Part 7: A Memorable Journey of a Lifetime – the ‘HOLY LAND EXPERIENCE’ 2019

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Violet Pereira, Mangaluru. Team Mangalorean.
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Part 7: A Memorable Journey of a Lifetime – the ‘HOLY LAND EXPERIENCE’ 2019

  • On the 8th day, we visited the Pyramids, Sphinx, Old Coptic Cairo, the Cairo Museum, and Nile Cruise.

After breakfast, we moved towards Cairo to visit the pyramids and the Sphinx. From there, we proceeded to visit the Papyrus factory as well as the Perfume factory. Later, we visited Coptic Cairo, the Hanging Church and the oldest synagogue in Egypt. After lunch, we visited the Cairo Museum, and at 7:00 pm, we had dinner at the Nile Cruise and stayed overnight at Hotel Swiss Inn Nile, Cairo.

Our bus reached the Great Pyramid of Giza the next day. Briefing about the pyramid, Mido said, “The Great Pyramid of Giza is also known as the Pyramid of Egyptian pharaoh Khufu or Pyramid of Cheops. It is the largest and oldest of the pyramids. There are three smaller pyramids for Khufu’s wives in the Giza pyramid complex bordering present-day Giza in Greater Cairo, Egypt. We have nine pyramids in greater Cairo, with 118 pyramid tombs in Egypt. There are three known chambers inside the Great Pyramid. The lowest chamber is cut into the bedrock upon which the pyramid was built and was unfinished. The Queen’s Chamber and King’s Chamber are higher up within the pyramid structure. The main part of the Giza complex is a set of buildings that include two mortuary temples in honour of Khufu”.

Mido further said that the Pyramid of Khufu was 146.5 meters tall and took 20 years to complete. This is the tallest human-made structure in the world which is more than 3,800 years. The pyramid weighs around 6 million tonnes, and nearly 2.3 million blocks of limestone and granite have been used to construct it. The pyramid is covered by limestones. The Great Sphinx of Giza is a statue of limestone of a reclining sphinx. It is created with the body of a lion and a human head. The statue directly faces the east and stands on the west bank of the Nile. It is believed that the face of Sphinx represents the pharaoh, Khafre. It is 240 ft long and 66 ft high from the base to top with a width of 62 ft. The Great Sphinx of Giza is the oldest monumental sculpture in Egypt.

From there, we proceeded towards the Papyrus factory. Briefing about the Papyrus plant and its use, Mido said, “Papyrus is very famous because it is the first printing paper in the world. It is the speciality of Egypt and is available around the Nile river valley. Papyrus is used to make sandals, mats, baskets, dolls, rope, and is also a food source. The basket of Moses’ was made from Papyrus. The papyrus plant was long cultivated in the Nile river valley, and its stalk or stem was collected. The central pith is cut into thin strips pressed together before it is dried to form a smooth thin writing surface. It has no expiry date. We have some papyrus that are 4000 years old.”

Our next stop was the Perfume factory. The sales girls in the perfume showroom briefed us on the variety of oils and perfumes – Essence made from various fruits like apple, banana, mango, and beriberi. Medicinal oil such as mint used for Asthama and flu and the Sandalwood oil that is used for body massage and to treat rheumatoid arthritis and muscle pain. There is also the Lavender oil used for relaxation of stress, and Cumin oil used to reduce high cholesterol and reduce high blood pressure, garlic, and onion oil used to prevent hair loss and baldness. Myrrh and Frankincense symbolize various aspects of our life on earth. It was also used as part of the dressing for Jesus’s burial. When myrrh and Frankincense are used together, it brings a balancing presence in our lives.

Briefing on the city of Cairo, the capital of Egypt, Mido said, “In Cairo, the population is 37 million. Cairo is divided into two governorates, and they are Giza and the Cairo governorate. The difference between Giza and Cairo is just the Nile river dividing the two. Giza is on the West bank of the River Nile while Cairo is on the East bank. Our president is also constructing new cities. The new capital will be built near the Suez Canal, which is 70 km away from Cairo. Once the construction is done, Cairo will not be the capital anymore. We don’t have big shopping malls in Cairo; even in the last 20 years, the malls were built outside the cities, and we had to drive long to visit the malls. The car services have been moved out of the cities, for example, the nearest one is a 30 km drive from the city. In Giza, we have pig farms, mango farms, dates, mandarine farms, and strawberry farms. In the north of Egypt, we grow cabbage, onion, rice, while in the South, sugar cane is grown. The Aswan old dam, also known as the British dam, was constructed in 1896. The construction of the new dam began in 1960 and completed in 1970.”

Mido further briefed on Egyptian food and said, “Pigeon is one of the main meats used in Egyptian dishes. We also consume camel meat, chicken, and rabbit. In Egypt, the majority are Orthodox, and we have Christians too. Our public transportation is the metro, taxi, private buses, and Uber. Uber here is different than in other countries because our Uber rides are on scooters – you can order the scooters, and yourself ride them. Google map doesn’t work in Egypt because we have very narrow roads. Ancient Egypt was divided into two kingdoms, Lower Egypt and Upper Egypt. Lower Egypt is to the north where the Nile Delta drains into the Mediterranean Sea. Upper Egypt is to the South from the Libyan desert down to just past Nubia. We import oil from Saudi and Kuwait.”

Later, we visited the most famous Churches in Egypt – the Hanging Church, St George Church, St Barbara Church, St Mary’s Church, St Sergius and Bacchus Church, St Mercurius Church, St Simon Church, and the St Virgin Mary’s Coptic Orthodox Church. Describing details of the Hanging Church, Mido said, “The Hanging Church is also known as the Church of the Virgin Mary. The ceiling of the Hanging Church has the most notable features; it is built of wood and resembles the interior of Noah’s Ark. On the walls, 13 marble columns are carved to represent Jesus and his 12 disciples. The oldest and most famous icon in the church is known as the Coptic Mona Lisa, which depicts the Virgin Mary and dates back to the 8th century.”

Mido further said, “The Hanging Church is known as the site of the Miracle of Mokattam Mountain. In the 10th century, Al-Muizz who did not believe in Christianity ordered Pope Abraham to prove the validity of his religion by giving a test based on the Bible verse in which Jesus says “Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, “Move from here to there” and it will move”. Al-Muizz asked the Pope to do the miracle through his power of prayer and move the nearby Mokattam Mountain. Pope Abraham prayed for guidance in the hanging church for three days. On the third day, the Pope was advised by the Virgin Mary to meet Simon the Tanner to perform the task. Simon helped to move the mountain, and the mountain was moved. Virgin Mary is the focus of worship in the Hanging Church.” The pole where Virgin Mary appeared to Pope Abraham is covered with plastic so that the devotees do not touch it directly.

To be continued…..

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