EGYPT Clare Brett Smith
Without knowing the language, it’s hard to know what’s happening. Was she praying for divine intercession, aghast at the prics in the market place - or crazy? Or was her hand another manifestation of the ancient Hand of Fatima?
EGYPT, a travel memoir It was not often that Burge and I traveled as tourists. In the 80s and 90s we were usually on Aid to Artisans’ business, but, in 1991, we visited Egypt, after an assignment in Jordan, thinking that there might be some potential artisan projects there.
I loved
beetles as a child, imagining they were Egyptian scarabs, and we had a few ideas besides scarab jewelry: developing papyrus for modern use; finding new ways to showcase Egypt’s famous long-staple cotton; new designs in hammered copper kitchenware; reviving the blue glazes of ancient pottery. Because of the Camp David Accords, two years earlier, we knew there was an enormous amount of U.S. economic development money going into Egypt, money intended to match the grants committed to Israel. A pretty simplistic background briefing, to be sure, but ancient Egypt had a pull on us. Sometimes that’s reason enough. On the flight into Cairo. we saw the Nile, a long, bright green ribbon running through endless sand, a magical sight. Although nothing practical developed from that visit, we were, and remain, awestruck tourists. Clare Brett Smith, April 2012
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Cairo
Aswan
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Cairo
In the Khan El Khalili Market, Cairo
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Cairo
The Hand of Fatima
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Feluccas on the Nile, Aswan
Dovecote, Luxor
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Lyre at Philae
Philae
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Burge edging toward the goddess, Luxor
God or Pharaoh ? It was not just the spoken Arabic of Egypt that was unknown to us, but also the hieroglyphics at the base of the statue.
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It’s easy to tell the tourists from the locals. 14
Dervish performance for tourists, Cairo 15
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Aswan
Aswan
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In Luxor, my favorite relief carving. Is this an ordinary ram? a sacred Ibex? 18
I think of him as the famous Ramses II, but have not been able to find out.
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Luxor must have looked almost like this back when the European tourist flood began in the 19th Century
Horus must be the god at left, with a double crown and (maybe) the face of a hawk. 21
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Cairo
Necropolis, Cairo
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Construction methods have not changed much over the centuries 24
Helicopter over the Giza pyramids
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We were typical tourists, escorted by guides to the undeniably impressive pyramids. (Look at the size of each block!) Burge was comfortable on his camel, but it was too high and unstable for me.
Even my little
horse seemed wobbly, but better than the lurching and swaying of a camel.
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Gateway to? Another world?
Š 2012 Clare Brett Smith