Exploring Cairo and its hidden treasures......April 2, 2016

It seems every time I head out with Fatma, my beautiful Egyptian friend and jewelry maker extraordinaire....I find treasures !!

So it was just supposed to be another trip to the market as we had been working on different designs for awhile and after I was fubakkt satisfied with them...we headed back to the market to find the materials we needed.
We stopped first to look for fabric that we needed and the place was chaotic but Fatma said, it really isn't that crowded Julie....yikes !... I can't imagine worse... It's these tiny little spaces that are individually owned , full of bolts of fabrics and full of women fighting to get the attention of the shop keeper to haggle for a good price .... Well, we got what we needed (Fatma did the haggling) and off we went again looking for more material....

Before we entered the market, Fatma said she wanted to stop at the mosque at the entrance to the market to pray.  In Egypt, there are mosques almost every few blocks... Kind of like in Mexico where there is a church in almost every corner. 

Anyway, I decided to stay outside to take pictures while Fatma was inside.  As I was taking pictures a man from the mosque asked me would you like to come in and take pictures?....I said, yes I would... so he lent me a scarf (it's customary and respectful to wear a scarf when entering a mosque) and inside I went and began clicking away.   Another hidden treasure that from the outside seemed like an old dilapidated building...which most of the buildings in Cairo look this way btw.

This mosque happened to be 500 years old !  Not as beautiful as the Al Hussein that I have been too, but it still had beauty to it.   Beautiful lamps, and woodwork all over, I was clicking away when Fatma came out and was surprised to see me inside.  The man said if I wanted to see more of the mosque and of course I said yes so he took us to a higher level to see the mosque from a landing in the back....where of course we had to take a selfie!!!...lol..

Minaret...that's pretty high !

After taking pictures from every angle I could imagine....The mosque man said to me...would you like to go up the minaret?  Now you don't know what these means....this is not a common thing or something to take lightly, .it is a very special thing and a privilege.  Without thinking or any hesitation, I said Absolutely !  Now, the minaret is very high up, and I mean high...quite a feat and I should have counted the steps but I was so concerned about not breaking my neck that I forgot.... So here is a picture of the minaret....

 All I can say is d*** it was high and I was totally out of breath by the time I made it up...It's a winding staircase and I have to admit, I stopped a couple of times to catch my breath and to not get dizzy.  But man....was it worth it !... The view was spectacular !....All of Cairo was there to see.. The Citadel in the back, the winding streets, the market below, truly Wow ! 

Like I said... I step out with Fatma and magic happens....:)




After that spectacular interlude, we continued our quest for beautiful gemstones and the amazing shops at the market. 

  

I always finish exhausted after a day at the market but I get my workout in for sure and keeping up with Fatma's fast pace is a challenge indeed.  Tomorrow I'm off very early to Luxor to search for more treasures and inspirations.  Can't wait to see Mara's House, a true gem in Luxor and laugh at all of Amr's antics !... Stay tuned

Peace and abundance to all

The Traveling Redheaded Lady 

Khan El-Khalili , The market, souk....Cairo's shopping mecca through Old Cairo...March 29, 2016

Fatma and me

glass shop

Ahhh..... the market, where the art of negotiating is a must, where you will find the largest amounts of cheapest, cheesiest and tackiest souvenirs imaginable but also amazing treasures by expert craftsmen and women.  But the trick is in finding them ......for navigating through the streets of the market is like walking through Harry Potter's Diagon Alley's wizard world....I'm not kidding!

wooden boxes with mother of pearl inlaids

making Hookahs!

Just look at some of the pictures and you will see what I mean. But all kidding aside, if you are ever in Cairo you must go to Khan El-Khalili even if you don't buy anything. It's a great way to soak up the environment, the atmosphere and get a taste of Egyptian shopping and local food. 




Amazing lamps !

 

ancient doors to the entrance of Cairo

Old Cairo

To get there the best way is to enter through the old Cairo entrance where you will see beautiful remains of the old cobblestone streets and buildings.  Incredibly old authentic doors dating well
over 1,000 years old that transport you back to ancient Roman/Egyptian times and you can almost imagine seeing Marc Anthony and his Roman soldiers guarding and opening those doors to let merchants, visitors and Roman military legions in.
I love history and I love Egypt and although I'm most familiar with the Pharaonic historical periods of Egypt, this Roman history influence of Egypt is also very interesting as well.

Amidst the incredible architectural monuments is a very popular and large mosque called Al-Hakim which was build in 928AD and has impressive minarets on either side of the front of the mosque.

Al-Hakim Mosque

They are the oldest surviving minarets in Cairo.  Truly amazing and a place where many Egyptians come to pray and seek solace but also a place visited by many tourists as well to admire the beauty of the building.

Walking these old streets you begin to see the amazing shops selling silver and brass lamps, hookahs, gold jewelry, handmade wooden boxes, clothing, hand blown glass, scarves, trinkets and many other items. You can spend hours and hours walking up stairs, little alleys, down again....truly Diagon Alley.









You'll find a café here and there.... hookahs are a normal sight in many shapes, colors and designs. and the smell wafts through the air sometimes subtlety and sometimes not.  You'll hear Egyptian/Arabic music flowing through the shops and café as well as the rapid fire Arabic language spoken among the locals.

 

So my journey begins in Egypt and the creative process continues. The environment, the market, the people, the colors inspire me to create another collection for Amoura.  Stay tuned for more of Egypt in the next few days.... I'll be heading to Luxor soon !

 

 

 

Life is Good !

 

Traveling Redheaded Lady......



Egypt Welcomes me back again.... March 26, 2016

Amira, Yara and me

After 17 hours of flying and layover time and add to that another couple of hours for customs, immigration and Cairo traffic, I finally made it to my flat (apartment for the US folks) in Zamalek. The island of Zamalek is a neighborhood in Cairo knows for its trees and home of many schools and embassies.

Youseff and Yara

It's a great place to stay as you have everything within walking distance, the market, restaurants, many coffee shops and unique boutiques. 

Fatma and her big smile

These first 2 days has been all about reconnecting with friends and drinking lots of coffee as we attempt to catch up on the last 2 years since I've been in Egypt and of course about the creative process for Amoura.

Mohamed

Lots of things ahead so stay tuned....for now enjoy these few pictures of Cairo.  I promise more will come in the future. 

The American Embassy

Cairo Street



Tahir Square with Egyptian Museum in rear



Coffee Shop and lots of chocolates!



Street in Zamalek

As always,
the Traveling Redheaded Lady