'
If they don’t already know, they’ll try to discover where you’re staying, what your plans are, and pester you regularly.
Now we have Faunus with us, thank goodness, so I'm sure that he will be able to confuse all these kinds of characters - all male , of course - the girls and women are safely locked up at home.
But that's enough about poverty and money.
Two important things to remember - never discuss, or even mention religion or politics, and say nothing about why we're really here.
Remember - we're just ordinary - if quite rich tourists !", Teddy concluded, as he allowed the last image to fade away rather artistically.
"So where should we go today, Teddy.", Jim asked, hoping that deferring to the annoyed little bear would put him in a better mood.
"Well, as we have been talking about Muhammad Ali Pasha, and Ismail Pasha, I thought it would be appropriate if we visited the 'Citadel', and the 'Muhammad Ali Mosque'.", Teddy suggested.
 |
| Emblem of the Ottoman (Turkish) Empire |
"And what's all this 'Pasha' business, Teddy... is it like a family name ?", Glen asked.
"Not really, Glen...
'Pasha' is a Turkish title that was granted to governors, generals, dignitaries and others.
In Egypt, which was for many years ruled by the Turks, it was later one of the highest titles.
Even today, after the abolition of the monarchy, it is considered a highly formal way of addressing senior males - a bit like the ancient Roman 'dominus'.", Teddy explained.
"Interesting...", Glen responded, despite the fact that he had been given a little more information than he could rightly deal with.
"OK - then let's all get ready to go out...", Jim said, "and I want you looking smart." - and so they left the lounge, and returned to their rooms.
 |
| Mercedes Maybach s650 Pullman |
So it's obvious which option Jim took.
For the duration of the trip to Egypt, Jim had wisely obtained three armoured Mercedes Maybach s650 Pullman limousines - complete with chauffeurs.
It was Teddy's idea, as a perfect way to beat the hopeless traffic jams, keep away the 'hustlers', and obtain the cooperation of the police and security services.
'Maybach Motorenbau' is a German car manufacturer that exists as a sub-brand of Mercedes-Benz. The company was founded in 1909 by Wilhelm Maybach and his son, originally as a subsidiary of Luftschiffbau Zeppelin GmbH. Maybach was acquired by Daimler-Benz, and the name returned as a standalone car brand. As a result, Daimler produces an 'ultra-luxury' edition of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class under the Mercedes-Maybach name.
Cairo, of course, is a desperately crowded, over populated and badly polluted city, and the morning and evening rush hours are horrendous.
Fortunately our little party managed to get to the imposing Citadel with relative ease, and were provided with convenient parking by the very pleasant, helpful Cairo police - pleasant and helpful that is if you look as if you're worth a million dollars, and might be on first name terms with the Egyptian President.
Having passed through the main entrance, there was the usual business of having everything they were carrying put through a scanning machine by Egyptian police - which was beginning to really annoy Teddy.قلعة صلاح الدين - The Citadel of Cairo, or Citadel of Saladin (Arabic: Qalaʿat Salāḥ ad-Dīn), is a medieval Islamic fortification in Cairo, built by Salah ad-Din (Saladin), and further developed by subsequent Egyptian rulers. It was the seat of government in Egypt, and the residence of its rulers for nearly 700 years from the 13th to the 19th centuries. Its location on a promontory of the Mokattam Hills, near the center of Cairo, commands a strategic position overlooking the city and dominating its skyline.It is now a preserved historic site, including mosques and museums.
Cairo Citadel
What was interesting, however, was the fact that no one seemed to notice or pay any attention to Teddy, even when he talked, or decided to 'stretch his legs'.
"How come no one seems to see Teddy ?", Josh asked Faunus.
"Well, I'm using a device that 'beings' like me often use.....
In modern, technical terms it's called a 'SEBF'.", Faunus replied, leaving Josh none the wiser.
"A whaty ?", Ethan, who was 'listening in', asked.
"A 'SEBF' - it's a 'someone else's business field'.
It's based on the way the human's brains work.
If they think something is 'someone else's business', they don't even notice it.
 |
| Map of the Cairo Citadel |
"Useful....", Ethan said casually.
"Well it certainly seems to work.", Josh said
"Hey - there's a map here, guys !", Glen said.
And there was....
"It's a bit skunky...", Ethan said, as he eyed the wobbly framed map that looked as if it desperately needed to be repainted - the frame that is - not the map.
 |
| Teddy's Map of the Cairo Citadel |
"Is there anything you haven't overlooked ?", Max asked.
"Not a far as I'm aware...", Teddy replied, a he pulled out a neatly folded map printed on laminated card.
"So where to first ?", Max asked, eager to begin the 'sightseeing'.
By this time Jim had joined them, concerned to take control, in case Ethan took everyone off to some unlikely, and probably 'out of bounds' corner of the citadel.
"Well we're here", Jim said, pointing to an area marked 'MAIN ENTRANCE', almost in the center of the map, so why don't we head straight for the 'Muhammad Ali Mosque' ?"
 |
| Mosque of Muhammad Ali Pasha - Cairo - Egypt |
مسجد محمد علي -The Great Mosque of Muhammad Ali Pasha, or 'Alabaster Mosque' was commissioned by Muhammad Ali Pasha between 1830 and 1848. Situated on the summit of the citadel, this Ottoman mosque, the largest to be built in the first half of the 19th century, and with its unusual silhouette and twin minarets, the most visible mosque in Cairo. The mosque was built in memory of Toussoun Pasha, Muhammad Ali's oldest son, who died in 1816. Muhammad Ali chose to build his state mosque entirely in the architectural style of his former overlords, the Ottoman Turks. Subsequently Muhammad Ali Pasha was buried in the mosque.
 |
| Thumper - a Sorry Bunny |
"Well its is big... and tall, and do we have to be Muslim-thingys to go in here ?", Ethan asked.
"Now remember what Teddy said about religion... so be careful what you say, and no funny 'thingy' words, or swearing, OK ?", Jim said, sounding very serious.
"OK, Jim.", Ethan said, sounding like a very sorry bunny.
So suitably chastened by Jim, they all entered the Mosque of Muhammad Ali Pasha.
"It's certainly grand, and a bit mysterious...", Glen said, choosing his words very carefully.
"Now if you like, just sit down, and I can tell you a little bit about this place...", Teddy said.
"We'd love to, Teddy,", Zac said, "but there's no seats here."
"Zac... this is Egypt... people are quite happy to sit on the floor.", Teddy said.
 |
| Mosque of Muhammad Ali Pasha - Interior - Cairo - Egypt |
"Now Zac's done it... he said he'd love for Teddy to tell us about this place.... so he'll just go one and on...", Glen whispered to Max.
Teddy, who had 'super-hearing' pretended he hadn't heard that comment.
"One thing you can say about this place - there's plenty of carpet - and it looks clean.", Ethan said, as he sat down cross-legged, looking suspiciously 'oriental'.
 |
| PrinceToussoun as a Boy |
So .... the mosque was built in memory of one of the Pasha's sons, Toussoun, who died in his twenties.
The mosque was built in the Ottoman style of architecture...", Teddy began.
"Now there's a point... you've mentioned these Ottomans before, but what's this all got to do with Egypt ?", Josh asked.
Now they all guessed that this would result in a long, complicated discourse from Teddy, but - it was relaxing and comfortable sitting on the carpet, and for the first time since they had arrived in Egypt, (apart from their brief sleep in the hotel), they found themselves in a beautifully peaceful and calm environment (which is the case with most mosques), so they were quite happy to just let Teddy talk.
So Teddy settled himself on the thick pile of the dark red carpet, and began.
"The Ottomans came from a place in Asia called Anatolia, and made their capital in what we now call Turkey.
They were named after the ruling family - the House of Osman - in English, 'Ottoman'.
They were Muslims, and created a huge Empire - beginning in the 1290s, in the Middle East, North Africa, and later Eastern Europe.
The empire was referred to as 'Devlet-i ʿAlīye-yi ʿOsmānīye' (دولت عليه عثمانیه) - 'The Supreme Ottoman State'.
The end of the Ottoman Empire came in 1922, but that doesn't really concern us, as we are interested, I hope, in the Ottoman Turks and Egypt.", Teddy continued, hopefully.
As he came to this slight pause in his account, he looked up and was surprised by the fact that the 'boys' were listening intently.
Encouraged, he carried on...
"The Ottomans conquered Egypt very early on, in 1517.
Egypt was then administered as an 'Eyalet' of the Ottoman Empire, known in Turkish as 'ایالت مصر ' - 'Eyālet-i Mıṣr' - or the 'Province of Egypt', from 1517 until 1867, with an interruption during the French occupation of 1798 to 1801.
After the French left, Muhammad Ali, an Ottoman Albanian general, was appointed as the Sultan's Viceroy - ruling on the Sultan's behalf.
Muhammad Ali's descendants, however, were later granted the Turkish title of 'Khedive' by the Ottoman Sultan.
'Khedive' is a word that comes via French from the Ottoman Turkish 'ḵediv', which comes from the Persian 'ḵadiw' meaning ‘prince’.
Muhammad Ali subsequently passed his power on to to his sons, and the 'House of Muhammad Ali' was established - although 'on paper' Egypt was still an Ottoman 'Eyalet' (province).
Although the Khedivial family were originally Albanian Muslims, they regularly married into noble Turkish families, so eventually the House of Muhammad Ali had almost pure Turkish blood.
Unfortunately, after Muhammad Ali Pasha, they were not good rulers - and Egypt became heavily indebted.
In 1882 Egypt was occupied by British forces, and the country was in the strange position of being 'ruled' by the Ottoman Sultan, the Egyptian Khedive and a British 'Controller General' - an odd arrangement, described as the 'Veiled Protectorate'.
The British, however, had the 'upper hand'.
In 1914, alarmed that the anti-British Khedive Abbas II would side with the Ottomans and the Germans, the British deposed him in favor of his uncle Hussein Kamel, and declared Egypt a British 'protectorate'.
To indicate the official end of Ottoman rule, Hussein Kamel took the title 'Sultan' - the title is distinct from king (ملك malik), despite both referring to a sovereign ruler - as did his brother Fuad I, who succeeded him in 1917, though in reality Egypt remained under British control.
Both Hussein Kamel and Fuad maintained Egypt's claim to Sudan, with Egyptian nationalists declaring both in turn to be the 'Sultan of Egypt and the Sudan'.
On the 15 March 1922 Fuad was proclaimed, by the British, King (ملك malik) of Egypt and Sudan, Sovereign of Nubia, Kordofan, and Darfur - and so Egypt became once again a Kingdom.
King Fuad died at the Qubba Palace in Cairo, and was buried at the Khedival Mausoleum in the ar-Rifai Mosque in Cairo.
فاروق الأول - Fārūq al-Awwal - (11 February 1920 – 18 March 1965) was the tenth ruler of Egypt of the Muhammad Ali dynasty, and the penultimate King of Egypt and the Sudan, succeeding his father, Fuad I, in 1936.
"So, to sum up, that is why there is a Turkish style mosque here in the middle of Cairo, in Egypt...", Teddy said triumphantly.
"So, who is the King of Egypt now ?", Ethan asked, very innocently.
"Well Jim has said we mustn't talk about present day politics in public - and there hasn't been a King of Egypt since 1952 - so if you really want to know about what has been going on since then, we can talk about what happened then when we are back in our private lounge back at the hotel.", Teddy replied.
"OK.... later then... but let's have a look 'round this place now...", Ethan said.
"So what's that - stairs to the second floor ?", Ethan asked as he picked Teddy up from the carpet.
"Well they are stairs, but they don't really lead anywhere....",Teddy replied.
That's a منبر (minbar but pronounced 'mimbar').
It's like a 'pulpit' in the mosque where the 'imam', who leads the prayers, stands to deliver خطبة - sermons.
The word comes from the Arabic root n-b-r - 'to raise, elevate'.", Teddy explained.
"So that's why it looks like a staircase....", Josh said.
"My... you are so clever...", Ethan commented.
Teddy was not quite sure if Ethan was being sarcastic, or really meant what he was saying.
"And look up at the dome... it's really quite something....." Jim said.
"Yes, the main dome has an interior height of twenty-two meters (sixty-nine feet).", Teddy added, just to be accurate and precise.
"And what's this funny little archway, that seems to lead to nowhere, Teddy ?", Glen asked.
"That, Glen, is a محراب - Mihrab... it's a little niche in the wall of a mosque that indicates the 'qibla' - that is, the direction of the 'Kaaba' in Mecca - which is the direction that Muslims should face when praying.
The wall in which a mihrab is placed is therefore, not surprisingly, called the 'qibla wall'.", Teddy said.
"So theses Muslims... they always pray the same way, like in the same direction, where ever they are ?", Glen asked, sounding puzzled.
"Yes Glen.", Teddy replied.
"So if they want to pray, and they're not in a mosque, then what do they do ?", Max asked.
"Well, they can work out the direction roughly by the position of the sun or the stars, but many devout Muslims will carry a small compass, just to make sure.", Teddy explained.
At that point Glen and Max decided not to ask any more questions, as Teddy always seemed to have a convincing answer.
And so they continued to explore the mosque until they came to what looked like a tomb.
"This is the Tomb of Muhammad Ali Pasha...", Teddy announced grandly.
"Well... quite something...", Zac said.
"So where are the other rulers of Egypt, you know, the ones you have been telling us about, buried ?", Ethan asked.
They're to be found in the مسجد الرفاعي Al-Rifa'i Mosque - in English it means something like 'the Royal Mosque'.
It's very near here, so we could go and see it today if you like... what do you say Jim ?", Teddy asked.
"Yes... if we all agree..."Jim replied.
The others all nodded.
"The mosque is the resting place of Ismail Pasha - the guy who built our hotel, as well as other members of Egypt's royal family, including Sultan Hussein Kamel, Sultan and King Fuad I, and King Farouk I.
Khedive Tewfik and Khedive Abbas II Hilmi, however, are buried in Qubbat Afandina, a mausoleum built in 1894 in Cairo's Eastern Cemetery, together with other late members of the Muhammad Ali Dynasty.
The mosque is also the resting place of the 'Shahanshah' Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, 'Aryamehr', who died in Cairo in July 1980.", Teddy explained.
The mosque was built in the Ottoman style of architecture...", Teddy began.
"Now there's a point... you've mentioned these Ottomans before, but what's this all got to do with Egypt ?", Josh asked.
Now they all guessed that this would result in a long, complicated discourse from Teddy, but - it was relaxing and comfortable sitting on the carpet, and for the first time since they had arrived in Egypt, (apart from their brief sleep in the hotel), they found themselves in a beautifully peaceful and calm environment (which is the case with most mosques), so they were quite happy to just let Teddy talk.
So Teddy settled himself on the thick pile of the dark red carpet, and began.
"The Ottomans came from a place in Asia called Anatolia, and made their capital in what we now call Turkey.
 |
| The Arms of the Devlet-i ʿAlīye-yi ʿOsmānīye Ottoman Empire |
They were Muslims, and created a huge Empire - beginning in the 1290s, in the Middle East, North Africa, and later Eastern Europe.
The empire was referred to as 'Devlet-i ʿAlīye-yi ʿOsmānīye' (دولت عليه عثمانیه) - 'The Supreme Ottoman State'.
The end of the Ottoman Empire came in 1922, but that doesn't really concern us, as we are interested, I hope, in the Ottoman Turks and Egypt.", Teddy continued, hopefully.
As he came to this slight pause in his account, he looked up and was surprised by the fact that the 'boys' were listening intently.
Encouraged, he carried on...
"The Ottomans conquered Egypt very early on, in 1517.
Egypt was then administered as an 'Eyalet' of the Ottoman Empire, known in Turkish as 'ایالت مصر ' - 'Eyālet-i Mıṣr' - or the 'Province of Egypt', from 1517 until 1867, with an interruption during the French occupation of 1798 to 1801.
After the French left, Muhammad Ali, an Ottoman Albanian general, was appointed as the Sultan's Viceroy - ruling on the Sultan's behalf.
Muhammad Ali's descendants, however, were later granted the Turkish title of 'Khedive' by the Ottoman Sultan.
 |
| Arms of the Sultan of Egypt |
Muhammad Ali subsequently passed his power on to to his sons, and the 'House of Muhammad Ali' was established - although 'on paper' Egypt was still an Ottoman 'Eyalet' (province).
Although the Khedivial family were originally Albanian Muslims, they regularly married into noble Turkish families, so eventually the House of Muhammad Ali had almost pure Turkish blood.
Unfortunately, after Muhammad Ali Pasha, they were not good rulers - and Egypt became heavily indebted.
In 1882 Egypt was occupied by British forces, and the country was in the strange position of being 'ruled' by the Ottoman Sultan, the Egyptian Khedive and a British 'Controller General' - an odd arrangement, described as the 'Veiled Protectorate'.
The British, however, had the 'upper hand'.
In 1914, alarmed that the anti-British Khedive Abbas II would side with the Ottomans and the Germans, the British deposed him in favor of his uncle Hussein Kamel, and declared Egypt a British 'protectorate'.
To indicate the official end of Ottoman rule, Hussein Kamel took the title 'Sultan' - the title is distinct from king (ملك malik), despite both referring to a sovereign ruler - as did his brother Fuad I, who succeeded him in 1917, though in reality Egypt remained under British control.
Both Hussein Kamel and Fuad maintained Egypt's claim to Sudan, with Egyptian nationalists declaring both in turn to be the 'Sultan of Egypt and the Sudan'.
 |
| فؤاد الأول - Fu’ād al-Awwal King (ملك malik) of Egypt and the Sudan Sovereign of Nubia, Kordofan and Darfur |
 |
| Royal Arms of Egypt |
King Fuad died at the Qubba Palace in Cairo, and was buried at the Khedival Mausoleum in the ar-Rifai Mosque in Cairo.
فاروق الأول - Fārūq al-Awwal - (11 February 1920 – 18 March 1965) was the tenth ruler of Egypt of the Muhammad Ali dynasty, and the penultimate King of Egypt and the Sudan, succeeding his father, Fuad I, in 1936.
"So, to sum up, that is why there is a Turkish style mosque here in the middle of Cairo, in Egypt...", Teddy said triumphantly.
"So, who is the King of Egypt now ?", Ethan asked, very innocently.
"Well Jim has said we mustn't talk about present day politics in public - and there hasn't been a King of Egypt since 1952 - so if you really want to know about what has been going on since then, we can talk about what happened then when we are back in our private lounge back at the hotel.", Teddy replied.
"OK.... later then... but let's have a look 'round this place now...", Ethan said.
Now strangely Teddy was slightly wrong in the answer that he gave to Ethan. There was a King Farouk II of Egypt, who reigned as the last King of Egypt and the Sudan from July 1952 to June 1953, when he was deposed. Fuad II was less than a year old at the time of his accession to the throne. Upon the abdication of Farouk I, the former king was exiled, and the new king, Farouk II, left Egypt with his father and his family. The 'Council of Regency', headed by Prince Muhammad Abdel Moneim (husband of Fatma Neslişah, granddaughter of the last Ottoman Sultan Mehmed VI), formally represented Farouk II in Egypt during his absence, although Fuad II reigned for less than a year until 18 June 1953, when Egypt was declared a republic.And so they started to look round the mosque - the first they had seen.
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| Minbar - Muhammad Ali Mosque - Citadel - Cairo |
"Well they are stairs, but they don't really lead anywhere....",Teddy replied.
That's a منبر (minbar but pronounced 'mimbar').
It's like a 'pulpit' in the mosque where the 'imam', who leads the prayers, stands to deliver خطبة - sermons.
The word comes from the Arabic root n-b-r - 'to raise, elevate'.", Teddy explained.
 |
| Main Dome of the Muhammad Ali Mosque - - Citadel - Cairo |
"My... you are so clever...", Ethan commented.
Teddy was not quite sure if Ethan was being sarcastic, or really meant what he was saying.
"And look up at the dome... it's really quite something....." Jim said.
"Yes, the main dome has an interior height of twenty-two meters (sixty-nine feet).", Teddy added, just to be accurate and precise.
"And what's this funny little archway, that seems to lead to nowhere, Teddy ?", Glen asked.
 |
| Mihrab - Muhammad Ali Mosque - - Citadel - Cairo |
The wall in which a mihrab is placed is therefore, not surprisingly, called the 'qibla wall'.", Teddy said.
"So theses Muslims... they always pray the same way, like in the same direction, where ever they are ?", Glen asked, sounding puzzled.
"Yes Glen.", Teddy replied.
"So if they want to pray, and they're not in a mosque, then what do they do ?", Max asked.
"Well, they can work out the direction roughly by the position of the sun or the stars, but many devout Muslims will carry a small compass, just to make sure.", Teddy explained.
 |
| Tomb Of Muhammad Ali Pasha - Cairo - Egypt |
And so they continued to explore the mosque until they came to what looked like a tomb.
"This is the Tomb of Muhammad Ali Pasha...", Teddy announced grandly.
"Well... quite something...", Zac said.
 |
| Al-Rifa'i Mosque - Cairo - Egypt |
They're to be found in the مسجد الرفاعي Al-Rifa'i Mosque - in English it means something like 'the Royal Mosque'.
It's very near here, so we could go and see it today if you like... what do you say Jim ?", Teddy asked.
"Yes... if we all agree..."Jim replied.
The others all nodded.
"The mosque is the resting place of Ismail Pasha - the guy who built our hotel, as well as other members of Egypt's royal family, including Sultan Hussein Kamel, Sultan and King Fuad I, and King Farouk I.
Khedive Tewfik and Khedive Abbas II Hilmi, however, are buried in Qubbat Afandina, a mausoleum built in 1894 in Cairo's Eastern Cemetery, together with other late members of the Muhammad Ali Dynasty.
The mosque is also the resting place of the 'Shahanshah' Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, 'Aryamehr', who died in Cairo in July 1980.", Teddy explained.
"OK... sounds cool.", Ethan said - not really having much idea who all these people, who Teddy was mentioning, actually were.
So they made their way back to where the Limos were parked, and it was just a few minutes drive to the next mosque.
Teddy didn't bother to say anything about the mosque while in the limo, as the group was divided into three vehicles.
They then left the limos, and entered the mosque after paying the entrance fee - (being non-Muslims they had to pay).
As soon as the were in the mosque a Egyptian wanted to guide them round the building, but as soon as Teddy started talking, he realized that he was out-matched and fell silent.
Just as Faunus had predicted, the 'SEBF', which had 'kicked in', meant that while the Egyptian saw and heard Teddy, it didn't register that the situation of a small, fluffy teddy-bear giving a guided tour of a Cairo mosque was utterly improbable.
So Teddy began... clearing his throat first to gain everyone's attention...
Teddy didn't bother to say anything about the mosque while in the limo, as the group was divided into three vehicles.
They then left the limos, and entered the mosque after paying the entrance fee - (being non-Muslims they had to pay).
As soon as the were in the mosque a Egyptian wanted to guide them round the building, but as soon as Teddy started talking, he realized that he was out-matched and fell silent.
Just as Faunus had predicted, the 'SEBF', which had 'kicked in', meant that while the Egyptian saw and heard Teddy, it didn't register that the situation of a small, fluffy teddy-bear giving a guided tour of a Cairo mosque was utterly improbable.
So Teddy began... clearing his throat first to gain everyone's attention...
" مسجد الرفاعي - the Al-Rifa'i Mosque - the Royal Mosque, is the Khedival Mausoleum of the Royal Family of Muhammad Ali Pasha.
The building is located opposite the Mosque of Sultan Hassan, and is built in a similar style as a complement to the older structure.
This was part of a campaign by the 19th century rulers of Egypt to both associate themselves with the 'glory' of earlier periods in Egypt's Islamic history.
The mosque is built in the Bahri Mameluke style...
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| Rodah Island - Nile - Cairo - Egypt |
Now before Ethan asks me... the المماليك البحرية, or 'Bahri Mamluks' were a Mamluk dynasty of Turkish origin that ruled the 'Egyptian Mameluk Sultanate' from 1250 to 1382.
They followed the Ayyubid dynasty, and were succeeded by a second Mamluk dynasty, the 'Burji' dynasty.
The name 'Bahriyya' means 'of the river', referring to the location of their original settlement on جزيرة الروضة - Al-Rhoda Island in the Nile.
The Mamluks formed one of the most powerful and wealthiest empires of the time, lasting from 1250 to 1517 in Egypt, North Africa....
By the way, we should be going to Roudah Island tomorrow... if nothing else turns up.
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| A Dome in the Al-Rifa'i Mosque - Cairo - Egypt |
Now if you look up, you will see one of the domes of this mosque, but notice that Mameluke style has small domes, and the building is tall and thin, unlike the Ottoman style, that we saw at the Muhammad Ali Mosque, which is square, with large domes.
The costly coloured marble used in the building came from all over Europe." Teddy explained - as he was interrupted by Ethan.
"Well I don't like it much...
The marble's pretty, but it feels a bit musty, and it feels very closed in.", Ethan said.
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| Tomb of Fouad I - Al-Rifa'i Mosque - Cairo - Egypt |
The others nodded in agreement.
"OK... then let's look at the tombs...", Teddy said in a spooky, sepulchral voice, realizing that his friends were probably getting a bit bored with mosques.
So the went off to another part of the mosque, where they had to pay a bit of 'baksheesh'.
"Here we are then... tombs of the Khedives and Kings.", Teddy announced.
"And who is this ?", Glen asked.
"This is King Fuad I.", Teddy replied.
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| Tomb of the mother of Khedive Abbās Ḥilmī I - Cairo - Egypt |
"And we've also got the tomb of the mother of Khedive Abbās Ḥilmī I - Ḥilmī was the last Khedive of Egypt."
They then moved into another chamber.
Here, less grand, but maybe more interesting, is the Tomb of King Farouk I.
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| Tomb of King Farouk I - Al-Rifa'i Mosque - Cairo - Egypt |
You can see by all the flowers that this is a king of Egypt - the last - who is still remembered, and obviously loved by some people.
Undoubtedly the 'boys' were impressed by the floral tributes - the only signs of remembrance that they had seen on any of the tombs.
"Now before we leave, there is one more very modest tomb - but not of an Egyptian khedive, Sultan or King - but of an 'Emperor'." Teddy said mysteriously.
"It's the tomb of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi - 'Shahanshah' of Iran 'Andryamehr'.
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| Tomb of the Sha of Iran - Al-Rifa'i Mosque - Cairo - Egypt |
Shahanshah means 'King of Kings' in Persian - which is another way of saying 'emperor', and 'Andryamehr' means 'Light of the Aryans', because the Persians looked upon themselves as 'Aryans.
So here it is...
"So ... shall we go after looking at the tomb of the Sha, guys...?
I think that's enough of Mosques and tombs for one day.", Teddy said.
And Ethan patted Teddy on the head.
"Good teddy-bear... you did very well.", Ethan said.
And they all made their way slowly out of the mosque.
"So shall we have something to eat ?", Ethan asked.
"Well they do have McDonalds in Cairo, but then there's the problem about parking.
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Dining Room - Gezireh Palace - Cairo - Egypt
|
I think a meal would be better at the hotel...", Zac said.
So the three limos returned to the 'Gezireh Palace'.
On returning to the hotel there was time to shower, and then they went down to the dining room.
It was their first visit to the dining room, and the room was - as Ethan put it - 'Very brown.' - which was true.
It was also very luxurious, masculine, and seemingly modelled on a nineteenth century British 'board room', conservative, refined - all leather and dark wood, with monochrome lithographs in dark wood frames.
Faunus was not eating with them (he apparently had some other 'business' although what it was nobody could guess), so they all managed to crowd round one large circular table, and as Faunus' 'SEBF', recently installed on Teddy's system, seemed to be working perfectly, Teddy was allowed to sit, hopefully inconspicuously, on one side of the table.
As has been explained before, Teddy would not be eating, but as he had been such a 'good bear', it seemed 'churlish' to condemn him to spend the mealtime locked away in Jim's suite.
So as they ate, they discussed the activities planned for the following day.
Teddy, who had more information on his 'data-base' than any of the others had in their pitifully inadequate human brains, had two suggestions
The first was جزيرة الروضة, Gezīret er-Rhōda - Rhoda Island.
"So what's so special about this island, Teddy?", Max wanted to know.
Max had been a bit bored by the second Mosque that they had visited that day, and didn't fancy being bored again.
"Rhoda Island is where the riverine (Bahri) Mamluks were housed - who I mentioned when we were at the Al-Rifa'i Mosque.
Until the 1952 revolution, Rhoda remained mostly gardens.
Some of these gardens remain in the northern section, making it a pleasant, cool and shady place to visit.
What I think we should visit, however, is the Manyal Palace - built in 1899
It is now a museum, and was built by محمد علي توفيق - Prince Mohammad Ali Tawfiq, who was born in 1875 and died as recently as 1955.
Teddy, who had more information on his 'data-base' than any of the others had in their pitifully inadequate human brains, had two suggestions
The first was جزيرة الروضة, Gezīret er-Rhōda - Rhoda Island.
"So what's so special about this island, Teddy?", Max wanted to know.
 |
| المماليك البحرية - Bahri Mamluk |
"Rhoda Island is where the riverine (Bahri) Mamluks were housed - who I mentioned when we were at the Al-Rifa'i Mosque.
Until the 1952 revolution, Rhoda remained mostly gardens.
Some of these gardens remain in the northern section, making it a pleasant, cool and shady place to visit.
What I think we should visit, however, is the Manyal Palace - built in 1899
It is now a museum, and was built by محمد علي توفيق - Prince Mohammad Ali Tawfiq, who was born in 1875 and died as recently as 1955.
The palace is situated in the middle of a very large garden, with many trees
The palace's architecture, interior decorations and furniture are all modelled on the Arabesque style. The museum's collection is the most complete representative set of 'Ottoman' (Turkish) art in Egypt.
In addition, the museum contains embroidered textiles, carpets, crystal vessels and candelabra.
It is considered a delightful place for a short visit and we will be sure to leave with a better understanding of both modern and medieval Cairo.", Teddy explained.
"Well, Teddy, you're getting very good at this 'tour guide ' business...", Ethan said.
"I think it sounds very pleasant, and I think we should go, unless anyone has any objections...", Jim said.
"What about the afternoon ?", Ethan asked.
"Ask me later...", Teddy said thoughtfully - looking to Jim.
Later, Jim, Teddy, Ethan and Faunus met in the private lounge.
"So why all the secrecy...", Jim asked Teddy.
"Well... I have a suggestion about our next bit of sightseeing...
We're here... I mean in Egypt... but Glen has had no further 'messages', and neither has anybody else.
Now all this looking at the recent history of Egypt is all very interesting, but the 'message' that brought us here was in ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics.
So perhaps we should 'kick-start' things by going somewhere really 'ancient'.
Maybe by us thinking about ancient Egypt whoever is trying to contact us may do just that... - 'contact us' !", Teddy said emphatically.
"So where really 'ancient' ?", Ethan asked.
"It's obvious... 'Giza', and if that doesn't work, then 'Saqqara' !", Faunus said.
"And what's this 'Saqqara-thingy' ?", Ethan asked.
"Saqqara, or in Arabic - سقارة, is an ancient burial ground which features many pyramids, including the 'Step Pyramid' of Djoser, and the 'Pyramid of Unas' - and also the 'Serapeum', and the 'Philosophers Circle', a monument to important Greek thinkers and poets, consisting of statues of Hesiod, Homer, Pindar, Plato, and others which is from the Ptolemaic period.", Teddy explained - showing off again.
"And Giza, of course, is where we'll find the pyramids of Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure. ", Faunus added.
"OK... so, what next ?", Jim asked.
"Well I think that it would be a good idea if Josh, Glen and Max went off to explore 'Gezireh' with Zac looking after them.
Now none of them speaks Arabic, but here in Gezireh that shouldn't be a problem, but it must be made clear to Zac that they must not leave the island.", Faunus suggested.
"And...?", Ethan asked, unsure as to what Faunus had in mind.
"Well I think we should have a chat about what exactly we are planning to do, now we are in Egypt.", Faunus said.
"Yes... and I wonder, Ethan, if you would mind going to the suite, and getting Teddy's laptop, as we need to have a record of what's said.", Jim asked.
"Okey-dokey, Jim...", Ethan replied in his bafflingly odd manner.
"Oh... and can I come with you - if you're going to use the elevator... the buttons, you know..?", Teddy said, equally weirdly.
So off they went.
While they were waiting, Jim went to tell Zac to take Josh, Glen and Max for a late afternoon stroll, and when he returned to the private lounge, Teddy, complete with dazzlingly clean, but completely unnecessary horn rimmed glasses, was sitting on one of the coffee tables, with his blue HP computer open on his lap.
"Ready !", Teddy said, obviously pleased to be the centre of attention - (or so he thought).
"Now we have only been here for one day, so expecting a further message might be premature, but I am uncertain as to how 'whoever', or 'whatever' it is that is trying to contact us will know the we are here.
I also wonder if the message 'Come to us' actually meant to mean 'come to us in Egypt' - not that it matters, as I think that this will turn out to be a very interesting and enjoyable holiday, regardless of if we actually make 'contact' or not.", Jim began.
"Well, I've been in contact with Novius, and he says that he's confident that you will be contacted - maybe not through Glen - but in some way.
I suggested that getting involved with all things 'ancient Egyptian' might make 'contact' easier, and he agreed.", Faunus said.
"So you think this trip to Saqqara and Giza that we're planning for tomorrow might help ?", Jim asked.
"I think that there's a good chance that visiting those sites might 'trigger' something.", Faunus replied.
"And what about that 'Tut-ank-thingy' ?", Ethan asked.
"Teddy showed me some stuff about that guy on the internet...", Ethan continued, apparently completely changing the subject.
"I think you mean 'Tutankhamun'....", Teddy said, looking up from his keyboard.
"Yes... that's the guy...", Ethan replied.
"Well the contents of his tomb are very near here, in the Cairo Museum, but his tomb is in the south of Egypt, on the West Bank of the Nile, at Luxor.", Teddy said.
"So... tell us about him... you're bound to have all sorts of info on your 'database'.", Ethan said.
"Actually I do...", and Teddy paused for just a second as the information was uploaded into his 'brain'.
"So... Tutankhamun, born about 1342, and died about 1325 BCE, was an ancient Egyptian pharaoh who was the last of his royal family to rule during the end of the 18th dynasty, during the 'New Kingdom'.
His father was the 'weird' pharaoh Akhenaten, believed to be the mummy found in the tomb KV55 on the West Bank in Luxor.
His mother was his father's sister."
"That really is weird !", Ethan said, interrupting.
"Well, not for Egyptian Kings... it was the custom - possibly to keep the bloodline pure...", Teddy replied.
"Tutankhamun took the throne at about nine years of age, under the vizier-ship of his eventual successor, Ay, to whom he may have been related - possibly his uncle...
Tutankhamun married his own half sister Ankhesenamun.
His names: 'Tutankhaten' and 'Tutankhamun' probably mean 'Living image of Aten', and 'Living image of Amun'.
Tutankhamun restored the Ancient Egyptian religion after his father had changed things - and he also began restoring old monuments damaged during the previous 'Amarna Period'.
In addition, he moved the capital from Akhetaten back to 'Thebes' - modern day 'Luxor'.
Then, in 1922 Howard Carter, with the financial backing of Lord Carnarvon, discovered Tutankhamun's nearly intact tomb." Teddy explained.
"Now this is all very interesting, but how does it help us ?", Jim asked.
"Well it's like Novius suggested - getting involved with all things 'ancient Egyptian' might help in making 'contact' - like Faunus said.". Ethan explained.
"True....", Jim agreed.
"The question is who will get the message, and what form will the message take ?", Teddy asked.
"That we don't know, but I think tomorrow we should go to Saqqara, and also Giza - early, before it gets too hot, and then come back into the city, and go to the Cairo Museum to 'check out' Tutankhamun.
And also, I need to come to your suite this evening, Jim, to give Teddy an upgrade.", Faunus said.
Teddy growled, but it was no use.
"Teddy's cooling system needs adjusting - he's overheating a bit - and his memory needs expanding, so he can deal with all this new information.", Faunus explained.
"And about time !", Ethan said......
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| Manyal Palace - Rhoda Island - Cairo - Egypt |
In addition, the museum contains embroidered textiles, carpets, crystal vessels and candelabra.
It is considered a delightful place for a short visit and we will be sure to leave with a better understanding of both modern and medieval Cairo.", Teddy explained.
"Well, Teddy, you're getting very good at this 'tour guide ' business...", Ethan said.
"I think it sounds very pleasant, and I think we should go, unless anyone has any objections...", Jim said.
"What about the afternoon ?", Ethan asked.
"Ask me later...", Teddy said thoughtfully - looking to Jim.
|
| Private Lounge - Gezireh Palace - Cairo |
"So why all the secrecy...", Jim asked Teddy.
"Well... I have a suggestion about our next bit of sightseeing...
We're here... I mean in Egypt... but Glen has had no further 'messages', and neither has anybody else.
Now all this looking at the recent history of Egypt is all very interesting, but the 'message' that brought us here was in ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics.
So perhaps we should 'kick-start' things by going somewhere really 'ancient'.
 |
| Step Pyramid Complex - Saqqara - Cairo - Egypt |
"So where really 'ancient' ?", Ethan asked.
"It's obvious... 'Giza', and if that doesn't work, then 'Saqqara' !", Faunus said.
"And what's this 'Saqqara-thingy' ?", Ethan asked.
"Saqqara, or in Arabic - سقارة, is an ancient burial ground which features many pyramids, including the 'Step Pyramid' of Djoser, and the 'Pyramid of Unas' - and also the 'Serapeum', and the 'Philosophers Circle', a monument to important Greek thinkers and poets, consisting of statues of Hesiod, Homer, Pindar, Plato, and others which is from the Ptolemaic period.", Teddy explained - showing off again.
 |
| Giza Plateau - Pyramids - Cairo - Egypt |
"OK... so, what next ?", Jim asked.
"Well I think that it would be a good idea if Josh, Glen and Max went off to explore 'Gezireh' with Zac looking after them.
Now none of them speaks Arabic, but here in Gezireh that shouldn't be a problem, but it must be made clear to Zac that they must not leave the island.", Faunus suggested.
"And...?", Ethan asked, unsure as to what Faunus had in mind.
"Well I think we should have a chat about what exactly we are planning to do, now we are in Egypt.", Faunus said.
"Yes... and I wonder, Ethan, if you would mind going to the suite, and getting Teddy's laptop, as we need to have a record of what's said.", Jim asked.
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| Elevator - Gezireh Palace - Cairo - Egypt |
"Oh... and can I come with you - if you're going to use the elevator... the buttons, you know..?", Teddy said, equally weirdly.
So off they went.
While they were waiting, Jim went to tell Zac to take Josh, Glen and Max for a late afternoon stroll, and when he returned to the private lounge, Teddy, complete with dazzlingly clean, but completely unnecessary horn rimmed glasses, was sitting on one of the coffee tables, with his blue HP computer open on his lap.
"Ready !", Teddy said, obviously pleased to be the centre of attention - (or so he thought).
"Now we have only been here for one day, so expecting a further message might be premature, but I am uncertain as to how 'whoever', or 'whatever' it is that is trying to contact us will know the we are here.
I also wonder if the message 'Come to us' actually meant to mean 'come to us in Egypt' - not that it matters, as I think that this will turn out to be a very interesting and enjoyable holiday, regardless of if we actually make 'contact' or not.", Jim began.
"Well, I've been in contact with Novius, and he says that he's confident that you will be contacted - maybe not through Glen - but in some way.
I suggested that getting involved with all things 'ancient Egyptian' might make 'contact' easier, and he agreed.", Faunus said.
"So you think this trip to Saqqara and Giza that we're planning for tomorrow might help ?", Jim asked.
"I think that there's a good chance that visiting those sites might 'trigger' something.", Faunus replied.
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| Cartouche of Tutankhamun |
"Teddy showed me some stuff about that guy on the internet...", Ethan continued, apparently completely changing the subject.
"I think you mean 'Tutankhamun'....", Teddy said, looking up from his keyboard.
"Yes... that's the guy...", Ethan replied.
"Well the contents of his tomb are very near here, in the Cairo Museum, but his tomb is in the south of Egypt, on the West Bank of the Nile, at Luxor.", Teddy said.
"So... tell us about him... you're bound to have all sorts of info on your 'database'.", Ethan said.
"Actually I do...", and Teddy paused for just a second as the information was uploaded into his 'brain'.
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| Tutankhamun |
His father was the 'weird' pharaoh Akhenaten, believed to be the mummy found in the tomb KV55 on the West Bank in Luxor.
His mother was his father's sister."
"That really is weird !", Ethan said, interrupting.
"Well, not for Egyptian Kings... it was the custom - possibly to keep the bloodline pure...", Teddy replied.
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| Howard Carter |
Tutankhamun married his own half sister Ankhesenamun.
His names: 'Tutankhaten' and 'Tutankhamun' probably mean 'Living image of Aten', and 'Living image of Amun'.
Tutankhamun restored the Ancient Egyptian religion after his father had changed things - and he also began restoring old monuments damaged during the previous 'Amarna Period'.
In addition, he moved the capital from Akhetaten back to 'Thebes' - modern day 'Luxor'.
Then, in 1922 Howard Carter, with the financial backing of Lord Carnarvon, discovered Tutankhamun's nearly intact tomb." Teddy explained.
"Now this is all very interesting, but how does it help us ?", Jim asked.
"Well it's like Novius suggested - getting involved with all things 'ancient Egyptian' might help in making 'contact' - like Faunus said.". Ethan explained.
"True....", Jim agreed.
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| Cairo Museum - Egypt |
"That we don't know, but I think tomorrow we should go to Saqqara, and also Giza - early, before it gets too hot, and then come back into the city, and go to the Cairo Museum to 'check out' Tutankhamun.
And also, I need to come to your suite this evening, Jim, to give Teddy an upgrade.", Faunus said.
Teddy growled, but it was no use.
"Teddy's cooling system needs adjusting - he's overheating a bit - and his memory needs expanding, so he can deal with all this new information.", Faunus explained.
"And about time !", Ethan said......
There was an early start in the morning, and a drive to Saqqara, and then Giza - and then the return to Cairo, and the Cairo Museum - and a strange meeting by the shrine of Anubis - and a message - and then....what to do about the message ? Oh, and also an 'upgraded' Teddy !
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All text - © Copyright Peter Crawford 2021
All Images - © Copyright Vittorio Carvelli 2021
Graphic Design - © Copyright Zac Sawyer 2021