Volume III: Issue 5 - 2009

Vol. III 2009

ISSUE 5

EGYPT’S HERITAGE REVIEW

When Mohamed Ali was HOT! The Last of the Egyptian Wilds A Visit to the Coptic Museum

Live Colors, Nicosia Publisher

EditoriaL

Editor in Chief Moguib Rouchdy

MaNagEMENt Yasmine El dorghamy Najla El Halwagy

Contributors aliaa mossallam, Amr S.

Talaat, dina bakhoum, eva dadrian, gamal el ghitany, Iman R. Abdulfattah, Mennat-Allah El Dorry, mohamed el hebeishy, nadja tomoum, Nigel Hetherington

Translators Humphrey davies

Shereen Moussad Nesma Gabr

art

Art Director Faris Hassanein

Creative & Layout Designer Mohamed Hani

pHotograpHY Miriam Benyamein

Financial Consultant Sabry attia Mossad Accountant ahmed abbass

MarkEtiNg

Marketing Manager Wael ElShafie

SaLES tEaM

Sales Executive Nancy Hassab

adMiNiStratioN & produCtioN Office Managers Mirette philips Magda adib

Asst. Distribution Officer Wael Mostafa

Distribution Officer Mohamed Ezzat Distribution al ahram, next

Prepress & Printing Sahara printing Company

Live Colors Egypt

goLd SpoNSor

48 Abdel Moneim Hafez Street, Midan El Sabaa’ Emarat, Heliopolis, Cairo, Egypt Tel/Fax: (+202) 2290 8127 - 2415 8762 Mobile: 010 120 0808 - 010 00 2322 - 010 005 2323 E-mail: editor@turath-egypt.com Website: www.turath-egypt.com Š Copyright 2007 Turath is a Quarterly publication published by: LC Live Colors Nicosia, Cyprus

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question I always got when I first began telling people about the idea of a magazine on Egyptian heritage was; “Are you going to have enough material for a regular publication? You’ll run out in no time.” A year later, this question has been replaced by the same people, with another one: “Can you make it monthly instead of quarterly?” They had no idea there were so many surprises in store.

A year has passed, we’ve told many stories, and we haven’t even touched the tip of the iceberg.

Our roster of ideas keeps growing as Egypt reveals more and more secrets, and there’s always a little something for everyone.

In this issue’s cover story; Eva Dadrian goes back to the good old days when Mohamed Ali Street was the hottest (and wildest) spot in town. The belly dancers of Egypt were “Shimmering in Silver and Gold” as they wore their traditional Tally dresses. Iman Abdulfattah discovers how this traditional craft of weaving precious metals into fabric has evolved into the 21st century beyond belly dancing costumes.

To celebrate our first anniversary, we found nothing more fitting than to reprint the wonderful foreward written

by Gamal El Ghitany for our very first A Private Tour through Zaafaran Palace issue, a tribute to Egypt’s culture of Tramway? both continuity and change.

2008

VOLUME 0

TURATH - EGYPT’S HERITAGE REVIEW

TURATH - EGYPT’S HERITAGE REVIEW

Who Really Bought the

Going, Going .... GONE? Heritage at Risk

Yasmine El Dorghamy Founder

Cover: Dancing Girls at Cairo drawing by David Roberts (17961864), lithographed by Louis Haghe (1806-1885), published between 1846 and 1849

ERRATA Volume II 2009- Issue 4 P. 58 The “Serabit el Khadim” article is photographed by Sara Abou Bakr, not Monica Hanna.

P. 37 Photograph is of Gezira palace garden, not Shoubra palace garden

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8 Reflections

The Continuity of Egyptian Culture

12 Heritage News What’s New with the Old 20 Visit

The Coptic Museum

Cover Story

The glory days of Mohamed Ali Street

Page: 38

54 Saved - Working to Keep Our Memories Alive

Reclaiming the Crafts of the City of 1000 Minarets

28 Cover Story

58 Unraveling: Trivia, Surprises and Myth Busters

36 Going, Going… Gone Heritage at Risk

62 How it all Started: Intangible Heritage

40 I Saw, I Thought, I Wrote: Express yourself

66 Egyptian Tales

When Mohamed Ali was HOT!

The Last of the Egyptian Wilds

44 Egyptian Chic - Arts & Crafts

Shimmering in Silver and Gold - The Art of Tally Noura Mossalam’s Traditional Handicrafts

50 Profile - Champions of Heritage

Farid Mansour - Lending a Helping Hand

El Sira El Helaleyya of Past and Present

From Cannes to Si Khalil

74 Read 76 Feature

New Name, New Face?

The Ever-Evolving Bab el Hadid

80 Arabic Section

‫ﺍﻟﻤﻮﺿﻮﻋﺎﺕ ﺍﻟﻤﺘﺮﺟﻤﺔ ﻟﻠﻌﺮﺑﻴﺔ‬

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Forward by Gamal El Ghitany

Gamal El Ghitany is a widely acclaimed novelist, short story writer and journalist. He is the author of many historical novels and cultural and political commentaries and is the current editorin-chief of the literary periodical Akhbar Al-Adab (“Cultural News”).

Amr S. Talaat is a historian specialized in Egypt’s modern history. He has conducted extensive research on many significant events and personalities of that era.

His approach is to always try to take a fresh look on old preconceptions. He has published many articles on the Mohamed Ali Dynasty era and frequently gives lectures on the same topic.

Aliaa Mossallam, infatuated with hawadit and the universes weaved through stories, poetry and songs, is currently exploring popular culture, and such practices as spaces for the development of alternative social and political imaginaries.

Alia spends most of her time collecting stories (disguised as a PhD student at the London School of Economics and Political Sciences) and the rest of it, working with marginalized children with other forms of art.

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Dina Eshak Bakhoum is a construction engineer specialized in conservation and restoration of built heritage and holds an M.A. in Islamic Art and Architecture. She worked on several conservation and archaeological projects in Cairo and in the Theban Necropolis. Currently she works as a Conservation Program Manager for the Aga Khan Cultural Services – Egypt.

Eva Dadrian is a BritishEgyptian independent broadcaster and writer with extensive experience in Africa, the Middle East and Eu-

rope. She works as a political risk analyst for Arab Africa Affairs (London and Cape Town) and writes also in The Weekly and Hebdo (Al Ahram, Cairo). As a documentary/feature reporter with BBC World Service, she covers issues ranging from arts to science and from environment to religion.

Mennat-Allah El Dorry holds an M.A. in Egyptian Archaeology and is a specialist in Archaeobotany.

She has worked on many archaeological sites throughout Egypt for the last 6 years. Her interests span from social organisation in the Predynastic and Early Dynastic Periods, to food and agricultural traditions in monastic settlements to Pharaonic elements in Egyptian Cinema.

Iman R. Abdulfattah has her MA in Islamic Art and Architecture from the American University in Cairo (AUC). She currently works for the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA) in Cairo on various museum projects, most important of which is the renovation of the Museum of Islamic Art.

Mohamed El Hebeishy is a freelance travel writer and photographer. His articles and photo-essays cover travel destinations, mainly in Egypt and the Middle East.

He has also participated in different photography exhibitions held in Cairo , London and Rome . El Hebeishy is author and photographer of the widely acclaimed book ‘Egypt Rediscovered’

Nadja Tomoum is the head of the Coptic Museum Training Project (training curators in museology) and is the manager of the museum’s Manuscript Condition Survey and Cataloguing Project. Dr. Tomoum holds an MA and PhD from Munich University in Egyptology and Art History and is also the managing editor of Parrhêsia, a quarterly newsletter published by the Friends of the Coptic Museum.

Nigel Hetherington (Heritage News) is a graduate from the Institute of Archaeology at University College London and is a member of the International Association of Egyptologists. He runs his own consultancy company; Past Preservers providing historical and archaeological consultancy and professional support to the media industry.

Nigel is also in the process of researching and writing a book on the history of tourism in Luxor.

The Continuity of Egyptian Culture Gamal El-Ghitany Translated by Humphrey Davies (Reprinted from Vol. I, Issue I) On the day that my father completed his life’s journey, he lay on his bed both present and not present. The relatives came to look upon him for the last time and the eldest of them approached him, bent down, bringing his mouth close to his ear, which could no longer hear, and, despite this, uttered moving words, calling him by his name as though he were alive and then asking him not to feel lonely and telling him that all these people had come for him, because he was a righteous man who had carried out his mission in life as he ought and that he would therefore meet no perils along the way, though should he do so, he should recite some verses from the Noble Qur’an.

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ven though the sentences he used were from the Qur’an, that is to say from the Islamic tradition, the rite performed by my eldest relative harks back to Ancient Egyptian beliefs, to a buried Egyptian culture practiced by Egyptians of all creeds unaware that they are continuing the tradition of their forefathers.

or sunrise, the return of peasants from the fields to their houses. I mentally exclude certain manifestations of this day and age such as lighting poles and cars, should any be present, and I find no contradiction between the scenes of daily life painted on the walls of the tombs and what I see before me.

In just the same way, they use a wide variety of words in their day to day language that they do not realize to be Ancient Egyptian words, words to be found in special constructions that lend a particularity to the Egyptian dialect and give it its distinct character within the framework of the classical Arabic language.

I smell the scent of bread rising from the houses, especially that ancient Egyptian form known as ‘sun bread,’ made using a method of baking whereby the dough is put out by day to suckle from the universe, from the rays of the sun. I inhale the smell of life when it is done and emerges from the oven, and I am convinced that it is the same smell that our ancient ancestors knew thousands of years ago.

To this day, the Turin Museum preserves eight loaves, in the Tomb of Ka; they are of the very same bread that I saw when I first opened my eyes in Upper Egypt. I observe the methods used to preserve food, starting with the cheeses,

On occasion, when in the Egyptian countryside, and especially in the south where I was born close to Luxor and Abydos, I halt before a certain scene—of a village, a farm, a bird fluttering its wings, the disc of the sun at sunset

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the liquid culture known as mishsh, the cured fish (muluha and fisikh), and the dry Jews’ mallow (mulukhiya). All these are made using the same methods that were followed then. Indeed, even the way in which people sit around the low round table (tabliya) and the etiquette of eating do not differ greatly from those depicted on the walls of the tombs.

the swamps and arrived at one of the greatest of human discoveries, agriculture, through the mastery of the river, that river which constitutes a devastating peril should the flood be either too great or too meager. As I became acquainted with the detailed operations related to agriculture, with the placing of the seed, the cleaning of the soil, its watering, the combating of its pests, I asked myself; How many years did it take man to achieve this knowledge, and why did it happen in that area that lies between the cataracts at Aswan and our northern borders, where they meet the waves of the sea, that area that we call Egypt, or, in ancient times, Kemet, meaning ‘the Black Land’? Over how many eons did man need to travel to discover the secret of agriculture and to invent letters for writing, the representation of reality?

One morning I was on my way to the printer’s at the newspaper publishing house Akhbar al-Yawm, which is located in one of Cairo’s oldest quarters, Bulaq. Suddenly, I beheld a group of women emerge from a side alley, all of them swathed in black, one, a young woman of imposing height. She occupied the middle of the first row and her face was daubed with blue indigo, the Ancient Egyptian symbol of mourning. She was making movements reminiscent of a dance, but an agonized, grief-stricken dance.

Even though the sentences he used were from the Qur’an, that is As she moved her hands upward, I saw the same cel- to say from the Islamic tradition, the rite performed by my eldest relaebrated scene of mourning tive harks back to Ancient Egyptian beliefs women that is depicted in Why did this civilization not appear in other areas along the Tomb of Ramose on the West Bank at Luxor, a scene repeated many times in the tombs that have survived to the river, such as at its origins in Ethiopia or between the our day. It is the human expression of eternal sorrow, that Great Lakes and the cataracts? The issue is related to the cruelest sorrow that is the result of loss, which made the people who lived in that area, and they were the EgypAncient Egyptians reject death and view it as the start of tians who lived on that land. They carefully observed the a new life, which they termed ‘emergence into day,’ since movement of the universe from east to west, the flow of man, on dying, becomes one with the light of the stars. In the river’s waters, the descent of ‘the drop’—the first drop Upper Egypt, when people see a shooting star falling at of water signaling the flood—and its coincidence with the night, they say that it is a soul with whom God is angry summer arrival of the Sotis star. The descent of this drop and that has been expelled from eternal rest, or that it is may be regarded as the start of the spiritual and cultural the soul of a man that has just been released. There is a formation of the people. I am not concerned here with their connection between the vast spaces of the universe and most distant roots or the hypotheses put forward by extheir phenomena and man, between the tiniest minutiae of perts about the areas from which they came to the valley.

What concerns me are their human achievements, which human life and all other natural phenomena. were fundamentally cultural and spiritual—cultural in the In the course of my migrations between the life I live and sense that they were attempts to understand the universe, the past of which I read, I have become acquainted with to adopt a position on life. the two fundamental elements that govern Egyptian life Just as the waters of the Nile flow on, at times devasand culture. These are continuity and change—two contradictory, interconnected, interacting elements that form tating with their flood all that lies in their path, at others the essence of the condition that led to the foundation of yielding only a meager trickle, so it is with man. The waters have never been cut off from their channel and man’s the first and oldest vocabularies of human civilization. occupation has never ceased. This is the continuity of exThe River Nile is, without a doubt, the main artery of that istence. The Egyptians have never ceased to exist. Othlife that made its way to its banks. It was man who drained ers have made their way to them. Assimilation and change

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have taken place, change that took place on occasion peacefully and on other occasions with violence and pain, change that, at one stage, affected the language, creed, and system that had been in place for thousands of years.

The Egyptians were defeated, materially and spiritually, when they accepted Alexander the Great as the son of the god Amun and the priests enthroned him Pharaoh in the oasis of Siwa; the pharaohs had never come from beyond the borders of Kemet. The Ptolemaic era began but in no time Egypt absorbed the new rulers, who embraced its vision totally. When we approach the temple of Hathor at Dendera, or of Horus at Edfu, we will never doubt that these are pharaonic temples in all their aspects, visible and invisible. If the visitor does not know the hieroglyphic script, he will never realize that those who built the tem-

A moment on which I dwell at length and that I wish I could have witnessed, is that which occurred on one particular night at the temple of Isis on the island of Philae, in the deepest south. This was the last temple in which the rites of the worship of motherhood, femininity, and sacrifice were practiced, the temple of the goddess Isis, who became to the Egyptians later ‘the Virgin,’ and then ‘al-Sayyida Zaynab,’ sister of the Imam Husayn. The Roman Empire had issued its orders for the abolition of the ancient rites in every part of Egypt. On that night, the prayers to the goddess Isis were recited, the hymns were chanted, and the temple locked. But . . . did the worship of Isis really come to an end? Did the symbol of motherhood and sacrifice, of the mother, sister, and loving wife, disappear? Or did it assume a more legitimized and less definite shape?

When the Arabs entered The Egyptians have always rediscovered their distant roots when Egypt in the seventh century of the Christian era, the seeking rebirth during the periods when they were ignorant of the de- country was in ruins, extails of their ancient history hausted by its wounds, but it was not a void. The Egypples were the Ptolemies, with their foreign roots. Egypt also tians practiced Christianity according to the vision of the suffered the invasions of the Persians, the Assyrians, and Coptic Egyptian church. The distant past was obscure, the Bedouin tribes of the surrounding deserts. At another mysterious. The meanings of the first writing system in hisstage, Egypt became a dependency of the Roman Empire. A tory, the sacred hieroglyphics, had been lost, though the profound spiritual change occurred when Egypt embraced language continued in the form of Coptic, which became Christianity, which I view as a reformulation of the origi- mixed with a little Greek and adopted the latter’s alphanal Egyptian religion, but when the Egyptians embraced bet. The significance of the awe-inspiring buildings, such this incoming religion, they brought to it their own vision, as the temples, the military installations, and the tombs, which continued to prevail unshakably despite the perse- had also been lost and these buildings had been left to ruins; indeed, they had been left to ruin by the hands of cutions of the Roman era. the Egyptians themselves in the strangest manifestation of Each seemingly deep change that occurs touches only continuity and change to come to my attention. the surface. A small part of it may be implemented, but, When the Egyptians embraced the newly arrived Christiby a variety of means, the people take steps to preserve the ancient hidden essence. There, beyond the reach of anity, they considered the ancient religion a hostile force. any new invaders to uproot, this substance survives in Some of them began to destroy its symbols, as we see in the details of daily life—in food, its vocabulary and the the lower parts of the temple of Abydos, for example, where ways in which it is cooked and presented, and the eti- we may observe that the reliefs, and especially the eyes quette associated with it, in music, in popular literature, and noses, have been disfigured. This is an Ancient Egypin beliefs passed down, especially by women, and which tian belief, for when an Egyptian drew someone and then the mother imparts to her children as she feeds them, gouged out or disfigured his eyes or nose, this meant to him that he was depriving that person of his sight and in building.

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smell, which is to say his ability to see or breathe; in other words, that he was taking his life. Thus, using the same culture that the believers of the new religion had inherited, they destroyed the heritage of their forefathers, whom they regarded as unbelieving infidels. Then the new believers would write, beneath what they had done, that they had carried this out in order to gain favor with the Lord. When the Arabs invaded Egypt, despite the fact that they came to spread the new religion Islam, which forbade the drawing and sculpting of images, they did no great damage to the existing ancient monuments even while regarding these as pagan idols. Why? Perhaps because, at first, they wanted to gain favor with the people of the country, or perhaps because of the continued currency and strength of the legends. When I was a small child in my village of Juheina in southern Egypt, the people of the village used to describe the Ancient Egyptian statues that were to be found in the desert as ‘the metamorphosized,’ meaning that these statues were originally human beings and that God had turned them to stone as a punishment for sins they had committed. Others said that these statues had talismans, that is to say guardians from the other world to protect them and hurt any who approached them or offered them harm. This is a survival of an Ancient Egyptian belief, for a statue of Anubis used to be placed in front of a tomb, at the entrance, in order to protect it. Drawings and amulets were used in the same way.

Nowadays, Ancient Egypt is presented as though it belonged to others, some academic syllabi speaking of a Pharaonic period, a separate, Coptic, period and a third, Islamic, period. In my opinion, this is a mistaken notion.

Egyptian history is one, though it has different stages. Its essence survives in the deep, buried, human culture of the country. True, this culture has changed in the various periods, but these have been superficial changes that have not affected the core. This is the dialectic, the heart of the problem of the culture of the Egyptians.

There is a further problem: the Hebraic view of the Egyptians was transferred to Christianity, and thence to Islam.

In this, according to the holy text, whether that be the Old Testament or the Noble Qur’an, Pharaoh becomes symbolic of tyranny. At the same time, the Egyptians take pride in

being the descendents of the creators of all those wonders of architecture, art, and literature. This is the contradiction that has existed in the consciousness of the majority of Egyptians. Since the seventies of the last century and starting with the rise of a hard-line Islam derived from Wahhabite teachings coming from the desert. During the 1919 Great National Revolution against the British occupation, the Egyptians were not aware of this contradiction.

The revival of Ancient Egyptian traditions in architecture, in art, and in creative literature was a significant spur to the Renaissance Movement (al-Nahda). The Egyptians have always rediscovered their distant roots when seeking rebirth during the periods when they were ignorant of the details of their ancient history. This is what we find in the Mamluk era, especially with regard to architecture.

The Egyptian mosques that were erected during the Mamluk era, up to the defeat of the Mamluks by the Ottoman Turks in 1517, are simply a return to the traditions of Ancient Egyptian architecture. Following the discovery of the secrets of the Ancient Egyptian language by Champollion and the start of an Egyptian awareness of the details of their history, Ancient Egypt became a rich source of inspiration. This vision has been affected negatively by two political currents. The first was Arab Nationalism, during the period of its expansion in the 1950s and 1960s, since its thinkers regarded Pharaonic Egypt as incompatible with the Arab Idea. And in recent decades, certain hard-line religious currents have adopted opposed visions. To see the historical phases of an ancient nation such as Egypt placed in opposition to one another is indeed a cause of sadness, but these are, in my estimation, passing errors.

Many a wind has blown over the Nile, sometimes to the detriment of the river, the valley, and its people, but their essence, at a profound level, has remained inviolate. All we need is to make the effort to see it and observe it. When we do this, we will discover the profound achievement of Egyptian culture, namely, that of continuity with change.

That this discovery be made is essential for the soul of the nation and for the spiritual equilibrium of the Egyptians.

To do so will require long-term academic work and cultural efforts at a number of levels. I consider the appearance of a publication of this high standard, devoted to Egypt’s cultural substance, whether present or past, to be a very significant step on that path.

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With the summer heat bearing down on us, spare a thought for those archaeologists at the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA) hard at work while you were at the beach.

Here’s a roundup of what they have been discovering, conserving and building since we last talked.

Lake Qarun

Pottery in situ north of Lake Qarun. Photo: Khaled Saad/ SCA

area. Following a preliminary survey that began about a year ago, full-scale excavations have been underway since March 10 2009.

SCA archaeologists have found numerous artefacts in the area dating to the prehistoric period, including arrowheads and other finely crafted stone artefacts of Mousterian, Levallois, and Aterian type. They have also uncovered pottery and stone beads dating to the same era, along with the remains of shelters used by prehistoric hunters. Archaeological remains from later periods are also present in the area. A cemetery that most probably dates to the Greco-Roman period has yielded coins and other small artefacts. The team has explored a tomb in this cemetery consisting of a deep shaft ending in two chambers, but further excavation has been hampered by constantly shifting sands. In addition to the prehistoric and Greco-Roman remains found in the area, the archaeologists have discovered pottery, pipes, coins, and glassware dating to the Fatimid and Mamluk periods. Other finds include medical and cosmetic tools, as well as stone shot used in hunting animals during the Islamic era.

Fossils of whales and other marine life dating back to around 40 million years ago have also been found in the area. In addition to cetaceans like those found in the famous Valley of the Whales to the west of the Faiyum, the SCA team has uncovered the remains of sea cows and sawfish. These fossils are the remnants of a time when much of northern Egypt was submerged under an ancient sea.

Luxor Discovery Coins found in the site. Photo Khaled Saad/ SCA

An Egyptian mission has discovered an area to the north of Lake Qarun in the Faiyum region that is rich in archaeological and paleontological remains dating back as far as 40 million years. Dr. Zahi Hawass, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA), said that the 10 kilometre-wide area is currently being explored to prevent valuable information from being lost to planned touristic developments in the

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Dr. Hawass and his the mission examining the finds. Photo: SCA

Another Egyptian archaeological mission has discovered an 18th Dynasty tomb (1570-1315 BC) in the necropolis of Dra Abu el-Naga, on Luxor’s west bank.

at the southern tomb of Djoser’s pyramid. These fragments may have been used by the ancient Egyptians of the Late Period to decorate wooden sarcophagi or to cover carttonage coffins. Thirty granite blocks were also discovered, each weighing five tons. These blocks are said to have belonged to the granite sarcophagus that once housed Djoser’s wooden sarcophagus - the final resting place of the king’s mummy.

One of the Ushabti figures made of burned clay and faience. Photo: SCA

The newly discovered tomb belonged to the Supervisor of Hunters, Amun-em-Opet, and it dates to shortly before the reign of King Akhenaten (1372-1355 BC).

Dr. Hawass, head of the mission, stated that the entrances to two further undecorated tombs have also been found to the north-west of this tomb; in addition, seven funerary seals bearing the name of Amenhotep-Ben-Nefer, the Supervisor of the Cattle of Amun, were found in the courtyard of the first tomb. More seals bearing the name of Eke, the Royal Messenger and Supervisor of the Palace, were unearthed in the courtyard of the second. Furthermore, fragmentary remains of several unidentified mummies have also been found, as well as a collection of Ushabti figures made of burned clay and faience.

Step Pyramid Egyptian archaeologists, performing routine conservation work at the southern side of Saqqara’s step pyramid (2687-2668 BC), have stumbled upon what is believed to be a deep shaft full of the remains of animals and birds.

The mission has also found that the shaft’s floor is covered with a layer of plaster.

The mission unearthed a large quantity of fragments of gold during their restoration work

A falcon’s beak. Photo: SCA

The remains of hooves and a horn. Photo: SCA

While cleaning the internal corridors of the pyramid, the mission also found limestone blocks bearing the names of King Djoser’s daughters, as well as wooden instruments, remains of wooden statues, bone fragments, the remains of a mummy, and clay vessels of different sizes.

Cartonnage discovered during work at Saqqara

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Haremhab’s Tomb Reopened

The northeast Delta held a special position in ancient Egypt; the area acted as a major centre for trade with the east, and was also the location of an ancient military and trade route known as the Ways of Horus, which connected Egypt with the east. The area was used as a strategic point by the Late Period kings (ca. 747-525 B.C), especially those of the 26th Dynasty, in order to defend the eastern borders of Egypt from invaders.

The newly discovered fortress covers an area of about 380×625m, while the enclosure wall is about 13m in width. It is considered to be the largest fortress discovered in the eastern Delta.

A scene from inside the tomb: Photo: SCA

Minister of Culture, Farouk Hosni, has announced that the tomb of Haremhab, in the Valley of the King’s on Luxor’s West Bank, has been reopened following the installation of state-ofthe-art equipment to control the rate of humidity within. He added that this tomb is the first to have such technology installed in an attempt to reduce and control the rate of humidity and heat, which has affected the tomb’s wall paintings in the past, leading to its original closure.

Dr. Zahi Hawass, Secretary General of the SCA, said that a German company, specializing in such technology, provided the equipment, following several years of scientific studies, in order to provide a suitable atmosphere in the tomb. A scientific team is now monitoring the efficiency of the equipment, and if all operates successfully the equipment will be installed in all tombs in the Valley of the Kings.

Bronze arrowheads found on the site. Photo: SCA

Egyptian Defences A new discovery by an SCA archaeological mission in Ismailia Governorate was announced by the Minister of Culture, Farouk Hosni. The team revealed the remains of a fortified garrison town from the time of King Psmatik I of the 26th Dynasty (ca. 664-625 B.C.) at the site of Tell Dafna, between El-Manzala lake and the Suez canal, about 15km northeast of the city of western Qantara.

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Eastern Magazines of the Temple. Photo: SCA

The mission also discovered a large mudbrick temple, consisting of three halls which also contains a group of storage magazines at the eastern and western sides of the structure. A small mudbrick palace was also discovered at the northeast side of the temple, consisting of eight rooms. Furthermore, the mission discovered a

group of drainage networks for rain water inside the ancient structures, consisting of pottery tunnels that end with a group of pottery vessels buried vertically in the sand to a depth of about three meters.

A large number of pottery vessels, as well as local and imported pottery lids, were found.

These are representative of the large scale trading activity between Egypt, the near East and Greece at this time. A white plate inscribed with Demotic text, some red and black decorated Amphora, a group of stones used for grinding seeds, an amulet in the form of Wadjet-eye and parts of alabaster kohl pots were also among the finds.

Many bronze arrow heads were also discovered, revealing the military nature of the site.

Museum News Culture Minister approves program to train museum staff nationwide

Culture Minister Farouk Hosni recently gave the go-ahead for a program to train museum secretaries and antiquities inspectors throughout the country. The project, in tandem with UNESCO, aims to train young archaeologists, said Dr Zahi Hawass.

Hawass added that a facility is currently being established in cooperation with UNESCO to provide training for all museum staff.

“A project for training is also being implemented at the Coptic Museum in cooperation with the Germans,” he added.

A “Turath” museum inaugurated at the Pharaonic Village A museum dedicated to Egyptian heritage has been recently inaugurated at the Pharaonic Village in Giza. The museum focuses mainly on traditional Egyptian scenes (many of which have disappeared), social customs and characters represented through figurines and historical photographs with all the relevant explanations.

Among the museum’s collection of Egyptian scenes is the Zar, a ritual ceremony traditionally used to cure mental illness through contact with the possessing spirits which cause maladies.

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Another exhibit shows the different characters one would meet in a typical Egyptian village. A particularly charming display demonstrates the Sebou’; a tradition rooted in ancient Egypt and still practiced today, in which an infant is celebrated and welcomed into the world seven days after its birth.

The Sebou’ festivities

ta. These include a collection of Omayyad and Ottoman gold and bronze coins, pots and pans, versions of the holy Quran and a number of 18th- and 19th-century weapons such as arrows, swords, knives and pistols. Tapestry, military and national Ottoman and Mamluk costumes are also on show.

Models of the Qait Bey Citadel (where the Rosetta Stone was found), a full size replica of the Rosetta stone and copies of historical documents such as a marriage contract between French General Mennou and the Egyptian Zubayda are also on display.

The Rosetta National Museum was built in the early 17th century and was the official residence of the town’s Ottoman governor. In the early 1960s, the house was converted into the town’s museum to commemorate Rosetta’s legendary struggle against French and British colonization. Some years after its conversion, the house fell into disrepair. Several unsuccessful attempts were made for its restoration until the SCA launched a massive project in 2003 for this unique edifice. The restoration took five years and the museum has finally been resurrected and is now open to the public.

The Cairo Museum reveals surprises in its gardens

Egyptian characters from the village

Ottoman Museum reopens in Rosetta The Rosetta National Museum was officially inaugurated by President Mubarak early this August. The museum displays 600 objects chosen to show the history of Rosetta from the time of the town’s foundation in antiquity right through to the modern era.

Pieces were selected from the Islamic and Coptic museums as well as the Gayer Anderson House in Cairo. Another 200 objects were unearthed from archaeological sites around Roset-

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An offering table found in the cachette. Photo: SCA

The Minister of Culture, Farouk Hosni, announced that a new archaeological cachette was found yesterday in the western area of the Egyptian museum. He added that this discovery was

made as part of an SCA project to re-develop the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir Square, Cairo.

Dr. Zahi Hawass said that the cachette included nine artifacts, among them an offering table, the upper part of a limestone stela, stones bearing hieroglyphs, and an engraved Ramesside limestone column base, with a cobra found next to it. He added that two cachettes had previously been found in the museum’s garden. Prior to 1952, archaeologists used to bury artifacts of questionable authenticity in a quiet corner of the site, but only after they had been recorded in the museum’s register books and scientifically published. Nothing, however, has been found in the museums records concerning this latest cachette.

Dr. Hawass said that the museum development project will create a new route for people visiting the museum. The entrance for visitors will remain at the main gates, but the exit will be at the museum’s western side, where visitors will find new facilities including a large bookstore and a cafeteria. He added that the development project will also undertake the organization of the museum’s basement in order to accommodate planned lecture halls, a temporary exhibition space and study halls.

Conservation News New DNA Lab

Cairo University has recently inaugurated a new DNA lab to establish the identities and lineage of the royal mummies. The lab is the second of its kind in Egypt. The first one was established at the Egyptian Museum two years ago, said Dr. Hossam Kamel, President of the university.

Dr. Kamel and Dr. Zahi Hawass were present at the inauguration, “It is very important not to use the same lab to analyze the DNA of living and dead people as there may be confusion in the results,” Dr Hawass said. “Old DNA is very fragile, so we have to extract and multiply it before tests,” said Dr. Sally, one of the five scientists working at the lab.

The priority of the new lab, said Hawass, is “to study the family tree of Tutankhamun, as we

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do not know who his father was, and where his mother’s mummy was buried. We will announce key information about Tutankhamun’s family line next August, after comparing the results from the two labs,” Hawass said. The lab, which cost one million U.S dollars, is sponsored by the American Discovery Channel, said Hawass, adding that the channel “will shoot what we will be doing.”

Mosques Restored On the 20th of July, Dr. Zahi Hawass and Dr Fathi Al- Baradai inaugurated three historical mosques in the Damietta area after restoration.

These mosques are Amr Ibn El Aas, El– Hadidi and El–Maeny. More on that in the next issue.

And while we’re on the subject of Mosques

Iman Abdulfattah with President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Photo: Reuters

Our very own Iman Abdulfattah accompanied US president Barak Obama and US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on their visit to the 600 year old Sultan Hassan Mosque before heading to Cairo University to give his historic speech to the Islamic World. Abdulfattah, who is an American-Egyptian art historian, explained the history of the mosque and answered questions from both Obama and Clinton.

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The return of Cairo’s Ismailia?

The buying out of many downtown Cairo buildings by a private sector company has caused quite a stir and controversy in the local press over the past months. Al Ismaelia for Real Estate and Development, established in February 2008 under the management The Davies Bryan & Co building of Beltone private (also known as the Shurbagi building) built circa 1910 and equity company, anrecently purchased by Al Ismaelia nounced that it incompany tends to purchase one million square meters of downtown Cairo property. The goal is to acquire, refurbish and raise the real estate value of the area while restoring it to its former glory. “We have been searching for companies that specialize in the adaptive reuse of old buildings,” says Karim El Shafei, the company’s chairman and CEO. “We are keen on getting things right and learning from the experiences of other cities that have been able to successfully reuse their 19th and early 20th century architecture. Downtown Cairo is a jewel and an opportunity that has been overlooked for a long time.” Not just downtown Cairo, we say…

The involvement of the private sector in matters of heritage is relatively uncommon in Egypt.

This has added fuel to the public’s skepticism, partly caused by lack of familiarity with the concept. However, with the lack of sufficient government resources and the overwhelming amount of architectural heritage from all eras to preserve nationwide, the introduction of the private sector mentality (as well as funds) could be a promising beginning for Egypt. However, this trend comes with risks, as lax administrative control by the government has resulted in the loss of countless privately owned architectural jewels over the recent decades. We are, however, optimistic about this new initiative and look forward to its results in the coming years.

Restoration of the Synagogue of Moses Ben Maimon Begins Dr. Zahi Hawass, Secretary General of the SCA, announced the beginning of the restoration of the Moses Ben Maimon Synagogue which should be completed in June 2010. The restoration is part of a national project with the aim of restoring ten Jewish temples across Egypt. ‘I am proud to say that these temples belong to Egypt,’ Dr. Hawass stated, adding, ‘we must take care of them.’

The Temple, located in el-Gamalia, Old Cairo, had been the subject of one year of study before the restoration work itself began in June this year. Due to the high water table, and the need to wait until the sewage system in the area had been improved, restoration work could not

be conducted until now. Since work began, the walls and ceilings have been reinforced, the floor has been isolated from the water table, and all cement -remaining from previous bad quality restoration work - has been removed. The doors, windows and chairs of the temple have also been restored, and the dirt and debris that had built up within has been removed.

The synagogue was declared an antiquity in 1986 due to its historical architecture and religious significance. It is dedicated to Moses Ben Maimon (or Maimonedes as he is also known), who was born in 1135 AD in Cordoba, Spain, but who died in Egypt in 1204. Maimonedes was very influential in the study of mathematics, astronomy, and philosophy, and acted as private physician to Saladin.

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The Coptic

Museum: A True Multicultural Experience N T

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very museum keeps some masterpieces that draw visitors’ attention and at times provide a main reason for their visit. The Coptic Museum in Old Cairo is best known for its famous Nag Hammadi Library, precious textiles as well as splendid architectural remains from the monasteries of Saint Jeremiah and Saint Apollo.

Many other artifacts at the Coptic Museum deserve the visitors’ interest, but may at first glance be less noticeable than the highlight pieces. Yet, our appreciation for an artefact should not only be restricted to whether it is considered an important historical item or if there is sufficient archaeological information at hand to visualize its original context, one should also be open to contemplating and enjoying the artefact without trying to label it as something worth or not worth looking at. Various degrees of quality and perplexing mixtures in iconography and style should not tempt us to weigh objects against each other.

We should rather acknowledge that artistic creativity can be expressed in so many different ways and is a direct outcome of a particular socio-cultural atmosphere.

With these reflective thoughts in mind, a visit to the collection of the Coptic Museum will reveal a cosmopolitan world full of complex styles and forms and intriguing aspects of the Coptic Heritage.

Coptic monuments are a testimony of the art production in Egypt during the late Antiquity period, covering a time span from the third to the eighth century C.E. and continuing after the Arab conquest. The first centuries C.E. in Egypt were marked by a multi-religious milieu, in which Christianity was only one of many religious movements.

Copt/Coptic originates from the Greek word Aigyptos designating the inhabitants of Egypt. Aigyptos is derived from the Ancient Egyptian word Hwt-Ka-Ptah, one of the names of Memphis, ancient capital of Egypt. When the Arabs conquered Egypt in the 7th Century C.E., they used the Greek term Aigyptos for a non-Muslim, Qibt, which nowadays popularly names Egypt’s Christians, the Copts.

Coptic artists owed their skills to the exceptional achievements of their Pharaonic ancestors from whom they adopted techniques passed on from father to son over many generations and borrowed some of their motifs that were reinterpreted to meet the concepts of a new religion. Among the most frequently depicted Pharaonic elements to be re-

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defined by the Copts was the Ankh sign, the Pharaonic key of life, that was transformed into a cross, called the handled cross. Mary lactans, i.e. Virgin Mary nursing her son Jesus, was also a popular Coptic motif and alludes to the Pharaonic goddess Isis breast-feeding her son Horus.

Opposite: Column with Corinthian capital supporting an arch decorated with acanthus leaves and vine branches, Monastery of St. Apollo, Bawit, 6th Century 1- ERichly decorated column capitals from the Monastery of St. Jeremiah, Saqqara, 6th to 7thCentury

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Detail of a kilga, a water jar holder

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Other Coptic motifs and technical practices are related to the artistic repertoire of Ancient Egypt: e.g. Nilotic scenes representing the rich animal and plant life at the banks of the river Nile, were once depicted on the walls of Pharaonic tombs and temples. In Coptic times, the same theme decorated wooden friezes set into the walls of sacral and secular buildings and was often applied to textiles. From the dawn of Egypt’s history down to the Coptic era, the Nile had played an important role in the life of the Egyptians and was used as a symbol to evoke prosperity and wellbeing.

Panels with geometrical paintings from the famous monastery of St. Apollo in Bawit imitate precious mosaics.

The rendering of costly material and intricate techniques through painting had already been applied on Pharaonic funerary vessels.

Since early Christianity, there had been serious conflicts between Christian and polytheistic streams. But when Christianity was officially announced a state religion by the 4th century, pre-Christian beliefs were not completely

wiped out. Some striking textual documents from the 5th century describe Aba Shenute, one of the key figures in the establishment of the Coptic Church and among the most famous Coptic writers, as vehemently fighting polytheism.

In the same century, the Egyptian polytheist Horapollon made an unsuccessful attempt to decipher the hieroglyphs whose meanings had already been forgotten by that time.

Even after Christianity was officially introduced to Egypt, polytheistic artists were commissioned to build sepulchre

1- EFragments of wooden friezes adorned with the rich animal and plant life of the Nile: crocodiles, fish, birds, lotus flowers and vine leaves, 6th Century 2- Stone frieze decorated with scenes from the life of David, limestone, Dashlut, 6th Century 3- The Greek goddess Daphne is turning into a laurel tree, limestone, probably from Ahnas, 4th/5th century Below - The Greek god of wine, Dionysus, is presented with his companions, limestone, provenance unknown, 4th/5th century

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buildings and produce sculptures for Polytheists and Christians alike. But as the Christian religion was so entirely different from previous religious systems, polytheistic temples were either demolished or gradually Christianized, and the construction of new temples prohibited as they were regarded as clear signs of idolatry. The Roman Emperors were the last rulers in Egypt to commission statuary supporting their polytheistic beliefs and state propaganda.

During the Coptic era, Egypt experienced the construction of many Christian monasteries richly decorated with intricate column capitals, colourful friezes, niches and lintels. Episodes from the life of Christ, Virgin Mary and other stories from the Old and New Testament were painted or carved on walls. The Coptic artists gradually gained confidence in developing new art forms, the most remarkable of which are floral, vegetal and geometrical patterns. Many restoration and reconstruction works carried out over the centuries led to various architectural styles frequently encountered in Coptic sacral buildings. The reuse of spolia from polytheistic structures was obviously not considered heretic and incorporated into the new Christian buildings either to evoke Egypt’s glorious past or as a clear token of

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having defeated heresy.

There are many other factors adding to the complex setting of the Coptic Heritage. As a province of the Roman and subsequently Byzantine Empire, Egypt was exposed to foreign influences as well as interactively connected to flourishing cities throughout the Mediterranean world. Alexandria developed into a prosperous metropolis and became a melting pot for intellectual thought, as well as ethnic and religious diversity. Alexandria’s harbour was integrated to the Mediterranean trade route and not only shipped tons of grain beyond Egypt’s borders, but also received precious products from various Mediterranean trade centers. Even architectural fragments like column capitals chiselled from marble were imported from Constantinople to be used as construction material or as architectural models.

Coptic artists travelled within the Mediterranean region and on returning, they added foreign styles and techniques to local construction. Foreigners also contributed to cross-cultural exchanges in Egypt, exemplified by an icon from the 17th century displayed at the Coptic Museum and depicting the birth of Jesus with a reclining Virgin Mary in Greek style. The Coptic Museum has thousands of invaluable manuscripts written in Coptic, Arabic, Greek, Syriac, Old Nubian and Ethiopic some of which may have been produced by foreign monks in the scriptoria of Egypt’s monasteries, as well as the Monastery of the Syrians in Wadi el Natrun.

With the conquest by Alexander the Great in the 4th century, Egypt became exposed to Greek culture and lifestyle. When the Romans took over the rule in Egypt by 30 B.C., the country’s upper class consisted of Hellenized Egyptians, brought up bilingually, in Egyptian and Greek.

The Egyptian elite was proud of its Greek education and had numerous Coptic textiles decorated with warriors, dancers, men on horseback, Greek gods and heroes represented in Greek style. Stories from the Greek mythology found their way into Coptic art, e.g. Dionysius, the Greek god of wine, depicted with his companions, or the birth of the Greek goddess Aphrodite born from the foam of the sea and transported to land on a shell that turned into a Coptic symbol of resurrection and rebirth. The Roman intermezzo in Egypt also left clear traces in the Coptic art,

testified by some of the displayed artifacts at the Coptic Museum. Roman prototypes like the eagle as a symbol of the ruler’s majesty and the laurel wreath symbolizing victory became popular Coptic motifs and was applied to stone, wood and textile to represent the majesty of Christ and the victory of the Christian church.

Differences in quality of Coptic artifacts shed light on the economic situation of the people for whom these objects were made. The majority of Egyptians had limited financial means and were not able to order luxury products, but instead ordered less expensive fabrications. Yet, the contents of simple items can also be very expressive: e.g. a grave stone at the Coptic Museum is decorated rather coarsely with a relief representing the ascension of Christ by a cross and steps and testifies that even plain art successfully managed to convey the Christian message. Look-

ing at such an item from the angle of the believer who was surely more concerned about its content than form, one begins to realize how precious this grave stone must have been for its owner. Regardless of the object’s value, everyone, rich and poor, shared the same hope of a life in eternity and would express it with his or her available means.

Numerous other objects reveal fascinating aspects of Coptic Egypt and enrich the display at the Coptic Museum in Old Cairo that houses the finest collection of Coptic artifacts in the world. With the Arab conquest, Egypt entered a new era with profound changes that gradually paved the 1- Painted panel from the Monastery of St. Apollo, Bawit Below -Piece of tapestry made of linen and wool and decorated with figures in Greek style, 4th to 5th Century All photos are courtesy of the SCA

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When Mohamed Ali was HOT! E D

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Dancing Girls at Cairo / David Roberts Circa 1846

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n Cairo, the origin of many of the unusual names of streets, alleyways or thoroughfares is fairly straightforward and the Egyptian capital is filled with street and place names that offer insights into a particular trade - Al Nahassein (the coppersmiths), Souk Al Selah (the arms’ market) - or remembers a legendary figure – Amir al Giyushi, Saad Zaghloul for instance.

In a particularly curious twist, the long artery that starts at the foot of the Citadel and stretches up to Midan ElAtaba combines the historic figure of the great Mohamed Ali Pasha with that of a very special trade. Until recently, Mohamed Ali Street was known as the ghetto of musicians, dancers and street performers. “I would set all the entertainment for weddings from here,” confesses Hamdi, a retired Monteg (producer) sucking heavily on his shisha and puffing away, like a dragon, long streams of smoke through his nostrils. So how exactly did the name of the great Wali of Masr, the man who spent his lifetime modernizing Egypt, become associated with such a trade?

One of the largest cities in the Middle East, Cairo was the heartland of the Arab World and a prolific destination for scholars, merchants, travellers as well as adventurers. In fact, 19th century Cairo was no longer the walled and gated city of Al Hakem Bi Amr Allah, the Fatimid Khalif who ruled Egypt and who, according to legend, ordered women not to leave their homes, and ordered the shoemakers not to make women’s shoes. The sheer scale of development and modernisation undertaken by Mohamed Ali Pasha, and his successors, made Cairo a particularly great location for those who enjoyed being in the thick of action and lead a versatile lifestyle.

Writing about Cairo in the early decades of the 1800s, the Egyptian historian and chronicler Al Jabarti described Cairo as “a country of gazelles, or a paradise peopled with houris and mignons and the inhabitants drank with avidity from the eye of delight.”

Three hundred years of Ottoman rule (1517-1805) had transformed Cairo to a provincial capital where culture and society stagnated. Nevertheless, the new lifestyle was to change the character of the city and that of its inhabitants. The Turks and Circassians of the new military and ruling elite were very wealthy beys and merchants who built palatial houses overlooking the Ezbekiya Lake, while others built ostentatious compounds at the very foot of the Citadel. Hidden behind the high walls of their palaces, the 1, 2, 3 - A variety of late 19th and early 20th century postcards of Egyptian “Awalem” and “Ghawazee” opposite - “La Danse de l’almée Aïoucha au café Egyptien de la rue du Caire,” Adrien Marie: Le Monde illustré, 3 Aug 1889, 73

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wealthy elite lived a life of luxury, pleasure and promiscuity.

Soon, the city became a key destination for artists, musicians, poets and writers where visitors would traditionally enjoy the very best talents in the entire region Among the new cultural trends brought in from Istanbul - the capital of the Ottoman Empire - was that of women singers and dancers. Although dancers existed in Egypt since the time of the pharaohs, as depicted on Egyptian tomb paintings dating from as far back as the fourteenth century BC, a new variation was soon introduced. Putting aside the sacred, classical expression of prayer through the language of the body practiced in the past in temples, dancing moved into a profane occupation. With bellydancing, believed to have been introduced to Egypt by the Turks, two types of women performers – the Alma and the Ghaziya - soon took over the central stage of entertainment, pleasure and enjoyment.

The word Alma meant a “learned woman” and the term referred above all to a woman who was knowledgeable in dance, poetry and music. The “Awalim” (plural) performed only in the harem and were never made visible to the male members of the household. The men lounging in the vast ka’a of the house could listen to the Alma reciting poetry or singing, hidden behind a lattice screen, but could not see her.

Whereas the Awalim were admired and respected, the Ghawazee (singular Ghaziya) who performed mainly in public, in the streets, in front of coffee-houses at weddings

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How exactly did the name of the great Wali of Masr, the man who spent his lifetime to modernize Egypt, become associated with such a trade? and mawalid, were not considered “respectable” because they danced unveiled. Though they would never be admitted into the “respectable” harem of the beys and pashas, the Ghawazee would perform there on festive occasions.

For their performance, the Ghawazee were not paid as handsomely as the Awalim, nevertheless some became very rich and stopped dancing to set up their own entertainment business, employing younger Ghawazee. And 1-“Dancing Girl” Photo: David Gardner, from: De Guerville, A. B. “New Egypt” Published in 1906 2-”Mohamed Ali Street” postcard circa 18900 3-The dancers of “El Dorado” the famous cabaret where Shafika El Copteya rose to fame in the 1920s

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if ever they were to entertain a party of men, this would either be in a house of “ill repute” or later on board the dahabeyas or awamas (houseboats). Dancing and singing had moved from the streets to café-chantants and later to theatres and by that time the word Alma had also taken on the meaning of dancer-prostitute.

It is said that, embarrassed by the presence of the Awalim and especially that of the Ghawazee who also offered services “in kind” to the cohorts of their male admirers, Mohamed Ali Pasha taxed them and banned them from Cairo in 1834.

But you don’t fool with Awalims, and when Khedive Ismail allowed these “learned” artists back into Cairo in 1860 but taxed them, they callously set up shop in Mohamed Ali Street. “In a way, that was their revenge.” says Ali Al Hallaj, a barber and one of the oldest inhabitants of present day Mohamed Ali Street.

Ali has seen it all. From the raks shama’adan, or the candelabra dance, to the rising of stars like Sabrine; “She lived here, just above my shop. She was a good performer and a very decent girl,” says Ali. Believed to have been introduced from Turkey, the candelabra dance consists mainly of a dancer performing with a purpose-built candelabra (with lit candles) worn on her head. But Ali dismisses the Turkish link. “This is rubbish. It’s that great Lebanese belly-dancer and nightclub owner Badia Masabni who invented the dance at her cabaret, not far away from here, on Ibrahim Pasha Square,” affirms Ali Al Hallaj. The Turkish origin of raks shama’adan is also contested by Um Hanan, a retired Alma who runs a belly dancing school opposite Ali’s barbershop. She claims that the dance was originally invented in Mohamed Ali Street by Zouba el Klobatiyya, a klob meaning a lantern. Another famous Mohamed Ali Street Alma who performed raks shama’adan was Hayat “Nagafa” (Nagafa also meaning candelabra) and her younger sister Enayat. Both sisters were renowned for their performance of raks shamadan. Not to forget the most famous rags-to-rich-then-to rags, Shafika al Copteya.

The musicians and dancers, who formed the majority of the residents, an array of instrumentalists, music shops, tailors and costume designers, moved to the street. Establishing dozens of workshops and ateliers, the costume designers, in particular, made small fortunes competing to design more and more glittery and sophisticated costumes. In the 19th century, costumes were very different and extremely simple. Ghawazee in particular were dressed in long colourful robes worn over silk pantaloons (sirwals) and tied a piece of cloth or a lavishly embroidered shawl around their hips. Today’s midriff-baring two-piece costume, which consists of a sequined bra and a long flow-

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ing skirt sitting on the hips, made its appearance only in the 1930s, through the film industry.

In conservative societies, as in Egypt, female dancing is considered the most shameful form of entertainment, because of its “alleged sensual undertone” and because it is wrongly linked with prostitution, especially if the girls perform in nightclubs and cabarets. Hisham, who moved away from the world of entertainment to set up a small transport company, admits that often entertainers and especially dancers are viewed as “disreputable people” and even if they become famous, earn a lot of money, marry and move up the social ladder, “the stain remains on them, because they have traded their bodies.” However, he reckons that Egyptians are biased and the stigma refers only to female entertainers who, as dancers, have always been considered to be engaged in a dishonorable conduct, while male entertainers are viewed as simply “making a living.”

His discourteous comments are rejected by Um Mohamed, nicknamed Otta (Cat) a retired Alma in her late 70s, who adds, “you are quick to condemn us, but when we dance, you enjoy us, don’t you? Dancing was my only means of livelihood, and if I was so bad, I wouldn’t be begging here today on this pavement, I would be a big shot in Sharia Al Haram, or own a large villa with a swimming pool in Al Mansoureya.”

For almost 20 years now, dancers and musicians have deserted Mohamed Ali Street. A handful of ageing Awalim still continue to hold the fort, but not for long. The street that has seen the rise of belly dancers like Kuchuk Hanim, Safia of Esna, Hosna El-Tawila or Shafika, is now the hub of locally made cheap furniture. As one walks through the famous arcades that were the trademark of Mohamed Ali Street, one comes across shops and more shop of wooden furniture. “If in the past, 90% of the street was taken by the entertainment business, today 90% of the street is furniture shops and unemployed sa’alkis (good-for-nothings)” says Hanafi who adds philosophically; “why cry over spilt milk? What is gone is gone, and life should continue. The Awalim of Mohamed Ali Street had their days of glory. Now, maybe it’s the turn of the “mo’alemin of mobelia.”

1- Newspaper ad: “ The best and happiest of events held by the elite families of Egypt are those where the famous Anissa El Masreyya and her sister Nabaweyya perform. Don’t forget to call them for all your parties. Address: AlManasra alley number 80, off Mohamed Ali Street, Egypt.

2- Mohamed Ali street, late 19th century postcard 3-The famous candelabra dance featured on a postcard, circa 1850.

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Going, Going ... Gone

HERITAGE AT RISK

The Last of the Egyptian W    M E H

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The Barbary Sheep

nce upon a time, Egypt thrived with wildlife; from grazing antelopes to big cat predators. Prehistoric rock art of El Gilf El Kebir leaves you mesmerized with gazelle hunting scenes and numerous depictions of giraffe, ibex and monkey. Closer in time, the Ancient Egyptian temples reveal equally hypnotizing drawings and paintings, this time of lions and hippos. But today’s humans lack the capacity to appreciate nature, and as their technology advances, their greed grows out of control. Mo-

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Wilds

torized vehicles and rifle guns dealt its irreversible extinction blow; our wildlife is on its death bed. The once adored and famous cheetahs of Ancient Egyptian courts are now reduced to nothing but a beautiful golden mask, a token we contemplate with awe.

But the show is not over yet, and a few species are hanging in the balance. Will we intervene and save them, or will they become just another memory. Just like the cheetahs, but this time with no golden masks showcased to the world.

The African Wild ass

Dorcas gazelle: Flee...flee...flee Just 60 years ago, this elegantly beautiful creature roamed the Egyptian deserts in herds that easily entered the hundreds. Now, if you encounter a congregation of three, consider yourself lucky. Poaching and habitat degradation are the main culprits. Those were also the same reasons how other antelopes, like much larger Addax and Scimitar Oryx, have completely vanished from the Egyptian map. Legally protected throughout its geographical Sahara

range, Dorcas gazelle enjoy some degree of protection living in national parks and reserves. However, the protection is far from flawless and illegal hunting still occurs.

In Egypt, Dorcas gazelle can be spotted in three natural protectorates; Wadi El Gemal, Elba and St. Catherine’s.

Nevertheless, this innocent creature has long been hunted and it has grown weary of human beings; getting closer to one in a four-wheel drive is next to impossible. This leaves the guarding rangers with a very difficult job to do.

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ate SOS to save the last few who survive in the wild. Unlike Dorcas gazelle, this subtle looking creature fears a different set of threats. Desertification, interbreeding with domestic donkeys as well as hunting for folk medicine are about all the reasons why African Wild ass is spiraling towards extinction.

With two subspecies hanging by the thread, only the Nubian one claims geographical range that includes the southwest corner of Egypt; mainly round the Jebel Elba region. However, this area is populated with Bishari nomads and they heavily depend on donkeys in their daily lives; interbreeding is imminent. This leaves us with a simple yet difficult question to answer; is the pictured creature a true African wild ass or just a native donkey gone feral? To further complicate matters, the physical description of The Dorcas Gazelle the photographed couple show the marking of an African wild ass, note the dark strip across the back and shoulder. At the same time the cut ear-tip may reflect a tribal marking.

Dorcas gazelle has a cuddly look, a look that automatically intrigues the affectionate side of you, but behind the beautiful face lies a very resilient creature; one that can tolerate the harshest of desert conditions. To acclimatize to the lack of water, Dorcas gazelle can go for extended periods of time without drinking depending solely on the moisture they obtain from their herbivorous diet.

African wild ass: Is that you?

At first sight, it appears like a very ordinary donkey, and somehow, it is not very far from one. The African wild ass is believed to be the ancestor of today’s donkey. Nonetheless, and contrary to its domesticated fellow, African wild ass is still struggling for freedom in the wild. In its Red List for endangered species, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has categorized the African wild ass as “Critically Endangered” with an immedi-

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Barbary Sheep: The king is dead Without a doubt, it is the King of the Mountains; its remarkable jumping and cliff navigation abilities are just unrivalled. Unfortunately, the King is dead. Or at least this is what I personally encountered when I last visited El Gilf El Kebir. The colossal plateau is believed to be one of the Barbary Sheep’s last remaining strongholds, but when I searched for any individuals, I found none, seldom a carcass. Could there be a surviving population?

Once freely roaming the entire Sahara desert, Barbary Sheep are now confined to small and scattered pockets.

Poaching is the primary reason for the recurring tragedy of extinction. Another demonstration of man’s greed, Barbary Sheep were, and to a certain extent still are, relentlessly hunted; a much sought-after prize for its meat. Protecting laws are indeed in place, but once again, they are rarely implemented. And when you think of the difficult terrain

this large sheep calls home, the poorly equipped rangers are left with little to be done. However, and after all said and done, there is one piece of good news when it comes to King of the Mountains. For a long time this amazing creature was thought to be extinct in Egypt, or least in the Eastern Desert; recently, evidence of surviving individuals were gathered from around Jebel Elba. The King might just be returning.

Lappet-faced Vulture: Beauty in disguise A bald, unattractive-looking scavenger is not anybody’s idea of a beautiful bird. But, if you look deeper behind the cliché, the Lappet-faced vulture is a beautiful bird to behold. Pause for a minute and contemplate the photograph.

Spreading throughout most of Arabia and the African continent as well, this big Old World vulture is suffering prosecution of a different kind. Its killer is actually a medicine! Some anti-inflammatory drugs used to treat livestock

remains in the cattle’s blood. If the unfortunate patient doesn’t make it, and the vulture comes to feed on the carcass, the medicine remnants will be powerful enough to poison the innocent bird. Indeed it sounds surreal but it is a sad story of how humans rarely think of chain reactions and how the environment is actually an endless labyrinth of intertwining connections. Luckily for the Lappet-faced vulture in Egypt, this killing medicine is not on the rise; however, another killer is. Concentrated in the far southeast corner of the country, nomadic herders often accuse the vultures of catching their newly born livestock. In reality, Lappet-faced vultures are often, if not always, innocent; it depends largely on scavenging, while hunting is quite a rarity.

The Lappet-Faced Vulture

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Many of us walk through the streets of Egypt and find ourselves captivated by the most incredible sights. People from all backgrounds and professions have taken up photography either as amateurs or as professionals in order to document the many scenes of Egypt.

Here, we invite you, our reader, to submit your photographs of Egyptian heritage and your thoughts. Tell us what you want to say with your photograph, tell us of the story behind the shot: simply express yourself.

Get in touch with us by emailing: editor@turath-egypt.com

Pierre Sioufi, Retired Journalist “I took this photo in Assiut. I must say I didn’t know what to look at when I saw this building should I concentrate on the nice and doubtlessly original sign of the Salon Freuin?

Or at the near post modern decor of Gezaret Mokhtar ... doubtlessly original 1960’s or maybe even 50’s ...., the lovely remains of the once amazing building or the no less original doctor’s table taking the sun in the veranda!”

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Ahmed Salah, Engineer “This bank has attacked one of Cairo’s most beautiful buildings and plastered their sign OVER its unique ornamentation. Only one side remains now!! Why has no local authority objected to this?!”

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Sherif Lotfy, Engineer “The minarets of El Nasser Mohamed Ebn Qalawun’s and El Mansour Qalawun complexes embracing each other.”

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Pacinthe Abu Senna, student at MIU, faculty of Alsun Photo 1: “I took this one in Sultan Hassan Mosque. It shows the windows of a hospital that used to be in the Mosque itself. I just liked how a mosque was not a place only or prayer, but also for many other purposes like learning or taking care of the sick..”

Photo 2: “This photo I shot in El Refaei Mosque and I just liked how the sun demonstrated the fabulous architecture of the window.”

Photo 3: “This one is of Sultan Hassan Mosque. It shows the ablution area located in the centre. I really liked how the rays of the sun were cast on a place where people purified themselves and got ready to meet God.”

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Shimmering in

and

I R. A

The legendary Tahia Carioca, along with her dancers, wearing traditional belly dance suits

W

ith this issue, we are celebrating the one-year anniversary of the publication of Turath: Egypt’s Heritage Review.

Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary defines heritage as “something transmitted by or acquired from a predecessor: legacy, inheritance or tradition.” With this definition in mind, I am reminded of the mission behind the creation of

44

this magazine, as expressed in the Editor’s Note of the inaugural issue: “...a heritage review covering Egypt’s history from all eras and in all its kinds.”

And with this definition, I would like to share with you a dying tradition that is being revived by a very determined woman.

Far from the city of Cairo is the NADIM showroom and factory, tucked

away in the industrial zone of Abu Rawash. NADIM is known for its furniture inspired by traditional and “Islamic” designs featuring carved and turned wood, as well as inlay using different materials. There are also contemporary collections for customers and clients that have more modern tastes. Little be it known that under the Traditional Art subsidiary, NADIM

Candle Sticks Sift Headband Amulet Comb Ewer Palm Reed Brides Decorative Squares Innovative Cross Bride in Bed Guard Groom on Camel Ewer Variation Flower Camel for Holy Curtain (Mahmal)

Stars

has branched into , a form of embroidery. Before I go into further details regarding the art of , it would be prudent to introduce you to Dr. Nawal elMessiri, the protagonist in this story.

You may recognize her name from the books she has authored, the work she has carried out with her husband, Dr. Asaad Nadim, at Bayt alSuhaymi, and finally as co-founder and honorary chairperson of NADIM. In fact, Dr. el-Messiri comes from an entrepreneurial family that is steeped in the textile and weaving industry of Egypt. Her grandfather, Ali el-Messiri, started a textile factory in Mahalla that specialized in kaftans. The factory was passed down to his son and is currently being managed by the third generation of Messiris. An anthropologist by training (Dr. el-Messiri received her PhD in Urban Anthropology from the University of Indiana where she wrote her dissertation on the area of Darb al-Ahmar in Historic Cairo), her research focuses on traditional urban life, folk art and the sustainability of the craft industry in Egypt. She applies her academic background and business skills to the development and revival of . is a specific type of embroidery using tinsel originally made of pure gold and silver thread that is traditionally associated with the Upper Egyptian governorates of Assiut and Sohag. Dr. el-Messiri explained that is a reference to the thread, the type of embroidery and the finished product. The earliest reference to , according to Dr. el-Messiri, dates to the eighteenth century.

Not exclusive to Egypt, the art can also be found in countries of the Gulf and India, where it is embroidered on Saris. What distinguishes Egyptian , however, from that found elsewhere is the subject matter and iconography. Here, motifs that are integral to life in Upper Egypt are common such

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46

as: marriage (representation of brides and grooms), religion (mosques and crosses), folk belief (amulets and talismanic symbols), nature (water, stars, palm trees and animals indigenous to the area) and motifs related to daily life (candles, lanterns and combs). Essentially, the patterns embroidered on dresses, scarves and shawls tell a story. In some instances, the stories being told predate the eighteenth century terminus post quem prescribed, there are clear pharaonic, Coptic and Islamic antecedents that are recognizable. In the case of Ancient Egyptian prototypes, the arrangement, as well as motifs, can be directly linked with the registers in tombs. Over the years, production has diminished partially due to changing fashion trends, but also as a result of the expense associated with the use of gold and silver thread, which is only produced in the Czech Republic, France and Germany.

Dr. El-Messiri’s formal journey with started in 2001, when she was com-

missioned by the Egyptian Society for Folk Tradition (ESFT), at the request of the National Council of Women (NCW), due to her expertise in the arena of traditional crafts, to do a study on .

This was a sequel, of sorts, to previous work carried out in the 1990s in the form of two training programs – one sponsored by UNICEF in the village/ island of Gazirat Shandawil in Sohag,

3

Above - Dr Nawal El Messiri wearing one of her shawls.

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and the second under the auspices of the Egyptian Social Fund for Development in Assiut.

Dr. el-Messiri had prior experience with this type of social/cultural anthropology through her extensive research on Nubia and Egyptian street life. The study, which focused on the cultural and social context of the artists that produced , concluded that the Museum of Folklore in Attaba Square had several dresses worked in that were acquired in the 1950s and 1960s, which were recorded, documented, assessed and photographed; the patterns applied were also studied and recorded for analysis, and subsequently Dr. el-Messiri has participated in the identification of the motifs and their symbolic meaning. All of this data resulted in a 2002 exhibition in Bayt al-Kharazati in Cairo inaugurated by Egypt’s First Lady.

This research ultimately led Dr. elMessiri to the trained women engaged in making on the island of Gazirat Shandawil in Sohag, with whom she has maintained a relationship ever since. The women wanted to distribute the work they made, so Dr. El Messiri began marketing their products. One of the problems that arose was selfsufficiency with regards to having a constant stream of the thread. Continuing to import from Europe proved to be too expensive, so Dr. el-Messiri searched for a distributor of the thread for over a year until she found a company that made it in India, only pure gold and silver thread was now replaced with copper plated with gold and silver. Importing the thread from India allows her to make the thread readily available for the women that create .

Today, to ensure the future of , Dr. el-Messiri has helped steer the art into a more practical and socially responsible direction. She has concentrated her efforts on finding ways to apply

48

the embroidered fabric to household accessories. So, in addition to scarves and shawls, she has combined with furniture and home decor manufactured by NADIM, concentrating on screens, curtains, lampshades, cushions and bed covers. She feels these are more lasting than the traditional dresses that are subject to ever-changing fashion trends. Besides, her experiments have proved that the textiles (cotton mesh and linen) when

worked with are more adaptive to the furniture. The end result is a more creative product that can be adapted to different and more practical uses.

Currently, there are 600 women and girls working in Gazirat Shandawil supporting 600 families. Beyond the financial independence, the aforementioned training program and study has empowered these traditional women: they travel to fairs and display their work; are the main component in the maintenance and survival of a dying tradition; have become an important part of an Egyptian identity that is recognized and appreciated the world over; and, despite the fact that they come from conservative villages in Upper Egypt, when given a chance, these women show tremendous creativity. Dr. el-Messiri feels their success, albeit gradual, is sustainable and a model for other similarly dying crafts in Egypt.

For more information on , look out for Dr. el-Messiri’s forthcoming book on the subject: The Making of a Traditional Artists: the Art of and Sustainable Development (published by ESFT). This book examines the tradition of -making from an anthropological and artistic perspective. An Arabic translation by ESFT will soon follow in order to reach a wider readership.

In addition to NADIM and other vendors, their work is exhibited in major fairs and expos, and was recently incorporated into the Marie Louis fashion line.

NADIM http://www.nadim.org/.html Abu Rawash Industrial Zone Cairo Alex Desert Road, Giza, Egypt.

Tel: (+ 202) 35 39 16 01-8 Fax: (+ 202) 35 39 16 09 Email: nadiminfo@nadim.org 1,2 -A modern twist: the traditional art of used in furniture at the NADIM gallery

Noura Mossalam

What was once a personal hobby and passion is now a thriving home for traditional handicrafts with 30 full time and part-time workers. It was Noura Mossallem’s love for traditional Egyptian handicrafts and her background in the field of community development that provided her with the driving force she needed to create her own brand and establish her own company (Traditional Crafts Co.) All designs are derived from time-honoured traditional crafts, especially from the Bedouin markets (Al-Arish, Bahareya, Siwa Oasis) and the ancient textile villages of Upper Egypt. The drawings used on the Bedouin gallabeyas inspired the designs used for Nora’s handbags, accessories and decorative soft furnishings. Egyptian made fabrics are used starting from Taftan, Catain, traditional sanitized cotton (shahee) to sturdier chenille and finer materials used for details and embroidery.

A very interesting and rather amusing thing about these products is that they are named after real people who have inspired them; so you will find Noura, Sarah, Rouby & Safiya in the handbags section, and then you’ll see Touha, Farah & Shahrazade in the Accesories. Products range in price from 25 L.E to 800 L.E for bed covers.

Noura’s style is simple and creative in that it combines the Egyptian skills and crafts with modern designs while adding a traditional final touch to many of her products.

Every detail is handmade, each piece with a unique character and intricate design.

Noura Mossalam’s workshop is located in Dokki (on Wizarat Al Zira’ah Street). Products can also be found in Al Khatoun, Bashayer, Rim, And Company, Volume I and soon will be opening her own shops at Fostat Market in Cairo as well as Habiba & Aaesha Stores in Luxor. Products are also exported to the UK and New Zealand.

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Farid Mansour

Lending a Helping Hand

Yasmine El Dorghamy

This issue’s profile doesn’t feature a conservator, archeologist or historian. This time, we felt compelled to tell our readers about one very unique businessman who is no stranger to those interested in Egyptian heritage. An accounting legend, as many call him, Farid Mansour, is the founder of Mansour & Co. PricewaterhouseCoopers, an audit firm operating in Egypt for the past 33 years.

H

ere at Turath, however, we know him best as the founder and chairman of the Quseir Preservation Society, as well as, the Friends of the Coptic and Islamic Art Museum Associations.

Mansour is a regular face at all heritage related events, from lectures to civil society meetings, and he is never a mere bystander.

“We had been trying to organize some capacity building programs for the museum’s curators,” says Nadja Tomoum, head of the Coptic Museum Training Project. “This was one of the main contributions of the Friends of the Coptic Museum; they sponsored a six-month English language course for our curators.” Tomoum had met with the association headed by Mansour for the first time in 2006. They invited members of the museum’s staff to attend board meetings and speak of the challenges they faced to explore ways in which the association can help. Other than the curator’s training program, the association has also raised funds for a condition survey and cataloguing project of several thousands of priceless manuscripts housed in the museum’s archive. The J. Paul Getty Foundation in Los An-

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geles, approved the proposal submitted by the Friends of the Coptic Museum and assigned qualified experts to undertake the monumental task.

The association also currently funds a quarterly newsletter, Parrhêsia, meaning “free speech”, which is distributed for free and aims to spread awareness of Egypt’s Coptic heritage.

Many more projects are still in the pipeline and Mansour keeps an open dialogue with members of the museum’s staff in order to stay in touch and find opportunities in which the association can help overcome any problems and publicize or “market” the museum’s facilities and services, a fact also affirmed by Iman Abdulfattah, coordinator of the Museum of Islamic Art Restoration Project. A similar training project is being planned for the museum’s curators in the upcoming months, sponsored by the Friends of the Museum of Islamic Art association.

When I spoke to Mansour for this article, he had just returned from Quseir, where it all began for him, as I discovered. “Twelve years ago, I had an assignment in Quseir, a valuation. It was my first time to visit the city and I was fascinated with it. It’s a small town with a big history, being a major port in ancient times. What captivated me the most, though, was its unique wooden architecture.”

Being a port, leftover wood from boat making was continually abundant, and was used to embellish the city’s buildings, many of which still remain, but in deteriorating condition. “This was the first time I decided to start an organized initiative to protect a kind of heritage. I contacted all the Quseir heritage enthusiasts I could think of; people from the former phosphate company (which provided a main source of employment for the town until it was shut down in the 1980s), people originally from Quseir whom I met in Cairo, and more. We set up an NGO and started restoring one of the houses with funding from the (Swedish) Wallenberg Foundation.”

The NGO may have begun with grant funding, but it soon became financially independent. Taking special consideration to ensure the financial sustainability of the NGO, Mansour began a microfinance program offering LE 5,000 loans for activities such as setting up workshops, small establishments and the like. The loan program helped provide both permanent and temporary employment for the town’s locals who had depended primarily on the now defunct phosphate company for their livelihood. Today, the Quseir Presevation Society’s microcredit program disburses LE 15,000,000 in revolving loans and boasts a 98% repayment rate.

“The Islamic and Coptic Museum

1

2

Opposite - Farid Mansour speaking at a Coptic Museum fund raiser.

1- The Coptic Museum entrance 2-The manuscript condition survey and cataloguing project underway at the Coptic Museum Photo: Elke Reinhuber/SCA

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Associations also stemmed from my activities in Quseir.”

Mansour adds. “The Ottoman Fort in Quseir had been restored by the American Research Center in Egypt and was not handed over to the Egyptian government for launching simply because the designated officials were too busy to schedule a date for the inauguration. The Fort ended up staying closed to the public for a long time after its restoration.” He added, “I spoke to Dr. Zahi Hawass, and convinced him to join me on a visit to Quseir.” His interest in the city revived after the visit and the enthusiastic tour given by Mansour, Hawass immediately saw to it that the inauguration took place and the Fort was finally open to visitors.

Seeing potential for more of this type of activity, Hawass was actually the one to suggest setting up another civil society organization for the Museum of Islamic Art, which at the time was beginning its restoration and refurbishment project. Mansour was equally enthusiastic. “Again, I called all interested people I could think of to join and we formed an NGO. This was four years ago. We started meeting with museum staff, who of course took some time to open up to us, and participated in discussions regarding the museum’s new layout, the labeling of artifacts, and many such details.”

The association is currently planning a workshop with the Islamic Art

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Museum to train new curators. Most of the curators are over 55 years of age and a new generation needs to be prepared and trained. Therefore, a six-month workshop is being organized and the Friends will start a call for university graduates who speak English to teach them how to update databases and maintain library records, among other curatorial skills.

“We’re trying to get help from Germany to recruit Museology teachers.

We are then planning to have a series of lectures and a symposium, upon the inauguration, which should be around October 2009.”

Another activity that the association plans to begin after the museum’s inauguration is school trips. Private schools will be charged a fee that would cover the expenses of schools from poorer areas. “My favorite subject in school was history. I spent most of my vacations in museums rather than sitting on the beach,” Mansour says.

With the monumental task of maintaining museums and sites in a country like Egypt, the government does need the help of community associations to fill in the gaps or simply to

communicate the voice of the public.

This is a fact that both private individuals and government entities are slowly coming to realize, as the former starts to take more initiative and the latter to trust more and cooperate. Perhaps bringing a private sector mentality with its enthusiasm and creativity, to aid publicly funded institutions with their social priorities and stability, may after all prove to be the ultimate formula for success.

For more information, please contact: Friends of the Museum of Islamic Art Email: islamicmuseumfriends@googlemail.com Honorary Secretary: Nadia Hamdy012 310 3499 Email: hamdynadia@hotmail.com Friends of the Coptic Museum Email: copticmuseumfriends@googlemail.com Honorary Secretary: Yousri Aclimandos- 012 211 2566 Email: yousri.aclimandos@gmail.com Quseir Heritage Preservation Society Contact number: 065 333 5232 General Manager: Adel Aish- 018 141 9160 Above - The canons of the Ottoman fort in Quseir Photo: Mohamed El Hebeishy

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© Aga Khan Cultural Services - Egypt/AKTC

Reclaiming

the Crafts in the City of D E B

M

onumental architecture and magnificent structures have fascinated me all my life. I always found myself curious about how these grand buildings were constructed. Growing up with this fascination, it was very clear to me what I want to study. After graduating as a construction engineer, my wish was to work in a field that combined my area of study with my passion for culture and heritage. There are many professions that combine architecture and culture, but there was one more element that was vital to me: I wanted my work to include activities that would serve underprivileged communities as well. I chose to work in heritage conservation and restoration projects in Egypt, a field that combines engineering, architecture, culture and development.

I trained and worked in heritage conservation projects in Cairo and Luxor, took related courses and simply followed my passion. Towards the end of 2003, I visited some of the conservation and restoration projects carried out by the Aga Khan Cultural Services- Egypt the local agency of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture in Egypt. One of them

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1000 Minarets

was the Madrasa and Mosque of Umm al-Sultan Sha‘ban in Historic Cairo. The mosque was constructed in 1368-9 AD and was dedicated by Sultan Sha‘ban to his mother Khwand (Lady) Baraka, and lies on Bab al-Wazir street, which connects Bab Zuwayla to the Citadel in al-Darb alAhmar district. At that time, the upper part of the minaret, which had collapsed after the 1884 earthquake was being reconstructed.

While going up the scaffolding surrounding the minaret of Umm al-Sultan Sha‘ban for the first time, trying to form an opinion on its reconstruction, little did I know that a couple of months later, I would be asked to join this project and would have to explain to the visitors why the upper part of the minaret was rebuilt.

During the construction of al-Azhar Park, two minarets in the vicinity, (that of Umm al-Sultan Sha‘ban Madrasa and Mosque and that of Khayer Bek Mosque) could be clearly seen with their upper parts missing as a result of a late 19th century earthquake. His Highness the Aga Khan had a vision of restoring Historic Cairo’s “1000 minaret”

© Aga Khan Cultural Services - Egypt/AKTC

skyline to its former glory which is how all this began.

Although the original function of a minaret was for the call for prayer, it also played an important role from the architectural and urban points of view. Minarets were always placed in a part of the building that would render them as landmarks of the urban fabric of the city, hence giving orientation to the passers by. So, despite the fact that their function as a place for the call for prayers has ceased to exist, for many, their completion gives back the building its integrity.

In 2003, what was still fascinating was the re-construction process itself, not only from the engineering point, with challenges like rendering the upper part of the minaret structurally safe, but also with regards to the workmanship used to carve the intricate muqarnas stone decorations. Stone-cutters and carvers worked meticulously on transforming each piece of stone into the complex design that was once there. Ultimately, what was restored was not just the minaret’s upper part but also the skills of the stone-cutters and carvers that have today become rare.

The revival of crafts and use of local craftsmen was a crucial part of this conservation project. The project then was enlarged to the cleaning, conservation and restoration of the whole mosque space, its façades, its two domed mausolea, its interior rooms and the ablution area.

Conservators were working on cleaning and conservation of the façades and domes, focusing on all the delicate wooden and metal decorative elements. The work process was long, and involved a great number of decisions concerning the technique and the principles of the conservation decisions. [More details concerning issues regarding fine conservation, conservation principles, etc. will be discussed in a series of articles by the author in upcoming issues of Turath].

The design and implementation of the lighting system of the mosque’s iwans and courtyard were

1

the next important part of the project as it came to its final stages. Two types of lighting fixtures were used; modern ones were applied on specific decorative elements, such as those on the ceilings, while others similar to the original ones found in museums and represented on drawings and lithographs such as those of David Roberts, were used. A lighting concept that respects the old design ignited the mosque’s spirit once again. It also engaged a craftsman from the neighborhood, who had received a micro-credit loan from Aga Khan Cultural Services- Egypt, to revive his craft and workshop. The engagement of local craftsmen in conservation projects economically revives and develops the area, while raising the community’s Opposite: Stone cleaning of the exterior ribs of the dome using the micro-sand-blaster technique Photo: Matjaz Kacicnik 1-A stone carver working on the intricate muqarnas designs for the reconstruction of the minaret’s upper part Below - Exterior view of the madrasa and mosque after the reconstruction of the upper part of the minaret and completion of the restoration process © Aga Khan Cultural Services - Egypt/AKTC

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awareness concerning the importance and significance of their skills.

The older craftsmen were setting an example for younger skilled laborers who were working closely with them.

Transferring the knowledge and skill from generation to generation is currently very much needed, especially at times when the young ones tend to be more interested in easier jobs, not appreciating the value of traditional handicrafts and age-old skills. While working for the past few years on a number of projects, I started giving presentations to the team’s craftsmen, conservators and skilled, as well as casual laborers, regarding theoretical issues in conservation and heritage. The reason for this is that working in conservation of heritage requires a certain sensitivity towards the material we are working with, as well as an understanding of the value of this work. I have to say that at the beginning, the craftsmen and workers were not interested in attending these “classes”; becoming a student again was not really something they looked forward to.

But with passion and perseverance this resistance diminished. They realized one important concept: at home, when they have an old photograph or an old banknote that their parents or grandparents left them, they treat it differently than a new one, they show it to other relatives and friends and preserve it for their children and grandchildren. It was then that we discussed the word “Turath” (heritage) and how it derives from the verb to inherit, they understood that they inherited the buildings they are working on and that they should treat them as a personal inheritance.

With specific examples from the daily work activities, they realized the positive change they carry out on the buildings they are working on and each of them recognized that they

© Aga Khan Cultural Services - Egypt/AKTC

© Aga Khan Cultural Services - Egypt/AKTC 1

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2

are playing an important role in preserving their heritage and transforming it from deteriorating stones in to living, bustling landmarks.

I believe that the architects working with me would agree when I say that after a couple of presentations and discussions (or classes), even the work attitude changed and an interest in understanding more about culture and heritage conservation grew among the team.

This article was meant to be about a building that was saved through a conservation and restoration project.

However, without highlighting the role of the people who carry out the physical restoration, we can’t really discuss the results. Without their skills and dedication to the work, such achievements are not possible and physical interventions without human development and awareness will only be temporary. Many of us know that heritage in general is considered world heritage with an outstanding universal value, but if the local communities are not handed over the necessary knowledge and understanding, sustainable conservation and maintenance is impossible. In the end, they

are the daily users and maintainers of these buildings.

After restoration, the mosque space of Umm al-Sultan Sha‘ban is operating once more in its original function, while the other rooms were subject to a reuse agreement between the Supreme Council of Antiquities and the AKCSEgypt and are being used now for community service activities.

Conserving and restoring a building is like treating a patient who is being operated on and moved from a sick condition into a stable and healthy one. Nevertheless, staying healthy and thriving is the “post-operative” goal that requires a different kind of care. In heritage places, bringing users, not only visitors, who will regularly use and maintain these buildings is what revives and revitalizes them and makes them true living heritage.

1-Interior view of the qibla iwan through the roof ’s crenellations 2- Exterior façade view after conservation Below - Group photo of the team after the completion of the conservation project

© Matjaz Kacicnik

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DID YOU KNOW

M-A E D

I

?

t is a well known fact that the ancient Egyptian language has survived into our modern day Egyptian-Arabic, especially in rural contexts that have not been influenced too much by outsiders. Words like imboo, from the ancient m pA mw (from the water) used by Egyptian infants to describe drink, are amongst the better known modern words from ancient roots. There are many, many more words. Foota, meaning towel in modern Egyptian comes from the very similar fwte. Its non-Egyptian Arabic equivalent is manshafa. People’s names have also survived, such as the male name Bishoy which comes from an ancient word meaning fate or destiny. The female name Sawsan comes from seshen, meaning a lotus or lily.

Ancient Egyptian words did not only travel across time to modern Egypt, but also across to Arabic in general. The way the sheen letter is written in Arabic is strikingly similar to the ancient and Coptic ways of writing the sh letter. Ancient Egyptian also moved into other languages. The ancient Egyptian word for brick, debet, survived as the Coptic twbe, and through it as the modern Egyptian tooba.

The word did not stop at that, but travelled into Arabic across the Arabic speaking world, moving with the Arab invasion into Spain, where the word morphed into the Spanish adobe describing brick architecture. It has since migrated into English; keep that in mind next time you use Adobe Photoshop.

But does the name Susan come from Sawsan? I vote yes, but I do have my biases!

S

A

ncient Egyptians often went to war, and needed to tally the deaths they caused in their enemy’s ranks.

Heads or hands could be cut off to bring back to the king as proof of how many enemies were killed.

Heads can take up quite a bit of space to transport, and as there are two hands it can get too complicated to count, especially if someone had already lost one of them in the battle. What easier way to count than to cut off the male member of the deceased soldiers and bring them back to the king? Grim, but apparently convenient. The temple of Medinet Habu in Luxor shows upon its walls a huge pile of phalluses cut off from the enemy’s army.

ummer is upon us, and with it the sticky flies have increased in their obnoxiousness. The ancient Egyptians also suffered from flies – the word for fly is ‘aaf, which sounds like quite the angry grunt, but they managed to look on the bright side. Flies are persistent, just how a good solider should be in battle.

The Golden Fly of Valour was a fly-shaped pendant once awarded for military achievement, but eventually became a generic decoration given to any courtier on a special occasion such as coronation. These “Golden Flies” are much more elegant than actual flies, and their manufacture was very delicate and intricate with several steps employed to create these beautiful pendants.

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T

he scarab is one of the most recognised symbols of ancient Egypt. Egyptian mythology had the scarab beetle play an important role in rebirth and resurrection, which were both key elements of Egyptian belief. Scarabs were thought to have pushed the sun across the sky during the day, and continued to do so during the night hours, ensuring that the sun would shine again, signifying rebirth. Egyptians observed their surroundings closely and did not choose symbols arbitrarily. Scarab beetles were appropriately chosen for the pushing of the sun disc; in nature such beetles slowly form balls of dung, which they proceed to roll in order to lay their eggs in – somehow just like rolling the sun disc to ensure a safe birth (or rebirth rather)!

T

he aim of mummification was to preserve the body so its soul would recognize it and re-enter it thereby living again. In one way, Egyptians conquered the decaying effects of death on the corpses, yet accidents happened and little tricks were used to ensure recognition of the body and therefore a safe passage to the other world. Eyes are largely water, which meant that the salts used for mummification dried them out, causing the fragile lids to break due to the lack of support. Solution: evidence survives of little onions being used to fill the space of the eye ball, which not only retains plumper eyes, but supported eyelids from caving in. Noses were also at risk of being flattened or broken, and acorns were the perfect solution to keep them up (think Ramsses II). Fingers and toes became dry and brittle after they dried, and were easily broken. Solution: To avoid that, and also to cover it up when it happened all too often, the wealthy deceased were given gold sheets in the shape of toes and fingers to cover their extremities.

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M

ummies that made it to Europe became the stars of “mummy unwrapping” parties. These parties became grand social events.

Amulets from the wrappings of the mummies were sometimes given as favours to the guests, and the unwrapped mummy would be displayed in the house, perhaps in the study of its owner. In America, mummies linen wrappings were used to make brown paper used by butchers.

The bodies were used for making brown paint for oil paintings, cunningly named “Mummy Brown”. One artist using this colour was so distraught after finding out that this colour was made from actual mummies, that he buried them in his garden, giving them “a decent burial”.

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B

efore the times of aspirin, decongestant, and effervescent vitamin C tablets, rich Europeans would carry around a pouch of a special powder. A powder that is as ancient as the world itself, a magic powder that cures all ailments and maladies: mummia powder. Sounds familiar? Indeed, powder made of ground up mummies was a highly demanded commodity during the last centuries. There was such a high demand, and not enough ancient mummies to satisfy the craze for mummia powder, alternative methods were employed. Starting 1200 AD and for a few hundred years, unclaimed fresh corpses in Alexandria had pitch and resin applied to them, buried for a few years in someone’s backyard, and when they were “ready” they were ground up and sold as mummia powder.

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ong before the time of Chinese made king Tutankhamun magnets and pens with floating pyramids inside that mysterious gelatinous substance, the souvenir of choice for many travellers from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries was non-other than a mummy. A real mummy.

After all, “it would be hardly respectable, upon one’s return from Egypt, to present oneself without a mummy in one hand and a crocodile in another” (which a certain father Géramb apparently said to Mohammed Ali in 1833). Again there was such a high demand on mummies, that one story tells of a mummy being sold to a traveller in Aswan. The tourist who bought it later found out that it was not an ancient Egyptian mummy after all, but the body of an English engineer who had died in Egypt.

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El Sira El

Helaleyya

Of Past and Present A M

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s she sits on the banks of Berket El Teyr (a lake on the outskirts of the lands inhabited

by Bani Hellal) with 30 other women from the village, Khadra searches the birds for the right one to wish upon for a son, a bird in whose character and image he would be born. It was not a wish to be taken lightly, for if the gates of heaven were open, there would be no turning back. The first bird to fly down was a beautiful white bird. It landed gracefully and took eloquent measured steps to the bank where it sat to drink. The women cheered and urged her to wish upon the bird, but she refused; how would a bird so beautiful and vain, protect her against her enemies? Shamma, the wife of Sultan Sarhan of the Hilaley tribe, wished upon it herself that her own

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son become his father’s graceful heir and leader of the Arabs. The second was a red bird. It plunged down powerfully and quarrelled with the birds by the lake until only it was able to drink. Again the women urged Khadra and again she refused; her son would not take his place by force. This time, Prince Ghanem’s wife wished upon it, that her son be as powerful. Next, a beautiful green bird flew, creating wonders in its flight to the lake.

It sauntered in its green robe, and the women marvelled at its beauty.

Here, the wife of the tribe’s judge and interpreter of the Quran, Zayan, wished that her son be as honourable and glorious as this bird. Finally two strong black birds flew down, the light shining brightly off their faces despite their ‘raisin-like darkness’ (samaar

zabeeby). The women watched in awe as the birds made it to the pond, the master pursued by a follower, as all the birds made way for them. The red bird tried to retrieve its position at the lake, but was scared away with a peck of the black bird’s beak.

This was Khadra’s bird. She wished, despite its color, for a son as strong and charismatic, a noble warrior to unite and protect the Arabs.

And so it was that the gates of heaven were open, and that the story of the dark visaged Salamah, Barakat or Abuzeid El Hilaley, as he was named by different tribes upon his many admirable conquests, began. So also was the prediction of the births of Diab Ibn Ghanem the envious cousin (Red bird), Hassan, Sultan Sarhan’s son and Zeydan Ibn Zayan, the righteous judge’s son.

This, like many episodes of dreams, visions and magical apparitions weaves its way through Sirat Al Hilaleya or Sirat Al ‘Arab as it is often called, preparing us at times, and placing parameters and expectations for the story at others. But reminding us always of that intangible dimension of love, magic, and the metaphysical,

that space where anything is possible, and where rational expectations never dictate actual events. This is an epic that gives as much weight to tactical planning and cunningness as it does to intuition and blind faith. These people that pray to a God they never see, rely on magic in many instances, and believe in the indispensible power of the intuition of their women, whose counsel for tribal decisions on war and migration is as important as strategic considerations.

These are features perhaps common to the Arabs of the day, and thus to many of their epics. Another is the story of the unlikely hero; whether it is in the story of Antar Ibn Shaddad for instance, the slave-turned-warrior, or Abu Zeid’s, of the ‘dark visaged infant, whose birth resulted in his and his mother’s exile on account of her sus-

pected infidelity. Neither ‘fit the heroic bill’ initially, and yet they prove their worthiness as the stories unravel.

Perhaps the heroes’ unlikeliness is an emphasis on their always emerging from the regular people. This makes a possible hero of all those the Sira touches.

What, however, makes the Sira stand out amongst other epics, and why has it lasted in its seemingly ‘full’ form for as many centuries as it has? I will explore a few of the possibilities in this article, namely its historical significance and its present tradition.

turies. These represent a history of the conquests of the Arabs, and Abu Zeid’s quest in unifying the Arabian tribes of Najd and Yemen as he treks up through Iraq to Palestine, Egypt, Libya and Tunisia. El Hilaleyya eventually also trickle into Morocco, and through Upper Egypt to Sudan and Ethiopia. The tribal coalition grows as they travel from the Island and unite with other tribes through marriages, conquests or the growing army in the quest for greener lands of Tunis al Khadraa.

However, the story is not merely an account of conquests. It is that of Abu

El Sira as Remembrance The main ‘chapters’ of El Reyadah (The pioneering journeys) and El Taghriba (The estrangement or migration), of the epic are said to have taken place over the 10th-12th cen-

Opposite- “Eastern Story Teller” - from Ebers, Georg. “Egypt: Descriptive, Historical, and Picturesque .” published in 1878 Above- A late 19th century postcard depciting a crowd gathered around a story teller

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Zeid master of disguises, champion of the plights of the poor, but also the stories of Sultan Allam of Iraq, Khalifa Al Zeynati of Tunisia, Aziza and Younis, and the countless mythical instances of love and magic that interlace the different stories and events.

More importantly, the power of these stories is in the richness of the language, in the depth of the meanings, and the musicality of the lyrics, and its affect as such.

The historical significance of the Sira lies not only in what it tells, but how it is told. The bearer of the story, the poet, sha’er al sira, sees himself as a ‘chosen one’. Whether it is in a dream or vision, most poets believe that the Sira is their calling and that they carry a revelation. They are, however, trained for years before they can ‘deliver’.

The mark of a good poet is not only in the richness of his language, or his ability to know the whole of the Sira by heart, but his ability to captivatehis audience. According to Abdel Rahman Al Abnudey, who devoted three decades of research to collecting and compiling the Sira, a poet of the Sira is one who knows the whole story by 2

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heart and is able to improvise as he delivers it, tailoring it to his audience.

In Qena, the Sira is structured into Quatrains (muraba’at), such that the first and third, and second and fourth verse rhyme separately. This creates a musical rhythm that is accentuated by often using the same word to tie two stanzas, each with a different meaning, creating a cumulative, building effect set in a fluid structure

that facilitates improvisation.

This improvisation then, depends on staying true to the essence of the story, but also being creative with presenting it so that it is relevant to its audience. In some cases, this means using creative puns to involve members of the audience in the story with a play on words, or even recounting events that can relate to contemporary events. Such as focusing on the qualities of Diab, as a leader that rose to fame on account of strength and conquest but effectively almost lead to the internal factions that split the Arabs at the time when the unity was needed most. That is, if one such contemporary Arab leader is available to the collective consciousness of the audience.

A good poet is thus someone who draws upon the audience creating a collective consciousness of them, and ensures that the story is somehow spun through them. Their imaginations weaving the maps that guided the journeys from Arabia to Northern Africa, and the music swaying emotions back and forth with the long melancholic mawawil of the grieving wife or mother, or the short emphatic verses when a moral is being revealed, or the strong beat of the percussion when a war is being waged.

A past weaved of present The Sira’s contemporary nature, its focus on the details of love and conquest, betrayal and loyalty and the many layers of good and evil makes it something of the past, as much as it is something of the present or of the future, and the experience as collective as it is intimate.

For the switching of the poet and singer from the narration of events to the internal thoughts that take us deep into the details of the dilemma, sense of defeat, sadness or love of even our least favoured characters, makes us relate to them in spite of ourselves. It exposes a humanity and intimacy that makes us a part of the Sira as much as it becomes a part of us. It Iives through us.

It also lives beyond the immediate experience of listening to it. Since it is sung in a local dialect, verses carrying morals, prayers of hope, fear or even subversive sentiments can be retrieved or drawn upon in similar situations of everyday life. The experiences of Abu Zeid, Zeynati, Khadra Al Sharifa and others, are made intimate and not so much larger than life.

In truth however, the Sira’s audiences have dwindled. Once sung in cafes, weddings, and cultural and social events by those ‘merchants of art’, the interest in such art has decreased greatly. This is the case in Tunis, Sudan, the Egyptian Delta, and even areas of Upper Egypt. Save for Qena where Al Abnudey has championed its collection in an attempt to preserve not only an important aspect of our heritage, but his own favourite experience as a child. It is what he wishes to leave the world with most. He leaves it preserved in recordings on the radio, cassette tapes, TV and hopefully a research museum dedicated to the Sira in Qena. For the Sira cannot and must not be written.

Given that all these factors have contributed to its lasting as long as it has, will it endure as such a ‘live’ experience whilst recorded? Growing

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richer, evolving with time, rather than remaining a separate interest of researchers or museum infatuates.

El Sira today In an attempt to both begin and end this article, I went on frantic efforts to compare the different aspects of the Al Abnudey’s oral collection sung by Sayed Al Daw and Jaber Abu Hussein to others, ‘verifying’ family trees and dates. I was eager to know the true justification for the Hilaleys’ trip to Tunis; was it truly driven by famine and an added excuse to avenge the killing of members of their lineage, or was it, as it is in the Tunisian version, the quest to Arabise Tunis. It took me little time to realise that every people needed its hero; and that, ultimately determined how the story would be told, as an epic of its peoples.

In my short abandoning of the oral epic that I knew and loved, in search for the ‘truth’, I defied all this Sira represented. That history doesn’t move in straight lines, that good and evil are not absolute, that no event is unquestionable, and most pertinently that the truth is multi-layered, multifaceted and that our reactions to it vary and shape it with time and history. And that is why the Sira must

not be written. It cannot be linearized, simplified or mainstreamed; left to the whim, context and interpretation of its writers.

It, much like most of these epics, draws upon its audience: us. It is a recreation of our past, with elements of the present. It is indeed a legacy, not of what they lived and when, but how to live, and why...

I can only hope, for our generation bred in institutions, whose creativity has been cultivated by discipline, that this experience urges us to delve deeper into our souls, and stretch out there to find others like it. Rather than wait for it to present itself as a sculpted rationalized reality that makes ‘sense’.

If anything, this story, its events, its dynamic spirit, its legacy gives us more to struggle for.

1- A Story-teller reciting from the “Arabian Nights.” from Sladen, Douglas. “Oriental Cairo: the city of the ‘Arabian Nights’” published in 1911 2-”Raconteur Arabe”- a late 19th century postcard depicting a story teller 3- AbdelRahman Al Abnudey recites the epic along with the singing of Sayed Al Daw and Jaber Abu Hussein at Beit al Suhaimi in Ramadan.

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A Trip from Cannes to Si Khalil B A S. T

T B S M

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egardless of the reason, the important thing is that circumstances - happy ones certainly - obliged me to attend a conference that was being held in the city of Cannes; the most famous and renowned European summer resort. What grandeur and what beauty!

Beautiful people, beautiful cars, buildings, beaches, streets and cafes! I sat in the terrace of the Carlton Hotel (no advertising intended). Teeming with the world’s richest and most glamorous people, it does not need to be promoted in my humble article. I asked for a cup of coffee and a few minutes later the waitress brought me my coffee in a tiny cup- matching the size of her uniform- for which I paid the price you would pay for a three-course meal for you and your family in a typical Cairo restaurant! I forgot the matter and sat looking around me at the blue waters and sky, the green trees and the beauty of the ladies, swimming and walking on the famous promenade of La Croisette, competing in beauty and elegance, while the sun played on their perfect figures covering them in a magical bronze, which only served to enhance their beauty. Spectacular cars completed the picture as they moved before me, one gem after the other; from Bentley and RollsRoyce sedans to Maserati and Ferrari sports cars, as for the poor, you will find them in their Mercedes or BMWs. As for me, I arrived in a taxi.

Amidst this splendor, I sat finishing my two-sip cup of coffee, and do you know what the scene reminded me of?

Shubra, yes, the district of Shubra in good old Egypt – can you imagine?

Shubra – that crowded, noisy district. I remember that a few years ago, the residents of Cairo would blanche at the fact that Shubra had reached a height of 5 million people, in other words the same size as the Kingdom of Denmark!

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Today, in shock, we state that Shubra has reached 9 million people, this time the size of Austria. I am seriously worried that in a few years time, it will reach the size of the whole European Union, in which case the shock would positively kill me.

The Shubra I remembered with my coffee at La Croisette was different.

It was the Shubra that I had read about, and seen pictures of, with its lush fields and tree-lined streets. I thought that if I went back in time and sat in one of the cafés of Shubra in the 70s of the 19th century, I would witness a scene as splendid as the one in Cannes. Shubra in the 19th century was a place for outings and sports, where you could see thoroughbred horses in its main street – which you could count as the Ferraris of the day – beautiful carriages pulled by proud horses – those being the Rolls Royces of the time – preceded by footmen clearing their path dressed in the finest livery to add to the splendor of the scene. The carriages carry the elites of society, princes and pachas, princesses and hanems, who might lack the bronze tan but not the beauty or magical allure.

Shubra Street, any crossing of which today is considered an attempt at suicide; you could either be knocked over by a microbus racing down the road in the wrong direction, or suffocate from the noxious fumes from the neighboring cars, or at least suffer a nervous breakdown from the incessant car honks and rowdy microphones of the nearby cassette shops; Shubra Street that came to my mind that day, was the tree-lined street shaded by sycamore trees planted in the era of Mohamed Ali Pacha, watered daily by the municipality, with great palaces gracing its sides. Palaces such as that of Mohamed Ali, and that of Ingo Hanem the widow of Said Pacha, and the beautifully ornamented Chikolany Palace, renowned for its rare statues.

At the time, society had not yet realized the dangers of hashish, and partaking of it was only a minor offence.

Consequently there existed in Shubra, a café known as Si Khalil that was frequented by members of the elite who had a taste for hashish. The café became famous in its own right, to such an extent that one of its customers came up with a few lines of verse in its favor. ‫إﻻ ﻗﻬﻮة ﺳﻰ ﺧﻠـﻴﻞ‬ ‫واﻟﺤﺸﻴﺶ ﻣﺎﻟﻮش ﻣﺜﻴﻞ‬

‫ﻛﻞ ﺷﻰء ﻓﻰ ﻣﺼﺮ ﻳﻮﺟﺪ‬ ‫اﻟﻜﻴﻮف ﻓﻴﻬﺎ ﻧﻀﻴــﻔﻪ‬ 1

Everything can be found in Egypt but Si Khalil’s is something else They have the finest drugs and the hashish that has no match

Back to 2009, hashish has been prohibited, and Shubra has reached its current state of despair; Si Khalil is dead, and so is the palace that is the topic of this account; Al Nozha Palace (Nozha meaning an excursion). The palace was situated on the western end of Shubra Street, and included a lush garden on the eastern perimeter of the street, whereby the west and north of the palace were wider and it was rightfully named as a place for a happy excursion.

Most sources agree that Al Nozha was built circa 1858, they are however, contradictory on the history of its ownership; some tell us that Said Pacha bought the palace from Monsieur Pacifique Henri de la Porte (1815-1877), the French Consul in Egypt, and then extended the palace’s grounds and buildings. Other sources tell us that Said Pacha built the palace himself. There are documents which endorse the latter opinion, such as a letter dated December 20th, 1861 addressed to the General Ammunition Stores of Egypt, requesting gunpowder to use as explosives to break down the building blocks needed to build Al Nozha Palace. We also have a letter dated January 16th,1861 to the stables in Shebin, asking about the price of four horses that were taken for the purpose of cultivating the palace grounds. The documents also show that Messrs. Biatolli and Estolli were part of the construction team involved in the building of the palace. Another letter issued by the Works Commissioner at Kasr El Nil regard-

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Opposite- Shubrah avenue, home of Al Nozha palace 1- A Harper’s Bazaar caricature of Sir Stephen Cave who came to Egypt in December 1875 at the head of a delegation surveying the economic status of the country and stayed at Al Nozha Palace 2- King Amadeo I of Spain (then Duke ofAosta) stayed at Al Nozha Palace in 1869

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who accompanied him, gave a good account of the palace in its early days. He said that the walls were covered in elegant wallpaper, and that he saw the first and last fireplace in any palace in Cairo. The bedrooms had beautiful curtains on the windows, which were threaded with pure silver decorations. It is amusing that Mister Eliakim, one of the most famous jewelers in Egypt in the 19th century made a fortune when he bought the decorations of the curtains in a public auction thinking they were metal, only to discover that they were pure silver.

The important thing about the description of the palace, is that it totally negates the theory that it was used to formally receive guests beginning from the era of Khedive Ismail, and proves that it was receiving important and high level guests to Egypt since its early days in the era of Said Pacha. By the way, at the time, the guard of the palace was called Selim Soliman (an unimportant piece of information that was still interesting to discover).

Another Musaferkhana

ing the fee for the building of Al Nozha Palace on the 24th of January 1859, supports the opinion that the palace was built by Said Pacha.

On the other hand, the memoirs of Abdel Hamid Bek Nafei, a contemporary of Said Pacha, tell us that the palace was purchased by Egypt’s ruler from de la Porte then expanded and refurbished. Said Pacha added two separate wings, each three floors high, connected by a smaller square building, standing on columns, which composed the entrance to the palace and was topped by an oval dome.

The palace was built with the finest materials and workmanship, and was a harmonious combination of eastern and western styles.

Said Pacha was enthralled with the palace, and eager to spend much time there. The first mention I found of a formal reception at the palace was in November 1861 held in honor of the Comte de Chambord, who later became Henry V the King of France, he arrived in Cairo on November 12th, 1861 and was received at Al Nozha Palace. After the Count, came the Duke; in December 1862 the Duke of Brabant, heir to the Belgian throne, who was later to become Leopold II of Belgium, was received at the palace.

The Duke did not stay at the palace long and quickly left on a Nile cruise in the personal yacht of the Egyptian viceroy (wali) to see the antiquities of the Egyptian south.

The count, however, stayed at the palace and Dr.Stacquez,

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We first hear of the palace in the era of Ismail Pacha, one month after his succession to the throne, whereby he issued a decree on February 19th 1863 to Mostafa Pacha Al Keridly, the governor of Egypt, requesting that Al Nozha Palace be given to Touson Pacha, son of Said Pacha, who did not have a residence in Egypt. From this, we understand that Said Pacha had built or acquired the palace as a formal government building, consequently on his death, it was bequeathed to his successor and was not included in his personal legacy.

Our attention is then drawn to the palace on the historical occasion of the visit of Ottoman Sultan Abdel Aziz on Sunday April 12th, 1863. The Sultan did not remain for long, but Al Nozha, despite its small size, impressed him so much with its fine architecture and sculpture, that he ordered some artists who were with him at the time, to draw a replica of the palace design to enable him to build his own version on the shores of the Bosphourous.

Anyone with historical awareness knows about the legendary celebration given by Khedive Ismail in November 1869 on the occasion of the opening of the Suez Canal, and how he quickly built the Gezira Palace to host the Empress Eugenie. So many stories have been told about these events. Let us leave Al Gezira and its fairytales aside and concentrate on Al Nozha. This palace also played a part in hosting during the celebrations; Duke Amadeo D’Aosta, son of the King of Italy, resided there with his wife the Duchess, and before the month was out, the palace welcomed the heir to the throne of Holland as well.

In the same year, Khedive Ismail built the first zoo in

Egypt at the Kasr El Aali (High Palace), and then moved it to Nozha Palace for some time – or more likely to the lands connected to the palace, which were divided and sold at the end of the era of the Khedive’s lavish reign.

In such a way, Al Nozha Palace was transformed into a palace for hosting guests, and became known as “mosafer khana” (a place for hosting travelers), separate from the “mosafer khana” where Khedive Ismail was born, which was burnt down in 1998 when the residents of the area decided to burn the rubbish that lined the area surrounding it!

Between Katkhuda and Sharif

Once more, we return to discuss the ownership of the palace. According to Elias Al Ayouby – one of the most famous historians of the era of Khedive Ismail – the palace was owned by the Khedive at the time of the visit of the Sultan. Maybe he was not aware of the decree that I mentioned before. However, it did not remain long in the possession of Touson Pacha, and was retrieved by the Khedive and replaced with the palace of Ahmed Taher Pacha, which also lies in Shubra, a short time after his succession to the throne.

Khedive Ismail was known to say “I love stones”, referring to his passion for building, and Al Nozha Palace received its fair share of this passion. In 1869 the Khedive ordered Avoscani, an Italian architect, to erect six buildings on the grounds of the palace to serve various purposes. In a document that dates back to April 23rd 1874, we read that the Khedive spent 2093 bags of gold on the development of Touson Pacha’s palace. It is likely that this was Al Nozha Palace, maybe referred to by the name of its first owner.

Al Nozha Palace continued to prosper and grow in beauty and splendor with each new guest to be received within its walls, and to perform its role with elegance and perfection.

In a statement of accounts that I have before me, it shows that a sum of 2184 bags of gold were allocated on March 15th 1875 to refurbish and renovate the palace in readiness for its latest guest; Youssef Kamel Pacha, husband to Zeinab Hanem the daughter of Mohamed Ali Pacha.

Yousef Pacha came from the east and Sir Stephen Cave soon after came from the west. Sir Cave came to Egypt in December 1875 at the head of a delegation whose intention was to survey the economic status of Egypt, based on the approval of the Khedive to selling shares of the Suez Canal to England. It was in Al Nozha Palace were he spent many weeks writing his famous report on the deterioration of the

financial status in Egypt and its nearing bankruptcy.

It is surprising to learn that Khedive Ismail used to visit Al Nozha palace often to rest and recuperate, even though he had built and repaired many other palaces, which serves to indicate the distinction of the architecture of the small palace and its attractive location. We also hear of more famous guests to Egypt who were hosted at the palace, from Ibrahim Pacha, the Ottoman Katkhuda (representative) in 1876 to General Ulysses Grant in 1877 (18th president of the United States). The Khedive had thrown a large celebration in Grant’s honor at Abdeen Palace – followed by another for Prince Abdullah, the Sharif of Mecca in 1878, almost a year before the end of his own reign.

Processions, Celebrations and Mixed Feelings

Al Nozha Palace lived its most splendid days of Khedive Tawfik’s era, when it stood witness to the most exciting and enticing of events. After the previous article in which we told the story of Al Ismailia Palace and the son replacing the father on the throne, we come now to the testimony of Al Nozha Palace at this same critical phase in Egypt’s contemporary history.

Khedive Tawfik and his loyal entourage did not have a day of peace or rest from the moment a telegram arrived declaring that Tawfik would replace Ismail as Khedive of Egypt. Their days were spent in the utmost tension and

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1- Ottoman Sultan Abdel Aziz who stayed at Al Nozha in 1863 2- King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy who visited in March 1887

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anxiety, increasing as time went by. Protocol decreed that a delegate would arrive from the Sultan bearing the order.

Days and weeks passed into the long, hot summer of 1879, the heat and lethargy seeming more with the delayed arrival of the delegate. The worry of Tawfik and his men grew with the spread of rumors that the Sultan wished to renege on the privileges gained by Ismail concerning the independence of Egypt. Negotiations and discussions abounded between the Sultan and the European powers, until the Sultan was finally forced to succumb to their wishes regarding maintaining the independence of Egypt. He was, however, able to enforce his wishes concerning trade agreements and loans, reclaiming these privileges that Ismail had grossly exploited to the financial determent of the country leading to the loss of his throne.

News finally came in the form of a telegram on August 4th 1879, announcing the arrival of the Sultan’s delegate Ali Fouad Bek to Cairo, and arrive he did, on the 11th of August in Alexandria, where he was met by Sherif Pacha who accompanied him to Cairo from the train station to Al Nozha Palace where he stayed. Cannons were fired to welcome Ali Fouad, as well as welcoming the decree that he carried.

On the morning of August 14th 1879, a procession went from Al Nozha to the Citadel bearing the decree. Tawfik was already on his way there, the decree was read, and celebrations commenced. Al Ahram newspaper tells us that, “after regaining order, Ali Bek read the decree, which the Khedive graciously accepted, and then Talaat Pacha read the decree once more, and then the Citadel Mosque Sheikh gave a speech in honor of the Khedive, praying for 1- Henri, Comte de Chambord (later King Henri V of France) visited Al Nozha in 1861 2 - Lord Dufferin who was sent to write a report on the Egyptian state of affairs in 1882

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his safety and prosperity. Cannons were fired a hundred times, then scholars, men of science, sheikhs, consuls and persons of authority paid their respects.”

The guests of Al Nozha Palace continued to come and go.

After the military revolt headed by Oraby Pacha on September 9th 1881, Khedive Tawfik imagined that taking heed of the warning and assigning Sherif Pacha as Prime Minister would put an end to any turbulence. Then again, the Sultan was watching the events with his eagle eye, and was encouraged by Oraby’s constant pledges of allegiance, and decided to take advantage of the events playing out before him to turn matters in his favor and regain control over Egypt.

On October 3rd 1881, Khedive Tawfik received a telegram from the Sultan informing him of a delegation that would arrive in Egypt to investigate the state of affairs, mentioning that it was the right of the Sultan to do so for countries under his power. On the ship named Ezz El Din, the delegation arrived on the 6th of October headed by a Darwish Pacha.

After a short rest at Ras El Tin in Alexandria, they took the train to Cairo, and were met by the Head of the Khedival Diwan who accompanied them to Al Nozha Palace. On the following day, the delegation visited the Khedive at Ismailia Palace where he resided, then returned to Al Nozha Palace, where he visited them on the same day.

In February 1881, Archduke Rudolph, Crown Prince of Austria, visited Egypt. Khedive Tawfik held a grand reception for him at Al Nozha Palace where he was staying. The Archduke remained in Egypt for a couple of months where I believe he could have met Mary Vestera, the daughter of an Austrian diplomat who was posted in Egypt at the time.

After a romance that lasted for a couple of years, the two were found dead in Mayerling, Austria, in what famously came to be known as the “Mayerling Incident”. It is said that they either committed a double suicide or were murdered. The story has been a perpetual mystery ever since, and has provided material for countless books and films.

Exit the Ottomans and enter the British!

It seems that Al Nozha Palace knew that one day, in the distant future, it would be turned into a school, and wished to practice first. So, for a short interlude, in February 1882, the two princes Abbas Hilmi and Mohamed Ali Tawfik, the sons of the Khedive took their daily lessons there for a few months, and then it was used as a palace for guests once more, but not for long.

Many interesting and exciting events unfold, with imperialism casting its greedy eyes on Egypt until the climax occurred; the British military invaded the country, and Khedive Tawfik returned to his capital on September 25th

1882, under the protection of the invading army. He exaggerated his welcome of them to the extent that he ordered that General Wolseley, leader of the army, be hosted at Abdeen Palace. As for the Duke of Connaught, son of Queen Victoria, he ordered that Al Nozha Palace be assigned to him. The Palace might have been small in comparison to Abdeen Palace or the (Aali) High Palace, but we read in the Egyptian Gazette that the Duke stayed at the palace with the Duke of Teck – one of his relatives and a member of his entourage – which signifies that the size of the palace is a relative matter.

Exit the Ottomans and enter the British! Lord Dufferin, the British Ambassador, was sent to Egypt to investigate affairs and write a report. Just like his predecessors, he arrived in Alexandria and was taken to Ras Al Tin for some rest and lunch, and then rode the train to Cairo where he was met by Zul Fikar Pacha, who accompanied him to Al Nozha Palace. He immediately went to visit the Khedive at Al Gezira Palace amidst a large procession surrounded by British cavalry. Canons were fired when he left the palace and on his return, all the pomp and circumstance only served to reinforce the idea that the British were now of utmost authority and importance in Egypt.

On the evening of the same day, the Khedive repaid the visit as per the regulations of protocol, which never ceases to confuse me; talks between the two men are over and the meeting is concluded and within the hour they start a new visit – what do they talk about, and what other matters do they find to discuss?

Third Time’s a Charm

Al Nozha Palace did not only host politicians from the east and the west, but also welcomed members of the royal family as well. When Prince Hussein Kamel returned to Egypt after he had left with his father Khedive Ismail, his brother hosted him at Al Nozha Palace with his family for a short period in April 1884. This is probably when disputes with his first wife Princess Ain Al Hayat Ahmed with whom he lived at that time in his palace in Giza reached their peak – sources tell us that he divorced her in 1885.

On another note, you will find that Hussein Kamel named the school that was opened at Al Nozha Palace after his brother, when he visited it in 1916, one good turn deserves another, even after 32 years!

There is also a ministerial letter to a Mr. Angorton, informing him that Al Nozha Palace was at his pleasure for his visit in August 1884, however, I have never been able to find out the occupation or nationality of this Mr. Angorton! But it seems that the palace did not have a day of rest

during this time, for after the departure of the first man, General Wolseley took up residence there in September of the same year, when he passed by Egypt on his way to Khartoum.

Another guest to Al Nozha Palace whom I found documented, was the Crown Prince of Italy, later to become King Victor Emmanuel III. The Egyptian government bought special furnishings for Al Nozha Palace on the occasion of his visit in March 1887. It is strange that Victor Emmanuel visited Egypt a second time while he was king in the 30s and came a third time in exile after he was dethroned in 1948 –well, third time’s a charm!

The Tawfikia

Time passes and life goes on, and we find the allure of Al Nozha Palace fading and information about it getting more and more scarce. Many sources claim that it was turned into a school by 1886, but the document mentioning the visit of the Crown Prince of Italy in March 1887 make this an impossibility and shows that the palace still hosted guests at that time. There are also documents that show that money for the renovation of the palace from October 18th 1882 to January 9th 1887, was paid by the Public Works Ministry, but another document dated September 10th 1888, shows money paid for renovation was by the Ministry of Education, which might point to it being turned into a school at the time.

There is also a letter written by the Minister of Education to the Minister of Finance regarding the transformation of Al Nozha Palace into a school in 1888, whereby he informed him that the teaching school that was established in 1880 in Azbakeya would be moved to Al Nozha Palace in Shubra on the 23rd of September 1888. There were celebrations for the formal opening of the school on the 8th of October 1888, and teaching commenced on December 7th of the same year.

The Ministry of Education reformed the grounds; re-

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moving the stables, the waterwheel and the garden irrigation systems. Classrooms were built in the northern and southern ends of the garden, but the main palace buildings were left as they were. It was just as if Al Nozha Palace had removed its grand ball-gown and donned its workers’ uniform in readiness for heavy labor! The school opened with 29 students and was known as the teaching school until 1916 when it was visited by Sultan Hussein Kamel, who named it after his brother, and so it was known from that day till today as Al Tawfikia, its first headmaster being Moguel Bek, and its first Egyptian Headmaster being Mr. Mohamed Al Husseiny in 1925.

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’89 and ‘98

Perhaps the days of glory for Al Nozha Palace had ended from the perspective of it being a palace hosting guests of great stature and importance and holding splendid celebrations in their honor. From the perspective of having a valuable and worthy role, however, Al Nozha still had much to give; Al Tawfikia School was to become one of the most prominent and renowned of schools in Egypt. If you look at the list of students’ names who graduated from the school in the first half of the 20th century, you will find many famous and prominent figures from all fields of life. The names include: Abdel Khalek Tharwat Pacha, Mohamed Mahmoud Pacha, Abdel Fattah Yehia Pacha (members of government), Wissa Wassif Bek, Abdel Salam Fahmy Pa-

1- Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and son of Queen Victoria who visited in 1882 2 - Archduke Rudolph, Crown Prince of Austria whose mysterious death, alongside his lover, Mary Vetsera in 1889, riddled historians and was featured in countless media adaptations. Rudolph stayed at Al Nozha in 1881. Mary lived in Egypt at the time with her father, Baron Albin Vetsera, an Austrian diplomat.

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cha (members of parliament), Morcos Hanna Pacha, Hafez Hassan Pacha, Kamel Sedky Pacha, Helmy Eissa Pacha, Tawfik Doss Pacha, Salib Samy Pacha, Hafez Afifi Pacha (ministers), Aziz El Masry Pacha, Mahmoud Sedky Pacha (Governor of Cairo), Naguib Mahfouz Pacha (famous doctor) and tens of others.

I was confused with my investigations into the date of building of Al Nozha Palace as well as confused with the date of it being turned into a school, but the story of demolishing the palace nearly blew my mind!! Not because it was difficult to find information on, but because it came at a time when all those concerned with Cairo believed that the era of demolishing beautiful old buildings and palaces out of mere ignorance had passed. They were optimistically looking forward to the implementation of plans to renovate and refurbish many of the buildings to reclaim their former glory. However, a strange decree in 1989 ordered the palace’s demolition, and with it were demolished the hopes of reform and the visions of revived glory. The process began at the beginning of September 1990, and then followed the demolishing of the annexed buildings in 1995.

I can honestly find no reason for this retarded decision and can find no excuse for it!

I have mentioned that Al Nozha Palace was known as “al mosafer khana” and is different to “al mosafer khana” at Al Kasr el Shouq district, where many history books claim the Khedive Ismail was born. Architectural history books also tell us that we lost both at the end of the 20th century, one in 1989 and the other in 1998.

One mosafer khana burnt out of carelessness, and the other demolished out of ignorance – Cairo, when will your children take better care of you?

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Recommends Twilight Visions in Egypt’s Nile Delta A P

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n this beautiful art book, award-winning American photographer Ann Parker records and celebrates life as it passes along a road through a typical village in the Egyptian Nile Delta in the early twenty-first century. But her photographs are not mere documents of a specific time and place; they transcend both as she captures timeless moments in an eternal world and presents us with a potentially infinite and hauntingly memorable pageant of living tableaux, silhouetted against the late afternoon sky. Like spectators seated in a theater, we watch the comings and goings of the village’s people, animals, and vehicles on the road in front of us. Introducing the photographs are extracts from the autobiographical reflections of the poet Muhammad Afifi Matar, who was born and grew up in a small Delta village very like the one pictured by Ann Parker. His recollections of a rural Egyptian childhood and adolescence are sometimes warming, sometimes chilling, but always insightful and thought-provoking.

Ann Parker has produced over 50 one-woman exhibitions around the world. Her photographs can be found in major collections including the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

Muhammad Afifi Matar was born in the Nile Delta village of Ramlat al-Anjab in 1935. Widely recognized as one of Egypt’s leading poets, he was awarded the prestigious Oweiss Prize in 1999.

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Islamic Monuments in Cairo The Practical Guide N  E. S E C W

C

airo’s Islamic monuments are part of an uninterrupted tradition that spans over a thousand years of building activity. No other Islamic city can equal Cairo’s spectacular heritage, nor trace its historical and architectural development with such clarity. The discovery of this historic core, first visually by nineteenth-century western artists then intellectually by twentieth-century Islamic art specialists, now awaits the delight of the general visitor. This new, fully revised edition of a popular and handy guide continues to walk the visitor around two hundred of the city’s most interesting Islamic monuments.

It also keeps pace with recent restoration initiatives and newly opened monuments such as the Amir Taz Palace and the Sitt Wasila House. “This book ought to be in the luggage of every visitor to Cairo. Furthermore, once home, lovers and students of Cairo’s architecture will find it a convenient and accurate quick reference as well as a cherished souvenir of many profitable and enjoyable rambles among the monuments of Cairo.” —Jonathan M. Bloom, Journal of the American Research Center in Egypt “Any visitor to Cairo who wants to see the monuments should not be without it.” —Bernard O’Kane. “Anyone interested in knowing more about Cairo’s Islamic architecture should pick up the excellent Islamic Monuments in Cairo: The Practical Guide.”

—Lonely Planet: Cairo, 1998 CAROLINE WILLIAMS, with graduate degrees in Middle Eastern history from Harvard and Islamic art and architecture from the American University in Cairo, has been a frequent resident/visitor of Cairo since 1961.

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New Face, New Name?

The Ever Evolving Bab El Hadid Y E D

E

ver since Ramsis square lost its king, people have been wondering what the new name will be for the most vital spot in the heart of Cairo.

Rumors have been flying left and right about the square’s new identity, but no official decision has been declared as of yet.

All this made me curious about what the square used to be before Ramsis, and what it was before that… I ended up journeying all the way back to the Roman era, without moving an inch from the square, which has always been popularly known as Bab el Hadid.

Midan el Nahda Unraveling the first layer of history shows us that Ramsis square was called Midan el Nahda after sculptor Mahmoud Moukhtar’s famous work: Nahdet Masr (Egypt’s Awakening), which was placed at the square in 1927 facing the railway station. Nahdet Masr was later moved in the mid fifties to its new home by the zoo in Giza.

The street name (Ramsis) also went through its share

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of changes. It was in fact a channel from the Nile called Tere’at el Ismailia, with a bridge over it called Kobri el Limoun. After filling the channel, it was dubbed “Abbas” St. and later renamed “El Malika Nazli” (“Queen Nazli” after King Farouk’s mother), then just “El Malika” (“The Queen”, when she fell out of favor) and finally became “El Nahda” street, after the famous sculptural landmark was placed in front of the railway station.

The colossal statue of King Ramsis II (an idol of late president Nasser’s) was brought from its original home in Mit Rahina to the square, with a fountain placed at its feet symbolizing the prosperity that the famous King brought to Egypt. The fountain was later removed to add more space for traffic. The heavy traffic and pollution are also what caused the statue itself to be removed decades later, to protect it from environmental factors.

The World’s Second Railway Station Wins Over the Canal The idea of building a railway in Egypt was primarily

Ramsis square: A port, where ships docked?

Fatimid (969-1171 AD) ships docked. Until the 13th century Al-Maqs was situated to the north of what is now Al-Azbakiya. Bab Al-Bahr and Bab Al-Sha’riya were the city gates opening directly onto the river. The name Maqs (meaning taxes) is derived from the area being a customs point at the time. Between Al-Maqs and the quarter which later became known as Bab Al-Luq, the Fatimids established a belvedere surrounded by a large garden where the Caliph would take in the view and celebrate the opening of the Khalig (gulf) with pomp and splendor at the beginning of the flood season.

In 1899, the Khalig was filled permanently to make way for the Cairo electric tramway, which began to run through what is now Port Said Street. In order to build the Cairo station, a spot was chosen next to the Ismailia Channel (Ramsis street of today) in the very heart of the city. The station, built by British Architect Edward Bans, was inaugurated in 1893.

In today’s hustle and bustle of Ramsis square, it is hard to imagine that this area was once not only covered with the Nile water, but was actually a port called Al Maqs where

Opposite - Cairo Central Railway Station, circa 1911 above - The Ismailia channel, or Ramsis street of today.

British. A railway system would provide a convenient link between Europe and India. The proposal of a route beginning from Heliopolis and ending in Suez was first presented to Egypt’s Viceroy Mohamed Ali, who initially approved it and was later dissuaded by the French who wanted to promote their canal project in its stead. Both proposals were eventually refused at the time.

During the reign of Abbas I (1848-1854), the idea was promoted again and this time approved: the first railway route in Egypt was built between Alexandria and Kafer Eissa (in 1854), making it the first railway in Africa. The route later reached Cairo in 1856. By 1858, the route between Cairo and Suez was built, (it was however removed in 1878 to make way for the Suez Canal project and for reasons of ill-design).

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Bab el Hadid?

Most people assume that Bab el Hadid (Iron Gate) derives its name from the iron gates of the railway station.

However, this name predates railways, the Mohamed Ali dynasty and even the Memluk rulers before them. As it turns out, Bab el Hadid was one of the grand gates of Cairo built along Saladin’s wall (built in 1174), specifically in its northwestern section. Its original name was Bab el Bahr (Sea Gate and “Sea”, being in reference to the Nile) as it was a strong iron gate that opened right at the foot of the water at the port of al Maqs. As the Nile receded westward the name was changed from Bab el Bahr to Bab el Hadid.

The gate was demolished in 1847 towards the end of Mohamed Ali’s regime, possibly for future public works in the area. Perhaps the only depiction of the gate can be found in the panoramic view illustrated by Edward Lane in his book “Description of Egypt” where it appears at the forefront of the wall surrounding the northern part of the city (Cairo had grown well beyond Saladin’s wall by the time Lane lived in Egypt during the early 1800s).

The former location of the gate was most probably at what is today the entrance of El Bahr Street from Ramsis Square.

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A Roman Bastion Before Arab rule dominated Egypt, the area of the Fatimid port of Al Maqs was referred to as Tendunyas (Um Dunyan in Arabic). It is assumed that the famous Roman bastion of Tendunyas was the only other known settlement in Cairo, next to Babylon (known today as Old Cairo).

We are told by John, Bishop of Nikiu who translated the works of Arab historians about the battle that took place in Tendunyas, that Muslim forces stormed through Byzantine Egypt and trapped their enemy and sent them fleeing while capturing their fort in this very place: “Amr (Ibn el Aas –the Arab general) divided his forces into three corps, one of which he posted to the north of Babylon; the second was stationed at Tendunyas (Ramsis square of today) and the third withdrew northwards to Heliopolis, in the hope of tempting the Romans out of their fortifications, upon which the other two corps were to fall on their rear or flank. The maneuver succeeded. …. (T)hey (the Romans) took to their boats and fled down the river.

Upon this, the Muslims occupied Tendunyas, the garrison of which had perished in the battle, except 300 men, who shut themselves up in the fort, whence they retired by boat to Nikiu (south of Menoufeyya governorate today).

The taking of Tendunyas was evidently followed by, or synonymous with, the taking of the whole city of Misr, except its citadel, which was blockaded.”

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Today…

The famous site lies now in quite a chaotic state. The statue of the legendary king who lent the square his name, was moved to its new home at Giza in August of 2006. The spot where he stood is still empty now after more than three years and a makeshift aluminum barrier still surrounds the site.

Today, we are waiting to see what new identity will be bestowed on the square. Then again, whatever new name it assumes, it will still always be known as Bab el Hadid.

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1- Panoramic view of Cairo, depicting Bab el Hadid at the forefront: From Edward Lane’s Description of Egypt 2-A water carrier (sakka) poses next to “The Awakening of Egypt” at its original home facing the railway station circa 1930 3-1898: The Ismailia canal (Ramsis street of today) runs by the new Railway Station (map from Baedeker’s Guide Book) 4- 1885 Before the Edward Bains station was built (map by Wagner and Debes from Baedeker’s Guide Book) 5- “Cairo before 1200” Map showing the area of Al Maqs and Bab el Hadid (source: Stanley Lane Poole’s “The Story of Cairo”)

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‫اﳌﺮء ﺗﺨﻴﻞ أن ﺗﻠﻚ اﻟﺒﻘﻌﺔ ﻛﺎﻧﺖ ﺗﻐﻄﻴﻬﺎ ﻳﻮﻣﺎ ﻣﺎ‬ ‫ﻣﻴﺎة اﻟﻨﻴﻞ! ﺑﻞ وﻛﺎﻧﺖ ﻣﻴﻨﺎء ﻳﺴﻤﻲ »اﳌﻘﺺ«‬ ‫ﻛﺎﻧﺖ ﺳﻔﻦ اﻟﺪوﻟﺔ اﻟﻔﺎﻃﻤﻴﺔ ﺗﺮﺳﻮ ﻓﻴﻪ )‪٩٦٩‬‬ ‫– ‪ ١١٧١‬م(‪ .‬ﺣﺘﻲ اﻟﻘﺮن اﻟﺜﺎﻟﺚ ﻋﺸﺮ ﻛﺎﻧﺖ‬ ‫اﳌﻘﺺ ﺗﻘﻊ ﺷﻤﺎل ﻣﺎ ﻳﻌﺮف اﻟﻴﻮم ﺑﺎﻻزﺑﻜﻴﺔ‪ .‬أﻣﺎ‬ ‫ﺑﺎب اﻟﺒﺤﺮ وﺑﺎب اﻟﺸﻌﺮﻳﺔ ﻓﻜﺎﻧﺎ ﻳﻄﻼن ﻣﺒﺎﺷﺮة‬ ‫ﻋﻠﻲ اﻟﻨﻬﺮ وﻛﻠﻤﺔ »اﳌﻘﺺ« )ﺗﻌﻨﻲ اﻟﻀﺮاﺋﺐ(‬ ‫ﰎ إﻃﻼﻗﻬﺎ ﻋﻠﻲ ﺗﻠﻚ اﳌﻨﻄﻘﺔ ﺑﺈﻋﺘﺒﺎرﻫﺎ ﻣﻨﻄﻘﺔ‬ ‫ﺟﻤﺮك‪.‬‬ ‫وﻣﺎ ﺑﲔ اﳌﻘﺺ واﳊﻲ اﻟﺬي ﻋﺮف ﻓﻴﻤﺎ ﺑﻌﺪ‬ ‫ﺑﺒﺎب اﻟﻠﻮق أﻧﺸﺄ اﻟﻔﺎﻃﻤﻴﻮن ﻣﺒﻨﻲ ﲢﻴﻂ ﺑﻪ ﺣﺪﻳﻘﺔ‬ ‫واﺳﻌﺔ ﻳﻄﻞ ﻣﻨﻪ اﳋﻠﻴﻔﺔ اﻟﻔﺎﻃﻤﻲ ﻋﻠﻲ اﳌﻨﻈﺮ‬ ‫اﳋﻼب ﻟﻠﻤﻴﺎة ﺛﻢ ﻳﻘﻮم ﺑﻔﺘﺢ »اﳋﻠﻴﺞ« ﻓﻲ ﺑﺪاﻳﺔ‬ ‫ﻣﻮﺳﻢ اﻟﻔﻴﻀﺎن ﻣﻦ ﻛﻞ ﻋﺎم ﻓﻲ ﻣﻮﻛﺐ ﻋﻈﻴﻢ‪.‬‬ ‫ﻓﻲ ﻋﺎم ‪ ،١٨٩٩‬ﰎ ردم اﳋﻠﻴﺞ ﲤﺎﻣ ًﺎ ﻟﺘﻤﻬﻴﺪ‬ ‫اﻟﻄﺮﻳﻖ أﻣﺎم اﻟﺘﺮاﻣﻮاى اﻟﺬي إﻣﺘﺪ ﺣﺘﻲ ﻣﺎ ﻳﻌﺮف‬ ‫ﺣﺎﻟﻴﺎ ﺑﺸﺎرع ﺑﻮر ﺳﻌﻴﺪ‪ .‬وﺣﺘﻲ ﻳﺘﺴﻨﻰ ﺑﻨﺎء‬ ‫ﻣﺒﻨﻰ ﻣﺤﻄﺔ اﻟﺴﻜﺔ اﳊﺪﻳﺪ ﻓﻴﻤﺎ ﺑﻌﺪ‪ ،‬ﰎ إﺧﺘﻴﺎر ﻣﻜﺎن ﻟﻬﺎ ﻗﺮﻳﺐ ﻣﻦ ﺗﺮﻋﺔ‬ ‫اﻻﺳﻤﺎﻋﻴﻠﻴﺔ )ﺷﺎرع رﻣﺴﻴﺲ ﺣﺎﻟﻴﺎ( ﻓﻲ ﻗﻠﺐ اﻟﻘﺎﻫﺮة وﰎ إﻓﺘﺘﺎح اﶈﻄﺔ ﻋﺎم‬ ‫‪.١٨٩٢‬‬

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‫ﺑـﺎب اﳊﺪﻳــﺪ ؟‬ ‫ﻳﺘﺼﻮر ﻣﻌﻈﻢ اﻟﻨﺎس أن ﺗﺴﻤﻴﺔ ﺑﺎب اﳊﺪﻳﺪ ﺗﺮﺟﻊ إﻟﻲ اﻟﺒﻮاﺑﺔ اﳊﺪﻳﺪﻳﺔ‬ ‫ﻟﻠﻤﺤﻄﺔ‪ ،‬إﻻ أن ﺗﻠﻚ اﻟﺘﺴﻤﻴﺔ ﺳﺎﺑﻘﺔ ﻋﻠﻰ إﻧﺸﺎء ﻣﺤﻄﺔ اﻟﺴﻜﺔ اﳊﺪﻳﺪ‬ ‫وﻣﺒﻨﺎﻫﺎ‪ .‬ﺑﻞ وﺳﺎﺑﻘﺔ أﻳﻀﺎ ﻟﻌﺼﺮ ﻣﺤﻤﺪ ﻋﻠﻲ ﺑﻞ وﻟﺪوﻟﺔ اﳌﻤﺎﻟﻴﻚ ﻧﻔﺴﻬﺎ!‬ ‫اﳊﻘﻴﻘﺔ أن ﺑﺎب اﳊﺪﻳﺪ ﻛﺎن أﺣﺪ اﻻﺑﻮاب اﻟﻜﺒﺮى ﻟﻠﺴﻮر اﻟﺬي ﺑﻨﺎﻩ ﺻﻼح‬ ‫اﻟﺪﻳﻦ اﻷﻳﻮﺑﻲ ﺣﻮل اﻟﻘﺎﻫﺮة ﻓﻲ ﻋﺎم ‪ ١١٧٤‬وﻓﻲ اﻟﻨﺎﺣﻴﺔ اﻟﺸﺮﻗﻴﺔ ﲢﺪﻳﺪاً‪ .‬ﻛﺎن‬ ‫إﺳﻤﻪ اﻻﺻﻠﻲ ﺑﺎب اﻟﺒﺤﺮ )ﻛﺎن اﻟﻨﻴﻞ ﻳﺴﻤﻲ أﻳﻀﺎ ﺑﺎﻟﺒﺤﺮ( ﺣﻴﺚ ﻛﺎن ﺑﺎﺑ ًﺎ‬ ‫ﺣﺪﻳﺪﻳ ًﺎ ﺿﺨﻤ ًﺎ ﻳﻔﺘﺢ أﻣﺎم اﳌﻴﺎة ﻣﺒﺎﺷﺮة ﻓﻲ ﻣﻴﻨﺎء اﳌﻘﺺ وﻋﻨﺪﻣﺎ ﺗﺮاﺟﻌﺖ ﻣﻴﺎﻩ‬ ‫ﻧﻬﺮ اﻟﻨﻴﻞ ﻧﺤﻮاﻟﻐﺮب ﰎ ﺗﻐﻴﻴﺮ أﺳﻤﻪ ﻣﻦ ﺑﺎب اﻟﺒﺤﺮ اﻟﻲ ﺑﺎب اﳊﺪﻳﺪ‪.‬وﻗﺪ ﲤﺖ‬ ‫إزاﻟﺔ ﺑﺎب اﳊﺪﻳﺪ ﻋﺎم ‪ ١٨٤٧‬ﻓﻲ ﻧﻬﺎﻳﺔ ﻋﻬﺪ ﻣﺤﻤﺪ ﻋﻠﻲ ﺑﺎﺷﺎ‪ ،‬رﲟﺎ ﲤﻬﻴﺪاً‬ ‫ﻟﺒﻌﺾ اﻷﺷﻐﺎل اﻟﻌﺎﻣﺔ ﻓﻲ اﳌﻨﻄﻘﺔ‪.‬‬ ‫رﲟﺎ ﺗﻜﻮن اﻻﻃﻼﻟﺔ اﻟﻮﺣﻴﺪة اﳌﻤﻜﻨﺔ اﻵن ﻋﻠﻲ ﻣﺎ ﻛﺎن ﻳﻌﺮف ﺑﺒﺎب اﳊﺪﻳﺪ‬ ‫ﻓﻘﻂ ﻣﻦ ﺧﻼل اﳌﻨﻈﺮ اﳌﻮﺟﻮد ﻓﻲ ﻛﺘﺎب )ادوارد ﻟﲔ( » وﺻﻒ ﻣﺼﺮ« ﺣﻴﺚ‬ ‫ﻳﻈﻬﺮ اﻟﺒﺎب ﻓﻲ ﻣﻘﺪﻣﺔ اﻟﺴﻮر اﶈﻴﻂ ﺑﺎﳌﻨﻄﻘﺔ اﻟﺸﻤﺎﻟﻴﺔ ﳌﺪﻳﻨﺔ اﻟﻘﺎﻫﺮة )ﻛﺎﻧﺖ‬ ‫اﻟﻘﺎﻫﺮة ﻗﺪ ﳕﺖ وأﻣﺘﺪت ﳌﺎ ﺑﻌﺪ ﺳﻮر ﺻﻼح اﻟﺪﻳﻦ ﻋﻨﺪﻣﺎ ﻋﺎش ﻓﻴﻬﺎ ادوارد ﻟﲔ‬ ‫ﻓﻲ ﺑﺪاﻳﺔ اﻟﻘﺮن اﻟـ ‪.(١٩‬‬ ‫واﳌﻮﻗﻊ اﻟﻘﺪﱘ ﻟﺒﺎب اﳊﺪﻳﺪ ﻣﻦ اﳌﺮﺟﺢ أن ﻳﻜﻮن اﻟﻴﻮم ﻫﻮ ﻣﺪﺧﻞ ﺷﺎرع اﻟﺒﺤﺮ‬ ‫اﳌﺘﻔﺮع ﻣﻦ ﺷﺎرع رﻣﺴﻴﺲ‪.‬‬

‫ﻼ ﻓﻲ إﻏﺮاء اﻟﺮوﻣﺎن‬ ‫ﺣﺎﻟﻴﺎً( واﻟﺜﺎﻟﺜﺔ ﺗﺮاﺟﻌﺖ اﻟﻲ اﻟﺸﺮق ) ﻋﲔ ﺷﻤﺲ ﺣﺎﻟﻴﺎ( آﻣ ً‬ ‫ﺑﺎﳋﺮوج ﻣﻦ ﺣﺼﻨﻬﻢ وﻣﻦ ﺛﻢ ﺗﻨﻘﺾ ﻋﻠﻴﻬﻢ اﻟﻜﺘﻴﺒﺘﺎن اﻷﺧﺮﺗﺎن ﻟﺘﻄﻮﻳﻘﻬﻢ‬ ‫أوﺗﻌﻘﺒﻬﻢ‪ ..‬وﻗﺪ ﳒﺤﺖ اﳌﻨﺎورة وإﺳﺘﻘﻞ اﻟﺮوﻣﺎن ﺳﻔﻨﻬﻢ وﻫﺮﺑﻮا ﻋﻦ ﻃﺮﻳﻖ‬ ‫اﻟﻨﻬﺮ‪ ..‬وأﺣﺘﻞ اﳌﺴﻠﻤﻮن ‪ Tendunyas‬اﻟﺘﻲ إﻧﻬﺎرت دوﻟﺘﻬﺎ اﻟﻌﺴﻜﺮﻳﺔ‬ ‫ﻓﻲ اﳌﻌﺮﻛﺔ ﻓﻴﻤﺎ ﻋﺪا ‪ ٣٠٠‬ﻣﻦ اﻟﺮﺟﺎل اﻟﺬﻳﻦ أﻃﻠﻘﻮا اﻟﻨﺎر ﻋﻠﻲ أﻧﻔﺴﻬﻢ ﻓﻲ‬ ‫اﳊﺼﻦ‪ .‬وﺗﻘﻬﻘﺮ اﻟﺮوﻣﺎن ﺑﺴﻔﻨﻬﻢ ﺣﺘﻲ ‪) Nikiu‬ﺟﻨﻮب ﻣﺤﺎﻓﻈﺔ اﳌﻨﻮﻓﻴﺔ‬ ‫ﺣﺎﻟﻴﺎً( وﻛﺎن اﻻﺳﺘﻴﻼء ﻋﻠﻲ ‪ Tendunyas‬ﻣﺘﺰاﻣﻨﺎ ﻣﻊ اﻻﺳﺘﻴﻼء ﻋﻠﻲ‬ ‫ﺣﺼــﻦ روﻣﺎﻧــﻲ ‪:‬‬ ‫ﻗﺒﻞ اﻟﻔﺘﺢ اﻻﺳﻼﻣﻲ ﳌﺼﺮ‪ ،‬ﻛﺎﻧﺖ ﻣﻨﻄﻘﺔ ﻣﻴﻨﺎء اﳌﻘﺺ اﻟﻔﺎﻃﻤﻲ ﻳﺸﺎر إﻟﻴﻬﺎ ﻣﺪﻳﻨﺔ ﻣﺼﺮ ﻛﻠﻬﺎ ﻓﻴﻤﺎ ﻋﺪا ﻗﻠﻌﺘﻬﺎ اﻟﺘﻲ ﻛﺎﻧﺖ ﻣﺤﺎﺻﺮة‪«.‬‬ ‫ﺑــ أم دﻧﻴﺎن او‬ ‫‪ ..Tendunyas‬وﻣﻦ اﳌﺮﺟﺢ أن اﳊﺼﻦ اﻟﺮوﻣﺎﻧﻲ اﻟﺸﻬﻴﺮ ‪ Tendunyas‬اﻟﻴــﻮم ‪:‬‬ ‫ﻛﺎن ﻫﻮ اﻷﺛﺮ اﻟﻮﺣﻴﺪ اﳌﻌﺮوف ﻓﻲ اﻟﻘﺎﻫﺮة إﻟﻲ ﺟﺎﻧﺐ ﺣﺼﻦ ﺑﺎﺑﻠﻴﻮن )اﳌﻌﺮوف اﳌﻮﻗﻊ اﻟﺸﻬﻴﺮ ﻳﻌﺎﻧﻲ اﻟﻴﻮم ﻣﻦ ﻓﻮﺿﻰ ﻋﺎﺗﻴﺔ‪ .‬ﲤﺜﺎل اﻟﻔﺮﻋﻮن اﻟﺬي وﻫﺐ إﺳﻤﻪ‬ ‫ﻟﻠﻤﻴﺪان ﰎ ﻧﻘﻠﻪ ﻓﻲ أﻏﺴﻄﺲ ‪ ٢٠٠٦‬اﻟﻲ ﻣﻘﺮﻩ اﳉﺪﻳﺪ ﻓﻲ ﻣﺤﺎﻓﻈﺔ اﳉﻴﺰة‪،‬‬ ‫ﺣﺎﻟﻴﺎ ﺑﺎﻟﻘﺎﻫﺮة اﻟﻘﺪﳝﺔ(‪.‬‬ ‫وﻳﺨﺒﺮﻧﺎ اﻻﺳﻘﻒ ﻳﻮﺣﻨﺎ – أﺳﻘﻒ ‪ Nikiu‬اﻟﺬي ﻗﺎم ﺑﺘﺮﺟﻤﺔ أﻋﻤﺎل اﳌﺆرﺧﲔ واﳌﻜﺎن اﻟﺬي ﻛﺎن ﻳﺤﺘﻠﻪ ﻟﻌﻘﻮد ﻇﻞ ﺧﺎوﻳ ًﺎ ﻃﻴﻠﺔ ‪ ٣‬ﺳﻨﻮات ﲢﻴﻄﻪ ﺣﻮاﺟﺰ ﻣﻦ‬ ‫اﻟﻌﺮب وﻛﺘﺎﺑﺎﺗﻬﻢ ﻋﻦ اﳌﻌﺮﻛﺔ اﻟﺘﻲ دارت ﻓﻲ ‪ Tendunyas‬ﻋﻨﺪﻣﺎ إﺟﺘﺎح اﻻﳌﻮﻧﻴﻮم‪ .‬وﻧﻈﻞ ﺟﻤﻴﻌﺎ ﻓﻲ إﻧﺘﻈﺎر ﻣﻨﺤﻪ إﺳﻤﺎ ﺟﺪﻳﺪا أو ﻫﻮﻳﺔ ﺟﺪﻳﺪة ﻏﻴﺮ أﻧﻪ‬ ‫ﺟﻴﺶ اﳌﺴﻠﻤﲔ ﻣﺼﺮ اﻟﺒﻴﺰﻧﻄﻴﺔ وﻗﺎﻣﻮا ﺑﺤﺼﺎر أﻋﺪاﺋﻬﻢ وﻃﺮدوﻫﻢ وإﺳﺘﻮﻟﻮا ﺳﻴﻈﻞ داﺋﻤﺎ ﻳﻌﺮف ﺑﺒﺎب اﳊﺪﻳﺪ‪.‬‬ ‫ﻋﻠﻲ ﺣﺼﻨﻬﻢ اﻟﺬي ﻛﺎن ﻳﻘﻊ ﻓﻲ ﻧﻔﺲ‬ ‫اﳌﻜﺎن ‪:‬‬ ‫اﻟﺼﻔﺤﺔ اﳌﻘﺎﺑﻠﻪ ‪ -‬ﻣﺤﻄﺔ اﻟﺴﻜﺔ اﳊﺪﻳﺪ ﻓﻲ ‪١٩١١‬‬ ‫»ﻗﺴﻢ ﻋﻤﺮو ﺑﻦ اﻟﻌﺎص اﻟﻘﺎﺋﺪ اﻟﻌﺮﺑﻲ ﻗﻮاﺗﻪ اﻟﻲ ﺛﻼث ﻛﺘﺎﺋﺐ‪ ،‬أرﺳﻞ أﺣﺪﻫﺎ ‪ -١‬ﺻﻮرة ﻧﺎدرة ﻟﺒﺎب اﳊﺪﻳﺪ ﻛﺠﺰء ﻣﻦ ﺳﻮر اﻟﻘﺎﻫﺮة ﻹدوارد ﻟﲔ ﻓﻲ ﻛﺘﺎﺑﺔ »وﺻﻒ ﻣﺼﺮ«‬ ‫اﻟﻲ ﺷﻤﺎل ﺑﺎﺑﻴﻠﻮن‪ ،‬واﻟﺜﺎﻧﻴﺔ ﲤﺮﻛﺰت ﻋﻨﺪ ‪) Tendunyas‬ﻣﻴﺪان رﻣﺴﻴﺲ ‪ -٢‬ﲤﺜﺎل ﻧﻬﻀﺔ ﻣﺼﺮ ﻓﻲ ﻣﻮﻗﻌﻪ اﻷﺻﻠﻲ اﻣﺎم ﻣﺤﻄﺔ اﻟﺴﻜﺔ اﳊﺪﻳﺪ ﻓﻲ ﻋﺎم ‪١٩٣٠‬‬ ‫‪21‬‬

‫ﺑﺎﺏ ﺍﻟﺤﺪﻳﺪ‬

‫ﺑﻘﻠﻢ ﻳﺎﺳﻤﲔ اﻟﻀﺮﻏﺎﻣﻲ‬

‫ﻣﻨﺬ أن رﺣﻞ ﲤﺜﺎل رﻣﺴﻴﺲ ﻋﻦ ﻣﻴﺪاﻧﻪ اﻟﺸﻬﻴﺮ واﻟﻨﺎس ﻳﺘﺴﺎءﻟﻮن ﻋﻤﺎ ذﻟﻚ اﻟﻔﺮﻋﻮن اﻟﻌﻈﻴﻢ‪ .‬وﻣﻊ اﻟﺘﻜﺪس واﻟﺰﺣﺎم اﻟﺬي أﺻﺒﺢ اﻟﺴﻤﺔ اﳌﻤﻴﺰة‬ ‫ﻋﺴﺎﻩ أن ﻳﻜﻮن اﻻﺳﻢ اﳉﺪﻳﺪ ﻟﺘﻠﻚ اﻟﺒﻘﻌﺔ اﻟﺸﺪﻳﺪة اﳊﻴﻮﻳﺔ ﻓﻲ ﻗﻠﺐ اﻟﻘﺎﻫﺮة‪ .‬ﻟﻠﻤﻴﺪان ﰎ إزاﻟﺔ اﻟﻨﺎﻓﻮرة وﺣﻮض اﳌﻴﺎة ﻻﻓﺴﺎح اﳌﻜﺎن ﳌﺮور اﻟﺴﻴﺎرات‪ ،‬ﺛﻢ‬ ‫إﻧﺘﺸﺮت اﻟﺸﺎﺋﻌﺎت ﺑﺸﺄن اﻟﺘﺴﻤﻴﺔ اﳉﺪﻳﺪة ﻟﻠﻤﻴﺪان إﻻ أﻧﻪ ﻟﻢ ﻳﻌﻠﻦ ﺑﻌﺪ ﻋﻦ أﻋﻘﺐ ذﻟﻚ ﻗﺮار ﻧﻘﻞ ﲤﺜﺎل رﻣﺴﻴﺲ ﻫﻮ اﻵﺧﺮ ﳊﻤﺎﻳﺘﻪ ﻣﻦ آﺛﺎر اﻟﺘﻠﻮث اﻟﺒﻴﺌﻲ‬ ‫اﻟﻨﺎﰋ ﻋﻦ اﻻزدﺣﺎم اﳌﺮوري اﻟﻬﺎﺋﻞ‪..‬‬ ‫ﻗﺮار رﺳﻤﻲ ﺑﻬﺬا اﻟﺸﺄن‪.‬‬ ‫ﻛﻞ ﻫﺬا دﻓﻌﻨﻲ ﻟﻠﺘﺴﺎؤل ﻋﻦ ﺷﺨﺼﻴﺔ وﺗﺎرﻳﺦ ذﻟﻚ اﳌﻜﺎن ﻗﺒﻞ أن ﻳﺮﺗﺒﻂ‬ ‫ﺑﺮﻣﺴﻴﺲ وﲤﺜﺎل رﻣﺴﻴﺲ‪ .‬وإﻧﺘﻬﻲ ﺑﻲ اﳌﻄﺎف واﻟﺒﺤﺚ ﺣﺘﻰ اﳊﻘﺒﺔ اﻟﺮوﻣﺎﻧﻴﺔ‪،‬‬ ‫ﻣﺸﺮوع ﻣﺪ ﺛﺎﻧﻲ ﺧﻂ ﻟﻠﺴﻜﺔ اﳊﺪﻳﺪ ﻓﻲ اﻟﻌﺎﻟﻢ ﻳﻨﺘﺼﺮ ﻋﻠﻲ ﻣﺸﺮوع ﺣﻔﺮ‬ ‫ﺣﻴﺚ ﻛﺎن ﻧﻔﺲ اﳌﻴﺪان اﻟﺬي ﻃﺎﳌﺎ ﻋﺮف ﺑـــ »ﺑﺎب اﳊﺪﻳﺪ«‪.‬‬ ‫اﻟﻘﻨﺎة ‪:‬‬ ‫ﻛﺎﻧﺖ ﻓﻜﺮة ﻣﺪ ﺧﻂ ﺳﻜﺔ ﺣﺪﻳﺪ ﻓﻲ ﻣﺼﺮ ﻓﻜﺮة ﺑﺮﻳﻄﺎﻧﻴﺔ ﻓﻲ اﻷﺳﺎس‪ ،‬ﻓﻨﻈﺎم‬ ‫ﻣﻴﺪان اﻟﻨﻬﻀﺔ ‪:‬‬ ‫ﺑﺎﻟﺒﺤﺚ ﻋﻦ ﺗﺎرﻳﺦ اﳌﻴﺪان ﺗﺒﲔ أﻧﻪ أﺗﺨﺬ ﻋﺪة أﺳﻤﺎء ﻓﻲ ﻓﺘﺮات ﻣﺘﻌﺎﻗﺒﺔ‪ ،‬اﻟﺴﻜﺔ اﳊﺪﻳﺪ ﻛﺎن ﺳﻴﻮﻓﺮ وﺳﻴﻠﺔ رﺑﻂ ﺟﻴﺪة ﺑﲔ أوروﺑﺎ واﻟﻬﻨﺪ‪ .‬واﻻﻗﺘﺮاح ﲟﺪ‬ ‫ﻛﺎن آﺧﺮﻫﺎ »ﻣﻴﺪان اﻟﻨﻬﻀﺔ« وﻗﺪ أﻃﻠﻖ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﻫﺬا اﻻﺳﻢ ﻋﺎم ‪ ١٩٢٧‬ﻋﻨﺪﻣﺎ ﺳﻜﺔ ﺣﺪﻳﺪ ﺗﺮﺑﻂ ﺑﲔ ﻣﺼﺮ اﳉﺪﻳﺪة واﻟﺴﻮﻳﺲ ﰎ ﺗﻘﺪﳝﻪ ﻓﻲ أول اﻷﻣﺮ اﻟﻲ‬ ‫وﺿﻊ ﻓﻴﻪ ﲤﺜﺎل ﻧﻬﻀﺔ ﻣﺼﺮ اﻟﺸﻬﻴﺮ ﻟﻠﻔﻨﺎن ﻣﺤﻤﻮد ﻣﺨﺘﺎر ﻓﻲ اﳉﻬﺔ اﳌﻘﺎﺑﻠﺔ ﻣﺤﻤﺪ ﻋﻠﻲ ﺑﺎﺷﺎ واﻟﻲ ﻣﺼﺮ اﻟﺬي واﻓﻖ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﻣﺒﺪﺋﻴﺎ ﺛﻢ ﻋﺰف ﻋﻦ اﻟﻔﻜﺮة ﻧﺘﻴﺠﺔ‬ ‫ﶈﻄﺔ اﻟﺴﻜﺔ اﳊﺪﻳﺪ واﻟﻲ أن ﰎ ﻧﻘﻞ اﻟﺘﻤﺜﺎل ﻓﻲ ﻣﻨﺘﺼﻒ اﳋﻤﺴﻴﻨﺎت اﻟﻲ ﻣﻘﺮﻩ إﻗﻨﺎع اﻟﻔﺮﻧﺴﻴﲔ ﻟﻪ ﺑﺠﺪوي ﻣﺸﺮوع اﻟﻘﻨﺎة ﺑﺪﻻ ﻣﻨﻪ‪ .‬إﻻ أن ﻛﻼ اﳌﺸﺮوﻋﲔ ﰎ‬ ‫رﻓﻀﻬﻤﺎ ﻓﻲ ﻧﻬﺎﻳﺔ اﻷﻣﺮ ﻓﻲ ﺗﻠﻚ اﻟﻔﺘﺮة‪.‬‬ ‫اﳊﺎﻟﻲ ﺑﺠﻮار ﺣﺪﻳﻘﺔ اﳊﻴﻮان ﺑﺎﳉﻴﺰة‪.‬‬ ‫ﺷﺎرع رﻣﺴﻴﺲ ﻫﻮ اﻵﺧﺮ ﻧﺎﻟﻪ ﻧﺼﻴﺐ ﻣﻦ ﺗﻠﻚ اﻟﺘﻐﻴﻴﺮات ﻋﺒﺮ اﻟﺘﺎرﻳﺦ‪ ،‬وﻓﻲ ﻣﺪة ﺣﻜﻢ اﳋﺪﻳﻮي ﻋﺒﺎس اﻷول )‪ (١٨٥٤-١٨٤٨‬ﰎ ﺗﻘﺪﱘ اﻟﻔﻜﺮة‬ ‫ﻓﺎﻟﺸﺎرع ﻓﻲ واﻗﻊ اﻷﻣﺮ ﻟﻢ ﻳﻜﻦ ﺳﻮي ﻗﻨﺎة ﻣﺘﻔﺮﻋﺔ ﻣﻦ اﻟﻨﻴﻞ ﺗﺴﻤﻲ »ﺗﺮﻋﺔ ﻣﺮة أﺧﺮى وﲤﺖ اﳌﻮاﻓﻘﺔ ﻋﻠﻴﻬﺎ ﻫﺬﻩ اﳌﺮة ‪ :‬ﻣﺪ أول ﺧﻂ ﺳﻜﺔ ﺣﺪﻳﺪ ﻓﻲ ﻣﺼﺮ‬ ‫اﻻﺳﻤﺎﻋﻴﻠﻴﺔ« ﻳﻌﻠﻮﻫﺎ ﻛﻮﺑﺮي ﻛﺎن ﻳﺴﻤﻲ »ﻛﻮﺑﺮي اﻟﻠﻴﻤﻮن«‪ .‬وﻋﻨﺪﻣﺎ ﰎ ردم ﻳﺮﺑﻂ ﺑﲔ اﻻﺳﻜﻨﺪرﻳﺔ وﻛﻔﺮ ﻋﻴﺴﻰ ﻋﺎم ‪ ١٨٥٤‬ﻟﻴﻜﻮن ﺑﺬﻟﻚ أول ﺧﻂ ﺳﻜﺔ‬ ‫اﻟﺘﺮﻋﺔ ﻓﻴﻤﺎ ﺑﻌﺪ أﻃﻠﻖ ﻋﻠﻲ اﻟﺸﺎرع إﺳﻢ ﺷﺎرع ﻋﺒﺎس ﺛﻢ أﻃﻠﻖ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﺑﻌﺪ ذﻟﻚ ﺣﺪﻳﺪ ﻓﻲ أﻓﺮﻳﻘﻴﺎ وﻗﺪ ﰎ ﻣﺪ ذﻟﻚ اﳋﻂ ﺑﻌﺪﻫﺎ ﺣﺘﻲ اﻟﻘﺎﻫﺮة ﻓﻲ ﻋﺎم ‪١٨٥٦‬‬ ‫ﺷﺎرع اﳌﻠﻜﺔ ﻧﺎزﻟﻲ ﺛﻢ ﻋﺮف ﻓﻘﻂ ﺑﺸﺎرع »اﳌﻠﻜﺔ« )ﻋﻘﺐ ﺗﻮﺗﺮ اﻟﻌﻼﻗﺎت ﺑﲔ وﻓﻲ ﻋﺎم ‪ ١٨٥٨‬ﻛﺎن ﺧﻂ اﻟﺴﻜﺔ اﳊﺪﻳﺪ ﺑﲔ اﻟﻘﺎﻫﺮة واﻟﺴﻮﻳﺲ ﻗﺪ ﰎ ﺑﻨﺎءﻩ‬ ‫اﳌﻠﻚ ﻓﺎروق وواﻟﺪﺗﺔ( وأﺧﻴﺮا ﻋﺮف ﺑﺸﺎرع اﻟﻨﻬﻀﺔ ﻧﺴﺒﺔ اﻟﻲ ﲤﺜﺎل ﻣﺤﻤﻮد ﻓﻌﻼ )ﻏﻴﺮ أﻧﻪ ﰎ اﻟﻐﺎءﻩ ﻓﻲ ‪ ١٨٧٨‬ﺑﺴﺒﺐ ﻋﻴﻮب ﻓﻲ اﻟﺘﺼﻤﻴﻢ وﻻﻓﺴﺎح اﻟﻄﺮﻳﻖ‬ ‫أﻣﺎم ﻣﺸﺮوع ﻗﻨﺎة اﻟﺴﻮﻳﺲ(‪.‬‬ ‫ﻣﺨﺘﺎر اﻟﺸﻬﻴﺮ‪.‬‬ ‫أﻣﺎ اﻟﺘﻤﺜﺎل اﻟﻌﻤﻼق ﻟﻠﻔﺮﻋﻮن رﻣﺴﻴﺲ اﻟﺜﺎﻧﻲ ﻓﻘﺪ ﰎ ﻧﻘﻠﻪ ﻣﻦ ﻣﻮﻃﻨﻪ ﻣﻴﺖ‬ ‫رﻫﻴﻨﺔ ووﺿﻌﻪ ﻓﻲ اﳌﻴﺪان ﻓﻲ ﻋﻬﺪ اﻟﺮﺋﻴﺲ ﺟﻤﺎل ﻋﺒﺪ اﻟﻨﺎﺻﺮ‪ ،‬وﻗﺪ ﰎ ﻋﻤﻞ ﻣﻴﺪان رﻣﺴﻴﺲ ‪ :‬ﻣﻴﻨﺎء ﺗﺮﺳﻮ ﻓﻴﻪ اﻟﺴﻔﻦ ؟‬ ‫ﻧﺎﻓﻮرة وﺣﻮض ﻟﻠﻤﻴﺎة أﻣﺎم ﻗﺪﻣﻲ اﻟﺘﻤﺜﺎل ﺗﻌﺒﻴﺮا ﻋﻦ اﻟﺮﺧﺎء اﻟﺬي ﺳﺎد ﻋﺼﺮ أﻣﺎم ﺗﻠﻚ اﻟﻔﻮﺿﻰ اﳌﺮورﻳﺔ اﻟﺘﻰ ﻧﺮاﻫﺎ اﻟﻴﻮم ﻓﻲ ﻣﻴﺪان رﻣﺴﻴﺲ ﻳﺼﻌﺐ ﻋﻠﻲ‬ ‫‪20‬‬

19

‫صعيد مصر أيضا فيما عدا (قنا) حيث عكف‬ ‫األبنودي على جمعها في محاولة حلفظ ملمح‬ ‫هام من تراثنا‪ ،‬فضال عن كونه يعتبرها شخصيا‬ ‫أهم وأروع جتربه عاشها في طفولته‪ ،‬جتربة‬ ‫االستماع إلي شاعر الربابه يروي السيرة الهاللية‪.‬‬ ‫وجنع بالفعل االبنودي في حفظ السيرة الهاللية‬ ‫في تسجيالت إذاعية وشرائط تسجيل صوتية‬ ‫وتلفزيونية (ويأمل أن يتأسس متحف بحثي‬ ‫مخصوص للسيرة الهاللية يقام في قنا يوم ًا ما)‬ ‫فالسيرة الهاللية ال ميكن أن تكتب وال يجب أن‬ ‫تكتب‪ ..‬السيرة الهاللية تروى‪...‬‬ ‫وإذا كانت السيرة الهاللية قد عاشت حتي اليوم‬ ‫فالفضل يرجع إلي تلك العوامل السابقة كلها‪..‬‬ ‫ولكن هل ستظل محتفظة بتأثيرها املباشر علي‬ ‫جمهور مستمعيها التقليدي إذا كانت مسجلة‬ ‫علي شرائط؟ هل سيستمر تفاعلها مع الناس‬ ‫وتطورها مع زمانهم كما كان احلال دائما أم‬ ‫تصبح مادة بحثية لهواة التراث واملتاحف؟‬

‫السيرة الهاللية اليوم ‪:‬‬

‫أحداث معاصرة وثيقة الصلة باملستمعني كأن يركز على صفات دياب كقائد‬ ‫اشتهر بقوته وانتصاراتة غير انة تسبب فى حدوث انقسامات كثيرة بني العرب‬ ‫عندما كانت الظروف تتطلب ان يتوحدوا‪ ،‬هذا مث ً‬ ‫ال فى حالة اذا كان هناك‬ ‫زعيم عربى معاصر تنطبق علية تلك الصفات‪.‬‬ ‫الراوي والشاعر إذن هو شخص ينجح في جذب إنتباه املستمعني وخلق‬ ‫شعور عام لديهم بأن أحداث السيرة الهاللية هي صورة لواقع يعايشونه فعالً‪.‬‬ ‫فيصحبهم معه في اخليال في رحالت وفتوحات من جزيرة العرب وحتي‬ ‫شمال أفريقيا من خالل موسيقى شجية‪ .‬فهذا موال حزين ألم ثكلى‪ ،‬وتلك‬ ‫أبيات حماسية حتكي عن إنتصار اخلير علي الشر‪ ،‬وهذه نغمة قوية االيقاع‬ ‫عندما تنشب احلرب‪.‬‬

‫نسج املاضي ليعبر عن احلاضر ‪:‬‬

‫في محاولتي وضع بداية ونهاية لتلك املقالة‪،‬‬ ‫قمت بجهود مضنية ملقارنة األوجة املختلفة ملجموعة األبنودي عندما يغنيها‬ ‫«سيد الضو» و«جابر أبوحسني» وعندما يغنيها آخرون‪ ،‬محاولة أن أتبني‬ ‫تواريخ األحداث وشجرة عائلة الشخصيات فيها‪ .‬كنت حريصة علي معرفة‬ ‫السبب احلقيقي وراء رحلة الهاللي إلي تونس‪ ،‬هل كانت حقا بسبب املجاعة‬ ‫أم التذرع باملجاعة للرحيل والسعي لالنتقام من قاتلو بعض أفراد عائلته‪ ،‬أما‬ ‫طبقا للنسخة التونسية من السيرة الهاللية فكان رحيل الهاللي إليها لتعريب‬ ‫تونس‪.‬‬ ‫وسرعان ما أدركت أن كل أناس يحتاجون إلي بطلهم اخلاص بهم‪ ،‬وأن‬ ‫رواية السيرة كانت دائما ما تتمحور حول تلك الفكرة وحتولها الي ملحمة‬ ‫خاصة بناسها‪.‬‬ ‫وأترك امللحمة (املسموعة) التي عرفتها وأحببتها ألبحث عن احلقيقة‪،‬‬ ‫فتحدّ يت كل ما متثله السيرة الهاللية وعرفت أن التاريخ ال يتحرك في خطوط‬ ‫مستقيمة‪ ،‬وأن اخلير والشر ليسا مطلقني‪ ،‬وأنه ال يوجد حدث أو واقعة بعيد‬ ‫عن الشك والتساؤالت واألهم أن احلقيقة نفسها لها عدة أوجة ومكونة من‬ ‫عدة طبقات كما أن ردود أفعالنا جتاهها تتغير تبعا للزمن والظروف‪...‬‬ ‫ولهذا كله ال يجب كتابة السيرة الهاللية‪ ،‬فهي صعبة التحديد أوالتبسيط‬ ‫أوالتقييد‪ ،‬بل يجب تركها دوم ًا لهوى الشاعر أو الراوي يقدمها ملستمعيه‬ ‫كما يراها‪.‬‬ ‫معظم تلك املالحم التي تعتمد علينا نحن جمهورها ومستمعيها‪ ،‬تكون‬ ‫إنعكاس ًا ملاضينا مع ضم بعض العناصر املنتمية إلي حاضرنا‪ .‬إنها حقا أسطورة‪،‬‬ ‫ال تخبرنا عن أبطالها وما عاشوه ومتي عاشوه فحسب وإمنا تخبرنا ‪ -‬وهو‬ ‫األهم ‪ -‬بكيف عاشوا وملاذا‪.‬‬ ‫يحيدوني األمل أن تدفعنا تلك التجربة – نحن األجيال التي تربت‬ ‫وتعلمت وضع االحداث التاريخية في قوالب جامدة أن نبحث عن جتارب‬ ‫مماثلة قد تكون بداخلنا أوحولنا‪...‬‬

‫إن واقعية السيرة الهاللية‪ ،‬وتركيزها علي تفاصيل املشاعر املختلفة كاحلب‬ ‫واالنتصار واخليانة والوالء والطبقات املختلفة من اخلير والشر جتعلها جزءا من‬ ‫املاضي يروى‪ ،‬كما جتعلها أيضا معبرة بشكل ما عن احلاضر واملستقبل فهى‬ ‫في النهاية تعكس خبرات حياتية بشكل حميمي وعام في ذات الوقت‪.‬‬ ‫عندما يخرج الشاعر والراوي من احليز الضيق لسرد أحداث السيرة الهاللية‬ ‫إلي التحدث عن األفكار التي تدور في عقل شخوص الرواية فأننا نشعر معهم‬ ‫بالتورط في مأزق ما أو الشعور بالهزمية واالنكسار أو احلزن أو احلب مما يجعلنا‬ ‫نشعر بحميمية جتاه تلك الشخصيات حتي إننا نتصور أننا جزء من السيرة‬ ‫الهاللية نعايشها ونعرف أبطالها ويعرفوننا‪.‬‬ ‫والسيرة الهاللية تتخطي حدود مجرد االستماع اليها‪ ،‬فالراوي يتغنى بها‬ ‫باللهجة احمللية ملستمعيه وأبياتها تتضمن حكم وأمثال عن االمل واخلير أو‬ ‫حتى عن بعض املشاعر الهدامة ميكن للناس إستخدام أي منها في املواقف‬ ‫املختلفة التي حتفل بها حياتهم اليومية‪ ،‬مواقف مثل تلك التي تعرض لها‬ ‫أبوزيد أو الزناتي أو خضرة الشريفة وغيرهم من أبطال السيرة‪.‬‬ ‫ميكن القول أن جمهور السيرة الهاللية قد تضاءل مع الزمن‪ .‬فبعد أن كانت‬ ‫تروى في املقاهي وحفالت الزفاف والتجمعات الثقافية تراجع االقبال على‬ ‫هذا النوع من الفن سواء في تونس أو السودان أو دلتا مصر بل وبعض قرى عبد الرحمن األبنودي يروي السيرة الهاللية في بيت السحيمي‬ ‫‪18‬‬

‫كانت فكرة البطل الذي ال يتمتع بالصفات املتعارف عليها واضحة أيضا‬ ‫في تلك املالحم‪ ،‬سواء في سيرة عنتر بن شداد العبد األسود الذي حتول الي‬ ‫فارس مغوار شديد البأس‪ ،‬أو أبوزيد الهاللي الذي ولد ببشرة داكنة حتي أن‬ ‫تشكك الناس في نسبه وإتهموا أمه في شرفها ونفوها بعيدا هي ووليدها‪.‬‬ ‫لم تكن مواصفات القائد أو البطل تنطبق في أول األمر علي أي من عنتر‬ ‫أوأبوزيد الهاللي إال أن أحداث السيرة اخلاصة بهما كشفت عن جدارتهم‬ ‫بالبطولة األسطورية التي إرتبطت بهما‪.‬‬ ‫ورمبا كانت فكرة البطل ذو املواصفات الغير تقليدية نابعة من كونه ينتمي‬ ‫دائما للعامة ولهذا كانت السيرة الهاللية مليئة بأبطال محتملني‪ .‬ولكن‬ ‫تري ما الذي جعل السيرة الهاللية تختلف وتتميز عن باقي املالحم وكيف‬ ‫إحتفظت بشكلها ومضمونها لعدة قرون متواصلة ؟ سأحاول هنا أن أبحث‬ ‫في داللتها التاريخية وما تعنيه في احلاضر‪..‬‬

‫السيــرة كذكـــري ‪:‬‬

‫جرت أحداث الفصول الرئيسية في امللحمة‪ :‬فصل الرياضة والتعريب‬ ‫في القرن العاشر وحتي القرن الثاني عشر وكانت تلك املرحلة متثل تاريخ‬ ‫إنتصارات العرب وكفاح أبوزيد لتوحيد قبائل جند واليمن حيث وصل حتى‬ ‫العراق وقلسطني ومصر وليبيا وتونس ‪ ،‬وإمتدت السيرة الهاللية أيضا إلي‬ ‫املغرب وصعيد مصر حتي السودان وأثيوبيا‪.‬‬ ‫وازداد التحالف القبلي بالرحيل عن اجلزيرة واإلحتاد مع قبائل أخري اما‬ ‫بالزواج أو باإلستيالء عليها وإخضاعها أو بالتوسع في حشد اجليوش الساعية‬ ‫للبحث عن األراضي اخلصبة في تونس اخلضراء‪.‬‬

‫ومع هذا فاحلكاية ليست عدداً من الفتوحات فحسب‪ ،‬إنها حكاية أبوزيد‬ ‫الهاللي ملك الدهاء والتنكر‪ ،‬ونصير الفقراء‪ .‬كما إنها تضم حكايات‬ ‫السلطان العراقي عالم والزناتي خليفة التونسي وعزيزة ويونس وكلها‬ ‫حكايات تضم عدد ال حصر له من األحداث االسطورية عن احلب والسحر‪.‬‬ ‫ومتتاز تلك احلكايات كلها بقوة اللغة وعمق املعاني وموسيقية كلماتها مما‬ ‫يجعلها شديدة التأثير علي السامعني‪ ،‬والداللة التاريخية للسيرة الهاللية ال‬ ‫تنحصر فقط فيما ترويه احلكايــة وإمنا كيف تروى‪ .‬ويرى شاعر السيرة دائماٍ‬ ‫أن القدر إختاره دون اآلخرين ليتلقى االلهام ويكتب السيرة الهاللية وعادة ما‬ ‫يتدرب لسنوات طويلة قبل أن يقدمها للناس‪.‬‬ ‫ومهارة شاعر السيرة ليست فقط في غنى لغته ومهارتة فى حفظ احداث‬ ‫السيرة عن ظهر قلب وإمنا في قدرته على جذب املستمعني‪ .‬وطبقا ملا قاله‬ ‫كرس ثالثة عقود كاملة للبحث‬ ‫الشاعر عبد الرحمن األبنودي – الذي ِّ‬ ‫وجمع السيرة الهاللية – شاعر السيرة هو شخص يحفظ القصة كاملة عن‬ ‫ظهر قلب وعنده في الوقت نفسه القدره علي االرجتال أثناء روايتها لتتناسب‬ ‫ال تتكون السيرة من مربعات فالبيت األول‬ ‫مع نوعية املستمعني‪ .‬في قنا مث ً‬ ‫قافيته وموسيقاه مثل البيت الثالث بينما الثاني يتماشي مع الرابع وهكذا‪،‬‬ ‫مما يخلق إيقاع ًا موسيقي ًا يبرز عادة بإستخدام نفس الكلمة لربط مقطعني كل‬ ‫منهما له معني مختلف مما يخلق أثر تراكمي إنسيابي وسلس في التركيب‬ ‫العام مما يسهل عملية االرجتال‪ .‬واالرجتال يعتمد في األساس علي االلتزام‬ ‫بروح الرواية مع إضافة بعض االبتكار واخليال أثناء روايتها‪ ،‬فحتي يقربها من‬ ‫أذهان املستمعني يقوم شاعر السيرة في بعض االحيان‪ ،‬مثالً‪ ،‬عن طريق اللعب‬ ‫بالكلمات بضم شخصيات من اجلمهور إلي األحداث أو رمبا االشارة الي‬ ‫‪17‬‬

‫السيرة‬ ‫ﺍﻟﺴﻴﺮﺓ‬ ‫الهاللية‬ ‫ﺍﻟﻬﻼﻟﻴﺔ‬

‫ﻣﻦ اﳌﺎﺿﻲ اﻟﻰ اﳊﺎﺿﺮ‬ ‫ﻣﺴﻠﻢ‬ ‫ﺑﻘﻠﻢ ﻋﻠﻴﺎء ّ‬

‫ﺑﻴﻨﻤﺎ ﻛﺎﻧﺖ ﲡﻠﺲ ﻋﻠﻲ ﺣﺎﻓﺔ ﺑﺮﻛﺔ اﻟﻄﻴﺮ اﻟﻜﺎﺋﻨﺔ ﺑﺠﻮار داﻳﺮﻫﺎ – دﻳﺎر ﺑﻨﻲ‬ ‫ﻫﻼل – أﺧﺬت »ﺧﻀﺮة« ﺗﺒﺤﺚ ﻋﻦ ﻃﺎﺋﺮ ﺑﲔ اﻟﻄﻴﻮر ﻟﺘﺘﻤﻨﻲ أن ﻳﻮﻟﺪ إﺑﻨﻬﺎ‬ ‫ﻣﺜﺎﻻ ﻟﻪ ﻓﻲ ﻫﻴﺌﺘﻪ وﺻﻔﺎﺗﻪ‪ ،‬وﻛﺎﻧﺖ ﺗﻌﻠﻢ ﺟﻴﺪا أن ﺗﻠﻚ اﻷﻣﻨﻴﺔ ﻻ رﺟﻮع‬ ‫ﻓﻴﻬﺎ ﻓﺮﲟﺎ ﳊﻈﺘﻬﺎ ﺗﻜﻮن أﺑﻮاب اﻟﺴﻤﺎء ﻣﻔﺘﻮﺣﺔ‪ ،‬ﻟﻬﺬا أﺧﺬﺗﻬﺎ ﻣﺄﺧﺬ اﳉﺪ‪.‬‬ ‫وﻟﻢ ﺗﻜﻦ »ﺧﻀﺮة« ﲡﻠﺲ وﺣﺪﻫﺎ ﻓﻲ ذﻟﻚ اﻟﻴﻮم‪ ،‬ﻓﻘﺪ ﻛﺎن ﺑﺼﺤﺒﺘﻬﺎ‬ ‫ﺛﻼﺛﻮن ﻣﻦ ﻧﺴﻮة دﻳﺎر ﺑﻨﻲ ﻫﻼل‪ .‬ﻛﺎن أول اﻟﻄﻴﻮر اﻟﺘﻲ إﻗﺘﺮﺑﺖ ﻃﺎﺋﺮ أﺑﻴﺾ‬ ‫ﺷﺪﻳﺪ اﳉﻤﺎل ِّ‬ ‫ﺣﻂ ﺑﺎﻟﻘﺮب ﻣﻨﻬﺎ ﻓﻲ رﺷﺎﻗﺔ وﺗﻘﺪم ﻣﺨﺘﺎﻻ ﺑﺨﻄﻮات ﻣﺤﺴﻮﺑﺔ‬ ‫ﻣﺘﺠﻬﺎ ﻧﺤﻮ اﻟﺒﺮﻛﺔ وأﺧﺬ ﻳﺸﺮب ﻣﻨﻬﺎ‪ .‬إﺑﺘﻬﺠﺖ اﻟﻨﺴﻮة وﻃﻠﱭ ﻣﻨﻬﺎ أن‬ ‫ﺗﺘﻤﻨﻲ ﻫﺬا اﻟﻄﺎﺋﺮ وﻟﻜﻨﻬﺎ رﻓﻀﺖ ﻗﺎﺋﻠﺔ »ﻛﻴﻒ أﲤﻨﻲ أن ﻳﺤﻤﻴﻨﻲ ﻣﻦ‬ ‫أﻋﺪاﺋﻲ ﻣﻦ ﻛﺎن ﺑﻬﺬا اﳊﺴﻦ واﻟﺰﻫﻮ؟«‬ ‫»ﺷﻤﻪ« زوﺟﺔ ﺳﺮﺣﺎن ﺳﻠﻄﺎن ﻗﺒﻴﻠﺔ اﻟﻬﻼﻟﻴﺔ ﻟﻮﻟﻴﺪﻫﺎ‬ ‫وﳌﺎ رﻓﻀﺖ ﲤﻨﺘﻪ ِّ‬ ‫اﻟﺬي ﺳﻴﺮث ﻣﻨﺼﺐ واﻟﺪﻩ ﻗﺎﺋﺪ اﻟﻌﺮب‪.‬‬ ‫ﺛﻢ أﺗﻰ ﻃﺎﺋﺮ أﺣﻤﺮ اﻟﻠﻮن‪ ،‬ﺣﻂ ﻋﻠﻲ اﻷرض ﻣﻨﺪﻓﻌﺎ ﻗﻮﻳﺎ وأﺧﺬ ﻳﺘﻌﺎرك ﻣﻊ‬ ‫ﺑﺎﻗﻲ اﻟﻄﻴﻮر ﻗﺮب اﻟﺒﺮﻛﺔ ﺣﺘﻲ ﲤﻜﻦ ﻣﻦ اﻟﺸﺮب‪ ،‬وﻫﻨﺎ ﻃﻠﺒﺖ اﻟﻨﺴﻮة ﻣﻦ‬ ‫ﺧﻀﺮة ﻋﻘﺪ اﻷﻣﻨﻴﺔ ﻋﻠﻲ ﻫﺬا اﻟﻄﺎﺋﺮ ﻓﺄﺑﺖ ﻣﺮة أﺧﺮى ﻣﻌﻠﻠﺔ رﻓﻀﻬﺎ ﺑﺄﻧﻬﺎ ﻻ‬ ‫ﲢﺐ أن ﻳﻔﺮض إﺑﻨﻬﺎ ﻧﻔﺴﻪ ﺑﺎﻟﻘﻮة ﻋﻠﻲ اﻵﺧﺮﻳﻦ‪ .‬وﻫﺬﻩ اﳌﺮة ﲤﻨﺘﻪ ﻟﻮﻟﻴﺪﻫﺎ‬ ‫زوﺟﺔ اﻷﻣﻴﺮ ﻏﺎﱎ آﻣﻠﺔ أن ﻳﺄﺗﻲ وﻟﻴﺪﻫﺎ ﻓﻲ ﻣﺜﻞ ﻗﻮﺗﻪ‪.‬‬ ‫ﺛﻢ إﻗﺘﺮب ﻃﺎﺋﺮ أﺧﻀﺮ‪ ،‬أﺧﺬ ﻳﻔﻌﻞ اﻷﻋﺎﺟﻴﺐ ﻋﻨﺪ ﻃﻴﺮاﻧﻪ إﻟﻲ اﻟﺒﺮﻛﺔ‬ ‫ﻣﺘﻬﺎدﻳﺎ ﻓﻲ ﺛﻮﺑﻪ اﻷﺧﻀﺮ وإﻧﺒﻬﺮت اﻟﻨﺴﻮﻩ ﺑﺠﻤﺎﻟﻪ‪ ،‬وﻫﺬﻩ اﳌﺮة ﺑﺎدرت زوﺟﺔ‬ ‫ﻗﺎﺿﻲ اﻟﻘﺒﻴﻠﺔ وﺷﻴﺨﻬﺎ اﳌﻔﺴﺮ ﻟﻠﻘﺮآن اﻟﺸﻴﺦ زﻳﺎن ﺑﺘﻤﻨﻲ أن ﻳﺼﻴﺮ وﻟﻴﺪﻫﺎ‬ ‫‪16‬‬

‫ﻓﻲ ﺟﻼل ﻫﺬا اﻟﻄﺎﺋﺮ وﻫﻴﺒﺘﻪ‪.‬‬ ‫وأﺧﻴﺮاً إﻗﺘﺮب ﻃﺎﺋﺮان أﺳﻮدا اﻟﻠﻮن‪ ،‬ﺳﻤﺎرﻫﻤﺎ‬ ‫اﻟﺒﺮﺑﺮي ﻟﻢ ﳝﻨﻊ إﻧﻌﻜﺎس اﻟﻀﻮء ﻋﻠﻲ رأﺳﻴﻬﻤﺎ‪،‬‬ ‫راﻗﺒﺘﻬﻤﺎ اﻟﻨﺴﻮة ﺑﺈﻧﺒﻬﺎر ﺷﺪﻳﺪ ﻋﻨﺪﻣﺎ وﺻﻼ إﻟﻲ‬ ‫اﻟﺒﺤﻴﺮة وﻛﺎن أﺣﺪﻫﻤﺎ ﻳﺒﺪو ﻛﺎﻟﺴﻴﺪ واﻵﺧﺮ‬ ‫ﺗﺎﺑﻌﻪ‪ ،‬وﻗﺪ اﻓﺴﺤﺖ ﻟﻬﻤﺎ ﺟﻤﻴﻊ اﻟﻄﻴﻮر اﳌﻜﺎن‪.‬‬ ‫وﺣﺎول اﻟﻄﺎﺋﺮ اﻷﺣﻤﺮ أن ﻳﺴﺘﺮد ﻣﻮﻗﻌﻪ ﻣﺮة‬ ‫أﺧﺮى إﻻ أن اﻟﻄﺎﺋﺮ اﻻﺳﻮد ﻋﺎﺟﻠﻪ ﺑﻨﻘﺮة واﺣﺪة‬ ‫ﻣﻦ ﻣﻨﻘﺎرﻩ ﻛﺎﻧﺖ ﻛﻔﻴﻠﺔ ﺑﺈﻓﺰاﻋﻪ وإﺑﻌﺎدﻩ‪.‬‬ ‫ﻛﺎن ﻫﺬا ﻫﻮ اﻟﻄﺎﺋﺮ اﻟﺬي إﺧﺘﺎرﺗﻪ ﺧﻀﺮة‪ ،‬ﻓﺮﻏﻢ ﻟﻮﻧﻪ‪ ،‬ﲤﻨﺖ أن ﻳﺄﺗﻲ‬ ‫وﻟﻴﺪﻫﺎ ﻗﻮﻳﺎ ﺳﺎﺣﺮا وﻣﺤﺎرﺑﺎ ﻧﺒﻴﻼ ﻳﺠﻤﻊ اﻟﻌﺮب وﻳﺤﻤﻴﻬﻢ‪.‬‬ ‫وﻛﺄن أﺑﻮاب اﻟﺴﻤﺎء ﻛﺎﻧﺖ ﻣﻔﺘﻮﺣﺔ ﻓﻲ ﺗﻠﻚ اﻟﻠﺤﻈﺔ‪ ،‬ﺣﻴﺚ ﺑﺪأت ﺣﻜﺎﻳﺔ‬ ‫ﺳﻼﻣﻪ أو ﺑﺮﻛﺎت أو أﺑﻮزﻳﺪ اﻟﻬﻼﻟﻲ ﻛﻤﺎ أﻃﻠﻘﺖ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ اﻟﻘﺒﺎﺋﻞ اﳌﺨﺘﻠﻔﺔ ﺑﻌﺪ‬ ‫إﻧﺘﺼﺎراﺗﻪ اﻟﻌﻈﻴﻤﺔ‪.‬‬ ‫وﲢﻘﻘﺖ أﻳﻀﺎ اﻟﻨﺒﺆة اﳋﺎﺻﺔ ﺑﺎﻟﻄﻴﻮر اﻷﺧﺮي ﻓﻜﺎن دﻳﺎب ﺑﻦ ﻏﺎﱎ إﺑﻦ‬ ‫اﻟﻌﻢ اﳊﺎﻗﺪ )اﻟﻄﺎﺋﺮ اﻷﺣﻤﺮ( وﺣﺴﻦ إﺑﻦ اﻟﺴﻠﻄﺎن ﺳﺮﺣﺎن وزﻳﺪان إﺑﻦ زﻳﺎن‬ ‫اﻟﻘﺎﺿﻲ اﻟﻌﺎدل‪.‬‬ ‫ﻧﺴﺠﺖ ﺗﻠﻚ اﻻﺣﻼم واﻟﺮؤى ﻃﺮﻳﻘﻬﺎ ﻣﻦ ﺧﻼل اﻟﺴﻴﺮة اﻟﻬﻼﻟﻴﺔ أو ﻣﺎ‬ ‫ﻳﻌﺮف أﻳﻀﺎ ﺑﺴﻴﺮة اﻟﻌﺮب ﻟﺘﻬﻴﺌﻨﺎ ﳌﺘﺎﺑﻌﺔ ﺑﺎﻗﻲ أﺣﺪاث اﻟﻘﺼﺔ ﻓﻲ ﺑﻌﺾ‬ ‫اﻷﺣﻴﺎن وﻟﺘﻘﻴﺲ ﺗﻮﻗﻌﺎﺗﻨﺎ ﺑﺸﺄن ﺗﻄﻮر ﺗﻠﻚ اﻷﺣﺪاث ﻓﻲ أﺣﻴﺎن أﺧﺮى‪،‬‬ ‫وﻟﻜﻨﻬﺎ ﻓﻲ ﻛﻞ اﻷﺣﻴﺎن ﺗﺬﻛﺮﻧﺎ ﺑﺬﻟﻚ اﻟﺒﻌﺪ ﻏﻴﺮ اﳌﻠﻤﻮس ﻟﻘﺪرة اﳊﺐ‬ ‫واﻟﺴﺤﺮ واﳋﻮارق ﻋﻠﻲ ﻋﻤﻞ اﳌﻌﺠﺰات ﻋﻨﺪﻣﺎ ﺗﺸﻴﺮ ﺟﻤﻴﻊ ﺣﺴﺎﺑﺎت اﻟﻌﻘﻞ‬ ‫واﳌﻨﻄﻖ ﻋﻠﻲ إﺳﺘﺤﺎﻟﺔ ذﻟﻚ‪ ،‬ﻛﻤﺎ إﻧﻬﺎ ﻣﻠﺤﻤﺔ ﺗﻌﻄﻲ أﻫﻤﻴﺔ ﻟﻠﺘﺨﻄﻴﻂ‬ ‫اﻟﺘﻜﺘﻴﻜﻲ واﳌﻜﺮ ﺑﻘﺪر ﻣﺎ ﺗﻌﻄﻲ أﻫﻤﻴﺔ ﻟﻠﺤﺪس واﻻﳝﺎن اﳌﻄﻠﻖ‪ ،‬ﻓﻬﺆﻻء‬ ‫اﻟﺒﺸﺮ اﻟﺬﻳﻦ ﻳﺆﻣﻨﻮن ﺑﺎﷲ ﻻ ﻳﺮوﻧﻪ وﻳﻌﺘﻤﺪون ﻋﻠﻲ اﻟﺴﺤﺮ ﻓﻲ أﺣﻴﺎن ﻛﺜﻴﺮة‬ ‫وﻳﻌﺘﻘﺪون ﻓﻲ ﻗﻮة ﺣﺪس ﻧﺴﺎﺋﻬﻢ ﺣﺘﻲ أﻧﻬﻢ ﻳﻌﺘﻤﺪون ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﻓﻲ اﻟﻘﺮارات‬ ‫اﻟﻬﺎﻣﺔ ﻛﺎﳊﺮب واﻟﻬﺠﺮة إﻟﻲ ﺟﺎﻧﺐ ﺗﻘﺪﻳﺮاﺗﻬﻢ اﻻﺳﺘﺮاﺗﻴﺠﻴــﺔ‪.‬‬ ‫رﲟﺎ ﻛﺎﻧﺖ ﺗﻠﻚ ﺑﻌﺾ ﻣﻼﻣﺢ اﻟﻌﺮب ﻓﻲ ﺗﻠﻚ اﻷزﻣﻨﺔ‪ ،‬وﻟﺬﻟﻚ إﻧﻄﺒﻌﺖ‬ ‫ﺑﻬﺎ ﻣﻼﻣﺤﻬﻢ‪.‬‬

‫‪٤٤‬‬ ‫ﺣﺎﺟﺔ اﻟﻲ ﻣﻦ ﻳﺰودﻫﻢ ﲟﺎ ﻳﺤﺘﺎﺟﻮﻧﻪ ﳌﺰاوﻟﺔ أﻋﻤﺎﻟﻬﻢ ﳑﺎ ﺳﺎﻋﺪ ﻓﻲ إﻧﺘﺸﺎر ﻋﺪد‬ ‫ﻛﺒﻴﺮ ﻣﻦ اﶈﺎل واﻟﺪﻛﺎﻛﲔ اﻟﺘﻲ ﺗﺒﻴﻊ اﻵﻻت اﳌﻮﺳﻴﻘﻴﺔ وﻣﺼﻤﻤﻲ ﺑﺪل اﻟﺮﻗﺺ‬ ‫اﻟﺸﺮﻗﻲ وﻟﻮازﻣﻪ ﻓﻲ اﻟﺸﺎرع‪ ،‬ﻓﺈﻧﺘﺸﺮت ﻋﺸﺮات اﻟﻮرش اﻟﺘﻲ ﺗﺼﻨﻊ ﺑﺪل اﻟﺮﻗﺺ‬ ‫اﻟﺸﺮﻗﻲ واﻟﺘﻲ ﺗﻔﻨﻨﺖ ﻓﻲ ﺗﻄﻮﻳﺮﻫﺎ وﺟﻌﻠﻬﺎ أﻛﺜﺮ ﺑﺮﻳﻘﺎ وﺗﺄﻟﻘﺎً‪.‬‬ ‫ﻓﻲ اﻟﻘﺮن اﻟﺘﺎﺳﻊ ﻋﺸﺮ ﻛﺎﻧﺖ ﺑﺪل اﻟﺮﻗﺺ اﻟﺸﺮﻗﻲ ﻣﺨﺘﻠﻔﺔ ﲤﺎﻣﺎ وأﻛﺜﺮ ﺑﺴﺎﻃﺔ‪،‬‬ ‫ﻓﺎﻟﻐﻮازي ﻋﻠﻲ وﺟﺔ اﳋﺼﻮص ﻛﻦ ﻳﻠﺒﺴﻦ ﻓﺴﺎﺗﲔ ﻣﻠﻮﻧﺔ ﻃﻮﻳﻠﺔ ﲢﺘﻬﺎ ﺳﺮاوﻳﻞ‬ ‫ﺣﺮﻳﺮﻳﺔ وﻛﻦ ﻳﺮﺑﻄﻦ ﺣﻮل أرداﻓﻬﻦ ﺷﺎل ﻣﺸﻐﻮل أوﻣﻄﺮز‪ ،‬أﻣﺎ ﺑﺪﻟﺔ اﻟﺮﻗﺺ‬ ‫اﻟﺸﺮﻗﻲ اﳊﺪﻳﺜﺔ ﻓﻤﻜﻮﻧﺔ ﻣﻦ ﻗﻄﻌﺘﲔ‪ ،‬اﻷوﻟﻰ ﺣﺮﻳﺮﻳﺔ ﻣﻄﺮزة ﺑﺎﻟﺘﺮﺗﺮ ﻓﻲ أﻏﻠﺐ‬ ‫اﻷﺣﻴﺎن واﻟﺜﺎﻧﻴﺔ ﲢﻴﻂ ﲟﺎ ﲢﺖ اﳋﺼﺮ وﻣﻄﺮزة اﻳﻀﺎ ﻳﻨﺴﺪل ﻣﻨﻬﺎ ﻗﻤﺎش واﺳﻊ‬ ‫ﻫﻔﻬﺎف‪ ..‬وﻛﺎن أول ﻇﻬﻮر ﻟﻬﺬا اﻟﺸﻜﻞ ﻣﻦ ﺑﺪل اﻟﺮﻗﺺ اﻟﺸﺮﻗﻲ ﻓﻲ ﺛﻼﺛﻴﻨﺎت‬ ‫اﻟﻘﺮن اﻟﻌﺸﺮﻳﻦ ﻣﻦ ﺧﻼل ﺻﻨﺎﻋﺔ اﻟﺴﻴﻨﻤﺎ‪.‬‬ ‫ﻓﻲ اﳌﺠﺘﻤﻌﺎت اﶈﺎﻓﻈﺔ ﻣﺜﻞ اﳌﺠﺘﻤﻊ اﳌﺼﺮي ﻳﻌﺘﺒﺮ اﻟﺮﻗﺺ اﻟﺸﺮﻗﻲ أﻛﺜﺮ أﻧﻮاع‬ ‫اﻟﻔﻨﻮن إﺑﺎﺣﻴﺔ ﻧﻈﺮا ﻟﻜﻮﻧﻪ ﻟﻮن ﺣﺴﻲ ﻣﻦ اﻟﻔﻨﻮن وﻟﻜﻮن اﻟﺒﻌﺾ ﻳﺮﺑﻄﻮن ﺑﺎﳋﻄﺄ‬ ‫ﺑﻴﻨﻪ وﺑﲔ اﻟﺒﻐﺎء ﺧﺎﺻﺔ إذا ﻣﺎ ﻛﺎﻧﺖ اﻟﺮاﻗﺼﺔ ﺗﻌﻤﻞ ﻓﻲ اﻟﻜﺒﺎرﻳﻬﺎت واﳌﻼﻫﻲ‬ ‫اﻟﻠﻴﻠﻴﺔ‪ ..‬وﻳﻘﻮل ﻫﺸﺎم اﻟﺬي إﻋﺘﺰل ﻋﺎﻟﻢ اﻟﻔﻦ واﳊﻔﻼت وأﺳﺲ ﺷﺮﻛﺔ ﻧﻘﻞ‬ ‫ﺻﻐﻴﺮة »أن اﻟﻨﺎس ﻳﻨﻈﺮون اﻟﻲ اﻟﻔﻨﺎﻧﲔ وﺧﺼﻮﺻ ًﺎ اﻟﺮاﻗﺼﺎت ﻋﻠﻲ إﻧﻬﻢ ﺳﻴﺌﻮ‬ ‫اﻟﺴﻤﻌﻪ وﺣﺘﻲ إذا وﺻﻠﻮا ﻟﻘﻤﺔ اﻟﺸﻬﺮة واﻟﺜﺮاء وﺗﺰوﺟﻮا وإرﺗﻘﻮا ﻓﻲ اﻟﺴﻠﻢ‬ ‫اﻻﺟﺘﻤﺎﻋﻲ ﺗﻈﻞ وﺻﻤﺔ اﻟﺮﻗﺺ ﺗﻼﺣﻘﻬﻢ ﺑﺄﻋﺘﺒﺎرﻫﻢ ﺗﺎﺟﺮوا ﺑﺄﺟﺴﺎدﻫﻢ«‪.‬‬

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‫وﻳﻌﺘﻘﺪ ﻫﺸﺎم ان اﳌﺠﺘﻤﻊ اﳌﺼﺮي ﻣﻨﺤﺎز ﻓﻲ ﻫﺬا اﻟﺸﺄن ﺣﻴﺚ ﻳﺘﺴﺎﻣﺢ أﻛﺜﺮ‬ ‫ﻣﻊ اﳌﺸﺘﻐﻠﲔ ﺑﺎﻟﻔﻦ ﻣﻦ اﻟﺮﺟﺎل ﺑﺈﻋﺘﺒﺎر أﻧﻪ »أﻛﻞ ﻋﻴﺸﻬﻢ« ﺑﻴﻨﻤﺎ ﻳﺪﻳﻦ اﻟﻔﻨﺎﻧﺎت‬ ‫ﻻﺷﺘﻐﺎﻟﻬﻢ ﲟﻬﻨﺔ ﺳﻴﺌﺔ اﻟﺴﻤﻌﺔ‪ ،‬وﺗﺨﺘﻠﻒ ﻣﻌﻪ ﻓﻲ اﻟﺮأي أم ﻣﺤﻤﺪ اﻟﺸﻬﻴﺮة‬ ‫ﺑــ»ﻗﻄﺔ« وﻫﻲ ﻋﺎﳌﺔ ﻣﻌﺘﺰﻟﺔ ﻓﻲ أواﺧﺮ اﻟﺴﺒﻌﻴﻨﺎت ﻣﻦ ﻋﻤﺮﻫﺎ وﺗﻘﻮل »اﻟﻨﺎس‬ ‫ﺗﺪﻳﻦ اﻟﺮاﻗﺼﺔ وﻟﻜﻦ ﻋﻨﺪﻣﺎ ﻧﺮﻗﺺ اﻟﻜﻞ ﻳﺴﺘﻤﺘﻊ ﺑﻔﻨﻨﺎ – أﻟﻴﺲ ﻛﺬﻟﻚ؟ ﻟﻘﺪ‬ ‫ﻛﺎن اﻟﺮﻗﺺ ﻫﻮ ﻣﻮرد رزﻗﻲ اﻟﻮﺣﻴﺪ وﻟﻮﻛﻨﺖ إﻣﺮأة ﺳﻴﺌﺔ ﻛﻤﺎ ﻳﻈﻦ اﻟﻨﺎس ﻟﻜﻨﺖ‬ ‫إﻣﺘﻠﻜﺖ ﻓﻴﻼ ﺑﺤﻤﺎم ﺳﺒﺎﺣﺔ ﻓﻲ اﳌﻨﺼﻮرﻳﺔ ﻣﻦ ﻋﻤﻠﻲ ﻓﻲ ﺷﺎرع اﻟﻬﺮم ﺑﺪﻻ ﻣﻦ‬ ‫ﺗﺴﻮل ﻗﻮت ﻳﻮﻣﻲ ﻣﻦ ﺟﻠﺴﺘﻲ ﻋﻠﻲ اﻟﺮﺻﻴﻒ ﻛﻤﺎ ﻫﻮ ﺣﺎﻟﻲ اﻟﻴﻮم«‪.‬‬ ‫ﳌﺎ ﻳﺰﻳﺪ ﻋﻦ ﻋﺸﺮﻳﻦ ﻋﺎﻣ ًﺎ اﻵن‪ ،‬ﻫﺠﺮ اﻟﻔﻨﺎﻧﻮن واﻟﺮاﻗﺼﺎت ﺷﺎرع ﻣﺤﻤﺪ‬ ‫ﻋﻠﻲ وﻟﻢ ﻳﺘﺒﻖ ﺳﻮى ﺣﻔﻨﺔ ﻗﻠﻴﻠﺔ ﻣﻦ اﻟﻌﻮاﻟﻢ اﳌﺴ ّﻨﺎت اﳌﺘﻤﺴﻜﺎت ﺑﺎﻟﺸﺎرع‬ ‫واﻟﺬﻛﺮﻳﺎت‪..‬‬ ‫إن اﻟﺸﺎرع اﻟﺬي ﺷﻬﺪ ﺻﻌﻮد ﳒﻮم اﻟﺮﻗﺺ اﻟﺸﺮﻗﻲ أﻣﺜﺎل ﻛﻮﺷﻮك ﻫﺎﱎ‬ ‫وﺻﻔﻴﺔ اﻻﺳﻨﺎوﻳﺔ وﺣﺴﻨﻪ اﻟﻄﻮﻳﻠﺔ وﺷﻔﻴﻘﺔ أﺻﺒﺢ اﻟﻴﻮم ﻳﺸﺘﻬﺮ ﺑﺼﻨﺎﻋﺔ اﻵﺛﺎث‬ ‫اﻻﻗﺘﺼﺎدى‪.‬‬ ‫ﻋﻨﺪﻣﺎ ﻧﺴﻴﺮ اﻟﻴﻮم ﲢﺖ ﺑﻮاﻛﻲ ﺷﺎرع ﻣﺤﻤﺪ ﻋﻠﻲ اﻟﺘﻲ ﻃﺎﳌﺎ إﺷﺘﻬﺮ ﺑﻬﺎ‪ ،‬ﻧﺮى‬ ‫اﻋﺪا ًد واﻋﺪاد ﻣﻦ ﻣﺤﺎل اﻟﻨﺠﺎرة واﳌﻮﺑﻴﻠﻴﺎ‪ .‬اﻟﺸﺎرع اﻟﺬي ﻛﺎن ﻳﺤﺘﻞ ﺗﺴﻌﲔ ﻓﻰ‬ ‫اﳌﺎﺋﺔ ﻣﻨﻪ ﻛﻞ ﻣﺎ ﻳﺘﻌﻠﻖ ﲟﻬﻨﺔ اﻟﻌﻮاﻟﻢ واﳌﻮﺳﻴﻘﲔ واﻵﻻﺗﻴﺔ‪ ،‬أﺻﺒﺢ ﻳﺤﺘﻞ ﺗﺴﻌﲔ‬ ‫ﻓﻰ اﳌﺎﺋﺔ ﻣﻨﻪ اﻟﻴﻮم اﻟﻨﺠﺎرون وورش ﺻﻨﺎﻋﺔ اﻻﺛﺎث أو ﺑﻌﺾ اﻟﺼﻌﺎﻟﻴﻚ‪.‬‬ ‫وﻳﻘﻮل ﻋﻢ ﺣﻨﻔﻲ »ﳌﺎذا اﻟﺒﻜﺎء ﻋﻠﻲ اﻟﻠﱭ اﳌﺴﻜﻮب‪ ...‬إﻟﻠﻲ راح راح واﳊﻴﺎة‬ ‫ﻻﺑﺪ أن ﺗﺴﺘﻤﺮ‪ ..‬ﻋﻮاﻟﻢ ﺷﺎرع ﻣﺤﻤﺪ ﻋﻠﻲ ﻛﺎن ﻟﻬﻢ أﻳﺎم ﻣﺠﺪﻫﻢ‪ ...‬وﻫﺬﻩ‬ ‫اﻷﻳﺎم ﻫﻲ أﻳﺎم اﺳﻄﻮات اﻟﻨﺠﺎرة وﻣﻌﻠﻤﲔ اﳌﻮﺑﻴﻠﻴﺎ ‪«.‬‬

‫‪-١‬اﻋﻼن ﻓﻲ ﻣﺠﻠﺔ ﻣﻦ اواﺋﻞ اﻟﻘﺮن ال‪٢٠‬‬ ‫‪ -٣‬رﻗﺼﺔ اﻟﺸﻤﻌﺪان اﻟﺸﻬﻴﺮة‬ ‫‪٢‬و‪» -٤‬ﺷﺎرع ﻣﺤﻤﺪ ﻋﻠﻲ« ﻛﺎرت ﺑﻮﺳﺘﺎل‬ ‫‪»-٥‬ﻓﺘﺎة راﻗﺼﺔ« ﺻﻮرة ﻟﺪﻳﻔﻴﺪ ﺟﺎردﻧﺮ‪-‬ﻋﺎم ‪١٩٠٦‬‬ ‫‪15‬‬

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‫اﻟﻌﻮاﻟﻢ ورﻗﺺ اﻟﻐﻮازي‪ ،‬وﺳﺮﻋﺎن ﻣﺎ ﺳﻴﻄﺮ اﻟﻨﻮﻋﺎن ﻋﻠﻲ ﻋﺎﻟﻢ اﳊﻔﻼت واﻷﻓﺮاح‬ ‫واﻟﻠﻴﺎﻟﻲ اﳌﻼح‪.‬‬ ‫ﺷﻲ اﻟﻌﺎﳌﺔ اﳋﺒﻴﺮة ﺑﻔﻨﻮن اﻟﺮﻗﺺ واﻟﻐﻨﺎء واﻟﺸﻌﺮ‬ ‫أي‬ ‫ﻗﺒﻞ‬ ‫ﺗﻌﻨﻲ‬ ‫»ﻋﺎﳌﺔ«‬ ‫وﻛﻠﻤﺔ‬ ‫ْ‬ ‫واﳌﻮﺳﻴﻘﻰ‪.‬وﻛﺎن اﻟﻌﻮاﻟﻢ ﻳﻘﻮﻣﻮن ﺑﺄﺣﻴﺎء اﻟﻠﻴﺎﻟﻲ ﻓﻲ اﳊﺮﻣﻠﻚ أو وﺳﻂ اﳊﺮﱘ‬ ‫ﻓﻲ اﻟﺒﻴﻮت ﺑﻌﻴﺪا ﻋﻦ أﻋﲔ اﻟﺮﺟﺎل‪ ،‬ﺣﻴﺚ ﻛﺎن اﻟﺮﺟﺎل ﻳﺠﻠﺴﻮن ﻓﻲ ﻗﺎﻋﺔ‬ ‫اﻟﺒﻴﺖ ﻳﺴﺘﻤﻌﻮن اﻟﻲ ﻏﻨﺎء وﻣﻮﺳﻴﻘﻲ اﻟﻌﻮاﻟﻢ اﻵﺗﻴﺔ إﻟﻴﻬﻢ ﻣﻦ ﺧﻠﻒ ﺳﺎﺗﺮ‪.‬‬ ‫وﺑﻴﻨﻤﺎ ﻛﺎﻧﺖ اﻟﻌﻮاﻟﻢ ﺗﺜﻴﺮ اﻷﻋﺠﺎب واﻻﺣﺘﺮام‪ ،‬ﻛﺎﻧﺖ اﻟﻐﻮازي ﻳﺮﻗﺼﻦ ﺑﲔ‬ ‫اﻟﻌﺎﻣﺔ ﻓﻲ اﻟﺸﻮارع وأﻣﺎم اﳌﻘﺎﻫﻲ ﻓﻲ اﻷﻓﺮاح اﻟﺸﻌﺒﻴﺔ واﳌﻮاﻟﺪ وﻟﻢ ﻳﺤﺘﺮﻣﻬﻦ‬ ‫اﻟﻨﺎس ﻟﻜﻮﻧﻬﻦ ﻳﺮﻗﺼﻦ ﺑﲔ اﻟﺮﺟﺎل‪.‬‬ ‫ﻟﻢ ﻳﻜﻦ رﻗﺺ اﻟﻐﻮزاي ﻣﺴﻤﻮﺣ ًﺎ ﺑﻪ إﻃﻼﻗ ًﺎ ﻓﻲ ﺣﺮﻣﻠﻚ اﻟﺒﻴﻮت اﶈﺘﺮﻣﺔ أو‬ ‫ﺑﲔ ﻋﺎﺋﻼت اﻟﺒﺎﻛﻮات واﻟﺒﺎﺷﻮات‪ ،‬إﻻ أﻧﻬﻦ ﻛﻦ ﻳﺸﺎرﻛﻦ ﻓﻘﻂ ﻓﻲ إﺣﺘﻔﺎﻻﺗﻬﻢ‬ ‫اﻟﻜﺒﺮي‪.‬‬ ‫ﻟﻢ ﺗﻜﻦ اﻟﻐﻮزاي ﺗﺘﻘﺎﺿﻲ ﻧﻔﺲ اﻷﺟﺮ اﻟﺬي ﺗﺘﻘﻀﺎﻩ اﻟﻌﻮاﻟﻢ وﻣﻊ ذﻟﻚ‬ ‫ﻟﻴﻜﻮن ﻓﺮﻗ ًﺎ‬ ‫إﺳﺘﻄﺎﻋﺖ ﺑﻌﻀﻬﻦ أن ﻳﺤﻘﻘﻦ ﺛﺮوة ﻛﺒﻴﺮة وﻳﺘﻮﻗﻔﻦ ﻋﻦ اﻟﺮﻗﺺ‬ ‫ِّ‬ ‫ﻟﻠﺮﻗﺺ واﻟﻐﻨﺎء إﺳﺘﻌﻦ ﻓﻴﻬﺎ ﺑﻐﻮازي ﺷﺎﺑــــــﺎت وﻛﺎﻧﺖ ﺗﻠﻚ اﻟﻔﺮق ﺗﻘﻮم ﺑﺄﺣﻴﺎء‬ ‫اﻟﻠﻴﺎﻟﻲ اﻟﺘﻲ ﻳﺤﻀﺮﻫﺎ اﻟﺮﺟﺎل ﻓﻲ ﺑﻴﻮت ﺳﻤﻌﺘﻬﺎ ﻟﻴﺴﺖ ﻓﻮق ﻣﺴﺘﻮى اﻟﺸﺒﻬﺎت‬ ‫أو ﻓﻲ دﻫﺒﻴﺎت )ﻋﻮاﻣﺎت(‪.‬‬ ‫وإﻧﺘﻘﻞ اﻟﺮﻗﺺ واﻟﻐﻨﺎء ﻓﻴﻤﺎ ﺑﻌﺪ ﻣﻦ اﻟﺸﻮارع واﳌﻘﺎﻫﻲ إﻟﻲ اﳌﺴﺎرح‪ ،‬وﲢﻮل‬ ‫ﻣﻌﻨﻲ ﻛﻠﻤﺔ ﻋﺎﳌﺔ ﻣﻊ اﻟﻮﻗﺖ اﻟﻲ ﻣﺎ ﻳﻌﻨﻲ راﻗﺼﺔ‪/‬ﻋﺎﻫﺮة‪ .‬وﻳﻘﺎل أﻧﻪ ﻧﻈﺮا‬ ‫ﻟﻠﺤﺮج ﻣﻦ وﺟﻮد ﻓﺮق اﻟﻌﻮاﻟﻢ واﻟﻐﻮازي ﻋﻠﻲ وﺟﻪ اﳋﺼﻮص اﻵﺗﻲ ﻛﻦ ﻳﻘﻤﻦ‬ ‫ﺑﺨﺪﻣﺎت ﻣﻦ ﻧﻮع ﺧﺎص ﻟﻠﻤﻌﺠﺒﲔ ﻣﻦ اﻟﺮﺟﺎل‪ ،‬أﺻﺪر ﻣﺤﻤﺪ ﻋﻠﻲ ﺑﺎﺷﺎ ﻓﺮﻣﺎن‬ ‫ﺑﺈﺧﻀﺎﻋﻬﻢ ﻟﻠﻀﺮاﺋﺐ أﻋﻘﺒﻪ ﻓﺮﻣﺎن آﺧﺮ ﻓﻲ ﻋﺎم ‪ ١٨٣٤‬ﲟﻨﻌﻬﻢ ﻣﻦ ﻣﺰاوﻟﺔ‬ ‫ﻋﻤﻠﻬﻢ ﻓﻲ اﻟﻘﺎﻫﺮة‪.‬‬ ‫وﻟﻜﻦ ﻣﻦ اﻟﺼﻌﺐ اﻟﻌﺒﺚ ﻣﻊ اﻟﻌﻮاﻟﻢ وﻣﺼﺎﳊﻬﻢ‪ ،‬ﻓﻤﺎ أن ﺳﻤﺢ ﻟﻬﻢ‬ ‫اﳋﺪﻳﻮي إﺳﻤﺎﻋﻴﻞ ﺑﺎﻟﻌﻮدة ﳌﻤﺎرﺳﺔ ﻋﻤﻠﻬﻢ ﻓﻲ اﻟﻘﺎﻫﺮة ﻋﺎم ‪) ١٨٦٠‬ﻣﻊ‬ ‫ﺧﻀﻮﻋﻬﻢ ﻟﻠﻀﺮﻳﺒﺔ( إﲡﻬﻮا إﻟﻲ ﻓﺘﺢ ﻣﺤﺎل ﻟﻌﻤﻠﻬﻢ وﻟﻮازﻣﻬﻢ وأﻧﺸﻄﺘﻬﻢ ﻓﻲ‬ ‫ﺷﺎرع ﻣﺤﻤﺪ ﻋﻠﻲ‪ ،‬ﻛﺮد ﺷﺪﻳﺪ اﳌﻜﺮ ﻋﻠﻲ ﻣﻦ ﻃﺮدﻫﻢ وأوﻗﻒ ﺣﺎﻟﻬﻢ‪.‬‬ ‫وﻳﻘﻮل ﻋﻢ ﻋﻠﻲ اﳊﻼق أﺣﺪ أﻗﺪم ﺳﻜﺎن ﺷﺎرع ﻣﺤﻤﺪ ﻋﻠﻲ »ﻟﻘﺪ ﻛﺎن ﻫﺬا‬ ‫ﺷﻲ‪ ،‬ﻣﻦ زﻣﻦ رﻗﺼﺔ‬ ‫ﻫﻮ إﻧﺘﻘﺎﻣﻬﻢ ﻣﻦ ﻣﺤﻤﺪ ﻋﻠﻲ اﻟﻜﺒﻴﺮ‪ «.‬ﻋﻢ ﻋﻠﻲ ﺷﻬﺪ ﻛﻞ ْ‬ ‫اﻟﺸﻤﻌﺪان ﺣﺘﻲ ﺻﻌﻮد ﳒﻢ اﻟﻔﻨﺎﻧﺔ ﺻﺎﺑﺮﻳﻦ »ﻟﻘﺪ ﻛﺎﻧﺖ ﺗﺴﻜﻦ ﻫﻨﺎ ﻓﻮق دﻛﺎن‬ ‫اﳊﻼﻗﺔ اﻟﺬي أﻣﻠﻜﻪ وﻛﺎﻧﺖ ﻓﻨﺎﻧﺔ ﻣﻮﻫﻮﺑﺔ وﻓﺘﺎة رﻗﻴﻘﺔ وﻣﻬﺬﺑﺔ‪«.‬‬ ‫ﻛﺎﻧﺖ رﻗﺼﺔ اﻟﺸﻤﻌﺪان – اﻟﺘﻲ ُﻳﻌﺘﻘﺪ أﻧﻬﺎ وﻓﺪت أﻳﻀﺎ ﻣﻦ ﺗﺮﻛﻴﺎ – ﺗﺆدﻳﻬﺎ‬ ‫اﻟﺮاﻗﺼﺔ وﻫﻲ ﲢﻤﻞ ﻋﻠﻲ رأﺳﻬﺎ ﺷﻤﻌﺪان ﻛﺒﻴﺮ ﻣﻀﺎء اﻟﺸﻤﻮع ﻳﺼﻨﻊ ﺧﺼﻴﺼﺎ‬ ‫ﻟﻬﺬا اﻟﻐﺮض‪ .‬وﻟﻜﻦ ﻋﻢ ﻋﻠﻲ ﻳﻨﻔﻲ ذﻟﻚ اﻻﻋﺘﻘﺎد وﺗﺆﻛﺪ أم ﺣﻨﺎن ﻛﻼﻣﻪ ﻗﺎﺋﻠﻪ‬ ‫»ﻛﻼم ﻓﺎرغ‪ ،‬اﻷﺗﺮاك ﻟﻴﺴﻮ أول ﻣﻦ ﻗﺪم رﻗﺼﺔ اﻟﺸﻤﻌﺪان‪ ،‬إﻧﻬﺎ اﻟﺮاﻗﺼﺔ اﻟﻠﺒﻨﺎﻧﻴﺔ‬ ‫ﺑﺪﻳﻌﺔ ﻣﺼﺎﺑﻨﻲ‪ ،‬ﻫﻲ اﻟﺘﻲ ﻗﺪﻣﺖ رﻗﺼﺔ اﻟﺸﻤﻌﺪان ﻷول ﻣﺮة ﻓﻲ اﻟﻜﺒﺎرﻳﺔ اﻟﺬي‬ ‫ﻛﺎﻧﺖ ﲤﻠﻜﻪ ﺑﺎﻟﻘﺮب ﻣﻦ ﻫﻨﺎ ﻓﻲ ﻣﻴﺪان إﺑﺮاﻫﻴﻢ ﺑﺎﺷﺎ« وأم ﺣﻨﺎن ﻫﻲ ﻋﺎﳌﺔ‬ ‫ﻣﻌﺘﺰﻟﺔ ﺗﺪﻳﺮ ﻣﺪرﺳﺔ ﻟﻠﺮﻗﺺ اﻟﺸﺮﻗﻲ ﻣﻮاﺟﻬﺔ ﻟﺪﻛﺎن ﻋﻢ ﻋﻠﻲ‪ .‬ﺗﻘﻮل أم ﺣﻨﺎن‬ ‫أﻳﻀﺎ أن رﻗﺼﺔ اﻟﺸﻤﻌﺪان إﺧﺘﺮﻋﺘﻬﺎ ﻓﻲ أول اﻷﻣﺮ زوﺑﺔ اﻟﻜﻠﻮﺑﺎﺗﻴﺔ ﻓﻲ ﺷﺎرع‬ ‫ﻣﺤﻤﺪ ﻋﻠﻲ وﻗﺪ ﺳﻤﻴﺖ زوﺑﺔ اﻟﻜﻠﻮﺑﺎﺗﻴﺔ ﻧﺴﺒﺔ اﻟﻲ اﻟﺸﻤﻌﺪان )اﻟﻜﻠﻮب(‬ ‫اﻟﺬي ﻛﺎﻧﺖ ﺗﺮﻗﺺ ﺑﻪ ﻋﻠﻲ رأﺳﻬﺎ‪ ،‬و إﺣﺪى اﻟﺮاﻗﺼﺎت اﻻﺗﻲ ﻛﻦ ﻳﺸﺘﻬﺮن‬ ‫ﺑﺮﻗﺼﺔ اﻟﺸﻤﻌﺪان ﻛﺎﻧﺖ ﺗﺪﻋﻲ »ﺣﻴﺎة ﳒﻔﺔ« وأﺧﺘﻬﺎ ﻋﻨﺎﻳﺎت‪ ،‬ﻫﺬا ﻓﻀﻼ ﻋﻦ‬ ‫اﻟﺮاﻗﺼﺔ اﳌﺸﻬﻮرة ﺷﻔﻴﻘﺔ اﻟﻘﺒﻄﻴﺔ‪.‬‬ ‫ﻛﺎﻧﺖ اﻟﺮاﻗﺼﺎت واﳌﻮﺳﻴﻘﻴﻮن اﻟﺬﻳﻦ ﻳﻘﻴﻤﻮن ﻓﻲ ﺷﺎرع ﻣﺤﻤﺪ ﻋﻠﻲ ﻓﻲ‬

‫‪١‬‬ ‫ﻓﻲ اﻟﻘﺎﻫﺮة‪ ،‬ﻋﺎدة ﻣﺎ ﻳﺮﺟﻊ أﺻﻞ اﻷﺳﻤﺎء اﻟﻐﺮﻳﺒﺔ ﻟﻠﺸﻮارع واﻷزﻗﺔ إﻟﻲ اﳌﻌﻨﻰ‬ ‫اﳌﺒﺎﺷﺮ ﻟﻼﺳﻢ‪ ،‬ﻓﺒﻌﻀﻬﺎ ﻳﺸﻴﺮ إﻟﻲ ﻣﻬﻨﺔ أو ﲡﺎرة ﻣﻌﻴﻨﺔ ﻣﺜﻞ اﻟﻨﺤﺎﺳﲔ أو ﺳﻮق‬ ‫اﻟﺴﻼح واﻟﺒﻌﺾ اﻵﺧﺮ ﻳﺤﻤﻞ إﺳﻢ ﺷﺨﺼﻴﺔ ﺗﺎرﻳﺨﻴﺔ أﺳﻄﻮرﻳﺔ ﻣﺜﻞ أﻣﻴﺮ‬ ‫اﳉﻴﻮﺷﻲ أو ﺳﻌﺪ زﻏﻠﻮل‪ ،‬إﻻ أﻧﻪ وﻓﻲ ﻣﻔﺎرﻗﺔ ﻣﺜﻴــــﺮة ﻟﻠﻌﺠﺐ ‪ -‬ﻳﺮﺑﻂ اﻟﻄﺮﻳﻖ‬ ‫اﻟﻄﻮﻳﻞ اﳌﻤﺘﺪ ﻣﻦ اﻟﻘﻠﻌﺔ ﺣﺘﻲ ﻣﻴﺪان اﻟﻌﺘﺒﺔ ﺑﲔ ﺷﺨﺼﻴﺔ ﺗﺎرﻳﺨﻴﺔ ﻋﻈﻴﻤﺔ ﻣﺜﻞ‬ ‫ﻣﺤﻤﺪ ﻋﻠﻲ ﺑﺎﺷﺎ اﻟﻜﺒﻴﺮ وﺑﲔ ﻣﻬﻨﺔ ذات ﻃﺎﺑﻊ ﺧﺎص ﺟﺪا!!‬ ‫ﺣﺘﻰ ﻋﻬﺪ ﻗﺮﻳﺐ ﻛﺎن ﺷﺎرع ﻣﺤﻤﺪ ﻋﻠﻲ ﻫﻮ ﺣﻲ اﳌﻮﺳﻴﻘﻴﲔ واﻟﻌﻮاﻟﻢ‬ ‫واﻟﻔﻨﺎﻧﲔ‪ ،‬وﻳﻘﻮل ﺣﻤﺪي )ﻣﻨﺘﺞ ﻣﻌﺘﺰل( »ﻟﺪﻳﻨﺎ ﺟﻤﻴﻊ ﻟﻮازم إﺣﻴﺎء اﻷﻓﺮاح‬ ‫واﻟﻠﻴﺎﻟﻲ اﳌﻼح‪ «..‬ﺛﻢ ﻳﺸﺪ ﻧﻔﺴ ًﺎ ﻋﻤﻴﻘ ًﺎ ﻣﻦ اﻟﺸﻴﺸﺔ وﻳﻨﻔﺚ دﺧﺎﻧﻬﺎ ﻛﺎﻟﺘﻨﲔ‪،‬‬ ‫ﺣﻴﺚ إﻧﺪﻓﻊ ﺗﻴﺎران ﻗﻮﻳﺎن ﻣﻦ اﻟﺪﺧﺎن ﻣﻦ ﻓﺘﺤﺘﻲ أﻧﻔﻪ‪...‬‬ ‫وﻟﻜﻦ ﻛﻴﻒ إرﺗﺒﻂ إﺳﻢ واﻟﻲ ﻣﺼﺮ اﻟﻌﻈﻴﻢ وﺑﺎﻧﻲ ﻣﺼﺮ اﳊﺪﻳﺜﺔ ﲟﺜﻞ ﺗﻠﻚ‬ ‫اﳌﻬﻨﺔ ؟‬ ‫ﻛﺎﻧﺖ ﻗﺎﻫﺮة اﻟﻘﺮن اﻟـ‪ ١٩‬واﺣﺪة ﻣﻦ أﻛﺒﺮ ﻣﺪن اﻟﺸﺮق اﻷوﺳﻂ وﻛﺎﻧﺖ ﻗﺒﻠﺔ‬ ‫ﻟﻠﺪارﺳﲔ واﻟﺘﺠﺎر واﻟﺮﺣﺎﻟﺔ واﳌﻐﺎﻣﺮﻳﻦ‪.‬ﻟﻢ ﺗﻌﺪ ﺗﻠﻚ اﳌﺪﻳﻨﺔ اﶈﺎﻃﺔ ﺑﺎﻷﺳﻮار‬ ‫اﻟﻌﺎﻟﻴﺔ واﻷﺑﻮاب اﻟﺘﻲ ﻣﻨﻊ ﻓﻴﻬﺎ اﳊﺎﻛﻢ ﺑﺄﻣﺮ اﷲ ﺻﺎﻧﻌﻲ اﻷﺣﺬﻳﺔ ﻣﻦ ﺻﻨﺎﻋﺔ‬ ‫أﺣﺬﻳﺔ ﻟﻠﻨﺴﺎء ﺣﺘﻲ ﻳﺠﺒﺮﻫﻦ ﻋﻠﻲ ﻋﺪم اﳋﺮوج ﻣﻦ اﻟﺒﻴﻮت‪.‬‬ ‫ﻟﻘﺪ ﺗﻐﻴﺮ اﳊﺎل ﻛﺜﻴﺮا ﻓﻲ ﻋﻬﺪ ﻣﺤﻤﺪ ﻋﻠﻲ اﻟﻜﺒﻴﺮ وأﺳﺮﺗﻪ ﻣﻦ ﺑﻌﺪﻩ‪،‬‬ ‫ﻓﻘﺪ ﺷﻬﺪت اﻟﻘﺎﻫﺮة ﻋﺼﺮا ﻳﺘﺴﻢ ﺑﺎﻟﺘﺠﺪﻳﺪ واﻟﺘﻄﻮﻳﺮ واﻟﻨﻬﻀﺔ اﻟﺸﺎﻣﻠﺔ ﳑﺎ‬ ‫ﺟﻌﻠﻬﺎ ﻣﻜﺎﻧﺎ راﺋﻌﺎ ﻻﻗﺎﻣﺔ ﻛﻞ ﻣﻦ ﻳﺘﻄﻠﻊ ﳊﻴﺎة ﺛﺮﻳﺔ ﺑﺎﻻﺣﺪاث واﻻﻣﻜﺎﻧﻴﺎت‬ ‫واﻟﻨﺸﺎﻃﺎت‪ ..‬وﻗﺪ ﻛﺘﺐ اﳉﺒﺮﺗﻲ ﻓﻲ وﺻﻒ ﻗﺎﻫﺮة أواﺋﻞ اﻟﻘﺮن ال ‪ ١٩‬ﻗﺎﺋﻼ‬ ‫»ﺑﻼد اﻟﻐﺰﻻن وﺟﻨﺔ ﺗﺴﻜﻨﻬﺎ اﳊﻮرﻳﺎت‪ ،‬ﻳﻨﻬﻞ ﻗﺎﻃﻨﻮﻫﺎ ﻣﻦ ﻋﻴﻮن اﻟﺒﻬﺠﺔ‬ ‫واﳌﺴﺮات«‪.‬‬ ‫ﻛﺎﻧﺖ ﺛﻼﺛﺔ ﻗﺮون ﻣﻦ اﳊﻜﻢ اﻟﻌﺜﻤﺎﻧﻲ )‪ (١٨٠٥ – ١٥١٧‬ﻛﻔﻴﻠﺔ ﺑﺘﺤﻮﻳﻞ‬ ‫اﻟﻘﺎﻫﺮة اﻟﻲ ﻋﺎﺻﻤﺔ رﻳﻔﻴﺔ ﺧﺎﻣﻠﺔ‪ ،‬راﻛﺪة اﻟﺜﻘﺎﻓﺔ‪ ،‬ﻏﻴﺮ أن اﻟﻮاﻓﺪﻳﻦ ﻣﻦ اﻷﺗﺮاك‬ ‫واﻟﺸﺮاﻛﺴﺔ ﻣﻦ اﻟﺼﻔﻮة اﳊﺎﻛﻤﺔ ورﺟﺎل اﳉﻴﺶ إﺳﺘﻄﺎﻋﻮا ﻣﻊ ﻫﺬا أن ﻳﺤﺪﺛﻮا‬ ‫ﺗﻐﻴﻴﺮا ﻣﺎ ﻓﻲ ﺷﻜﻞ اﳊﻴﺎة ﻓﻲ اﳌﺪﻳﻨﺔ‪ .‬ﻓﻘﺪ ﻛﺎﻧﻮا ﻣﻦ اﻟﺒﺎﻛﻮات واﻟﺘﺠﺎر ﺷﺪﻳﺪي‬ ‫اﻟﺜﺮاء‪ ،‬ﺑﻨﻲ ﺑﻌﻀﻬﻢ ﺑﻴﻮﺗﺎ ﻓﺨﻤﺔ وﻗﺼﻮرا ﺗﻄﻞ ﻋﻠﻲ ﺑﺤﻴﺮة اﻷزﺑﻜﻴﺔ ﺑﻴﻨﻤﺎ ﺑﻨﻴﻰ‬ ‫آﺧﺮون ﲡﻤﻌﺎت ﺳﻜﻨﻴﺔ ﻋﻈﻴﻤﺔ ﻗﺮﻳﺒﺎ ﻣﻦ اﻟﻘﻠﻌﺔ وﻛﺎﻧﺖ ﺣﻴﺎﺗﻬﻢ ﺧﻠﻒ أﺳﻮار‬ ‫ﺗﻠﻚ اﻟﻘﺼﻮر ﺣﻴﺎة ﻣﺘﺮﻓﺔ ﺣﺎﻓﻠﺔ ﺑﻜﻞ ﻣﻈﺎﻫﺮ اﻟﺒﺬخ واﻟﺮﻓﺎﻫﻴﺔ وﻣﻠﻴﺌﺔ ﺑﺸﺘﻰ‬ ‫أﻟﻮان اﳌﺘﻊ واﻟﻌﺮﺑﺪة‪.‬‬ ‫وﺳﺮﻋﺎن ﻣﺎ أﺻﺒﺤﺖ اﳌﺪﻳﻨﺔ زاﺧﺮة ﺑﺎﻟﻔﻨﺎﻧﲔ واﳌﻮﺳﻴﻘﲔ واﻟﺸﻌﺮاء واﻷدﺑﺎء‪،‬‬ ‫ﻳﺴﺘﻤﺘﻊ زاﺋﺮوﻫﺎ ﺑﺄرﻓﻊ اﻟﻔﻨﻮن وأرﻗﻲ اﳌﻮاﻫﺐ ﻓﻲ ﻣﻨﻄﻘﺔ اﻟﺸﺮق اﻷوﺳﻂ ﻗﺎﻃﺒﺔ‪.‬‬ ‫ﻛﺎن إﺷﺘﻐﺎل اﻟﻨﺴﺎء ﺑﺎﻟﺮﻗﺺ واﻟﻄﺮب ﻫﻮأﺣﺪ اﻟﺼﻨﺎﻋﺎت اﻟﺘﻲ وﻓﺪت إﻟﻰ‬ ‫اﻟﻘﺎﻫﺮة ﻣﻦ إﺳﻄﻨﺒﻮل ﻋﺎﺻﻤﺔ اﻷﻣﺒﺮاﻃﻮرﻳﺔ اﻟﻌﺜﻤﺎﻧﻴﺔ‪ .‬وﻋﻠﻲ اﻟﺮﻏﻢ ﻣﻦ أن ﻓﻜﺮة‬ ‫اﻟﺮﻗﺺ ﻛﺎﻧﺖ ﻣﻌﺮوﻓﺔ ﻓﻲ ﻣﺼﺮ ﻣﻨﺬ ﻋﺼﺮ اﻟﻔﺮاﻋﻨﺔ وﻫﻨﺎك اﻟﻌﺪﻳﺪ ﻣﻦ اﻟﺮﺳﻮم‬ ‫اﳉﺪارﻳﺔ ﻋﻠﻲ اﳌﻘﺎﺑﺮ واﳌﻌﺎﺑﺪ ﺗﺼﻮر راﻗﺼﺎت وﻋﺎزﻓﺎت ﻓﻲ ﻣﺼﺮ اﻟﻘﺪﳝﺔ ﻣﻨﺬ‬ ‫اﻟﻘﺮن اﻟﺮاﺑﻊ ﻋﺸﺮ ﻗﺒﻞ اﳌﻴﻼد‪ ،‬إﻻ أن ﻧﻮع اﻟﺮﻗﺺ اﻟﻮاﻓﺪ ﻛﺎن ﻣﺨﺘﻠﻔﺎً‪ ،‬ﻟﻢ ﻳﻜﻦ‬ ‫ﻫﻮ ذﻟﻚ اﻟﺮﻗﺺ اﻟﻔﺮﻋﻮﻧﻲ اﻟﺪﻳﻨﻲ اﻟﻄﺎﺑﻊ اﻟﺬي ﻛﺎن ﻳﺆدى ﻓﻲ اﳌﻌﺎﺑﺪ وﻛﺎﻧﺖ‬ ‫ﺣﺮﻛﺎت اﳉﺴﺪ ﻓﻴﻪ ﺗﺘﺴﻢ ﺑﺎﻟﻜﻼﺳﻴﻜﻴﺔ واﳋﺸﻮع‪ .‬ﻟﻘﺪ ﲢﻮل اﻟﺮﻗﺺ اﻟﻲ ﻣﻬﻨﺔ‬ ‫ﻣﺒﺘﺬﻟﺔ وﻣﺴﺘﻬﺠﻨﺔ‪.‬‬ ‫إﻧﻘﺴﻢ اﻟﺮﻗﺺ اﻟﺸﺮﻗﻲ اﻟﻮاﻓﺪ ﻣﻦ ﺑﻼد اﻷﺗﺮاك ﻓﻲ ﻣﺼﺮ إﻟﻲ ﻧﻮﻋﲔ‪ :‬رﻗﺺ‬

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‫‪» -١‬ﺑﻨﺎت راﻗﺼﺎت ﺑﺎﻟﻘﺎﻫﺮة« ﻟﻮﺣﺔ ﻟﻠﺮﺳﺎم داﻳﻔﻴﺪ روﺑﺮﺗﺲ ‪ -‬ﻋﺎم ‪١٨٤٦‬‬ ‫‪ - ٢،٣،٤‬ﻣﺠﻤﻮﻋﺔ ﻣﻦ اﻟﻜﺎرت ﺑﻮﺳﺘﺎل ﻣﻦ اواﺧﺮ اﻟﻘﺮن اﻟﺘﺎﺳﻊ ﻋﺸﺮ‬ ‫‪13‬‬

‫ﻣﻮﺿﻮﻉ ﺍﻟﻐﻼﻑ‬

‫ﺑﻘﻠﻢ إﻳﻔﺎ دادرﻳﺎن‬

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‫ﺷﺒﺮا ﻓﻰ ‪ ٢٣‬ﺳﺒﺘﻤﺒﺮ ‪ ١٨٨٨‬وﻗﺪ اﺣﺘﻔﻞ ﺑﺎﻓﺘﺘﺎﺣﻬﺎ رﺳﻤﻴ ًﺎ ﻓﻰ ‪ ٨‬أﻛﺘﻮﺑﺮ ‪ ١٨٨٨‬اﻟﺬى ﻛﺎن ﻓﻰ ﺣﻰ ﻗﺼﺮ اﻟﺸﻮق‪ .‬ﺗﻨﺒﺌﻚ ﻛﺘﺐ اﻟﺘﺎرﻳﺦ اﻟﺴﻴﺎﺳﻰ أن اﻷﺧﻴﺮ ﻛﺎن‬ ‫ﻣﺤﻞ ﻣﻴﻼد اﳋﺪﻳﻮ إﺳﻤﺎﻋﻴﻞ‪ .‬أﻣﺎ ﻛﺘﺐ اﻟﺘﺎرﻳﺦ اﳌﻌﻤﺎرى‪ ،‬ﻓﺘﻨﺒﺌﻚ أﻧﻨﺎ ﻓﻘﺪﻧﺎ‬ ‫وﺑﺪأت اﻟﺪراﺳﺔ ﺑﻬﺎ ﻓﻰ ‪ ٧‬دﻳﺴﻤﺒﺮ ﻣﻦ ﻧﻔﺲ اﻟﻌﺎم‪.‬‬ ‫اﻻﺛﻨﲔ ﻓﻰ أواﺧﺮ اﻟﻘﺮن اﻟﻌﺸﺮﻳﻦ‪ ،‬واﺣﺪ ﺳﻨﺔ ‪ ١٩٨٩‬واﻟﺜﺎﻧﻰ ﺳﻨﺔ ‪.١٩٩٨‬‬ ‫أزاﻟﺖ وزارة اﳌﻌﺎرف اﻹﺳﻄﺒﻼت وردﻣﺖ اﻟﺴﺎﻗﻴﺔ وﻏﻄﺖ اﻟﺼﻬﺮﻳﺞ‪ ،‬ﻟﺘﻘﻴﻢ‬ ‫ﻓﺼﻮ ًﻻ ﻓﻰ اﳉﻬﺘﲔ اﻟﺒﺤﺮﻳﺔ واﻟﻘﺒﻠﻴﺔ ﻣﻦ اﳊﺪﻳﻘﺔ وإن ﺑﻘﻰ ﻣﺒﻨﻰ اﻟﻘﺼﺮ ﻧﻔﺴﻪ‬ ‫اﳌﺴﺎﻓﺮﺧﺎﻧﺔ ذاك؛ ﺣﺮﻗﻨﺎﻩ ﺑﺈﻫﻤﺎﻟﻨﺎ‪ ،‬واﳌﺴﺎﻓﺮﺧﺎﻧﺔ ﻫﺬا؛ ذﺑﺤﻨﺎﻩ ﺑﺠﻬﻠﻨﺎ‪...‬‬ ‫ﻗﺎﺋﻤ ًﺎ ﻋﻠﻰ ﺣﺎﻟﻪ‪ ،‬وﻛﺄن اﻟﻨﺰﻫﺔ ﻗﺪ ﺧﻠﻊ ﺑﺪﻟﺔ اﻟﺴﻬﺮة وارﺗﺪى زى اﻟﻮرﺷﺔ أﻳﺎ ﻗﺎﻫﺮة‪ ،‬ﻣﺘﻰ ﻳﺘﺮﻓﻖ ﺑﻚ أﺑﻨﺎؤك!!**‬ ‫اﺳﺘﻌﺪاداً ﻟﻌﻤﻞ ﺷﺎق! ﺑﺪأت اﳌﺪرﺳﺔ ﺑﺘﺴﻌﺔ وﻋﺸﺮﻳﻦ ﻃﺎﻟﺒ ًﺎ ﲢﺖ اﺳﻢ ﻣﺪرﺳﺔ‬ ‫اﳌﻌﻠﻤﲔ واﺳﺘﻤﺮت ﺗﻌﺮف ﺑﻪ ﺣﺘﻰ زارﻫﺎ اﻟﺴﻠﻄﺎن ﺣﺴﲔ ﻛﺎﻣﻞ ﺳﻨﺔ ‪١٩١٦‬‬ ‫أﻣﲔ ﺳﺎﻣﻰ ﺑﺎﺷﺎ‪ :‬ﺗﻘﻮﱘ اﻟﻨﻴﻞ م‪ ٣‬ج‪ ٣‬ص‪ ،١١٤٩‬وﻗﺪ ورد اﻟﺘﺎرﻳﺦ ﺑﺎﻟﺘﻘﻮﱘ‬ ‫ﻓﺄﻣﺮ ﺑﺄن ﻳﻄﻠﻖ ﻋﻠﻴﻬﺎ اﺳﻢ أﺧﻴﻪ اﻟﺬى أﻗﺎﻣﻬﺎ ﻓﻌﺮﻓﺖ ﺣﺘﻰ ﻳﻮﻣﻨﺎ ﻫﺬا ﲟﺪرﺳﺔ اﻟﻬﺠﺮى ﻓﻰ ‪ ٦‬رﺑﻴﻊ اﻷول ‪ ١٢٩١‬ﻫـ واﺳﺘﻌﻨﺎ ﺑﻜﺘﺎب اﻟﺘﻮﻓﻴﻘﺎت اﻹﻟﻬﺎﻣﻴﺔ ص×‬ ‫اﻟﺘﻮﻓﻴﻘﻴﺔ وﻛﺎن أول ﻧﺎﻇﺮ ﻟﻬﺎ ﻣﻮﺟﻴﻞ ﺑﻚ‪ ،‬أﻣﺎ أول ﻧﺎﻇﺮ ﻣﺼﺮى ﻓﻜﺎن اﻷﺳﺘﺎذ ﻟﺘﺤﻮﻳﻠﻪ إﻟﻰ اﻟﺘﻘﻮﱘ اﳌﻴﻼدى‪.‬‬ ‫ﻣﺤﻤﺪ اﳊﺴﻴﻨﻰ ﺳﻨﺔ ‪.١٩٢٥‬‬ ‫ﻣﺮاﺟﻊ اﻟﺒﺤﺚ‬ ‫رﲟﺎ ذﻫﺐ ﻣﺠﺪ اﻟﻨﺰﻫﺔ ﻛﻘﺼﺮ ﻳﺴﺘﻀﻴﻒ ﻛﺒﺎر زوارﻫﺎ وﻳﺸﻬﺪ ﺣﻔﻼت‬ ‫ووﻻﺋﻢ ﻟﻬﻢ‪ ،‬ﺑﻴﺪ أن ﻣﺠﺪاً أﻋﻤﻖ ودوراً أﺛﻤﻦ ﻛﺎن ﻓﻰ ﻣﻘﺪورﻩ وﻗﺪ أﺿﺤﻰ أﺣﻤﺪ ﺷﻔﻴﻖ ﺑﺎﺷﺎ‪ :‬ﻣﺬﻛﺮاﺗﻰ ﻓﻰ ﻧﺼﻒ ﻗﺮن ج‪.١‬‬ ‫واﺣﺪاً ﻣﻦ أﺑﺮز ﻣﺪارس ﻣﺼﺮ وأﻋﻼﻫﺎ ﺷﺄﻧﺎً‪ .‬ﺗﻄﺎﻟﻊ ﻗﺎﺋﻤﺔ ﺧﺮﻳﺠﻰ اﻟﺘﻮﻓﻴﻘﻴﺔ أﻣﲔ ﺳﺎﻣﻰ ﺑﺎﺷﺎ‪ :‬ﺗﻘﻮﱘ اﻟﻨﻴﻞ م‪ ٣‬ج‪.٣-١‬‬ ‫ﻓﻰ ﻧﺼﻒ اﻟﻘﺮن اﻟﻌﺸﺮﻳﻦ اﻷول ﻓﺘﺠﺪﻫﺎ ﺿﻤﺖ ﻛﺜﻴﺮاً ﻣﻦ أﺑﺮز رﺟﺎل ﻣﺼﺮ ﻓﻰ إﻟﻴﺎس اﻷﻳﻮﺑﻰ‪ :‬ﺗﺎرﻳﺦ ﻣﺼﺮ ﻓﻰ ﻋﻬﺪ اﳋﺪﻳﻮ إﺳﻤﺎﻋﻴﻞ ﺑﺎﺷﺎ ج‪.١‬‬ ‫ﻣﺨﺘﻠﻒ اﳌﺠﺎﻻت وأﻋﻼﻫﻢ ﺷﺄﻧ ًﺎ ﻧﺬﻛﺮ ﻣﻨﻬﻢ ﻋﻠﻰ ﺳﺒﻴﻞ اﳌﺜﺎل ﻓﻘﻂ ﻋﺒﺪ اﳋﺎﻟﻖ ﺑﻴﻴﺮ ﻛﺮاﺑﻴﺘﺲ‪ :‬إﺳﻤﺎﻋﻴﻞ اﳌﻔﺘﺮى ﻋﻠﻴﻪ‪.‬‬ ‫ﺛﺮوت ﺑﺎﺷﺎ وﻣﺤﻤﺪ ﻣﺤﻤﻮد ﺑﺎﺷﺎ وﻋﺒﺪ اﻟﻔﺘﺎح ﻳﺤﻴﻰ ﺑﺎﺷﺎ ﻣﻦ رؤﺳﺎء اﳊﻜﻮﻣﺔ ﺟﻮرﺟﻰ زﻳﺪان‪ :‬ﺗﺎرﻳﺦ ﻣﺼﺮ اﳊﺪﻳﺚ‪.‬‬ ‫ووﻳﺼﺎ واﺻﻒ ﺑﻚ وﻋﺒﺪ اﻟﺴﻼم ﻓﻬﻤﻰ ﺟﻤﻌﺔ ﺑﺎﺷﺎ ﻣﻦ رؤﺳﺎء ﻣﺠﻠﺲ اﻟﻨﻮاب ﻋﺒﺪ اﳊﻤﻴﺪ ﻧﺎﻓﻊ ﺑﻚ‪ :‬ذﻳﻞ ﺧﻄﻂ اﳌﻘﺮﻳﺰى‪.‬‬ ‫وﻣﺮﻗﺺ ﺣﻨﺎ ﺑﺎﺷﺎ وﺣﺎﻓﻆ ﺣﺴﻦ ﺑﺎﺷﺎ وﻛﺎﻣﻞ ﺻﺪﻗﻰ ﺑﺎﺷﺎ وﺣﻠﻤﻰ ﻋﻴﺴﻰ ﻋﺒﺪ اﻟﺮﺣﻤﻦ اﻟﺮاﻓﻌﻰ‪ :‬ﺛﻮرة ‪١٩١٩‬‬ ‫ﺑﺎﺷﺎ وﺗﻮﻓﻴﻖ دوس ﺑﺎﺷﺎ وﺻﻠﻴﺐ ﺳﺎﻣﻰ ﺑﺎﺷﺎ وﺣﺎﻓﻆ ﻋﻔﻴﻔﻰ ﺑﺎﺷﺎ ﻣﻦ اﻟﻮزراء ﻋﺒﺪ اﻟﺮﺣﻤﻦ زﻛﻰ ﺑﻚ‪ :‬اﻟﻘﺎﻫﺮة‬ ‫وﻣﺤﻤﻮد ﺻﺪﻗﻰ ﺑﺎﺷﺎ ﻣﺤﺎﻓﻆ اﻟﻌﺎﺻﻤﺔ وﻋﺰﻳﺰ اﳌﺼﺮى ﺑﺎﺷﺎ اﶈﺎرب اﳌﻌﺮوف ﻳﻮﻧﺎن ﻟﺒﻴﺐ رزق‪ ،‬اﻟﺪﻛﺘﻮر‪ :‬دﻳﻮان اﳊﻴﺎة اﳌﻌﺎﺻﺮة ج‪١‬‬ ‫وﳒﻴﺐ ﻣﺤﻔﻮظ ﺑﺎﺷﺎ اﻟﻄﺒﻴﺐ اﳌﺸﻬﻮر وﻏﻴﺮﻫﻢ ﻋﺸﺮات وﻋﺸﺮات‪.‬‬ ‫ﺗﺎرﻳﺦ ﺷﺒﺮا – ﻣﺠﻠﺔ ﺗﺬﻛﺎرﻳﺔ‬ ‫ﻣﺠﻠﺔ ﻣﺪرﺳﺔ ﺷﺒﺮا اﻟﺜﺎﻧﻮﻳﺔ‪ ،‬اﻟﻌﺪد اﻟﺴﻨﻮى )‪(١٩٥١-١٩٥٠‬‬ ‫دﻳﻮان ﺟﻼﻟﺔ اﳌﻠﻚ‪ :‬اﻷﺳﺮة اﶈﻤﺪﻳﺔ اﻟﻌﻠﻮﻳﺔ اﳉﻠﻴﻠﺔ‬ ‫‪ ٨٩‬و‪!٩٨‬‬ ‫اﻟﻜﺘﺎب اﻟﺘﺬﻛﺎرى ﻟﺮاﺑﻄﺔ ﺧﺮﻳﺠﻰ اﻟﺘﻮﻓﻴﻘﻴﺔ‬ ‫ﺣﻴ َّﺮﻧﻰ ﲢﻘﻴﻖ ﺗﺎرﻳﺦ ﺑﻨﺎء اﻟﻨﺰﻫﺔ وﺣﻴ َّﺮﻧﻰ ﲢﻘﻴﻖ ﺗﺎرﻳﺦ ﲢﻮﻟﻪ إﻟﻰ ﻣﺪرﺳﺔ‪.Elisabeth B, la Contesse : Souvenirs d'un Voyage en Egypte ،‬‬ ‫ﻟﻜﻦ ﺗﺎرﻳﺦ ﻫﺪﻣﻪ ﻛﺎد أن ﻳﻄﻴﺮ ﺻﻮاﺑﻰ! ﻻ ﻟﺼﻌﻮﺑﺔ ﲢﻘﻴﻘﻪ وﻟﻜﻦ ﻷﻧﻪ ﺟﺎء ‪G. Balboni: Gl'Italiani nella civilta del Secolo 19 smo‬‬ ‫ﻓﻰ وﻗﺖ اﻋﺘﻘﺪ ﻓﻴﻪ أﻏﻠﺐ اﳌﻬﺘﻤﲔ – واﳌﻬﻤﻮﻣﲔ ‪ -‬ﺑﺄﻣﺮ اﻟﻘﺎﻫﺮة أن زﻣﻦ ‪de Pasquale 1862-Giulio Cervani: Voyage en Egypte 1861‬‬ ‫ﻫﺪم اﳌﺒﺎﻧﻰ اﳉﻤﻴﻠﺔ واﻟﻘﺼﻮر اﻟﻌﺮﻳﻘﺔ ﲟﻌﺎول اﳉﻬﻞ واﻟﺘﺸﻔﻰ ﻗﺪ اﻧﻘﻀﻰ‪.Rivoltella ،‬‬ ‫واﺳﺘﺒﺸﺮوا ﺧﻴﺮاً وﻗﺪ ﺳﻤﻌﻮا ﺑﺨﻄﺔ ﻟﺘﺮﻣﻴﻢ ﻣﺎ ﺑﻘﻰ ﻣﻨﻬﺎ وإﺣﻴﺎء ﻣﺠﺪﻩ‪ ،‬ﻋﻠﻰ أن ‪G. Delchevalerie: Flore exotique‬‬ ‫ﻗﺮاراً ﻏﺮﻳﺒ ًﺎ اﺗﺨﺬ ﺑﻬﺪﻣﻪ ﻓﻰ ‪ ١٩٨٩‬ﻓﺠﺎء ﻫﺪﻣ ًﺎ ﻵﻣﺎل اﻹﺻﻼح واﻧﻬﻴﺎراً ﻟﺮؤى ‪Rudolph, HIH The Crown Prince: Travels in the East,‬‬ ‫اﻻزدﻫﺎر‪ .‬وﺑﺪأ اﻟﻬﺪم ﻓﻌ ً‬ ‫ﻼ ﻓﻰ أول ﺳﺒﺘﻤﺒﺮ ﺳﻨﺔ ‪ ١٩٩٠‬ﺛﻢ ﻫﺪﻣﺖ ﺑﺎﻗﻰ اﳌﺒﺎﻧﻰ ‪including a visit to Egypt and the Holy Land‬‬ ‫اﻟﻘﺪﳝﺔ اﳌﻠﺤﻘﺔ ﺑﻪ ﺳﻨﺔ ‪ ١٩٩٥‬ﺑﺼﺮاﺣﺔ‪ ،‬ﻻ أﻋﺮف ﺳﺒﺒ ًﺎ ﻟﻬﺬا اﻟﻘﺮار اﳌﺘﺨﻠﻒ ‪.Stacquez, Docteur:L'Egypte, la Basse-Nubie‬‬ ‫وﻻ أﻗﺒﻞ أى ﻣﺒﺮر ﻟﻪ!‬ ‫‪Letters of Lord and Lady Wolseley‬‬ ‫ﻗﻠﻨﺎ أن اﻟﻨﺰﻫﺔ ﻛﺎن ﻳﻄﻠﻖ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ اﺳﻢ اﳌﺴﺎﻓﺮﺧﺎﻧﺔ‪ ،‬وﻫﻮ ﻏﻴﺮ ﻗﺼﺮ اﳌﺴﺎﻓﺮﺧﺎﻧﺔ‬

‫‪.Egyptian Gazette March –October 1882‬‬ ‫‪.Rapport final de la Commission de l'Université‬‬

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‫اﻟﺜﺎﻟﺜﺔ ﺛﺎﺑﺘﺔ!‬ ‫ﻟﻢ ﻳﻜﺘﻒ اﻟﻨﺰﻫﺔ ﺑﺎﺳﺘﻀﺎﻓﺔ رﺟﺎل اﻟﺴﻴﺎﺳﺔ ﻣﻦ اﻟﺸﺮق واﻟﻐﺮب‪ ،‬ﺑﻞ اﻣﺘﺪ‬ ‫ﻛﺮﻣﻪ ﻷﻋﻀﺎء اﻷﺳﺮة اﻟﻌﻠﻮﻳﺔ ﻧﻔﺴﻬﺎ؛ ﺣﲔ ﻋﺎد اﻷﻣﻴﺮ ﺣﺴﲔ ﻛﺎﻣﻞ إﻟﻰ ﻣﺼﺮ‬ ‫ﺑﻌﺪ أن ﻏﺎدرﻫﺎ ﻣﻊ أﺑﻴﻪ‪ ،‬اﺳﺘﻀﺎﻓﻪ أﺧﻮﻩ ﻓﻰ ﻗﺼﺮ اﻟﻨﺰﻫﺔ ﻣﻊ أﺳﺮﺗﻪ ﻓﺘﺮة ﻓﻰ أﺑﺮﻳﻞ‬ ‫‪ .١٨٨٤‬واﻷﻏﻠﺐ أن ذﻟﻚ ﻛﺎن ﺣﲔ اﺷﺘﺪ اﳋﻼف ﻣﻊ زوﺟﺘﻪ اﻷوﻟﻰ اﻷﻣﻴﺮة‬ ‫ﻋﲔ اﳊﻴﺎة أﺣﻤﺪ اﻟﺘﻰ ﻛﺎن ﻳﻘﻴﻢ ﻣﻌﻬﺎ ﻓﻰ ذﻟﻚ اﻟﻮﻗﺖ ﻓﻰ ﻗﺼﺮﻩ ﺑﺎﳉﻴﺰة‪ ،‬إذ‬ ‫ﻧﻌﺮف ﻣﻦ اﳌﺮاﺟﻊ أﻧﻪ ﻃﻠﻘﻬﺎ ﺳﻨﺔ ‪ .١٨٨٥‬وﺳﺘﺮى أن ﺣﺴﲔ ﻛﺎﻣﻞ أﻃﻠﻖ اﺳﻢ‬ ‫أﺧﻴﻪ ﻋﻠﻰ اﳌﺪرﺳﺔ اﻟﺘﻰ ﻗﺎﻣﺖ ﻓﻰ اﻟﻘﺼﺮ ﺣﲔ زارﻫﺎ ﺳﻨﺔ ‪ ،١٩١٦‬أى أﻧﻪ رد‬ ‫اﻟﻠﻔﺘﺔ اﻟﻜﺮﳝﺔ ﻷﺧﻴﻪ ﺑﻌﺪ اﺛﻨﲔ وﺛﻼﺛﲔ ﻋﺎﻣﺎً!‬

‫وﺗﻘﺮأ ﺧﻄﺎﺑ ًﺎ ﻣﻦ ﻣﺠﻠﺲ اﻟﻨﻈﺎر إﻟﻰ ﻣﺴﺘﺮ أﳒﺮﺗﻮن أن ﻗﺼﺮ اﻟﻨﺰﻫﺔ ﺳﻴﻜﻮن‬ ‫ﲢﺖ أﻣﺮﻩ ﻟﻜﻰ ﻳﻨﺰل ﻓﻴﻪ ﻓﻰ أﻏﺴﻄﺲ ‪ ،١٨٨٤‬وﻟﻢ أﻫﺘﺪ ﻓﻴﻤﺎ ﻗﺮأت ﻟﻮﻇﻴﻔﺔ‬ ‫ﻼ ﻻ ﻳﻬﺪأ‪ ،‬ﻓﻤﺎ‬ ‫ﻫﺬا اﳌﺴﺘﺮ وﻻ ﻣ ّﻠﺘﻪ! وﻳﺒﺪو أن اﻟﻨﺰﻫﺔ ﻛﺎن ﻓﻰ ﻫﺬﻩ اﻟﻔﺘﺮة ﻓﻌ ً‬ ‫أن رﺣﻞ أﳒﺮﺗﻮن ﻫﺬا ﺣﺘﻰ ﺣﻞ ﺟﻨﺮال وﻟﺴﻠﻰ ‪General Wolseley‬‬ ‫ﺿﻴﻔ ًﺎ ﻋﻠﻰ اﻟﻘﺼﺮ ﻓﻰ ﺳﺒﺘﻤﺒﺮ ﻣﻦ ﻧﻔﺲ اﻟﺴﻨﺔ ﺣﲔ ﻣﺮ ﻋﻠﻰ ﻣﺼﺮ ﻓﻰ ﻃﺮﻳﻘﻪ‬ ‫ﻣﺠﻠﺔ إﺟﻴﺒﺸﻴﺎن ﺟﺎزﻳﺖ أن اﻟﺪوق أﻗﺎم ﻓﻰ اﻟﻘﺼﺮ وﺑﺼﺤﺒﺘﻪ أﻳﻀ ًﺎ دوق أوف إﻟﻰ اﳋﺮﻃﻮم‪.‬‬ ‫ﺗﻴﻚ ‪ Duke of Teck‬أﺣﺪ أﻗﺮﺑﺎﺋﻪ ﻣﻊ ﻛﺎﻣﻞ ﺣﺎﺷﻴﺘﻬﻤﺎ‪ ،‬ﳑﺎ ﻳﺸﻴﺮ إﻟﻰ أن‬ ‫أﻣﺎ آﺧﺮ ﻣﻦ وﺟﺪﺗﻪ ﺿﻴﻔ ًﺎ ﻋﻠﻰ اﻟﻨﺰﻫﺔ ﻓﻰ اﻷوراق ﻓﻜﺎن وﻟﻰ ﻋﻬﺪ إﻳﻄﺎﻟﻴﺎ‬ ‫ﻣﺎ ذﻛﺮ ﻋﻦ ﺻﻐﺮ ﺣﺠﻤﻪ ﻫﻮ أﻣﺮ ﻧﺴﺒﻰ ﻣﺤﺾ!‬ ‫ﺛﻢ ﻣﻠﻜﻬﺎ ﻓﻴﻤﺎ ﺑﻌﺪ ﻓﻴﻜﺘﻮر إﳝﺎﻧﻴﻮل اﻟﺜﺎﻟﺚ ‪Victor Emmanuel III‬‬ ‫ذﻫﺐ اﻟﻌﺜﻤﺎﻧﻴﻮن وﺟﺎء اﻟﺒﺮﻳﻄﺎن‪ .‬ﺟﺎء ﻟﻮرد دﻓﺮﻳﻦ ‪ Lord Dufferin‬اﻟﺬى اﺷﺘﺮت اﳊﻜﻮﻣﺔ ﻣﻮﺑﻴﻠﻴﺎت ﺧﺎﺻﺔ ﻟﻠﻨﺰﻫﺔ اﺳﺘﻌﺪاداً ﻻﺳﺘﻘﺒﺎﻟﻪ ﻓﻰ ﻣﺎرس‬ ‫ﺳﻔﻴﺮ إﳒﻠﺘﺮا ﻓﻰ اﻵﺳﺘﺎﻧﺔ ﻓﻰ ﻧﻮﻓﻤﺒﺮ ‪ ١٨٨٣‬ﻣﻮﻓﺪاً ﻣﻦ ﺣﻜﻮﻣﺘﻪ ﻟﻴﺪرس ﺣﺎل ‪ .١٨٨٧‬اﻟﻐﺮﻳﺐ أن ﻓﻴﻜﺘﻮر إﳝﺎﻧﻴﻮل ﻋﺎد ﻟﺰﻳﺎرة ﻣﺼﺮ ﻣﺮة أﺧﺮى ﻓﻰ اﻟﺜﻼﺛﻴﻨﻴﺎت‬ ‫ﻣﺼﺮ وﻳﻘﺪم ﻋﻨﻪ ﺗﻘﺮﻳﺮاً‪ .‬وﻛﺴﺎﺑﻘﻴﻪ ﻳﻨﺰل ﻓﻰ ﺛﻐﺮ اﻹﺳﻜﻨﺪرﻳﺔ ﻓﻴﺘﻮﺟﻪ إﻟﻰ رأس وﻫﻮ ﻋﻠﻰ ﻋﺮش ﺑﻼدﻩ ﺛﻢ ﺟﺎءﻫﺎ ﻣﺮة ﺛﺎﻟﺜﺔ وأﺧﻴﺮة ﻣﻨﻔﻴ ًﺎ ﺑﻌﺪ ﺧﻠﻌﻪ ﺳﻨﺔ ‪،١٩٤٨‬‬ ‫اﻟﺘﲔ ﻟﻼﺳﺘﺮاﺣﺔ واﻟﻐﺬاء ﺛﻢ ﻳﺴﺘﻘﻞ اﻟﻘﻄﺎر إﻟﻰ اﻟﻘﺎﻫﺮة‪ .‬ﻫﺬﻩ اﳌﺮة اﺳﺘﻘﺒﻠﻪ ذو اﻟﺜﺎﻟﺜﺔ ﺛﺎﺑﺘﺔ!‬ ‫اﻟﻔﻘﺎر ﺑﺎﺷﺎ واﺻﻄﺤﺒﻪ إﻟﻰ ﻗﺼﺮﻧﺎ‪ ،‬اﻟﻨﺰﻫﺔ‪ .‬ﻏﺪاة وﺻﻮﻟﻪ ﺗﻮﺟﻪ ﻟﺰﻳﺎرة اﳋﺪﻳﻮ‬ ‫ﺗﻮﻓﻴﻖ ﻓﻰ ﻗﺼﺮ اﳉﺰﻳﺮة ﻓﻰ ﻣﻮﻛﺐ ﺿﺨﻢ ﲢﻒ ﺑﻪ ﻛﻮﻛﺒﺔ ﻣﻦ ﻓﺮﺳﺎن اﻹﳒﻠﻴﺰ ردم ﺳﺎﻗﻴﺔ وإﻧﺸﺎء أﺟﻴﺎل!‬ ‫وﻗﺪ أﻃﻠﻘﺖ اﳌﺪاﻓﻊ ﻣﻦ اﻟﻘﻠﻌﺔ ﳊﻈﺔ ﺧﺮوﺟﻪ ﻣﻦ اﻟﻨﺰﻫﺔ وﻋﻨﺪ ﻋﻮدﺗﻪ إﻟﻴﻪ‪ ،‬وﻛﻞ‬ ‫ﻫﺬﻩ اﳌﺮاﺳﻢ ﻃﺒﻌ ًﺎ ﲟﺜﺎﺑﺔ إﺷﺎرات ﻗﻮﻳﺔ ﺳﺎﻓﺮة إﻟﻰ أن اﻹﳒﻠﻴﺰ ﻗﺪ ﺻﺎروا أﻫﻞ اﳊﻞ ﻋﻠﻰ أن ﺗﻘﻠﺐ اﻷزﻣﺎن ﻣﻦ ﺳﲍ اﳊﻴﺎة‪ ،‬وﻗﺪ ﺑﺪأ ﻣﺠﺪ اﻟﻨﺰﻫﺔ ﻳﺸﺤﺐ وﺗﺬﺑﻞ‬ ‫واﻟﻌﻘﺪ ﻓﻰ أرض اﻟﻜﻨﺎﻧﺔ‪.‬‬ ‫ﺳﻴﺮﺗﻪ ﻓﻰ ﻣﻨﺘﺼﻒ ﺛﻤﺎﻧﻴﻨﻴﺎت اﻟﻘﺮن اﻟﺘﺎﺳﻊ ﻋﺸﺮ‪ .‬ورﻏﻢ أن اﻟﻜﺜﻴﺮ ﻣﻦ اﳌﺮاﺟﻊ‬ ‫ﺗﺆﻛﺪ ﲢﻮﻟﻪ إﻟﻰ ﻣﺪرﺳﺔ ﺳﻨﺔ ‪ ،١٨٨٦‬إﻻ أن اﻟﻮﺛﻴﻘﺔ اﻟﺘﻰ ﺗﻔﻴﺪ اﺳﺘﻀﺎﻓﺘﻪ ﻷﻣﻴﺮ‬ ‫وﻓﻰ ﻣﺴﺎء ﻧﻔﺲ اﻟﻴﻮم رد ﻟﻪ اﳋﺪﻳﻮ اﻟﺰﻳﺎرة ﺣﺴﺐ ﻗﻮاﻋﺪ اﻟﺒﺮﺗﻮﻛﻮل‪ ،‬داﺋﻤ ًﺎ إﻳﻄﺎﻟﻴﺎ ﻓﻰ ﻣﺎرس ‪ ١٨٨٧‬ﺗﻘﻄﻊ ﺑﺄﻧﻪ ﻛﺎن ﻻ ﻳﺰال ﻗﺼﺮاً ﻟﻠﻀﻴﺎﻓﺔ ﺣﺘﻰ ذﻟﻚ‬ ‫ﻣﺎ ﻳﺤﻴﺮﻧﻰ ﻫﺬا اﻷﻣﺮ؛ اﻧﺘﻬﻰ اﳊﺪﻳﺚ ﺑﲔ اﻻﺛﻨﲔ واﻧﻘﻀﺖ اﳌﻘﺎﺑﻠﺔ‪ ،‬وﺑﻌﺪ ﺳﺎﻋﺔ اﻟﺘﺎرﻳﺦ‪ ،‬وﻗﺪ ﻻﺣﻈﻨﺎ ﻓﻰ ﻏﻴﺮﻫﺎ ﻣﻦ اﻟﻮرق اﳌﺼﻔﺮ ﻣﻦ ﻓﻌﻞ اﻟﺰﻣﻦ اﻟﺰاﺧﺮ ﺑﺄﺳﺮارﻩ‬ ‫ﻳﺒﺪءان زﻳﺎرة ﺟﺪﻳﺪة‪ ،‬ﻓﻔﻴﻤﺎ ﻳﻜﻮن اﳊﺪﻳﺚ وﻣﻦ أﻳﻦ ﻟﻬﻤﺎ ﲟﻮاﺿﻴﻊ أﺧﺮى أن ﻣﺼﺎرﻳﻒ ﺗﺮﻣﻴﻤﺎت ﻗﺼﺮ اﻟﻨﺰﻫﺔ ﻣﻦ ‪ ١٨‬أﻛﺘﻮﺑﺮ ‪ ١٨٨٢‬إﻟﻰ ‪ ٩‬ﻳﻨﺎﻳﺮ ‪١٨٨٧‬‬ ‫ﻳﺒﺤﺜﺎﻧﻬﺎ!‬ ‫ﻛﺎﻧﺖ ﺗﺨﺼﻢ ﻋﻠﻰ ﻧﻈﺎرة اﻷﺷﻐﺎل اﻟﻌﻤﻮﻣﻴﺔ‪ ،‬ﺑﻴﻨﻤﺎ ﲡﺪ وﺛﻴﻘﺔ أﺧﺮى ﻣﺆرﺧﺔ‬ ‫‪ ١٠‬ﺳﺒﺘﻤﺒﺮ ‪ ١٨٨٨‬ﺗﺸﻴﺮ إﻟﻰ أن ﻣﺼﺎرﻳﻒ ﺗﺮﻣﻴﻢ ﻗﺼﺮ اﻟﻨﺰﻫﺔ ﺗﺨﺼﻢ ﻣﻦ‬ ‫ﻣﻴﺰاﻧﻴﺔ ﻧﻈﺎرة اﳌﻌﺎرف؛ ﳑﺎ ﻳﺸﻴﺮ إﻟﻰ ﺻﻴﺮورﺗﻬﺎ ﻣﺪرﺳﺔ آﻧﺬاك‪.‬‬

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‫ﻛﺬﻟﻚ ﺗﻜﺸﻒ ﻣﻜﺎﺗﺒﺔ ﻣﻦ ﻧﺎﻇﺮ اﳌﻌﺎرف إﻟﻰ ﻧﺎﻇﺮ اﳌﺎﻟﻴﺔ أن ﲢﻮل اﻟﻨﺰﻫﺔ‬ ‫إﻟﻰ ﻣﺪرﺳﺔ ﺟﺎء ﻓﻰ ‪ ١٨٨٨‬إذ أرﺳﻞ ﺧﻄﺎﺑ ًﺎ ﺑﺸﺄن اﻧﺘﻘﺎل ﻣﺪرﺳﺔ اﳌﻌﻠﻤﲔ اﻟﺘﻰ‬ ‫ﺗﺄﺳﺴﺖ ﻓﻰ ﺳﺒﺘﻤﺒﺮ ‪ ١٨٨٠‬ﻓﻰ درب اﳉﻨﻴﻨﺔ ﺑﺎﻷزﺑﻜﻴﺔ إﻟﻰ ﻗﺼﺮ اﻟﻨﺰﻫﺔ ﺑﺴﻜﺔ‬ ‫‪-١‬اﻷرﺷﺪوق رودوﻟﻒ‪ ،‬وﻟﻰ ﻋﻬﺪ اﻟﻨﻤﺴﺎ اﻟﺬى ﻣﻜﺚ ﺑﻘﺼﺮ اﻟﻨﺰﻫﺔ ﻓﻰ ﻋﺎم ‪،١٨٨١‬‬ ‫ﻧﻔﺲ اﻟﻮﻗﺖ اﻟﺬى ﻛﺎﻧﺖ ﻋﺸﻴﻘﺘﺔ ﻣﺎرى ﻓﻴﺘﺴﻴﺮا )اﻟﺘﻰ وﺟﺪت ﻣﻘﺘﻮﻟﺔ ﻣﻌﺔ ﻓﻰ ﻋﺎم‬ ‫‪ (١٨٨٩‬ﺗﻌﻴﺶ ﲟﺼﺮ ﻣﻊ ﻋﺎﺋﻠﺘﻬﺎ‬ ‫‪ -٢‬ﻟﻮرد داﻓﺮﻳﻦ اﻟﺬى اوﻓﺪ اﻟﻰ ﻣﺼﺮ ﻓﻰ ﻋﺎم ‪١٨٨٢‬‬ ‫‪ -٣‬اﻷﻣﻴﺮ ارﺛﺮ‪ ،‬اﺑﻦ اﳌﻠﻜﺔ ﻓﻴﻜﺘﻮرﻳﺎ‪ ،‬اﻟﺬى زار اﻟﻘﺼﺮ ﻓﻰ ﻋﺎم ‪١٨٨٢‬‬ ‫‪ -٤‬اﳌﻠﻚ ﻫﻨﺮى اﳋﺎﻣﺲ‪ ،‬ﻣﻠﻚ ﻓﺮﻧﺴﺎ اﻟﺬى زار اﻟﻘﺼﺮ ﻓﻰ ﻋﺎم ‪١٨٦١‬‬

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‫ﻟﻢ ﻳﻬﻨﺄ اﳋﺪﻳﻮ ﺗﻮﻓﻴﻖ ورﺟﺎﻟﻪ اﳌﺨﻠﺼﲔ ﺑﻨﻮم أو راﺣﺔ ﻣﻨﺬ وﺻﻮل ﺑﺮﻗﻴﺔ اﻟﺒﺎب‬ ‫اﻟﻌﺎﻟﻰ اﻟﺘﺎرﻳﺨﻴﺔ ﺑﺨﻠﻊ إﺳﻤﺎﻋﻴﻞ وﺗﻮﻟﻴﻪ ﻫﻮ ﻣﺴﻨﺪ اﳋﺪﻳﻮﻳﺔ‪ ،‬ﺑﻞ ﻣﻀﺖ أﻳﺎﻣﻬﻢ‬ ‫ﻓﻰ ﻗﻠﻖ ﺑﺎﻟﻎ وﺗﻮﺗﺮ أﺧﺬت ﺣﺪﺗﻪ ﻓﻰ ازدﻳﺎد؛ ﻓﻘﺪ ﻛﺎﻧﺖ اﳌﺮاﺳﻢ ﺗﻘﻀﻰ ﺑﻮﺻﻮل‬ ‫ﻼ ﻓﺮﻣﺎن اﻟﺘﻮﻟﻴﺔ‪ .‬وﲤﻀﻰ أﻳﺎم وأﺳﺎﺑﻴﻊ ﺻﻴﻒ ﻗﺎﻫﺮة‬ ‫ﻣﻨﺪوب ﻋﻦ اﻟﺴﻠﻄﺎن ﺣﺎﻣ ً‬ ‫ﺳﻨﺔ ‪ ١٨٧٩‬ﻃﻮﻳﻠﺔ ﺣﺎرة‪ ،‬ﻳﺰﻳﺪﻫﺎ ﺑﻄﺌ ًﺎ وﺳﺨﻮﻧﺔ ﺗﺄﺧﺮ وﺻﻮل اﻟﻔﺮﻣﺎن‪ .‬أﺧﺬ‬ ‫ﻗﻠﻖ اﳋﺪﻳﻮ اﳉﺪﻳﺪ ﻳﺰداد ﻣﻊ ﻛﻞ ﻳﻮم وﻣﺨﺎوف رﺟﺎل ﻣﻌﻴﺘﻪ ﺗﻨﻤﻮ ﻣﻦ ﻛﻞ‬ ‫إﺷﺎﻋﺔ ﺗﻨﺘﺸﺮ ﻣﻔﺎدﻫﺎ أن اﻟﺴﻠﻄﺎن ﻳﺮﻳﺪ أن ﻳﺴﺤﺐ اﻻﻣﺘﻴﺎزات اﻟﺘﻰ اﻧﺘﺰﻋﻬﺎ‬ ‫ﻣﻨﻪ إﺳﻤﺎﻋﻴﻞ ﺑﺎﺷﺎ ﳌﺼﺮ واﻟﺘﻰ ﻛﺎﻧﺖ ﺗﻜﻔﻞ ﻟﻬﺎ اﺳﺘﻘﻼ ًﻻ ﻋﻤﻠﻴ ًﺎ ﻋﻦ اﻵﺳﺘﺎﻧﺔ‪.‬‬ ‫واﺳﺘﻤﺮ اﳉﺪل ﺑﲔ اﻟﺴﻠﻄﺎن واﻟﺪول اﻷوروﺑﻴﺔ اﻟﺘﻰ رﻓﻀﺖ ﻃﻠﺐ اﻟﺴﻠﻄﺎن‬ ‫ﺣﺘﻰ رﺿﺦ ﻟﻀﻐﻮﻃﻬﺎ ﻓﻴﻤﺎ ﻋﺪا اﻻﺗﻔﺎﻗﺎت اﻟﺘﺠﺎرﻳﺔ وﺣﺮﻳﺔ اﻟﻘﺮوض اﻟﺘﻰ‬ ‫ﺳﺤﺒﺖ ﻣﻦ اﳋﺪﻳﻮ ﺑﻌﺪ أن أﻓﺮط أﺑﻮﻩ ﻓﻰ اﺳﺘﺨﺪاﻣﻬﺎ ﺣﺘﻰ ﺟﻠﺒﺖ ﻋﻠﻰ اﻟﺒﻼد‬ ‫ﻛﺎرﺛﺔ ﻣﺎﻟﻴﺔ أودت ﺑﻌﺮﺷﻪ‪.‬‬

‫وﻓﻰ ﻓﺒﺮاﻳﺮ ‪ ١٨٨١‬ﻳﺄﺗﻰ إﻟﻰ ﻣﺼﺮ أرﺷﻴﺪوق رودوﻟﻒ ‪Archduke‬‬ ‫‪ Rudolphe‬وﻟﻰ ﻋﻬﺪ اﻟﻨﻤﺴﺎ ﻓﻴﻘﻴﻢ ﻟﻪ اﳋﺪﻳﻮ ﺣﻔ ً‬ ‫ﻼ راﺋﻌ ًﺎ ﻓﻰ اﻟﻨﺰﻫﺔ ﻣﺤﻞ‬ ‫اﺳﺘﻀﺎﻓﺘﻪ‪ ،‬ﺗﺄﻟﻖ ﻓﻴﻬﺎ اﻟﻘﺼﺮ وﺗﻶﻵت أﺿﻮاؤﻩ ﺣﺘﻰ ﺑﺪا درة ﻗﺼﻮر اﻟﻘﺎﻫﺮة‬ ‫وﻓﺨﺮﻫﺎ‪ .‬أﻗﺎم ﻫﺬا اﻷﻣﻴﺮ ﻓﻰ اﻟﻘﺎﻫﺮة ﺣﻮاﻟﻰ ﺷﻬﺮﻳﻦ وﻏﺎﻟﺒ ًﺎ ﻣﺎ ﻳﻜﻮن ﻗﺪ اﻟﺘﻘﻰ‬ ‫أﺛﻨﺎء زﻳﺎرﺗﻪ ﲟﺎرى ﻓﻴﺘﺴﻴﺮا ‪ Mary Vetsera‬اﻟﺘﻰ ﻛﺎن واﻟﺪﻫﺎ ﻣﻨﺪوب‬ ‫اﻟﻨﻤﺴﺎ ﻓﻰ ﺻﻨﺪوق اﻟﺪﻳﻦ‪ .‬وﺑﻌﺪ ﻗﺼﺔ روﻣﺎﻧﺴﻴﺔ اﺳﺘﻤﺮت ﺑﻀﻊ ﺳﻨﻮات وﺟﺪ‬ ‫اﻻﺛﻨﺎن ﻣﻨﺘﺤﺮﻳﻦ ‪-‬أو ﻣﻘﺘﻮﻟﲔ‪ -‬ﻓﻰ ﻗﺼﺮﻩ ﻓﻰ ﻣﺎﻳﺮﻟﻨﺞ ‪ Mayerling‬ﺑﺎﻟﻨﻤﺴﺎ‬ ‫ﻓﻰ ﻇﺮوف ﺑﺒﺎﻟﻐﺔ اﻹﺛﺎرة واﻟﻐﻤﻮض ﺟﻌﻠﺖ ﻗﺼﺘﻬﻤﺎ ﻣﻮﺿﻮﻋ ًﺎ ﳊﻮاﻟﻰ ﻋﺸﺮﻳﻦ‬ ‫ﻓﻴﻠﻢ وﻣﺴﻠﺴﻞ!‬

‫ﻛﺜﺮة اﻟﺴﻼم!‬

‫وﻳﺒﺪو أن اﻟﻨﺰﻫﺔ ﻛﺎن ﻳﻌﺮف أﻧﻪ ﺳﻴﺘﺤﻮل إﻟﻰ ﻣﺪرﺳﺔ ﻓﺄراد أن ﻳﺠﺮب‬ ‫أﺧﻴﺮاً وردت ﺑﺮﻗﻴﺔ ﻳﻮم ‪ ٤‬أﻏﺴﻄﺲ ‪ ١٨٧٩‬ﺑﻘﺮب وﺻﻮل ﻋﻠﻰ ﻓﺆاد ﺑﻚ أﺣﺪ ﻧﻔﺴﻪ‪ ،‬ﻓﻔﻰ ﻓﺒﺮاﻳﺮ ‪ ١٨٨٢‬أﺧﺬ اﻷﻣﻴﺮان ﻋﺒﺎس ﺣﻠﻤﻰ وﻣﺤﻤﺪ ﺗﻮﻓﻴﻖ وﻟﺪا‬ ‫رﺟﺎل اﳌﺎﺑﲔ )اﳌﻌﻴﺔ اﻟﺴﻠﻄﺎﻧﻴﺔ(‪ ،‬وﺑﺎﻟﻔﻌﻞ وﺻﻞ ﻓﺆاد ﺑﻚ ﻳﻮم ‪ ١١‬أﻏﺴﻄﺲ إﻟﻰ اﳋﺪﻳﻮ ﺗﻮﻓﻴﻖ ﻳﺘﻠﻘﻴﺎن دروﺳﻬﻤﺎ ﻓﻰ اﻟﻘﺼﺮ ﻟﻌﺪة أﺷﻬﺮ ﻋﺎد ﺑﻌﺪﻫﺎ اﻟﻨﺰﻫﺔ ﻗﺼﺮاً‬ ‫اﻹﺳﻜﻨﺪرﻳﺔ ﺣﻴﺚ اﺳﺘﻘﺒﻠﻪ ﺷﺮﻳﻒ ﺑﺎﺷﺎ رﺋﻴﺲ ﻣﺠﻠﺲ اﻟﻨﻈﺎر واﺻﻄﺤﺒﻪ إﻟﻰ ﻟﻠﻀﻴﺎﻓﺔ‪ ،‬وﻟﻜﻦ إﻟﻰ ﺣﲔ‪.‬‬ ‫اﻟﻘﺎﻫﺮة وﺳﺎر ﻣﻦ اﶈﻄﺔ إﻟﻰ ﻗﺼﺮ اﻟﻨﺰﻫﺔ ﺣﻴﺚ أﻗﺎم‪ ،‬ﻓﻰ اﻟﻮﻗﺖ اﻟﺬى أﻃﻠﻘﺖ‬ ‫اﳌﺪاﻓﻊ ﲢﻴﺔ ﻟﻘﺪوﻣﻪ أو ﺑﺎﻷﺣﺮى ﻗﺪوم اﻟﻔﺮﻣﺎن!‬ ‫وﺗﺘﻮاﻟﻰ اﻷﺣﺪاث اﳌﺜﻴﺮة واﻟﻘﻮى اﻹﻣﺒﺮﻳﺎﻟﻴﺔ ﺗﺘﺮﺑﺺ ﲟﺼﺮ وﺗﺮﻣﻘﻬﺎ ﺑﻌﲔ ﻏﺪر‬ ‫وﻃﻤﻊ‪ ،‬ﺣﺘﻰ وﻗﻌﺖ اﻟﻮاﻗﻌﺔ! اﺣﺘﻞ اﳉﻴﺶ اﻹﳒﻠﻴﺰى ﻣﺼﺮ وﻳﻌﻮد اﳋﺪﻳﻮ ﺗﻮﻓﻴﻖ‬ ‫وﻓﻰ ﺻﺒﺎح ‪ ١٤‬أﻏﺴﻄﺲ ‪ ١٨٧٩‬ﺳﺎر ﻣﻮﻛﺐ اﻟﻔﺮﻣﺎن ﻣﻦ اﻟﻨﺰﻫﺔ إﻟﻰ اﻟﻘﻠﻌﺔ إﻟﻰ اﻟﻌﺎﺻﻤﺔ ﻳﻮم ‪ ٢٥‬ﺳﺒﺘﻤﺒﺮ ‪ ١٨٨٢‬ﻓﻴﺪﺧﻠﻬﺎ ﲢﺖ ﺣﻤﺎﻳﺔ ﺟﻴﺶ اﻻﺣﺘﻼل‬ ‫ﺣﻴﺚ ﻛﺎن اﳋﺪﻳﻮ اﳉﺪﻳﺪ ﻗﺪ ﺳﺒﻘﻪ إﻟﻴﻬﺎ ﻓﺘﻠﻰ اﻟﻔﺮﻣﺎن وأﻗﻴﻤﺖ اﻟﺰﻳﻨﺎت إﺣﺘﻔﺎ ًﻻ وﻗﺪ ﺑﺎﻟﻎ ﻓﻰ اﳊﻔﺎوة ﺑﻬﻢ ﺣﺘﻰ أﻧﻪ أﻣﺮ ﺑﺎﺳﺘﻀﺎﻓﺔ ﺟﻨﺮال وﻟﺴﻠﻰ ‪General‬‬ ‫ﺑﺎﳌﻨﺎﺳﺒﺔ‪ .‬وﺗﺮوى ﻟﻨﺎ ﺟﺮﻳﺪة اﻷﻫﺮام أﻧﻪ »ﺑﻌﺪ اﻻﻧﺘﻈﺎم واﺳﺘﻘﺮار اﳌﻘﺎم ﺗﻘﺪم ‪ Wolseley‬ﻗﺎﺋﺪ اﳉﻴﺶ ﻓﻰ ﻗﺼﺮ ﻋﺎﺑﺪﻳﻦ‪ ،‬أﻣﺎ دوق أوف ﻛﻨﻮت ‪Duke‬‬ ‫ﻋﻄﻮﻓﺘﻠﻮ ﻋﻠﻰ ﺑﻚ وﻗﺪم اﻟﻔﺮﻣﺎن اﻟﺴﺎﻣﻰ ﻟﺴﻤﻮ اﳋﺪﻳﻮ اﳌﻌﻈﻢ ﻓﻘﺒﻠﻪ ﺑﺎﻹﺟﻼل ‪ of Connaught‬ﳒﻞ اﳌﻠﻜﺔ ﻓﻴﻜﺘﻮرﻳﺎ ﻓﻘﺪ ﺧﺼﺺ ﻟﻪ ﻗﺼﺮ اﻟﻨﺰﻫﺔ‪ .‬ورﲟﺎ‬ ‫ودﻓﻌﻪ إﻟﻰ ﺳﻌﺎدﺗﻠﻮ ﻃﻠﻌﺖ ﺑﺎﺷﺎ ﻓﺘﻼﻩ ﺑﺎﻹﻛﺮام وﺑﻌﺪ اﻟﻔﺮاغ ﺗﻼ ﺣﻀﺮة ﺷﻴﺦ ﻛﺎن اﻟﻨﺰﻫﺔ ﻗﺼﺮاً ﺻﻐﻴﺮا ﺑﺎﳌﻘﺎرﻧﺔ ﺑﻌﺎﺑﺪﻳﻦ واﻟﻘﺼﺮ اﻟﻌﺎﻟﻰ‪ ،‬ﺑﻴﺪ أﻧﻨﺎ ﻧﻘﺮأ ﻓﻰ‬ ‫ﺟﺎﻣﻊ اﻟﻘﻠﻌﺔ ﺧﻄﺎﺑ ًﺎ ﺿﻤﻨﻪ اﻟﺪﻋﺎء ﺑﺤﻔﻆ اﳊﻀﺮة اﻟﺴﻠﻄﺎﻧﻴﺔ واﳉﻨﺎب اﳋﺪﻳﻮى‬ ‫ﺛﻢ أﻃﻠﻘﺖ اﳌﺪاﻓﻊ ﻣﺎﺋﺔ ﻣﺮة وﻣﺮة وﺟﺮت اﻟﺘﺸﺮﻳﻔﺎت ﻣﻦ اﻟﻌﻠﻤﺎء اﻷﻋﻼم‬ ‫ﻳﺘﻘﺪﻣﻬﻢ ﺣﻀﺮات اﳌﻮاﻟﻰ اﻟﻜﺮام ﺷﻴﺦ اﻹﺳﻼم واﻟﺴﻴﺪ اﻟﺒﻜﺮى وﻛﺒﺎر اﻟﻌﻠﻤﺎء‬ ‫واﳌﺸﺎﻳﺦ واﳌﻮﻇﻔﲔ واﻟﺬوات واﻟﻘﻨﺎﺻﻞ ورؤﺳﺎء اﳌﻠﻞ«‪.‬‬

‫ﻋﺰ اﻟﺪﻳﻦ ﻳﺼﻞ!‬ ‫وﻳﺘﻮاﻟﻰ زوار ﻣﺼﺮ اﳌﻬﻤﲔ ‪ -‬ﻧﺰﻻء اﻟﻨﺰﻫﺔ ‪ -‬ﻓﻰ اﻟﻮﺻﻮل إﻟﻴﻬﺎ‪ ،‬ﻓﺒﻌﺪ ﻣﻈﺎﻫﺮة‬ ‫اﳉﻴﺶ ﺑﻘﻴﺎدة ﻋﺮاﺑﻰ ﺑﺎﺷﺎ ﻓﻰ ‪ ٩‬ﺳﺒﺘﻤﺒﺮ ‪ ١٨٨١‬ﺗﺼﻮر اﳋﺪﻳﻮ أن ﻗﺒﻮل اﻹﻧﺬار‬ ‫وﺗﻌﻴﲔ ﺷﺮﻳﻒ ﺑﺎﺷﺎ رﺋﻴﺴ ًﺎ ﻟﻠﻨﻈﺎر ﻗﺪ ﺟﻌﻞ اﳌﻮﻗﻒ ﻳﻬﺪأ وﺗﺴﻜﻦ أﻧﻮاﺋﻪ‪ ،‬ﻟﻜﻦ‬ ‫اﻟﺴﻠﻄﺎن ﻛﺎن ﻳﺮﻗﺐ اﳌﻮﻗﻒ ﺑﻌﲔ ﺻﻘﺮ‪ ،‬وﻗﺪ ﺷﺠﻌﻪ إﻋﻼن ﻋﺮاﺑﻰ ﺑﺎﺷﺎ اﳌﺘﻜﺮر‬ ‫ﻋﻦ وﻻﺋﻪ ﻟﻪ ﻓﻰ أن ﻳﺒﺎدر ﺑﺎﺳﺘﻐﻼل اﻟﻈﺮوف اﳌﺎﺛﻠﺔ أﻣﺎﻣﻪ ﻻﺳﺘﻌﺎدة ﻧﻔﻮذﻩ ﻋﻠﻰ‬ ‫ﻣﺼﺮ‪ .‬و ﻓﻰ ‪ ٣‬أﻛﺘﻮﺑﺮ ‪ ١٨٨١‬ﻓﻮﺟﺊ اﳋﺪﻳﻮ ﺑﺒﺮﻗﻴﺔ ﻣﻦ اﻟﺴﺮاى اﻟﻬﻤﺎﻳﻮﻧﻴﺔ ﺗﻨﺒﺌﻪ‬ ‫ﺑﻘﺮب وﺻﻮل وﻓﺪ ﻣﻦ اﻟﺴﻠﻄﺎن ﻟﺘﻘﺼﻰ اﳊﻘﺎﺋﻖ ﻓﻰ ﻣﺼﺮ‪ ،‬ﻓﻰ إﺷﺎرة ﺳﺎﻓﺮة ﳊﻖ‬ ‫اﻟﺪوﻟﺔ اﻟﻌﻠﻴﺔ ﻓﻰ إﻳﻔﺎد ﻣﻨﺪوﺑﲔ ﻳﻔﺘﺸﻮن ﻓﻰ أﺣﻮال ﺑﻠﺪ ﻳﺨﻀﻊ ﻟﺴﻄﻮﺗﻬﺎ‪.‬‬ ‫وﻋﻠﻰ ﻇﻬﺮ »ﻋﺰ اﻟﺪﻳﻦ« إﺣﺪى ﺑﻮاﺧﺮ اﻵﺳﺘﺎﻧﺔ وﺻﻞ اﻟﻮﻓﺪ اﻟﺸﺎﻫﺎﻧﻰ ﻳﻮم‬ ‫‪ ٦‬أﻛﺘﻮﺑﺮ ﺑﺮﺋﺎﺳﺔ دروﻳﺶ ﺑﺎﺷﺎ‪ ،‬وﺑﻌﺪ اﺳﺘﺮاﺣﺔ ﻗﺼﻴﺮة ﻓﻰ ﺳﺮاى رأس اﻟﺘﲔ‬ ‫اﺳﺘﻘﻠﻮا ﻗﻄﺎراً إﻟﻰ اﻟﻘﺎﻫﺮة ﺣﻴﺚ ﻛﺎن ﻓﻰ اﺳﺘﻘﺒﺎﻟﻬﻢ رﺋﻴﺲ اﻟﺪﻳﻮان اﳋﺪﻳﻮى‬ ‫ﻓﺎﺻﻄﺤﺒﻬﻢ إﻟﻰ ﻗﺼﺮ اﻟﻨﺰﻫﺔ ﺑﻌﺪ أن أﻣﺮ اﳋﺪﻳﻮ ﺑﺈﻋﺪادﻩ ﻹﻗﺎﻣﺘﻬﻢ‪ .‬وﻓﻰ اﻟﻴﻮم‬ ‫اﻟﺘﺎﻟﻰ زار اﻟﻮﻓﺪ اﳋﺪﻳﻮ ﻓﻰ ﺳﺮاى اﻹﺳﻤﺎﻋﻴﻠﻴﺔ ﻣﻘﺮ إﻗﺎﻣﺘﻪ وﺑﻌﺪ ﻗﻠﻴﻞ اﻧﺼﺮف‬ ‫اﻟﻮﻓﺪ ﻋﺎﺋﺪاً إﻟﻰ اﻟﻨﺰﻫﺔ ﺣﻴﺚ رد ﻟﻬﻢ اﳋﺪﻳﻮ اﻟﺰﻳﺎرة ﻓﻰ اﻟﻴﻮم ﻧﻔﺴﻪ‪.‬‬

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‫‪-١‬اﻟﺴﻠﻄﺎن ﻋﺒﺪ اﻟﻌﺰﻳﺰ اﻟﺬى زار اﻟﻘﺼﺮ ﻓﻰ ﻋﺎم ‪١٨٦٣‬‬ ‫‪ -٢‬اﻓﻴﺘﻮرﻳﻮ اﳝﺎﻧﻴﻮﻟﻰ اﻟﺜﺎﻧﻰ‪ ،‬ﻣﻠﻚ اﻳﻄﺎﻟﻴﺎ اﻟﺬى زار اﻟﻘﺼﺮ ﻓﻰ ﻋﺎم ‪١٨٨٧‬‬ ‫‪9‬‬

‫ﻫﻜﺬا ﲢﻮل اﻟﻨﺰﻫﺔ إﻟﻰ ﻗﺼﺮ ﺿﻴﺎﻓﺔ أﻃﻠﻖ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ وﻗﺘﻬﺎ اﺳﻢ اﳌﺴﺎﻓﺮﺧﺎﻧﺔ‪ ،‬وﻫﻮ‬ ‫ﻏﻴﺮ ﻗﺼﺮ اﳌﺴﺎﻓﺮﺧﺎﻧﺔ اﻟﺬى وﻟﺪ ﺑﻪ اﳋﺪﻳﻮ إﺳﻤﺎﻋﻴﻞ واﺣﺘﺮق ﺳﻨﺔ ‪ ،١٩٩٨‬ﺑﻌﺪ‬ ‫أن أﺗﺖ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ اﻟﻨﻴﺮان اﻟﺘﻰ أﺷﻌﻠﻬﺎ اﻷﻫﺎﻟﻰ ﻟﻠﺘﺨﻠﺺ ﻣﻦ اﻟﻘﻤﺎﻣﺔ اﳌﻠﻘﺎة ﺑﺠﺎﻧﺒﻪ!‬

‫ﺑﲔ ﻛﺘﺨﺪا وﺷﺮﻳﻒ!‬ ‫‪١‬‬

‫ﻧﻌﻮد إﻟﻰ اﳊﺪﻳﺚ ﻋﻦ ﻣﻠﻜﻴﺔ اﻟﻘﺼﺮ؛ وﻗﺪ ذﻛﺮ إﻟﻴﺎس اﻷﻳﻮﺑﻰ – أﺣﺪ أﻫﻢ‬ ‫ﻣﺆرﺧﻰ ﻋﺼﺮ إﺳﻤﺎﻋﻴﻞ ﺑﺎﺷﺎ ‪ -‬أﻧﻪ ﻛﺎن ﻣﻠﻚ ﻟﻠﺨﺪﻳﻮ وﻗﺖ زارﻩ اﻟﺴﻠﻄﺎن‪،‬‬ ‫ورﲟﺎ ﻟﻢ ﻳﺮ اﻹرادة اﻟﺘﻰ ذﻛﺮﻧﺎﻫﺎ‪ .‬ﻋﻠﻰ أى ﺣﺎل ﻟﻢ ﳝﻜﺚ اﻟﻘﺼﺮ ﻃﻮﻳ ً‬ ‫ﻼ ﻓﻰ‬ ‫ﻣﻠﻚ ﻃﻮﺳﻮن ﺑﺎﺷﺎ‪ ،‬ﻓﻘﺪ اﺳﺘﻌﺎدﻩ ﻣﻨﻪ اﳋﺪﻳﻮ ﺑﺄن ﺑﺎدﻟﻪ ﻣﻊ ﻗﺼﺮ أﺣﻤﺪ ﻃﺎﻫﺮ‬ ‫ﺑﺎﺷﺎ اﻟﺬى ﻳﻘﻊ أﻳﻀ ًﺎ ﻓﻰ ﺷﺒﺮا ﺑﻌﺪ ﻓﺘﺮة وﺟﻴﺰة ﻣﻦ اﻋﺘﻼﺋﻪ اﻟﻌﺮش‪.‬‬ ‫اﳋﺪﻳﻮ إﺳﻤﺎﻋﻴﻞ ﻛﺎن ﻳﻘﻮل »أﻧﺎ أﻋﺸﻖ اﻷﺣﺠﺎر« ﺗﻌﺒﻴﺮاً ﻋﻦ ﺣﺒﻪ ﻟﻠﺒﻨﺎء‬ ‫واﻟﺘﺸﻴﻴﺪ‪ ،‬وﻗﺪ ﻛﺎن ﻟﻠﻨﺰﻫﺔ ﻓﻰ ﻫﺬا اﳊﺐ ﻧﺼﻴﺒﺎً‪ ،‬ﻓﻔﻰ ﺳﻨﺔ ‪ ١٨٦٩‬أﻣﺮ اﳋﺪﻳﻮ‬ ‫إﺳﻤﺎﻋﻴﻞ آﻓﻮﺳﻜﺎﻧﻰ ‪Avoscani‬ﺑﺒﻨﺎء ﺳﺘﺔ ﻣﺒﺎﻧﻰ ﻓﻰ ﺣﺪﻳﻘﺔ اﻟﻘﺼﺮ‬ ‫ﻻﺳﺘﺨﺪاﻣﺎت ﻣﺨﺘﻠﻔﺔ‪ .‬وﻧﻘﺮأ ﻓﻰ وﺛﻴﻘﺔ ﺗﻌﻮد إﻟﻰ ‪ ٢٣‬أﺑﺮﻳﻞ ‪ ١٨٧٤‬ﻛﺸﻒ‬ ‫ﲟﺒﻠﻎ ‪ ٢٠٩٣‬ﻛﻴﺴﺔ أﻧﻔﻘﻪ اﳋﺪﻳﻮ إﺳﻤﺎﻋﻴﻞ ﻋﻠﻰ ﺳﺮاى دوﻟﺘﻠﻮ ﻃﻮﺳﻮن ﺑﺎﺷﺎ‬ ‫ﻟﺘﻄﻮﻳﺮﻫﺎ‪ ،‬واﻷﻏﻠﺐ أن اﳌﻘﺼﻮد ﻗﺼﺮ اﻟﻨﺰﻫﺔ اﻟﺬى رﲟﺎ ﻛﺎن ﻻ ﻳﺰال ﻳﻌﺮف ﺑﺎﺳﻢ‬ ‫ﻣﺎﻟﻜﻪ اﻷول‪.‬‬

‫ﻣﺴﺎﻓﺮﺧﺎﻧﺔ ﻏﻴﺮ اﳌﺴﺎﻓﺮﺧﺎﻧﺔ!‬ ‫أول ﻣﺎ ﻧﻠﺘﻘﻰ ﺑﺎﻟﻘﺼﺮ ﻓﻰ ﻋﻬﺪ إﺳﻤﺎﻋﻴﻞ ﺑﺎﺷﺎ ﻛﺎن ﺑﻌﺪ ﺷﻬﺮ ﻣﻦ اﻋﺘﻼﺋﻪ‬ ‫اﻟﻌﺮش‪ ،‬ﻓﻘﺪ أﺻﺪر إرادة إﻟﻰ ﻣﺼﻄﻔﻰ ﺑﺎﺷﺎ اﻟﻜﺮﻳﺪﻟﻰ ﻣﺤﺎﻓﻆ ﻣﺼﺮ ﺑﺈﻫﺪاء ﻗﺼﺮ‬ ‫اﻟﻨﺰﻫﺔ اﻷﻣﻴﺮى إﻟﻰ ﻃﻮﺳﻮن ﺑﺎﺷﺎ ﺑﻦ ﺳﻌﻴﺪ ﺑﺎﺷﺎ ﺣﻴﺚ ﻻ ﻳﻮﺟﺪ ﻟﻪ ﻣﺤﻞ إﻗﺎﻣﺔ‬ ‫ﻓﻰ ﻣﺼﺮ ‪ ١٩‬ﻓﺒﺮاﻳﺮ ‪ .١٨٦٣‬وﻧﺨﻠﺺ ﻣﻦ ﻫﺬا أن ﺳﻌﻴﺪ ﺑﺎﺷﺎ ﺑﻨﻰ اﻟﻨﺰﻫﺔ ﻛﻘﺼﺮ‬ ‫ﺣﻜﻮﻣﻰ ﻣﺨﺼﺺ ﻻﺳﺘﺨﺪام اﻟﻮاﻟﻰ‪ ،‬وﻣﻦ ﺛﻢ ذﻫﺐ ﺑﻌﺪﻩ إﻟﻰ ﺣﻮزة ﻣﻦ ﺧﻠﻔﻪ‬ ‫وﻟﻢ ﻳﺮﺛﻪ اﺑﻨﻪ ﻛﺴﺎﺋﺮ أﻣﻼﻛﻪ اﳋﺎﺻﺔ‪.‬‬ ‫ﻋﻠﻰ أن أول ﻣﺎ ﻳﺠﺬب اﻟﻨﻈﺮ إﻟﻰ ﻫﺬا اﻟﻘﺼﺮ ﻛﺎن ﻣﺎ ﻛﺘﺐ ﻋﻨﻪ ﲟﻨﺎﺳﺒﺔ زﻳﺎرة‬ ‫اﻟﺴﻠﻄﺎن ﻋﺒﺪ اﻟﻌﺰﻳﺰ اﻟﺘﺎرﻳﺨﻴﺔ ﻟﻪ ﻳﻮم اﻷﺣﺪ ‪ ١٢‬أﺑﺮﻳﻞ ‪١٨٦٣‬؛ ﻟﻢ ﳝﻜﺚ‬ ‫اﻟﺴﻠﻄﺎن ﺑﻪ ﻃﻮﻳﻼً‪ ،‬وﻟﻜﻦ اﻟﻨﺰﻫﺔ رﻏﻢ ﺻﻐﺮ ﺣﺠﻤﻪ أﺑﻬﺮ ﻋﺒﺪ اﻟﻌﺰﻳﺰ ﺑﺠﻤﺎل‬ ‫ﻣﻌﻤﺎرﻩ وﺣﺴﻦ زﺧﺮﻓﺘﻪ‪ ،‬ﺣﺘﻰ أﻧﻪ أﻣﺮ ﺑﻌﺾ اﻟﺮﺳﺎﻣﲔ اﻟﺬﻳﻦ ﻛﺎﻧﻮا ﲟﻌﻴﺘﻪ أن‬ ‫ﻳﺄﺧﺬوا رﺳﻤﻪ ﻟﻴﺒﻨﻰ ﻣﺜﻠﻪ ﻋﻠﻰ ﺿﻔﺎف اﻟﺒﻮﺳﻔﻮر!‬

‫ﺳﺪر اﻟﻨﺰﻫﺔ ﻳﺘﺠﻤﻞ وﻳﺰداد أﻧﺎﻗﺔ ﻣﻊ ﻗﺪوم ﻛﻞ ﺿﻴﻒ؛ ﺗﺄﻧﻖ وﻃﻔﻖ ﻳﺆدى‬ ‫دورﻩ وﻳﺘﺄﻫﺐ ﻷداء دورﻩ اﳉﺪﻳﺪ؛ ﻓﺄﻣﺎﻣﻰ ﻛﺸﻒ ﺣﺴﺎب ﲟﺒﻠﻎ ‪ ٢١٨٤‬ﻛﻴﺴ ًﺎ‬ ‫ﺑﺘﺎرﻳﺦ ‪ ١٥‬ﻣﺎرس ‪ ١٨٧٥‬أﻧﻔﻘﺖ اﺳﺘﻌﺪاداً ﻻﺳﺘﻘﺒﺎل ﻳﻮﺳﻒ ﻛﺎﻣﻞ ﺑﺎﺷﺎ اﻟﺼﺪر‬ ‫اﻷﻋﻈﻢ وزوج زﻳﻨﺐ ﻫﺎﱎ ﺑﻨﺖ ﻣﺤﻤﺪ ﻋﻠﻰ ﺑﺎﺷﺎ اﻟﻜﺒﻴﺮ‪ ،‬ﻗﻴﻤﺔ »اﻟﺘﺮﻣﻴﻤﺎت‬ ‫واﻟﺘﻌﻈﻴﻤﺎت« اﻟﺘﻰ أﺟﺮﻳﺖ ﺑﺎﻟﻘﺼﺮ‪.‬‬ ‫ﺟﺎء ﻛﺎﻣﻞ ﺑﺎﺷﺎ ﻣﻦ اﻟﺸﺮق ﺛﻢ وﻓﺪ ﺳﻴﺮ ﻛﻴﻒ ﻣﻦ اﻟﻐﺮب‪ .‬ﺳﺘﻴﻔﲔ ﻛﻴﻒ ‪Sir‬‬ ‫‪Stephen Cave‬ﻫﺒﻂ ﻣﺼﺮ ﻓﻰ دﻳﺴﻤﺒﺮ ‪ ١٨٧٥‬ﻋﻠﻰ رأس ﳉﻨﺘﻪ اﳌﺸﻬﻮرة‬ ‫ﻟﻴﺘﻔﻘﺪ أﺣﻮاﻟﻬﺎ اﳌﺎﻟﻴﺔ ﻋﻘﺐ ﻣﻮاﻓﻘﺔ اﳋﺪﻳﻮ ﻋﻠﻰ ﺑﻴﻊ أﺳﻬﻢ اﻟﻘﻨﺎة ﻹﳒﻠﺘﺮا‪ .‬وﻓﻰ‬ ‫ﻗﺼﺮ اﻟﻨﺰﻫﺔ ﺣﻴﺚ أﻗﺎم ﺳﻴﺮ ﻛﻴﻒ ﻋﺪة أﺳﺎﺑﻴﻊ‪ ،‬ﻛﺘﺐ ﺗﻘﺮﻳﺮﻩ اﻟﺸﻬﻴﺮ ﻋﻦ ﺗﺪﻫﻮر‬ ‫أﺣﻮال ﻣﺼﺮ اﳌﺎﻟﻴﺔ وﻗﺮب إﻓﻼﺳﻬﺎ‪.‬‬ ‫اﳌﺜﻴﺮ ﻓﻰ أﻣﺮ ﻗﺼﺮ اﻟﻨﺰﻫﺔ أن ﺑﻌﺾ اﳌﺮاﺟﻊ ﺗﺨﺒﺮﻧﺎ أن إﺳﻤﺎﻋﻴﻞ ﺑﺎﺷﺎ ﻧﻔﺴﻪ ﻛﺎن‬ ‫ﻳﺬﻫﺐ إﻟﻴﻪ أﺣﻴﺎﻧ ًﺎ ﻟﻠﺮاﺣﺔ رﻏﻢ ﻛﺜﺮة ﻣﺎ ﺑﻨﻰ وﻃ ّﻮر ﻣﻦ ﻗﺼﻮر‪ ،‬اﻷﻣﺮ اﻟﺬى ﻳﻘﻄﻊ‬ ‫ﺑﺘﻤﻴﺰ ﻣﻌﻤﺎر اﻟﻘﺼﺮ اﳌﻨﻤﻨﻢ وروﻋﺔ ﻣﻮﻗﻌﻪ اﳋﻼب‪ .‬ﻓﻰ ﻧﻔﺲ اﻟﻮﻗﺖ ﻳﺘﻮاﻟﻰ ذﻛﺮ‬ ‫ﺿﻴﻮف ﻣﺼﺮ اﻟﺬﻳﻦ اﺳﺘﻀﺎﻓﻬﻢ اﻟﻨﺰﻫﺔ ﻓﻰ ﻋﻬﺪ اﳋﺪﻳﻮ إﺳﻤﺎﻋﻴﻞ‪ ،‬ﻣﻦ إﺑﺮاﻫﻴﻢ‬ ‫ﺑﺎﺷﺎ ﻛﺘﺨﺪا اﻵﺳﺘﺎﻧﺔ ﻓﻰ ﺳﻨﺔ ‪ ١٨٧٦‬إﻟﻰ ﺟﻨﺮال ﺟﺮاﻧﺖ ‪Ulysse Grant‬‬ ‫ﺳﻨﺔ ‪ ،١٨٧٧‬اﻟﺬى ﻧﺰل ﻓﻰ اﻟﻨﺰﻫﺔ ﻟﻜﻦ اﳋﺪﻳﻮ أﻗﺎم ﻟﻪ ﺣﻔ ً‬ ‫ﻼ راﺋﻌ ًﺎ ﻓﻰ ﻋﺎﺑﺪﻳﻦ‬ ‫ﺛﻢ اﻷﻣﻴﺮ ﻋﺒﺪ اﷲ ﺷﺮﻳﻒ ﻣﻜﺔ ﺳﻨﺔ ‪ ،١٨٧٨‬ﻗﺒﻞ ﻋﺎم ﺗﻘﺮﻳﺒ ًﺎ ﻣﻦ اﻧﻘﻀﺎء ﻋﻬﺪ‬ ‫أول ﺧﺪﻳﻮ ﳌﺼﺮ‪.‬‬

‫ﻛﻞ ﻣﻦ ﻟﻪ أدﻧﻰ إﳌﺎم ﺑﺎﻟﺘﺎرﻳﺦ ﻳﻌﺮف ﻋﻦ اﳊﻔﻠﺔ اﻷﺳﻄﻮرﻳﺔ اﻟﺘﻰ أﻗﺎﻣﻬﺎ اﳋﺪﻳﻮ‬ ‫إﺳﻤﺎﻋﻴﻞ ﻓﻰ ﻧﻮﻓﻤﺒﺮ ‪ ١٨٦٩‬ﲟﻨﺎﺳﺒﺔ اﻓﺘﺘﺎح ﻗﻨﺎة اﻟﺴﻮﻳﺲ‪ ،‬وﻳﻌﺮف ﻛﻴﻒ ﺳﺎرع‬ ‫اﳋﺪﻳﻮ ﺑﺒﻨﺎء ﻗﺼﺮ اﳉﺰﻳﺮة ﻟﻴﺴﺘﻀﻴﻒ ﻓﻴﻪ اﻹﻣﺒﺮاﻃﻮرة أوﺟﻴﻨﻰ وﻗﺪ ﻧﺴﺞ اﻟﻌﺎﻣﺔ‬ ‫ﺧﻴﺎل وراء ﺧﻴﺎل ﻣﻦ ﻫﺬﻩ اﻷﻗﺎﺻﻴﺺ‪ ،‬دﻋﻨﺎ ﻣﻦ اﳉﺰﻳﺮة وﺧﻴﺎﻻﺗﻪ وﻟﻨﺒﻘﻰ ﻣﻊ ﻣﻮﻛﺐ اﻟﻔﺮﻣﺎن!‬ ‫اﻟﻨﺰﻫﺔ‪ ،‬ﻓﻘﺪ ﻟﻌﺐ أﻳﻀ ًﺎ دوراً ﻓﻰ اﻻﺳﺘﻀﺎﻓﺔ أﺛﻨﺎء اﻻﺣﺘﻔﺎﻻت ﺣﻴﺚ ﻧﺰل ﺑﻪ دوق‬ ‫آﻣﻴﺪﻳﻮ دو أوﺳﺘﺎ ‪ Duke Amedeo d'Aosta‬ﺑﻦ ﻣﻠﻚ إﻳﻄﺎﻟﻴﺎ وزوﺟﺘﻪ وﻓﻰ ﻋﻬﺪ اﳋﺪﻳﻮ ﺗﻮﻓﻴﻖ ﺗﺄﻟﻖ اﻟﻨﺰﻫﺔ وزاد ﺑﺮﻳﻘﻪ وﻗﺪ أﻣﺴﻰ ﺷﺎﻫﺪاً ﻓﻰ ﻗﻠﺐ‬ ‫اﻟﺪوﻗﺔ وﺑﻌﺪ ﻣﻐﺎدرﺗﻬﻤﺎ اﻟﻨﺰﻫﺔ ﺣﻞ ﺑﻪ ﻓﻰ ﻧﻔﺲ اﻟﺸﻬﺮ وﻟﻰ ﻋﻬﺪ ﻫﻮﻟﻨﺪا‪ .‬ﻓﻰ ﺗﻠﻚ أﻫﻢ أﺣﺪاﺛﻪ وأﻛﺜﺮﻫﺎ إﺛﺎرة‪ .‬ﻓﻰ ﻣﻘﺎل ﻗﺼﺮ اﻹﺳﻤﺎﻋﻴﻠﻴﺔ اﺳﺘﻌﺮﺿﻨﺎ ﻣﻼﺑﺴﺎت‬ ‫اﻟﺴﻨﺔ ﺑﺪأ اﳋﺪﻳﻮ ﻓﻰ إﻧﺸﺎء أول ﺣﺪﻳﻘﺔ ﻟﻠﺤﻴﻮان ﻓﻰ ﻣﺼﺮ ﻓﻰ اﻟﻘﺼﺮ اﻟﻌﺎﻟﻰ ﺛﻢ ﺧﻠﻊ اﻷب وإﺣﻼل اﺑﻨﻪ ﻓﻰ ﻣﻘﺎﻣﻪ وﻗﺪ ﺷﻬﺪﻫﺎ ذﻟﻚ اﻟﻘﺼﺮ‪ ،‬وﺗﺄﺗﻰ ﺷﻬﺎدة ﻗﺼﺮ‬ ‫ﻧﻘﻠﻬﺎ إﻟﻰ ﻗﺼﺮ اﻟﻨﺰﻫﺔ ﻟﺒﻌﺾ اﻟﻮﻗﺖ‪ ،‬أو اﻷﻏﻠﺐ أﻧﻪ ﻧﻘﻠﻬﺎ إﻟﻰ اﻷراﺿﻰ اﳌﺘﺎﺧﻤﺔ اﻟﻨﺰﻫﺔ ﻟﺘﺘﻢ أﺣﺪاث ﻫﺬا اﻟﻔﺼﻞ اﳋﻄﻴﺮ ﻓﻰ ﺗﺎرﻳﺨﻨﺎ اﳌﻌﺎﺻﺮ‪.‬‬ ‫‪٢‬‬ ‫‪١‬‬ ‫ﻟﻪ واﻟﺘﻰ ﺑﻴﻌﺖ ﻓﻰ أواﺧﺮ ﻋﻬﺪ اﳋﺪﻳﻮ إﺳﻤﺎﻋﻴﻞ وﻗﺴﻤﺖ أراﺿﻴﻬﺎ‪.‬‬ ‫‪8‬‬

‫ﻛﻴﻒ وﻟﺪ‪ .‬ﻓﺮﻳﻖ ﻳﺮى أن ﺳﻌﻴﺪ ﺑﺎﺷﺎ ﻫﻮ اﻟﺬى ﺑﻨﺎﻩ‪ ،‬وﻓﻰ اﻟﻮﺛﺎﺋﻖ ﻣﺎ ﻳﺰﻛﻰ‬ ‫ﻼ ﲡﺪ ﺟﻮاب ﺻﺎدر ﻓﻰ ‪ ٢٠‬دﻳﺴﻤﺒﺮ ‪ ١٨٦١‬إﻟﻰ‬ ‫ﻫﺬا اﻟﺮأى‪ .‬ﻣﻦ ذﻟﻚ ﻣﺜ ً‬ ‫»ﻋﻤﻮم ﺟﺒﺨﺎﻧﺎت اﶈﺮوﺳﺔ« )أى ﻣﺨﺎزن اﻟﺬﺧﻴﺮة ﺑﺎﻟﻘﺎﻫﺮة( ﺑﺸﺄن ﺛﻤﻦ ﻗﻨﺎﻃﻴﺮ‬ ‫اﻟﺒﺎرود ﻟﻘﻄﻊ اﻷﺣﺠﺎر ﻟﺰوم ﺑﻨﺎء ﻗﺼﺮ اﻟﻨﺰﻫﺔ‪ ،‬وﺟﻮاب آﺧﺮ ﺻﺎدر ﻓﻰ ‪١٦‬‬ ‫ﻳﻨﺎﻳﺮ ‪ ١٨٦١‬إﻟﻰ اﺳﻄﺒﻞ ﺷﺒﲔ ﺑﺨﺼﻮص ﺛﻤﻦ اﻷرﺑﻌﺔ ﺧﻴﻮل اﳌﺄﺧﻮذﻳﻦ ﻣﻦ‬ ‫ﻣﻮاﺷﻰ اﻻﺳﻄﺒﻞ ﻟﺰوم زراﻋﺔ ﻗﺼﺮ اﻟﻨﺰﻫﺔ‪ .‬وﺗﻠﻤﺲ ﻣﻦ ﺑﻌﺾ ﻣﺎ ورد ﻓﻰ اﻟﻮﺛﺎﺋﻖ‬ ‫اﶈﻔﻮﻇﺔ أن اﳋﻮاﺟﺔ ﺑﻴﺎﺗﻮﻟﻰ واﳋﻮاﺟﺔ إﺳﺘﻮﻟّﻰ ﻛﺎﻧﺎ ﺿﻤﻦ اﳌﻘﺎوﻟﲔ اﻟﺬﻳﻦ ﻋﻬﺪ‬ ‫إﻟﻴﻬﻢ ﺑﺘﺸﻴﻴﺪ اﻟﻘﺼﺮ‪ ،‬ﻛﺬﻟﻚ ﲡﺪ ﺧﻄﺎﺑ ًﺎ ﺻﺎدراً إﻟﻰ ﻣﺄﻣﻮر أﺷﻐﺎل ﻗﺼﺮ اﻟﻨﻴﻞ‬ ‫ﺑﺸﺄن أﺟﺮة ﺑﻨﺎء ﻗﺼﺮ اﻟﻨﺰﻫﺔ ﻓﻰ ‪ ٢٤‬ﻳﻨﺎﻳﺮ ‪ ،١٨٥٩‬وﻛﻞ ذﻟﻚ ﻛﺎد أن ﻳﻘﻨﻌﻨﻰ‬ ‫أن ﺳﻌﻴﺪ ﺑﺎﺷﺎ ﺑﻨﻰ اﻟﻨﺰﻫﺔ‪.‬‬

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‫ﻋﻠﻰ أن ﻋﺒﺪ اﳊﻤﻴﺪ ﺑﻚ ﻧﺎﻓﻊ‪ ،‬وﻫﻮ ﻣﻌﺎﺻﺮ ﻟﺴﻌﻴﺪ ﺑﺎﺷﺎ‪ ،‬ﻛﺘﺐ أﻧﻪ اﺷﺘﺮاﻩ‬ ‫ﻣﻦ ﻣﺴﻴﻮ ُدﻻ ﺑﻮرت ﺛﻢ وﺳﻌﻪ وأﺿﺎف إﻟﻴﻪ‪ .‬ﺑﺴﻔﻴﻚ ﻫﻨﺮى دو ﻻ ﺑﻮرت‬ ‫‪ (١٨٧٧-١٨١٥) Pacifique Henri Delaporte‬ﻛﺎن ﻳﺘﻘﻦ‬ ‫اﻟﻌﺮﺑﻴﺔ‪ ،‬وﻗﺪ ﺟﺎء إﻟﻰ ﻣﺼﺮ ﺳﻨﺔ ‪ ١٨٤٨‬ﻗﻨﺼ ً‬ ‫ﻼ ﻟﻔﺮﻧﺴﺎ ﻓﻰ ﻣﺼﺮ واﺳﺘﻤﺮ ﺑﻬﺎ‬ ‫ﻼ ﻟﺒﻼدﻩ ﻫﻨﺎك‪.‬‬ ‫ﺣﺘﻰ ﺳﻨﺔ ‪ ١٨٦١‬ﺣﲔ ﻏﺎدرﻫﺎ إﻟﻰ ﺑﻐﺪاد ﻗﻨﺼ ً‬ ‫اﺷﺘﺮى ﺳﻌﻴﺪ ﺑﺎﺷﺎ إذن اﻟﻨﺰﻫﺔ وأﺿﺎف إﻟﻴﻪ ﺟﻨﺎﺣﲔ ﻛﻞ ﻣﻨﻬﻤﺎ ﺛﻼﺛﺔ أدوار‬ ‫ﻳﺼﻠﻬﻤﺎ ﻣﺒﻨﻰ ﻣﺮﺑﻊ ﺻﻐﻴﺮ ﺑﻪ ﻣﺪﺧﻞ اﻟﻘﺼﺮ ﻳﻘﻒ ﻋﻠﻰ أﻋﻤﺪة وﺗﻌﻠﻮﻩ ﻗﺒﺔ‬ ‫ﺑﻴﻀﺎوﻳﺔ‪ ،‬وﻗﺪ أﺛﺜﻪ ﺑﺄﻓﺨﺮ اﻟﺮﻳﺎش ﻓﺠﺎء ﻣﺰﻳﺠ ًﺎ أﻧﻴﻘ ًﺎ ﻣﻦ اﻟﻄﺮز اﻟﻐﺮﺑﻴﺔ واﻟﺸﺮﻗﻴﺔ‪.‬‬ ‫ﺳﻌﻴﺪ ﺑﺎﺷﺎ ﻛﺎن ﻣﻐﺮﻣ ًﺎ ﺑﺎﻟﻨﺰﻫﺔ ﺗ َّﻮاﻗ ًﺎ ﻟﺘﻤﻀﻴﺔ اﻟﻮﻗﺖ ﻓﻴﻪ وأول ذﻛﺮ وﺟﺪﺗﻪ‬ ‫ﻻﺳﺘﻘﺒﺎل رﺳﻤﻰ أﺟﺮى ﻓﻰ اﻟﻘﺼﺮ ﻛﺎن ﻓﻰ ﻧﻮﻓﻤﺒﺮ ‪ ١٨٦١‬ﻟﻜﻮﻧﺖ دو ﺷﻮﻣﺒﻮر‬ ‫‪ Comte de Chambord‬اﻟﺬى أﺻﺒﺢ ﻫﻨﺮى اﳋﺎﻣﺲ ﻣﻠﻚ ﻓﺮﻧﺴﺎ ﻓﻴﻤﺎ‬ ‫ﺑﻌﺪ‪ ،‬ﻓﻘﺪ وﺻﻞ إﻟﻰ اﻟﻘﺎﻫﺮة ﻓﻰ ‪ ١٢‬ﻧﻮﻓﻤﺒﺮ ‪ ١٨٦١‬واﺳﺘﻘﺒﻠﻪ اﻟﻮاﻟﻰ ﻓﻰ ﻗﺼﺮ‬ ‫اﻟﻨﺰﻫﺔ‪ .‬ﺑﻌﺪ اﻟﻜﻮﻧﺖ ﺟﺎء اﻟﺪوق‪ ،‬ﻓﻔﻰ دﻳﺴﻤﺒﺮ ‪ ١٨٦٢‬ﻳﺴﺘﻘﺒﻞ اﻟﻮاﻟﻰ ﻓﻰ‬ ‫اﻟﻨﺰﻫﺔ دوق أوف ﺑﺮاﺑﻮن ‪Duke of Brabant‬وﻟﻰ ﻋﻬﺪ ﺑﻠﺠﻴﻜﺎ اﻟﺬى ﺻﺎر‬ ‫ﻓﻴﻤﺎ ﺑﻌﺪ اﳌﻠﻚ ﻟﻴﻮﺑﻮﻟﺪ اﻟﺜﺎﻧﻰ‪.‬‬ ‫اﻟﺪوق ﻟﻢ ﻳﻘﻄﻦ اﻟﻨﺰﻫﺔ‪ ،‬إذ ﺳﺮﻋﺎن ﻣﺎ ﻏﺎدر اﻟﻘﺎﻫﺮة ﻓﻰ رﺣﻠﺔ ﻧﻴﻠﻴﺔ ﻋﻠﻰ ﻳﺨﺖ‬ ‫اﻟﻮاﻟﻰ اﳋﺎص ﳌﺸﺎﻫﺪة آﺛﺎر اﻟﺼﻌﻴﺪ‪ ،‬أﻣﺎ اﻟﻜﻮﻧﺖ ﻓﻘﺪ أﻗﺎم ﺑﻪ وﻳﺮوى دﻛﺘﻮر‬ ‫ﺳﺘﺎﻛﻮى ‪ Stacquez‬اﻟﺬى راﻓﻘﻪ وﺻﻔ ًﺎ ﻃﺮﻳﻔ ًﺎ ﻟﻠﻘﺼﺮ ﻓﻰ أواﺋﻞ أﻳﺎﻣﻪ‪ .‬ﻳﻘﻮل‬ ‫أن ﺣﻮاﺋﻄﻪ ﻏﻠﻔﺖ ﺑﻮرق اﳊﻮاﺋﻂ اﳌﻠﻮن اﻷﻧﻴﻖ وأﻧﻪ ﺷﺎﻫﺪ ﺑﺎﻟﻨﺰﻫﺔ أول وآﺧﺮ‬ ‫ﻣﺪﻓﺄة ﺻﺎدﻓﻬﺎ ﻓﻰ ﻛﻞ ﻗﺼﻮر اﻟﻘﺎﻫﺮة اﻟﺘﻰ زارﻫﺎ‪ ،‬وأن ﺣﺠﺮات اﻟﻨﻮم اﻟﺘﻰ ﺗﻐﻄﻰ‬ ‫ﺷﺒﺎﺑﻴﻜﻬﺎ ﺳﺘﺎﺋﺮ رﻗﻴﻘﺔ ﲢﻮى ِ‬ ‫أﺳ ّﺮة ﻣﻦ اﻟﻔﻀﺔ اﳋﺎﻟﺼﺔ‪ .‬اﻟﻄﺮﻳﻒ أن اﳋﻮاﺟﺎ‬ ‫إﻟﻴﺎﻗﻴﻢ ‪ Eliakim‬واﺣﺪاً ﻣﻦ أﺷﻬﺮ اﳉﻮاﻫﺮﺟﻴﺔ ﻓﻰ ﻣﺼﺮ ﻓﻰ أواﺧﺮ اﻟﻘﺮن‬ ‫اﻟﺘﺎﺳﻊ ﻋﺸﺮ ﻛ َّﻮن ﺛﺮوة ﻫﺎﺋﻠﺔ ﺣﲔ اﺷﺘﺮى ﻫﺬﻩ اﻷﺳﺮة ﻓﻰ اﳌﺰاد ﻋﻠﻰ أﻧﻬﺎ ﻣﻦ‬ ‫اﳌﻌﺪن ﺛﻢ اﻛﺘﺸﻒ أﻧﻬﺎ ﻓﻀﺔ ﺧﺎﻟﺼﺔ!‬

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‫اﳌﻬﻢ ﻓﻰ ﻫﺬا اﻟﻮﺻﻒ أﻧﻪ ﻳﻨﻔﻰ ﻣﺎ ذﻫﺒﺖ إﻟﻴﻪ ﻛﺜﻴﺮ ﻣﻦ اﳌﺼﺎدر ﻣﻦ أن اﻟﻨﺰﻫﺔ‬ ‫ﺑﺪأ اﺳﺘﺨﺪاﻣﻪ ﻗﺼﺮاً ﻟﻠﻀﻴﺎﻓﺔ ﻓﻰ ﻋﻬﺪ اﳋﺪﻳﻮ إﺳﻤﺎﻋﻴﻞ وﻳﺜﺒﺖ أن اﻟﻘﺼﺮ‬ ‫اﺳﺘﻀﺎف ﻛﺒﺎر ﺿﻴﻮف ﻣﺼﺮ ﻣﻨﺬ أﻳﺎﻣﻪ اﻷوﻟﻰ ﻓﻰ ﻋﻬﺪ ﺳﻌﻴﺪ ﺑﺎﺷﺎ‪ .‬ﻓﻰ ذﻟﻚ‬ ‫اﻟﻮﻗﺖ ﻛﺎن ﻏﻔﻴﺮ اﻟﻘﺼﺮ اﺳﻤﻪ ﺳﻠﻴﻢ ﺳﻠﻴﻤﺎن‪ ،‬ﻣﻌﻠﻮﻣﺔ ﻻ أﻫﻤﻴﺔ ﻟﻬﺎ!‬ ‫ﺷﺎرع ﺷﺒﺮا ﺣﻴﺚ ﻛﺎن ﻳﻘﻊ اﻟﻘﺼﺮ‬ ‫‪ -١‬رﺳﻢ ﻛﺎرﻳﻜﺎﺗﻮرى ﻟﺴﻴﺮ ﺳﺘﻴﻔﲔ ﻛﻴﻴﻒ اﻟﺬى ﺑﻌﺚ ﳌﺼﺮ ﻓﻰ دﻳﺴﻤﺒﺮ ‪ ١٨٧٥‬ﻋﻠﻰ رأس‬ ‫ﳉﻨﻪ ﻟﺘﻔﻘﺪ أﺣﻮال اﻟﺒﻠﺪ اﳌﺎﻟﻴﺔ ﻋﻘﺐ ﻣﻮاﻓﻘﺔ اﳋﺪﻳﻮ اﺳﻤﺎﻋﻴﻞ ﻋﻠﻰ ﺑﻴﻊ أﺳﻬﻢ اﻟﻘﻨﺎة ﻹﳒﻠﺘﺮ‬ ‫‪-٢‬اﻣﺎدﻳﻮ اﻷول ﻣﻠﻚ اﺳﺒﺎﻧﻴﺎ اﻟﺬى زار اﻟﻘﺼﺮ ﻓﻰ ﻋﺎم ‪١٨٦٩‬‬ ‫‪7‬‬

‫ِ‬ ‫ﺎﻥ ﺇﻟﻰ ﺳﻰ ﺧﻠﻴﻞ!‬ ‫ﻧﺰﻫﺔ‪ ..‬ﻣﻦ ﻛَ ْ‬ ‫ﺑﺤﺚ ﻟﻠﻤﻬﻨﺪس ‪ /‬ﻋﻤﺮو ﺳﻤﻴﺢ ﻃﻠﻌﺖ‬ ‫واﻟﺮﻳﺎﺿﺔ‪ ،‬ﺗﺮى ﻓﻰ ﺷﺎرﻋﻬﺎ اﻟﺮﺋﻴﺴﻰ‬ ‫اﳉﻴﺎد اﳌﻄﻬﻤﺔ ‪ -‬اﺣﺴﺒﻬﺎ ﻓﻴﺮارى ذﻟﻚ‬ ‫اﻟﻌﺼﺮ ‪ -‬واﻟﻌﺮﺑﺎت اﻟﻔﺨﻤﺔ ﲡﺮﻫﺎ ﻛﺮام‬ ‫اﳋﻴﻞ ‪ -‬اﻓﺮﺿﻬﺎ روﻟﺰ روﻳﺲ ذﻟﻚ اﻟﺰﻣﺎن‬ ‫ ﻳﺘﻘﺪﻣﻬﻤﺎ ﻗﻤﺸﺠﻴﺔ وﺳ ّﻴﺎس ﻳﻨﺒﻬﻮن‬‫اﳌﺎرة وﻳﻔﺴﺤﻮن اﻟﻄﺮﻳﻖ وﻳﻜﻤﻠﻮن‬ ‫ﻣﻈﻬﺮ اﻷﺑﻬﺔ‪ .‬اﻟﻌﺮﺑﺎت ﺗ ُِﻘﻞ ﺑﻌﻀ ًﺎ ﻣﻦ‬ ‫ﻋﻠﻴﺔ اﻟﻘﻮم‪ ،‬أﻣﺮاء وﺑﺎﺷﺎوات‪ ،‬وأﻣﻴﺮات‬ ‫وﻫﻮاﱎ‪ ،‬رﲟﺎ ﻧﻘﺼﻬﻦ اﻟﻠﻮن اﻟﺒﺮوﻧﺰى‬ ‫ﻟﻜﻨﻪ ﻟﻢ ﻳﻨﺘﻘﺺ ﻣﻨﻬﻦ ﺟﻤﺎ ًﻻ وﻻ ﺳﺤﺮاً!‬

‫ﻣﺎ ﻋﻠﻴﻨﺎ ﻣﻦ اﻷﺳﺒﺎب‪ ،‬اﳌﻬﻢ أن‬ ‫ﻇﺮوﻓ ًﺎ – ﺳﻌﻴﺪة ﻃﺒﻌ ًﺎ – ﻗﺎدﺗﻨﻰ ﻷﺣﻀﺮ‬ ‫ﻣﺆﲤﺮاً اﻧﻌﻘﺪ ﻓﻰ ﻣﺪﻳﻨﺔ »ﻛﺎن«؛ أﺷﻬﺮ‬ ‫ﻣﺼﺎﻳﻒ أوروﺑﺎ وأﻋﻼﻫﺎ ﺻﻴﺘﺎً‪ .‬ﻣﺎ ﻫﺬﻩ‬ ‫اﻷﺑﻬﺔ وﻛﻴﻒ ﻫﺬا اﳉﻤﺎل! ﺟﻤﺎل اﻟﻨﺎس‬ ‫واﻟﺴﻴﺎرات واﳌﺒﺎﻧﻰ واﻟﺸﻮاﻃﺊ واﻟﺸﻮارع‬ ‫واﳌﻘﺎﻫﻰ وﻛﻞ ﺷﺊ!‬ ‫ﺟﻠﺴﺖ ﻓﻰ ﺗﺮاس ﻓﻨﺪق ﻛﺎرﻟﺘﻮن‬ ‫اﻟﻌﺮﻳﻖ‪ ،‬ﻃﺒﻌ ًﺎ ﻟﻴﺴﺖ ﻫﺬﻩ دﻋﺎﻳﺔ‬ ‫ﻟﻪ؛ ﻓﺎﻟﻔﻨﺪق ﻳﺰﺧﺮ ﺑﺰﺑﺎﺋﻨﻪ ﻣﻦ أﺛﺮى‬ ‫أﺛﺮﻳﺎء اﻟﻌﺎﻟﻢ وﻻ ﺗﻨﻘﺼﻪ دﻋﺎﻳﺔ ﻣﻘﺎﻟﺘﻰ‬ ‫اﳌﺘﻮاﺿﻌﺔ! ﻃﻠﺒﺖ ﻓﻨﺠﺎن ﻗﻬﻮة‪ ،‬ﺑﻌﺪ‬ ‫دﻗﺎﺋﻖ ﺟﺎءت اﳌﻀﻴﻔﺔ اﳊﺴﻨﺎء ﺑﻔﻨﺠﺎن‬ ‫ﻣﺘﻨﺎﻫﻰ اﻟﺼﻐﺮ– ﺗﻘﺮﻳﺒ ًﺎ ﻣﻘﺎس اﻟﺰى اﻟﺬى‬ ‫ﺗﺮﺗﺪﻳﻪ – دﻓﻌﺖ ﻓﻴﻪ ﺛﻤﻦ وﺟﺒﺔ ﻣﺤﺘﺮﻣﺔ ﺗﻬﻨﺄ ﺑﻬﺎ ﻓﻰ واﺣﺪ ﻣﻦ ﻣﻄﺎﻋﻢ ﻗﺎﻫﺮة‬ ‫اﳌﻌﺰ اﻟﻔﺎﺧﺮة أﻧﺖ واﻷﺳﺮة اﻟﻜﺮﳝﺔ! ﺗﻨﺎﺳﻴﺖ اﻟﻐﺮاﻣﺔ وﺟﻠﺴﺖ أﺗﺄﻣﻞ ﻣﺎ أراﻩ؛‬ ‫زرﻗﺔ اﳌﺎء واﻟﺴﻤﺎء وﺧﻀﺮة اﻷﺷﺠﺎر وﻓﺘﻨﺔ اﳌﺼﻄﺎﻓﺎت وﻫﻦ ﻳﺴﺒﺤﻦ أو ﻳﺘﻬﺎدﻳﻦ‬ ‫ﻋﻠﻰ رﺻﻴﻒ اﻟﻜﻮرﻧﻴﺶ اﳌﺸﻬﻮر »ﻻ ﻛﺮوازﻳﺖ« ‪LA CROISETTE‬‬ ‫ﻳﺘﺒﺎرﻳﻦ ﻓﻰ اﻷﻧﺎﻗﺔ واﻟﺪﻻل وﻗﺪ داﻋﺒﺖ اﻟﺸﻤﺲ أﻗﻮاﻣﻬﻦ اﳌﻤﺸﻮﻗﺔ ﻓﻐﻠﻔﺘﻬﺎ‬ ‫ﺑﺮوﻧﺰى ﺳﺎﺣﺮ ﻳﺰﻳﺪ اﻣﺘﺸﺎﻗﻬﺎ ﺟﻤﺎ ًﻻ وﺟﺎذﺑﻴﺔ! اﻟﺴﻴﺎرات اﻟﻔﺎرﻫﺔ ﺗﻜﻤﻞ‬ ‫ﺑﻠﻮن‬ ‫ٍ‬ ‫اﻟﺼﻮرة وﺗﺰﻳﺪﻫﺎ ﺑﻬﺎءاً وروﻋﺔ وﻗﺪ أﺧﺬت ﺗﻨﺴﺎب أﻣﺎﻣﻰ ﲢﻔﺔ وراء أﺧﺮى‪ ،‬ﺑﲔ‬ ‫ﻟﻴﻤﻮزﻳﻦ راﺋﻌﺔ ﻣﺜﻞ روﻟﺰ روﻳﺲ وﺑﻨﺘﻠﻰ إﻟﻰ رﻳﺎﺿﻴﺔ ﻓﺎﺗﻨﺔ ﻛﻔﻴﺮارى وﻣﻴﺰاراﺗﻰ‪،‬‬ ‫أﻣﺎ ﻓﻘﺮاء اﻟﻘﻮم ﻫﻨﺎك ﻓﺘﺠﺪﻫﻢ ﻓﻰ ﻣﺮﺳﻴﺪس وﺑﻰ أم دﺑﻠﻴﻮ‪ ،‬أﻧﺎ ﺷﺨﺼﻴ ًﺎ رﺣﺖ‬ ‫ﻓﻰ ﺗﺎﻛﺴﻰ!‬ ‫ﺑﲔ ﻛﻞ ﻫﺬﻩ اﻷﺑﻬﺔ ﺟﻠﺴﺖ أﺣﺘﺴﻰ ﻓﻨﺠﺎن اﻟﻘﻬﻮة اﻟﺬى ﻧﻔﺬ ﻓﻰ رﺷﻔﺘﲔ‪،‬‬ ‫أﺗﻌﺮف ﲟﺎ ذﻛﺮﻧﻰ ﻫﺬا اﳌﺸﻬﺪ‪ ،‬ﺑﺤﻰ ﺷﺒﺮا‪ ..‬ﺗﺨﻴﻞ!!‬ ‫ﺷﺒﺮا‪ ،‬ﻫﺬا اﳊﻰ اﻟﺼﺎﺧﺐ اﳌﺘﻜﺪس‪ ،‬أذﻛﺮ أﻧﻨﺎ ﻣﻨﺬ ﺳﻨﻮات ﻗﻠﻴﻠﺔ ﻛ ّﻨﺎ ﻧﺤﻦ‬ ‫ﺳﻜﺎن اﻟﻘﺎﻫﺮة ﻧﺮدد ﻓﺰﻋﲔ أن ﺑﻪ ﺧﻤﺴﺔ ﻣﻼﻳﲔ ﻧﺴﻤﺔ‪ ،‬أى أﻧﻪ ﻓﻰ ﺣﺠﻢ ﳑﻠﻜﺔ‬ ‫اﻟﺪﳕﺎرك‪ ،‬واﻟﻴﻮم ﻧﺮدد – وﻧﺤﻦ أﻛﺜﺮ ﻓﺰﻋ ًﺎ – أن ﺑﻪ ﺳﺒﻌﺔ ﻣﻼﻳﲔ‪ ،‬أى أﻧﻪ ﻓﻰ‬ ‫ﺣﺠﻢ ﺟﻤﻬﻮرﻳﺔ اﻟﻨﻤﺴﺎ‪ ،‬وأﺧﺸﻰ ﻣﺎ أﺧﺸﺎﻩ أن أﻋﻴﺶ ﺣﺘﻰ ﻳﻮم ﺗﺒﻠﻎ ﻓﻴﻪ ﺷﺒﺮا‬ ‫ﺣﺠﻢ اﻻﲢﺎد اﻷوروﺑﻰ‪ ،‬ﻓﺄﻣﻮت ﻓﺰﻋﺎً!‬

‫ﺷﺎرع ﺷﺒﺮا‪ ،‬اﻟﺬى اﻋﺘﺒﺮ اﳌﺮور ﻓﻴﻪ اﻵن‬ ‫ﻣﺤﺎوﻟﺔ ﺟﺎدة ﻟﻼﻧﺘﺤﺎر؛ إﻣﺎ ﻳﺪﻫﻤﻚ‬ ‫ﻣﻴﻜﺮوﺑﺎص آﺗﻰ ﻓﻰ ﻋﻜﺲ اﻻﲡﺎﻩ أو‬ ‫ﺗﺨﺘﻨﻖ ﻣﻦ ﻋﺎدم اﻟﺴﻴﺎرات أو ﻓﻰ اﻟﻘﻠﻴﻞ‬ ‫ﺗﺼﺎب ﺑﺎﻧﻬﻴﺎر ﻋﺼﺒﻰ ﻣﻦ أﺻﻮات اﻟﻜﻼﻛﺴﺎت وأﺑﻮاق ﻣﺤﺎل ﺷﺮاﺋﻂ اﻷﻏﺎﻧﻰ‬ ‫اﻟﻬﺎﺑﻄﺔ‪ .‬ﺷﺎرع ﺷﺒﺮا اﻟﺬى ﻗﻔﺰ إﻟﻰ ذﻫﻨﻰ ﻳﻮﻣﺌﺬ ﻛﺎن ﻳﻈﻠﻠﻪ ﺻﻔﻮف ﻣﻦ ﺷﺠﺮ‬ ‫اﳉﻤﻴﺰ اﻟﻌﺘﻴﻖ زرع ﻓﻰ ﻋﻬﺪ ﻣﺤﻤﺪ ﻋﻠﻰ ﺑﺎﺷﺎ وﺗﺮﺷﻪ ﻋﺮﺑﺎت اﻟﺒﻠﺪﻳﺔ ﻛﻞ ﻳﻮم‬ ‫وﻋﻠﻰ ﺟﺎﻧﺒﻴﻪ أروع ﻗﺼﻮر اﻟﻘﺎﻫﺮة‪ ،‬ﻣﺜﻞ ﻗﺼﺮ ﻣﺤﻤﺪ ﻋﻠﻰ وإﻳﻨﺠﻮ ﻫﺎﱎ أرﻣﻠﺔ‬ ‫ﺳﻌﻴﺪ ﺑﺎﺷﺎ وﻗﺼﺮ ﺷﻴﻜﻮﻻﻧﻰ اﻟﺒﺪﻳﻊ اﻟﺰﺧﺮﻓﺔ اﳊﺎﻓﻞ ﺑﺎﻟﺘﻤﺎﺛﻴﻞ اﻟﻨﺎدرة‪.‬‬ ‫ﻓﻰ ذﻟﻚ اﻟﻮﻗﺖ‪ ،‬ﻟﻢ ﻳﻜﻦ اﳌﺠﺘﻤﻊ ﻗﺪ ﻓﻄﻦ إﻟﻰ ﺧﻄﻮرة اﳊﺸﻴﺶ‪ ،‬ﻓﻜﺎن‬ ‫ﺗﻌﺎﻃﻴﻪ ﻣﺨﺎﻟﻔﺔ ﻟﻴﺲ إﻻ‪ ،‬وﻛﺎن ﺑﺸﺒﺮا ﻗﻬﻮة ﻳﻘﺼﺪﻫﺎ أﺻﺤﺎب اﻟﻜﻴﻮف ﻣﻦ‬ ‫اﻟﺴﺮاة إﺳﻤﻬﺎ ﻗﻬﻮة ﺳﻰ ﺧﻠﻴﻞ ﺑﻠﻐﺖ ﺣﺪاً ﻛﺒﻴﺮاً ﻣﻦ اﻟﺸﻬﺮة ﺣﺘﻰ د َّﺑﺞ أﺣﺪ‬ ‫روادﻫﺎ ﺷﻌﺮاً ﻗﺎل ﻓﻴﻪ‬ ‫ﻛﻞ ﺷﻰء ﻓﻰ ﻣﺼﺮ ﻳﻮﺟﺪ‬ ‫اﻟﻜﻴﻮف ﻓﻴﻬﺎ ﻧﻀﻴــﻔﻪ‬

‫إﻻ ﻗﻬﻮة ﺳﻰ ﺧﻠـﻴﻞ‬ ‫واﳊﺸﻴﺶ ﻣﺎﻟﻮش ﻣﺜﻴﻞ‬

‫ﻗﻨﺎﻃﻴﺮ ﺑﺎرود ﻣﻦ ﺟﺒﺨﺎﻧﺎت اﶈﺮوﺳﺔ!‬

‫ﻧﻌﻮد إﻟﻰ ﺳﻨﺔ ‪ ،٢٠٠٩‬وﻗﺪ ﻣﻨﻊ اﳊﺸﻴﺶ وأﺻﺎب ﺷﺒﺮا ﻣﺎ ﺑﻬﺎ‪ ،‬وﻣﺎت ﺳﻰ‬ ‫ﺧﻠﻴﻞ وﳊﻖ ﺑﻪ اﻟﻘﺼﺮ اﻟﺬى ﻧﺆرخ ﻟﻪ ﻫﻨﺎ؛ ﻗﺼﺮ اﻟﻨﺰﻫﺔ‪ .‬ﻛﺎن اﻟﻘﺼﺮ ﻳﻘﻊ ﻋﻠﻰ‬ ‫ﺑﻴﺪ أن ﺷﺒﺮا اﻟﺘﻰ ﺗﺬﻛﺮﺗﻬﺎ ﻣﻊ ﻗﻬﻮة »ﻻ ﻛﺮوازﻳﺖ« ﻣﺨﺘﻠﻔﺔ‪ ،‬ﻫﻰ ﺷﺒﺮا ﻛﻤﺎ اﳉﻬﺔ اﻟﻐﺮﺑﻴﺔ ﻣﻦ ﺷﺎرع ﺷﺒﺮا اﻟﺬى ﺣﺪﺛﺘﻚ ﻋﻨﻪ‪ ،‬ﻳﺘﻮﺳﻂ ﺣﺪﻳﻘﺔ ﻏ ّﻨﺎء ﻳﺘﺎﺧﻢ‬ ‫ﻗﺮأت ﻋﻨﻬﺎ وأﻃﻠﺖ اﻟﻨﻈﺮ ﻓﻰ ﺻﻮرﻫﺎ ﺣﲔ ﻛﺎﻧﺖ ﺗﻀﻢ ﺣﻘﻮ ًﻻ ﻧﻀﺮة وﲢﻒ ﺳﻮرﻫﺎ اﻟﺸﺮﻗﻰ اﻟﺸﺎرع‪ ،‬ﺑﻴﻨﻤﺎ اﳊﺪﻳﻘﺔ أوﺳﻊ ﻣﻦ اﳉﻬﺔ اﻟﻐﺮﺑﻴﺔ واﻟﺒﺤﺮﻳﺔ ﻟﻠﻘﺼﺮ‬ ‫ﺑﺸﻮارﻋﻬﺎ اﻟﻮاﺳﻌﺔ أﺷﺠﺎراً ﺳﺎﻣﻘﺔ ﺑﺎﺳﻘﺔ‪ .‬ﺗﺨﻴﻠﺖ ﻟﻮ ﻋﺎد ﺑﻰ اﻟﺰﻣﺎن وﺟﻠﺴﺖ ﻟﻴﻜﻮن اﺳﻤ ًﺎ ﻋﻠﻰ ﻣﺴﻤﻰ؛ ﻣﻜﺎﻧ ًﺎ ﻟﻠﻨﺰﻫﺔ‪.‬‬ ‫ﻋﻠﻰ واﺣﺪة ﻣﻦ ﻣﻘﺎﻫﻰ ﺷﺒﺮا ﻓﻰ ﺳﺒﻌﻴﻨﻴﺎت اﻟﻘﺮن اﻟﺘﺎﺳﻊ ﻋﺸﺮ ﻻﺳﺘﻤﺘﻌﺖ‬ ‫ﲟﻨﻈﺮ ﻣﻜﺎﻓﺊ ﳌﺎ أﺧﺬﻧﻰ ﻓﻰ »ﻛﺎن«‪ .‬ﻛﺎﻧﺖ ﺷﺒﺮا ﻓﻰ ذﻟﻚ اﻟﺰﻣﺎن ﻣﻜﺎن اﻟﺘﻨﺰﻩ اﺗﻔﻖ اﳌﺆرﺧﻮن ﻋﻠﻰ أن اﻟﻨﺰﻫﺔ وﻟﺪ ﺣﻮاﻟﻰ ﺳﻨﺔ ‪ ،١٨٥٨‬وﻟﻜﻦ اﺧﺘﻠﻔﻮا ﻓﻰ‬ ‫‪6‬‬

‫كما تتدفق مياه النيل‪ ،‬مرة تفيض هادرة‪ ،‬ومرة تنسحب منحسرة‪ ،‬كذلك‬ ‫البشر‪ ،‬لم تنقطع املياة من املجري قط‪ ،‬ولم يتوقف توالي االنسان‪ ،‬استمرارية‬ ‫الوجود‪ ،‬لم ينقطع وجود املصريني‪ ،‬وفد عليهم بشر أخرون‪ ،‬جري استيعاب‬ ‫وتغير‪ ،‬متغيرات متت في هدوء‪ ،‬وأخري عنيفه‪ ،‬مؤمله‪ ،‬في أحد املراحل طال‬ ‫اللغة واملعتقد والنظام املستقر منذ آالف السنني‪ ،‬ه ُزم املصريون ماديا وروحيا‬ ‫عندما قبلوا اإلسكندر االكبر بإعتباره ابن االله آمون‪ ،‬ونصبه الكهنة في واحة‬ ‫سيوة فرعوناً‪ ،‬لم يكن الفراعنة من خارج حدود كيميت فقط‪ ،‬بدأ العصر‬ ‫البطلمي‪ ،‬لكن ما أستوعبت مصر احلكام اجلدد‪ ،‬اعتنقوا رؤيتها متاما‪ .‬عندما‬ ‫نقترب من معبد حتحور في دندرة‪ ،‬أو حورس في أدفو‪ ،‬لن نشك في أنه معبد‬ ‫فرعوني بكل مظهره السافر و املكنون‪ .‬وإن لم يعرف الزائر اخلط الهيروغليفي‬ ‫فلن يدرك ابدا أن من بني املعبد هم البطاملة ذوي االصول االجنبية‪ .‬عانت‬ ‫مصر من الغزو الفارسي‪ ،‬واآلشوري‪ ،‬وقبائل البدو في الصحارى احمليطة‪ ،‬في‬ ‫مرحلة أخري أصبحت مصر والية تابعة لالمبراطورية الرومانية‪ ،‬وجري تغير‬ ‫روحي عميق عندما اعتنقت مصر املسيحية التي أري انها اعادة صياغة للدين‬ ‫املصري ذاته‪ ،‬وعندما اعتنق املصريون الديانة الوافدة أضافوا رؤيتهم هم‪ ،‬و‬ ‫ماتزال سائدة وراسخة رغم عصور االضطهاد في العصر الروماني‪.‬‬ ‫كل متغير عميق يطرأ يطال السطح‪ ،‬و رمبا ينفذ قليال‪ ،‬لكن بأساليب‬ ‫شتى يبدأ القوم في احلفاظ علي املكنون القدمي‪ ،‬هناك في العمق‪ ،‬حيث ال‬ ‫ميكن لغزاة جدد أن يطولوه أو يجتثوه‪ .‬هذا املضمون يستمر في تفاصيل‬ ‫احلياة اليومية‪ ،‬الطعام‪ ،‬مفرداته‪ ،‬طريقة طهيه‪ ،‬تقدميه‪ ،‬اآلداب املرتبطه به‪ ،‬في‬ ‫املوسيقي‪ ،‬في األدب الشعبي‪ ،‬في املعتقدات املتوارثة عبر املرأة خاصة‪ ،‬األم‬ ‫التي تلقنها لالبناء مع حليب الرضاع‪ ،‬في العمارة‪ ،‬من اللحظات التي أطيل‬ ‫التأمل فيها‪ ،‬أمتني أن أشهد ما جرى خاللها‪ ،‬تلك الليلة في معبد ايزيس‬ ‫بجزيرة فيلة بأقصي اجلنوب‪ ،‬آخر معبد ظلت الشعائر تقام فيه لعبادة رمز‬ ‫األمومة واالنوثة والتضحيه‪ .‬اإللهه ايزيس التي أصبحت عند املصريني فيما‬ ‫بعد « العذراء» ثم « السيده زينب» شقيقة اإلمام احلسني‪ .‬اصدر االمبراطور‬ ‫الروماني أوامره بابطال الشعائر املصرية في سائر انحاء مصر‪ ،‬في تلك الليلة‬ ‫تُليت الصلوات من أجل اإللهة ايزيس و ترددت الترانيم‪ ،‬أغلق املعبد لكن ‪...‬‬ ‫هل انتهت عبادة ايزيس فعال؟ هل تواري رمز االمومة والتضحيه‪ ،‬االم واالخت‬ ‫والزوجة احلنون ام انه أتخذ بعدا اشسع أكثر رحابة؟‬ ‫عندما دخل العرب مصر في القرن السابع امليالدي‪ ،‬كانت مصر منهكة‪،‬‬ ‫مثخنة بجراحها لكنها لم تكن خاوية‪ ،‬كان املصريون يعتنقون املسيحية طبقا‬ ‫لرؤية الكنيسة املصرية القبطية‪ ،‬كان املاضي البعيد مبهماً‪ ،‬غامضاً‪ ،‬اختفت‬ ‫دالالت اول ابجدية في التاريخ‪ ،‬الهيريوغليفية املقدسة‪ ،‬أصبحت مستمرة‬ ‫في اللغة القبطية التي امتزجت قليال باليونانية وأخذت ابجديتها‪ .‬اما العمائر‬ ‫الهائله من معابد ومنشآت ومقابر فقد اختفت دالالتها‪ ،‬حتولت الي اطالل‪،‬‬ ‫بل انها حتولت الي خرائب بأيدي املصريني أنفسهم‪ ،‬وهذا ما وقفت عليه من‬ ‫مظاهر االستمرارية والتغير‪.‬‬ ‫عندما اعتنق املصريون املسيحية الوافدة اعتبروا الديانة القدمية معادية‪ ،‬بدأ‬ ‫بعضهم حتطيم رموزها‪ ،‬هذا ما نراه في االجزاء السفلية من معبد ابيدوس على‬ ‫سبيل املثال‪ ،‬نري اللوحات اجلدارية مشوهة‪ ،‬خاصة العيون واألنوف‪ ،‬هذا‬ ‫معتقد مصري قدمي‪ ،‬فعندما كان املصري يرسم شخص و يقدم علي تسميل‬ ‫عينية أو تشويههما فهذا يعني بالنسبة له حرمان الشخص نفسه من النظر‬ ‫والشم‪ ،‬اي الرؤية والتنفس‪ ،‬أي اعدامه‪ .‬هكذا بنفس الثقافة املصرية التي‬ ‫ورثها املؤمنون بالدين اجلديد يدمرون تراث األجداد بأعتبارهم كفارا غير‬

‫مؤمنني‪ ،‬ثم يكتب املؤمنون اجلدد حتت ما قاموا به أنهم أقدموا علي ذلك‬ ‫تقربا الي الرب‪ .‬عندما غزا العرب مصر و جاءوا لنشر الدين اجلديد‪ ،‬االسالم‬ ‫الذي يحرم التصوير والنحت‪ ،‬رغم ذلك فإنهم لم يلحقوا أذى كبيرا باألثار‬ ‫القائمة‪ ،‬رغم اعتبارهم لها أصناما وثنية‪ ،‬ملاذا؟‪ ،‬رمبا تقربا الهل البالد في‬ ‫البداية‪ ،‬و رمبا لسريان و قوة االسطورة‪ .‬عندما كنت طفال صغيرا في قريتي‬ ‫جهينة بجنوب مصر‪ ،‬كان االهالي يصفون التماثيل املصرية القدمية القائمة في‬ ‫اجلبل باملساخيط‪ ،‬اي أن هذه التماثيل كانت في األصل بشرا ثم سخطهم اهلل‬ ‫حجارة بسبب معاصي ارتكبوها‪ .‬وكان هناك آخرون يقولون إن هذه التماثيل‬ ‫عليها ارصاد‪ ،‬أي حراس من العالم اآلخر حتميها وتؤذي من يقترب منها أو‬ ‫يتعرض لها بسوء‪ ،‬هذا امتداد للمعتقد املصري القدمي‪ ،‬فتمثال انوبيس يوضع‬ ‫امام املقبرة عند املدخل ليحميها‪ ،‬كذلك الرسوم والتعاويذ‪.‬‬ ‫اآلن تبدو مصر القدمية في الظاهر كأنها متت الي آخرين‪ ،‬بعض املناهج‬ ‫الدراسية تقول مبرحلة فرعونية وأخري قبطية وثالثة إسالمية‪ ،‬وفي رأي هذا‬ ‫مفهوم خاطئ‪ ،‬فالتاريخ املصري واحد لكن تختلف مراحله‪ ،‬جوهره مستمر‬ ‫في الثقافة العميقة‪ ،‬الدفينة للبشر‪ ،‬صحيح ان تلك الثقافة تغيرت في تلك‬ ‫املراحل‪ ،‬لكنه تغير خارجي لم ميس الصميم‪ ،‬تلك هي اجلدليه ولب املشكله‬ ‫في ثقافة املصريني‪.‬‬ ‫ثمة مشكلة أخري‪ ،‬فالرؤية العبرانية للمصريني انتقلت الي املسيحية ثم الي‬ ‫االسالم‪ ،‬الفرعون اصبح رمز الطغيان وفقا للنص املقدس‪ ،‬سواء العهد القدمي‬ ‫أو القرآن الكرمي‪ ،‬في نفس الوقت يشعر املصريون بالفخر ألنهم احفاد من‬ ‫ابدعوا هذه الفنون كلها‪ ،‬من عمارة ورسم وأدب‪ ،‬ذلك هو التناقض في وعي‬ ‫غالبية املصريني خالل العقود االخيرة بدءا من السبعينات في القرن املاضي‪ ،‬مع‬ ‫تصاعد التشدد االسالمي املستند الي التعاليم الوهابية القادمة من الصحراء‪،‬‬ ‫خالل الثورة الوطنية الكبري عام ‪ 1919‬ضد االحتالل االجنليزي لم يشعر‬ ‫املصريون بهذا التناقض‪ ،‬كان ابتعاث التقاليد املصرية القدمية في العمارة‪ ،‬في‬ ‫الرسم‪ ،‬في االبداع االدبي‪ ،‬ملمحا هاما حلركة النهضة‪ ،‬دائما يعيد املصريون‬ ‫اكتشاف اجلذور البعيدة عند تطلعهم الي النهضة‪ ،‬في املراحل التي كانوا‬ ‫يجهلون فيها تفاصيل تاريخهم القدمي كما جند ذلك في العصر اململوكي‬ ‫وبالتحديد في العمارة‪ ،‬املساجد املصرية التي شيدت في العصر اململوكي‪،‬‬ ‫حتي هزمية املماليك في مواجهة األتراك العثمانيني عام ‪ 1517‬ماهي اال‬ ‫استعادة لتقاليد املعمار املصري القدمي‪ .‬بعد اكتشاف اسرار اللغة املصرية‬ ‫القدمية علي يدي شامبليون وبدء وعي املصريني بتفاصيل تاريخهم‪ ،‬أصبحت‬ ‫مصر القدمية مصدر الهام ثري‪ ،‬تأثرت الرؤية سلبيا بتيارين سياسيني‪ ،‬االول هو‬ ‫القومي العربي اثناء فترة مده فى اخلمسينات والستينيات والذي اعتبر مفكروه‬ ‫مصر الفرعونية نقيضا للفكرة العربية‪ ،‬وفي العقود االخيرة تتبني الرؤي املعادية‬ ‫بعض التيارات الدينية االسالمية املتشددة‪ .‬إن وضع املراحل التاريخية لوطن‬ ‫قدمي مثل مصر في تعارض مع بعضها البعض ملم ًا يثير األسى‪ ،‬لكنها خطايا‬ ‫عابرة في تقديري‪ ،‬فلكم مرت رياح هبوب‪ ،‬بعضها مدمر علي النهر والوادي‬ ‫البشر‪ ،‬غير ان اجلوهر ظل مصون ًا في العمق‪ ،‬نحتاج فقط الي جهد لنبصره‬ ‫ونرصده‪ .‬عندئذ نكتشف اجناز الثقافة املصرية العميق‪ ،‬االستمرار مع التغير‪،‬‬ ‫هذا االكتشاف ضروري لروح االمة وللتوازن الروحي عند املصريني‪ ،‬يقتضي‬ ‫دراسات وجهود ثقافية بعيدة املدي وعلي مستويات متعددة‪ ،‬انني اعتبر‬ ‫صدور هذه املطبوعة الراقية املعنية باملضمون الثقافي ملصر سواء في املاضي أو‬ ‫احلاضر خطوة هامة جداً علي هذا الطريق‪.‬‬ ‫‪5‬‬

‫تأمالت‬

‫اإلستمرارية في الثقافة المصرية‬ ‫بقلم جمال الغيطاني‬ ‫عندما امت والدي رحلته في احلياة‪ ،‬متدد فوق الفراش‪ ،‬موجود وغير‬ ‫موجود‪ ،‬جاء األقارب أللقاء نظرة أخيرة عليه‪ ،‬وقف أكبرهم سنا الي‬ ‫جواره‪ ،‬أنحنى حتى قارب فمه الألذن التي لم تعد تسمع‪ ،‬غير أنه نطق‬ ‫بعبارات مؤثرة‪ ،‬ناداه باسمه كأنه حي‪ ،‬ثم طلب منه االيشعر بالوحدة‪،‬‬ ‫كل هؤالء جاءوا من أجله‪ ،‬وألنه صالح أدي رسالته في احلياة كما يجب‪،‬‬ ‫فلن يلقى مخاطر في الطريق‪ ،‬واذا واجه بعضها فليتلو بعض آيات القرآن‬ ‫الكرمي‪.‬‬ ‫رغم أن اجلمل من القرآن‪ ،‬من التراث االسالمي‪ ،‬اال أن هذا الطقس الذي‬ ‫مارسه أقدم اقاربنا عمرا ميت الي معتقدات مصرية عتيقة‪ ،‬الي ثقافة مصرية‬ ‫غائرة‪ ،‬ميارسها املصريون علي اختالف معتقداتهم وهم ال يعون انهم يستمرون‬ ‫بثقافة األجداد‪ ،‬متاما كما ينطقون مئات االلفاظ في لغة تعاملهم اليومية وهم‬ ‫ال يعلمون أتها كلمات مصرية قدمية‪ ،‬تدخل في تراكيب خاصة أضفت‬ ‫اخلصوصية علي العامية املصرية املتفردة في إطار اللغة العربية الفصحى‪.‬‬ ‫أحيانا أتوقف في الريف املصري‪ ،‬خاصة في اجلنوب الذي ولدت فيه قرب‬ ‫األقصر وابيدوس‪ ،‬امام مشهد معني لقرية‪ ،‬مزرعة‪ ،‬لطائر مرفرف‪ ،‬الي قرص‬ ‫الشمس عند املغيب او الشروق‪ ،‬الي عودة الفالحني من احلقول الي البيوت‪،‬‬ ‫ألغي بعقلي بعض وسائل العصر‪ ،‬مثل اعمدة االنارة او العربات اذا تصادف‬ ‫وجودها‪ ،‬عندئذ ال أري أي تناقض بني مشاهد احلياة املرسومة علي جدران‬ ‫املقابر وتلك التي تطالعني‪.‬‬ ‫اشم رائحة اخلبيز فى البيوت‪ ،‬خاصة العيش الشمسي‪ ،‬طريقة اخلبز املصرية‬ ‫القدمية‪ ،‬أن يوضع العجني في النهار ليرضع من الكون‪ ،‬من أشعة الشمس‪.‬‬ ‫أتنسم رائحة احلياة عند نضجه وخروجه من الفرن‪ ،‬أثق انها نفس الرائحه‬ ‫التي عرفها األجداد القدامى منذ االف االعوام‪ .‬مازال متحف تورينو يحتفظ‬ ‫بثمانية أرغفة في مقبرة كا‪ ،‬أنه عني اخلبز الذي فتحت عيني عليه في صعيد‬ ‫مصر‪ ،‬اتأمل وسائل حفظ الطعام‪ ،‬بدءا من اجلنب‪ ،‬املش‪ ،‬السمك ( امللوحه‬ ‫والفسيخ) وامللوخية الناشفة‪ ،‬ما تزال تعد بنفس الطرق التي كانت متبعة‪ ،‬بل‬ ‫ان شكل اجللسة حول (الطبلية) وآداب الطعام ال يختلفان كثيرا عن الرسم‪.‬‬ ‫‪4‬‬

‫ذات صباح كنت في طريقي الي مكتبي مبؤسسة أخبار اليوم الصحفية‬ ‫حيث تقع في واحد من أقدم أحياء القاهرة‪ ،‬بوالق‪ ،‬فجأه رأيت مجموعة من‬ ‫النساء يخرجن من حارة جانبية‪ ،‬كلهن متشحات بالسواد‪ ،‬أحداهن شابة‪،‬‬ ‫فارهة الطول‪ ،‬تتوسط الصف األول ‪ ،‬وجهها ملطخ بالنيله الزرقاء‪ ،‬عالمة احلزن‬ ‫املصري القدمي‪ ،‬تقوم بحركات تشبه الرقص‪ ،‬لكنه رقص ملتاع‪ ،‬حزين‪ ،‬يداها‬ ‫تتحركان الي أعلى‪ ،‬في تلك اللحظه رأيت عني املشهد الشهير للنائحات‬ ‫في مقبرة راموزا بالبر الغربي باالقصر‪ ،‬إنه مشهد يتكرر كثيرا في املقابر التي‬ ‫وصلت الينا‪ ،‬انه التعبير االنساني عن احلزن االبدي‪ ،‬احلزن األقسي نتيجه‬ ‫الفقد‪ ،‬الفقراء‪ ،‬احلزن املؤلم‪ ،‬بسببه رفض املصريون القدماء املوت‪ ،‬اعتبروه‬ ‫بدايه حلياة االبدية‪ ،‬اطلقوا عليه اخلروج الي النهار‪ ،‬اذ يتحد االنسان بعد موته‬ ‫بضوء النجوم‪ .‬في مصر العليا عندما يري الناس نيزكا يهوي ليال‪ ،‬يقولون أنه‬ ‫روح مغضوب عليها‪ ،‬مطرودة من راحة األبد‪ ،‬أو انها روح انسان تخرج في‬ ‫تلك اللحظة‪ ،‬ثمه صلة بني الكون الفسيح ومظاهره‪ ،‬وبني االنسان‪ ،‬بني أدق‬ ‫تفاصيل احلياة وكافة مظاهر الطبيعة‪.‬‬ ‫خالل تنقلي بني احلاضر الذي أعيشه واملاضي الذي أقرأ عنه‪ ،‬عرفت العنصران‬ ‫االساسيان اللذان يحكمان احلياة املصرية وثقافتها‪ .‬إنهما االستمرارية والتغيير‪،‬‬ ‫عنصران متضادان‪ ،‬متالزمان‪ ،‬متفاعالن‪ ،‬يشكالن جوهر احلالةالتي أدت الي‬ ‫تأسيس أول مفردات احلضارة االنسانية وأقدم مفرداتها‪.‬‬ ‫نهر النيل بال شك هو الشريان الرئيسي لتلك احلياة التي سعت الي ضفتيه‪،‬‬ ‫انه االنسان الذي جفف املستنقعات وتوصل الي واحد من أعظم اكتشافات‬ ‫البشرية‪ ،‬الزراعة‪ ،‬السيطرة علي النهر الذي يشكل خطرا داهما اذا زاد فيضانه‪،‬‬ ‫واذا شح ايضا‪ .‬عندما عرفت تفاصيل تتعلق بالزراعة‪ ،‬بوضع البذور‪ ،‬تنقية‬ ‫التربة‪ ،‬سقايتها‪ ،‬رعايتها‪ ،‬مقاومة آفاتها‪ ،‬تساءلت؟ كم من السنني أقتضي‬ ‫األمر حتي توصل االنسان الي معرفة ذلك‪ .‬ملاذا في تلك املنطقة التي تلي‬ ‫الشالالت عند أسوان وحتي حدود البر شماال والتقائها مبوج البحر‪ ،‬تلك‬ ‫املنطقة التي نسميها مصر أو كيميت في الزمن القدمي أي األرض السوداء؟ كم‬ ‫من الزمن توصل خالله االنسان الي سر الزراعة‪ ،‬الي ابتكار حروف الكتابة‪،‬‬ ‫ترميز الواقع؟‬ ‫ملاذا لم تظهر تلك احلضارة في مناطق أخرى من النهر من منابعه االثيوبيةأو‬ ‫البحيراتية حتي الشالالت؟ يتعلق األمر بالبشر الذين عاشوا في تلك املنطقة‪،‬‬ ‫انهم املصريون الذين عاشوا فوق هذه االرض‪ ،‬عانوا‪ ،‬وتأملوا حركة الكون من‬ ‫شروق وغروب‪ ،‬تدفق مياه النهر‪ ،‬نزول النقطة‪ ،‬أول نقطة ماء في الفيضان‪،‬‬ ‫وصولها صيفا مع ظهور النجم سوتيس‪ ،‬نزول النقطه ميكن اعتباره البداية‬ ‫للتكوين الروحي والثقافي للقوم‪ ،‬ال تعنيني جذورهم البعيده‪ ،‬وتلك‬ ‫االفتراضات التي يطرحها املتخصصني حول املناطق التي قدموا منها الي‬ ‫الوادي‪ ،‬ما يعنيني اجنازهم االنساني الذي هو ثقافي وروحي باالساس‪ ،‬الثقافة‬ ‫مبعني محاولة فهم الكون‪ ،‬املوقف من احلياة‪.‬‬