Final day in Jerusalem

 

Garden of Gethsemane

Jesus came to Jerusalem to celebrate Passover but stayed outside the city wall near the Garden of Gethsemane, the olive press. Here he came to pray and was betrayed by Judas. We visited the olive trees and the modern church designed by Antonio Barluzzi. The mosaic in the interior is faithful to the mosaic from the Byzantine church of 800 years ago. The mosaic above the door shows Christ’s second coming. The deer above represents Psalm 42: As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God.

Modern Church in the Garden

Then we visited the archeological site of the City of David. Jerusalem was originally a Jacobite city 4000 years ago. It was founded below today’s walled city because the Gihon water spring was here. In Egypt a letter was found where the Canaan leader is complaining to the pharaoh that the Hebrews are preparing to invade. David built his Palace near the top of this walled city. We know because a seal was found where his administrator was named.

Capital from David's Palace

Our final adventure was to wander Machaneh Yehuda market with vendors selling food, spices, baked goods, and housewares. It’s a Friday, the start of the weekend, and the day before the Sabbath. The marketplace was packed with people. The neighborhoods around the market were built in the mid 19^th century, the first to be built outside the city walls. We sampled juices, lotions, baked goods and some nut treats. We also experienced a variety of people dressed in a range of outfits. Music was blaring around us. In particular, we were lectured by a weirdly dressed musician, who tried to convince us about something. Never understood what it was, but then he played a song for us on his guitar. It was an experience.

It's difficult to summarize this trip. We encountered three different countries that are at peace these days after three wars, but with different beliefs and political systems. It was a good mix of stories, history, sights, and incredible food. Our eight family members spent more time together than we had in years, we ate together everyday and feel closer than ever. Our group of twenty each day were both curious about the countries and on time, and no one got sick from either covid or a cold. Our guides throughout this journey provided lots of opportunities to learn about the culture and answer our every question. Great trip. A video about this trip is available on youtube. 

OAT Yellow Group

Masada

 

We left Jerusalem at 2600 feet above sea level and within 30 miles we dropped to 1200 feet below sea level at the Dead Sea. The temperature increased by 10 degrees and the moisture level rapidly decreased. The Judean desert only gets .3 inches of rain per year. But historically this is a land of riches. The rains in the mountains become springs here supplying water to groves of date trees. Dates have more sugar content than any other fruit and remain edible without refrigeration, important for taking on long journeys. Salt preserves meats for long periods. In fact salt was often the wages of soldiers, the word ‘soldier’ and ‘salary’ are derived from ‘salt’. The bitumen oil from this region was both a medicine and a sealant for ships. Finally, balsam, a spice from a secret recipe here, was used as an incense. Herod was given control of this land after Marc Anthony betrayed Caesar, and these became a major source of his wealth. This is why he built a palace here and stored much of his share of the goods made here.

We took the tram up to the top. Masada, meaning ‘fort’, was rediscovered in 1942 by some boys hiking in the area. As we look at the ruins, a black line distinguishes what was found in 1942 and what has been restored. The interiors were plastered and painted, there were gardens, water fountains, and baths. An elaborate water system channeled mountain rain to large cisterns on the sides of the Mesa. Donkeys were used to bring the water up the Mesa top to cisterns in the fort. On the edge of the mesa is Herod’s Palace built in the form of three terraces. Nearby is the public bath, where water was heated below the floor to create steam.

Public Bath with plumbing

In 66 AD, the Jewish zealots came to Masada because the Romans were taking over the Land of Israel. Four years later another 400 or 500 Jews joined them, when the Romans destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple. In 74 AD, the Romans laid siege to Masada, we can see the remains of their camps below us. They began building a ramp up to the walls of Masada to batter them down. The Romans gave the Jews one night to surrender, they would make the final assault on Passover. The men met in the synagogue, where they faced the likelihood of death, rape and slavery. According to Flavius  Josephus they instead had the men kill their families, then they chose 10 men to kill all others and one to kill the nine and he would then commit suicide. The Romans entered to find everyone dead except for five women and children, who told the tale. Archeological evidence cannot confirm this account.

The lots found at Masada

Israeli Museum

 

Model of Jerusalem 66 AD

The Israeli Museum has a model of Jerusalem from about 66 AD. The second temple stands out on Temple Mount. In the center is the Holy of Holies, which could only be entered by the high priest on Yom Kapoor. But we know that other parts of the temple were accessible to gentiles because of the stone stating only Jews could go beyond this point in the Israeli Museum. Next to the Temple is the Citadel where Jesus was tried by Pilot. He was crucified just outside the inner walls.

Isaiah Scroll

Then we went to the Shrine of the Book. Here are stored the Dead Sea Scrolls found by two Bedouin shepherds in 1947 near Khirbet Qumran.  The Rockefeller Archeological Museum ended up with most of the scrolls at the time in Jordanian territory. The scrolls are mostly chapters of the Jewish Bible written between 200 BC and 50 AD on kosher animal hides. Why were these found hidden in a cave? We don’t know for sure, but one theory is that they were from the Temple being hidden from the Romans who destroyed the temple several years later. Besides the scrolls is the Aleppo Codex, written in the 10^th century AD. The codex had been the oldest written copy of the Jewish Bible, until the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. Yet these two sources are virtually the same, verifying the validity of both.

Galilee Man

We then had time to visit the rest of the museum. Most of us explored the gallery devoted to Israeli  history. It began with the Galilee man, a Skull from 250,000 years ago, Chalcolithic period, the land of Canaan, the land of Israel through its many invasions: Babylonia, Assyrian, Greek, and Roman. The highlight was about the period of Herod the Great. 

Coffin of Herod the Great

After lunch at the Modern Restaurant in the museum We had a tour of the Supreme Court. Israel’s judicial system is very different from the US. There is no constitution, so if Hebrew law doesn’t cover a dispute they will research British Protectorate law, or the judicial findings in other countries. For example they settled a copyright dispute on the internet based on  New York state ruling. There are three types of courts. The magistrate court covers minor crimes and small disputes. The district Court covers major crimes (sentence > 7 years) and major disputes. These courts hear evidence and reach decisions. The Supreme Court is an appeals court for the lower courts as well as the original court for a case against the government. There are 15 judges, but most cases are decided with 3 judges. People apply to become a judge and are reviewed by various 9 person panels of judges and ministers. It takes 5 votes to become a lower level judge, 7 for the Supreme court. The Supreme Court handles 10,000 cases a year. The Supreme Court does have the power to change a law if there is a major public concern brought before them, but this power has only been used twenty times. The current government is proposing that this right of law review be removed. There have been protests of 50-100,000 people for the last three Saturdays against such a change.

Jerusalem - Holocaust Museum, Chagall Windows, Bethlehem

 

Ghetto in Latvia

We visited Yad Vashem, the Israeli Holocaust Museum.  We’ve been to three other Holocaust museums, so rather than tell the historical story about Hitler’s final solution, I’ll focus on our impressions. There is no doubt that this museum has more artifacts and documents than any other. We knew most of the extermination camps that existed but were surprised by the number of “labor camps” where people were worked to death. We had heard many times about the Warsaw ghetto, where they squeezed many people into a small area, but hadn’t realized the many other eastern European countries that had Jewish ghettos. The number of countries that expelled Jews to the camps included France, Hungary, Yugoslavia, and the Baltic states. The most surprising information was that Britain, the US, and Russia knew as early as 1942, that Jews were dying in the ghettos. Articles appeared in newspapers about extermination camps in 1943. The allies issued statements to Germany saying Germany would be responsible for their actions against the Jews, but Pope Pius XII wouldn’t join this statement, because he wanted to remain neutral. The allies agreed to that their objective was total surrender from the Germans, but never bombed the extermination camps or even the Railroad tracks that led to those camps. The museum made you ponder how could one people do this to another.

Chagall Windows

After our visit we had a very different experience by visiting the Hadassah Hospital. Here are the Marc Chagall windows built in the hospital synagogue. When asked to do an artwork for the hospital, he replied “I’ve been waiting for the Jewish community to come to me, so I could give back”. He designed 12 windows for the 12 tribes of Israel, taking his themes for each tribe based on their history and the blessing that Jacob gave each of his sons. The windows were mounted in 1962, four of them had to be repaired after the Six Day War in 1967. Lunch was at the shopping center in the hospital.

In the grotto of the Church of the Nativity

Some of our group did an excursion to Bethlehem to see the Church of the Nativity. This location has been venerated as Christ’s birthplace since 50 AD. Hadrian then built a Roman God temple over this site as part of his persecution against the Christians. The first church was built here by Helena in 339. The current church was built during the crusader times. We visited the grotto under the altar where Christ was born. Nearby is the Roman Catholic Chapel, where mass was being said. Finally as we left we saw a Statue of St. Jerome who wrote the Latin Vulgate here, the original translation to Latin used for 1100 years.

Tiles from 4th Century Church

Old City of Jerusalem

 

Praying in David's Tomb

Our tour of the Old City of Jerusalem began on Mount Zion where Jesus celebrated Passover at the Last Supper. Here we visited the upstairs room built in medieval times to commemorate the Last Supper. A ceremonial olive tree represents peace. But since the Moslems held Jerusalem for many years, the windows have Moslem symbols and there is a minaret on top. Below is King David’s Tomb, a Jewish holy site which commemorates the burial of King David. The Zion gate is nearby filled with pock marks from the War of Independence when the Jews were forced out of the Jewish quarter. The barbed wire separating Jews and Muslims was in front of the gate until the Six-Day War. The Ottoman walls were built by Suleiman the Magnificent. In the Jewish quarter, we saw the 7-candle stick menorah made of Gold intended for the 3^rd temple. Behind this is the ruin synagogue, which was blown up in 1948, but now restored. Nearby we saw the 8^th century BC wall being excavated. This was the original 8-meter-thick wall meant to protect Jerusalem from the Assyrians. Twenty years earlier the Assyrians had defeated the Northern tribes of Israel. Isaiah wrote “God will not abandon you”. They survived a 3-year siege, in the end King Hezekiah bribed the Assyrians with the gold doors of the temple to end the siege.

Wailing Wall

Then we came upon the Wailing Wall. Part of the temple retaining walls raised by Herod the great in the 1^st century BC. We visited the wall to meditate and pray. Filling the cracks in the wall with our prayer strips.

The on to the Moslem quarter where we stopped at the Austrian Hospice to get a rooftop view of the quarter. The Dome of the Rock is built upon the Rock of Foundation, where Abraham was told by an angel not to kill his Isaac as a sacrifice to God.

Crucifixion Altar

Then we went through the Christian quarter following the Via Dolorosa. The way concludes at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher built by Helena on the traditional site of the crucifixion and resurrection. The site was a decommissioned quarry, called Golgotha or Skull, just outside the walls during Roman times. The church today is from the time of the crusades, each chapel is owned by different Christian sects based on a treaty from 1919 and the keys to the church are managed by a Moslem family. We ascended the steps to the top of the Rock where Christ was sacrificed. Down the steps is the site where Christ was wrapped in linen, then on to the tomb. 

The line to visit the tomb was long, so we went to the Armenian chapel where there was a recently discovered 1^st century tomb. Finally, we went to Adam’s Chapel. According to tradition, when Jesus was crucified, the earthquake caused this Rock to Crack, and blood flowed to the remains of Adam below cleansing hints of the original sin.

First Century Tomb in Armenian Chapel

Later that afternoon, I visited the Damascus gate and the Garden Tomb nearby. In the 19^th century, some believe this is Calvary, because of the hill nearby that looks like a skull, and a 1st century tomb nearby.

Bethany beyond the Jordan and Mount of Olives

 

Elijah and Christ on the Jordan

We started the day by visiting Bethany Beyond the Jordan. This is believed to be the site where John the Baptist, baptized Christ. The gospel of John chapters 1, 3, and 10 talk about the baptism being at Bethany on the east side of Jordan. Helena built a church here in the 4^th century. Five churches have been built over that original church. We saw the remains of at least three of these churches. The Jordan was wider then, so the abyss of that church is no longer on the river. We went inside a modern Greek Orthodox church. Nearby is an arch where tradition says that Elijah was raised on his fiery chariot.

Remains of Churches and Baptismal Area

We crossed the border from Jordan to Israel, which took about an hour. On the way to Jerusalem, we passed Jericho surrounded by date palms. Then a few Bedouin families with their goats grazing on grass sprung from the recent rains. 

Eastern Wall and Temple Mount

We stopped at the Mount of Olives with its view of the Eastern Wall built by the Ottomans above the Roman wall, the Temple Mount where the Jewish temple used to be, and the two mosques with the black and gold domes. The Jewish temple was 3 times taller than the Dome Mosque is today and covered in marble. We can see the Eastern gate today is bricked up, but that is the gate Christ entered on a donkey. Below us are numerous cemeteries built here because Christ’s Second Coming is to be from the east.

Cemeteries along Eastern Wall

Relaxation on the Dead Sea

 

Movenpick on the Dead Sea

There was an optional tour for Ammon today, but we decided not to go. We had a relaxing day at the hotel. Some of the family got muddied up and floated on the Dead Sea. Some also took advantage of the spa. It was a quiet day after so many busy days.

Char, Richard, Ann, and Steve

Madaba to the Dead Sea

 

Map of the World with explanation

Our first stop of the day was Madaba, which means city of water and fruit. While the country is 2% Christian, Madaba is 50% Christian and once had 120 churches. We’re here to visit the Church of St. George to see its map of the world, a mosaic created around 542 AD. The top of the map is East, the direction from which Jews believe the Messiah will appear and where Christians believe the Second Coming of Christ will occur. Jerusalem and Bethlehem stand out of the map, with the Jordan River from Lake Tiberius to the dead sea. On another portion is the Sanai desert and the Nile.

Actual Mosaic

We had a family hosted lunch at the home of Ferris with his wife and mother-in-law. Our meal was salad with a delicious chicken and rice meal called ouzi, with lots of Arabian spices, but mild in taste. He had been a pharmacist but now has a small print shop in his home. She has a master’s degree and teaches how to restore mosaics at the University. They have many relatives in the US and Canada, including a brother who worked for HP and Microsoft.

Ouzi

The Jordanians have been doing mosaics for 2000 years. We went to a workshop where they teach people how to create mosaics. It is part of a handicraft protection program created by Queen Noor to provide employment.

Our last stop for the day was Mount Nebo, where God showed Moses the promised land. Here is where he was buried. Down below we could see the Jordan Valley from Gilead to Dan, ending in the dead sea. In the Monastery of Nebo we saw several mosaics from the sixth century. Then we headed for our hotel, Movenpick on the Dead Sea.

Sixth Century Mosaic

In the evening, we had a talk by Rani Husseini, author of “Murder for Honor” and “Years of Struggle”. She went to University in Oklahoma and returned to Jordan in 1993. She worked for the Jordan Times as a crime reporter, where she focused on honor killings of women. At the time, the sentence for men who murdered their wife or daughter because they dishonored the family was 3 to 6 months. She became a women’s right activist to change the laws and sentences. There was a lot of resistance to these issues. Even today, the Muslim Brotherhood is against their movement. Since 2000, there is more awareness of women’s rights, an increase in sentences for abuse and honor killings and there are now three safe houses in the country. In 2003, women were given the vote. Today 20% of the ministers are women. But only 14% of women are employed and there are few day care facilities. There are still no sexual harassment laws, DNA cannot be used to prove paternity, and women’s salaries are significantly below that of men.

Jordanian Economy

The Jordanian dollar is tied to the dollar ever since the Peace treaty between Jordan and Israel. The US and Jordan have a free trade agreement. Your Levi jeans may come from Jordan. Tourism is the largest industry representing 14% of the economy. Isham, our guide is booked to the end of the year except for July and August. Mineral excavation is #2. With the war is Ukraine, the price of phosphate has gone up 20x, for fertilizer. Number 3 is agriculture, fruits and vegetables are grown in the Jordan Valley. Fourth is education, both foreigners going to university, and educated Jordanians working in the nearby countries and sending money home.

The government is a constitutional monarchy where most of the power ls with the king and his cabinet. There is a 130-member parliament with a quota for women, Christians, and Chechens, that is elected every four years. They don’t initiate laws, but approve, deny, or amend them. The king appoints a prime minister who is approved by the parliament, he then appoints members of the cabinet. A 2/3 vote of the parliament or the king can remove the prime minister or cabinet minister.

Petra

 

The Treasury

Our forecast was for mid-40s with wind and rain with the possibility of snow. We got lucky, it was just cold and rainy. Petra became the capital of the Nabataean Empire in the 2^nd century BC. Moses was believed to have traveled here since Aaron his brother is buried at nearby Mount Hur. This was a rich area because it controlled the nearby trade routes, particularly for Frankincense and myrrh. Most of the buildings are tombs where royalty was buried. The obelisk tomb has 3 benches inside where the funeral services were held. The canyon leading to the city is a slot canyon carved out by water, it’s walls can be 300 feet high. We passed the dams which diverted flash floods into other valleys. We reached the Treasury or Al-Khazneh so called because rumor had it that the funeral urn on top held gold. It is believed to be the mausoleum of King Aretas IV in the 1^st Century Ad. The façade is a mixture of Egyptian, Greek, and Roman architecture and measures 130 by 75 feet. Nearby are a series of Nabataean tombs.

The Great Temple

Petra was annexed by the Romans in 106 AD so many of the later buildings are heavily influenced by them. As we reached the city, we passed the Great Temple, the square Qasr al-Bint Temple, and the 4000 seat Roman theatre, all built in 1^st Century AD. After lunch, most of us decided to climb the 900 steps to the Monastery. On the way we passed the Lion Triclinium, so named because of the lions on either side of the entrance. The monastery is 150 feet high and 140 feet wide. It was built in the second century and served as a meeting place for the religious and later as a Christian chapel. 

The Monastery

On the way back, I explored the Church built in the fifth century with its mosaics. Then I visited the Royal tombs: Palace tomb, Corinthian tomb, Silk tomb, and the Urn tomb, which also served as a Byzantine church. Here I had a chance to go inside and see the magnificent colors in the ceiling. We ended the day by visiting the Petra museum to learn more about the people. Much of the city was destroyed by an earthquake in 363 AD. The trade routes also moved during the Roman times. The city eventually died in the 7^th Century. We walked about 30,000 steps today. The next day Petra was closed with heavy rains and flooding.

Inside Palace Tomb

Wadi Rum, Jordan

 

Seven Pillars of Wisdom

Isham will be our guide in Jordan. The Gulf of Aqaba is a continuation of the Great Rift, from the Jordan Valley north of us. We drove to Wadi Rum, a desert landscape with colorful mountains, like the Seven Pillars of Wisdom rising out of the sand. On another stop, we could see the yellow sand where the movies, Lawrence of Arabia and the Martian were filmed. The Silk Road passed through here and we came upon camel pictographs. The desert is spotted with Bedouin camps. Only 1% of the Bedouins remain nomadic, most have settled in villages with schools for their children. An aquifer provides water so the people raise goats and cows, selling their meat and milk.

Yellow Sands of Wadi Rum

We stopped at one for tea and lunch at another. We had Bedouin dishes of salads and meats that were cooked underground.  They dug up our meal as we watched.

Unearthing Lunch

After many centuries of Arab kings, the Ottomans took control of Jordan in 1500. We passed the narrow-gauge railroad that the Germans built to connect Syria with Mecca. While the Ottomans were Muslim, they were not Arabs. During World War I, Thomas Lawrence offered British help to the Arabs against the Ottomans and the Germans. In 1921 Trans Jordan was created as a British Protectorate. In May 1946, it became the Kingdom of Jordan under King Abdulla from Mecca.

We continued along the Kings highway on our way to Petra. This road connected the ancient kingdoms of Edom, Moab, and Ammon mentioned in Genesis. That night we had a Mideastern dinner at a local restaurant and we’re entertained by male dancers. These are typical dances among males at Jordanian celebrations. They managed to get us involved in the dance.

Valley of the Kings

 

El-Qum, the pyramid mountain at Valley of the Kings

Today we go to the west Bank of the Nile to the Valley of the Kings. Here are buried the pharaohs from the 18^th to 20^th dynasties. There are 64 Royal tombs dug in the 16^th to 11^th Centuries BC. under el-Qum mountain that looks like a pyramid. The length of each tomb roughly corresponds to the length of the pharaohs reign. Deep underneath they used a series of mirrors or candles to provide light for the workers. Most have 3 different levels with pictures and hieroglyphics containing the prayers of the dead and phrases for the king to find his soul. The tombs typically have 3 corridors at the bottom one filled with furniture for the afterlife, another the offering room for the burial, and finally the burial chamber itself. Each of the pharaohs were mummified. The internal organs were removed except for the heart and put in jars. The body was cured for 40 days and then wrapped in linen.  

Tomb of Ramses III

The pictures describe the journey of the dead. They journey on a boat through the 12 gates of the night. A monster is at each gate, they must have the password for each gate. The snakes gain more heads as we go deeper. The final test for eternal life is that the heart must be lighter than the sword of justice, otherwise a monster called “yum yum” will eat the heart. In the end passage, the king finally meets the gods.

One and three headed snakes

We saw these stories in five different tombs. Rameses IV was re-opened only two years ago. Ramses VI, Tut Ankh Amun the small tomb, Merenptah also known as Ramses I, and Ramses III. Given the 3500 year age of these drawings, they have amazing colors.

We then had traditional lunch at the home of a local farmer. Our host, Taha, was an 18-year-old grandson of the matriarch of the family. He has 4 uncles and 5 aunts as well as 44 cousins. We had at least 6 cousins around us ranging from 2 to 16 years old. The grandfather and grandmother moved from Aswan to this island 52 years ago. It used to flood regularly, so they brought in sand to raise the island. Now the entire family lives nearby. They grow wheat, alfalfa, sugar cane, vegetables, and fruit in three different fields. They also have 30 sheep, 2 cows, chickens, ducks, pigeons, and a water Buffalo for milk and cheese.

On their house there was a boat and an airplane commentating that the father had gone to Mecca twice. The first time, he went with his wife and 8 other women. It took 33 hours by boat and bus. The women immediately walk around the Hague the traditional seven times. They spent 2 months in the area.

Taha and relatives

Taha has been attending the Koran school, a private school. His hope is to become a doctor, but that requires a 98% grade on the final test, which he takes this Spring. He almost got a scholarship to an American University in a spelling bee in English. He reached the Egyptian semifinals but came in second after 70 rounds.

Feluccas on the Nile

We ended our day by sailing across the Nile on a felucca. We flew back to our ship that afternoon. The day ended with the Captain’s Dinner. That night we sailed from the Gulf of Suez to the Gulf of Aqaba.

The temples of Luxor

 

We docked in Hurghada about 9 AM. This is a resort town of about 250,000. The drive to Luxor takes about 7 hours, so we flew.

Luxor, then known as Thebes, was the capital of the New Kingdom. Our primary visit was to the Temple of Karnak, meaning fortified village. The temple was built by numerous pharaohs from 1971 BC to 30 BC. The temple is dedicated to a 3-god family with Amun-Re as its head.

Entrance to Karnak Temple

We start with the newest structure, two gigantic walls or pylons, which are unfinished. Behind the walls, there are remnants of the brick ramp used to place the stones of the wall. These walls have no carvings. Just inside are 3 small temples to the 3 gods. Opposite these temples is a side temple built by Ramses III. We know because his cartouche has his two names, his birth name, and his coronation name. 

Cartouche of Ramses II

On the right side, we see him with the red crown of the lower Nile receiving the sword of bravery from God Amun while killing his enemy. On the left side is the same scene, but the king is wearing the white crown of the upper Nile. Inside the courtyard of this small temple, we see the king receiving the symbols of long life, stability, and power. The next room is the garden with stone plants holding up the ceiling. Returning to the main temple, we see two statues of Ramses II. One has him stepping forward, saying he was alive when it was carved. The next has the feet aligned, meaning the king had died. From here we enter the garden area, called the Great Hypostyle Hall with 134 columns each column represents a papyrus plant. The center columns have an open flower, since the windows would have these flooded with light. The inner columns on each side would hold the stone roof, here the flowers are closed. In the last few years, the soot around the temple has been removed, letting the ancient colors appear. 

Great Hypostyle Hall

Here are two of the obelisk built by Queen Hatshepsut, the tallest in the world at the time, the largest weighs 323 tons. Finally, we reached the Holy of Holies where only the chief priest and pharaoh could enter.

Later that evening, we walked to the Luxor temple, built with the same structure, but smaller built in 1400 BCE. We watched as the lights came on as darkness approached. Within the temple is the Abu Haggag mosque built in 640.  Our hotel that night was the Sonesta St. George with the Nile in it’s backyard.

Luxor Temple

The Pyramids of Giza

 

We are docked at Ain Sokhna, the closest port to Cairo, built in 2008, as Egypt’s primary container ship port. This whole area was just desert, now industries like steel and chemical plants are being built here.

The Pyramids of Giza

Modern Egyptian History and Rehab’s story

After the Ottomans left in the late 19^th century, Egypt became a kingdom until the revolution of 1952. Gamal Abdel Nasser became the second president after the revolution. He nationalized the Suez Canal to finance the building of the Aswan Dam. The dam provided protection from flooding each spring for many farmers but buried ancient monuments and many Nubian villages. After Nassar was assassinated, Hosni Mubarak became President for 30 years. The Arab Spring occurred in 2011. After 18 days Mubarak resigned. The first elections occurred, but members of the opposition parties had been eliminated earlier. The only alternative to the Nationalist Party was the Moslem Brotherhood and Mohamed Morsi was elected in 2012. The economy plummeted and within a year a military coup made Abdel Fattah el-Sisi the President.

Our guide, Rehab, participated in Egypt’s Arab Spring. Here is her story: Beforehand, there had been a call on Facebook to protest the police beating of a man. On January 25^th, Police Day, I joined the protests against police violence and government corruption. My family thought I was crazy, but we had had 30 years of Mubarak. We went to Tahrir Square and were shouting and praying. The police surrounded us and began shooting. We ran to a nearby mosque, but the police fired teargas through the windows. I managed to phone my family to discover that a curfew was being imposed. We slept the night in the mosque. We lost internet and phone service. I joined the protests for the next 18 days. A CNN camera caught me in tears, and this was televised worldwide. That is how are mother who was visiting Spain discovered that I was protesting.

There are 127 million people in Egypt, 25 million live near Cairo. Only 4% of Egypt’s land is occupied. 90% are Muslim and 10% Coptic Christian. The education system consists of public schools which are poorly funded and with large (60) class sizes and the private language schools, where children are taught in English, French, or German.

The Great Pyramid of Giza

Our activities today

We passed the New Administrative Capital of Egypt which is being built out in the desert, south of Cairo. There are 18 administrative buildings being built, the largest mosque and cathedral in the world, parks and neighborhoods. It’s still under construction.

Heading to the burial chamber

There are some 90 pyramids, built near the old capital of Memphis. The Great Pyramid of Giza was built about 2600 BC with 2.3 million limestone blocks of 2.5 to 5 tons. 148 meters tall, it faces true north. It took 27 years to build with both permanent workers and farmers working seasonally. Nearby are the two other major pyramids (Khafre and Menkaure) as well as several smaller ones built for family members. Char and Ann were our adventurous party members, visiting the burial chamber inside as well as riding a camel. We concluded our visit at the Sphinx and its nearby temple with red granite walls (from Aswan). Then we had a delicious buffet lunch at the Mena House Hotel overlooking the Pyramids.

View from Mena House Hotel

Traversing the Suez Canal

 

We entered the Suez Canal about 4 AM in the second of two convoys going South. According to the accords signed in 1888, any ship from any nation, commercial or military can traverse the canal. The Egyptian army controls the land for 3 km on each side. It was interesting to see the Suez Canal Bridge because it is closed from 5 AM to 5 PM for security as the convoys pass through. 

Suez Canal Bridge

The canal is 120 miles long can handle ships that are 254 feet wide and a depth of 66 feet. In 2014 a project was completed to build a second canal for about 25 miles, which increased the capacity of the canal. An average of 44 ships traverse the canal each day. The Clio pays $40,000 to cross the canal, but the charge depends on your tonnage and type of cargo and could be as high as $1M. Last year the canal at $8 B in revenue. 

Ann, John, Bob, and Richard on the Suez

When we reach Bitter Lake about halfway through the canal, our convoy will pass the first convoy, and our passenger ship will be the first to exit the canal after about 10 hours. Pilots can only work for 6 hours. At Bitter Lake we also saw the Northbound convoy.  

The canal dig was started in 1859. 120,000 men died during its construction and a million people were involved out of Egypt’s 4 million. The canal opened in 1869. 

Building the Suez Canal