Cairo - City of the Dead - Tiles and Textures - Photography Blog
I took a private tour to photograph Cairo, during which i was taken into the City of The Dead slums, where people live and work among the graves, tombs, shrines and mausoleums. Some people choose to live there to be close to their deceased family (some consider it a blessing that will bring a divine reward) , some live there because they are poor. After a big earthquake in Cairo in 1992 many more people were forced to live in the City of Dead.
I went there in 2009. As of the 2011 Egyptian revolution it has been reported that the area has become less safe, with a rise in criminal activity including drug trade in the dirt streets that connect different families tombs etc.
When i went on the tour they told me that the entire area or the building they took me into (Sultan Al-Ashraf Qaytbay Mosque) was off limits to tourists. Of course they had "connections" and could "get me in". A policeman came and took some money at one point, but then also money was given to some guards at the Citadel and really that falls under what is called Baksheesh in Egypt. Baksheesh is a cross between a tip and a bribe, and has a trickle down system, IE: the head guard gets the Baksheesh, but smaller bits of it are given to other guards, nobody goes without in Egypt.
So was this an illegal incursion into a holy City of The Dead to be smuggled into a mosque that was closed for repairs (this part was true)? I am not sure, but it sounds like a good spin on a story regardless. (As it turns out the story i was told was probably utterly false, as i had forgotten the name of the mosque and within a few hours @ladypenelope1 pointed out which Mosque it is).
I must confess that at the time i was not as confident photographer as i am now, and i was being rushed by the tour guide much to my anger because it was a private tour specifically for me to photograph and learn. Many pictures were not worth sharing for various reasons. But what did come out great are some shots of tiles and arches and painted roofs. I will now hand over to the pictures to tell the story, as i can not give any more input.
Great photos, congrats.
BTW - 19992? Are you a time travelller? :)
Thanks. Good catch on the 19992, I'll edit.
Those carved tiles are amazing.
Simply stunning aren't they. I am glad you enjoyed this post, please follow me for more photo blogs. I have over 40,000 photos never published anywhere.
Beautiful designs
Inside the Sultan Qaytbay's mosque in the Northern Cemetery.14th Century - . This is one of the most photographed Mosques in Cairo
did you not get a chance to go into the Mohammed Ali Mosque at the Citadel? that is beautiful and gives you a panaormic view of Cairo over to the Pyramids at Giza. Worth a visit if you ever come back. A lot of beautiful Islamic architecture around this area, with the Khanah-al Khallii (souke) nearby that has lots of interwining streets and very old buildings. Great for photos, when you are not being 'talked to' by the street sellers and stall holders!
Cairo is safe , much security where ever you go and quiet westernised in lots of areas - inner Cairo can seem 'Biblical' at times, but it adds to the tapestry thats Cairo life.
I must admit that in many ways this tour was a disaster. It was booked for me alone, not shared, but i was unable to control the tour guide even though he was an expatriate and so language barriers were not a problem. I would have happily spent 4 hours at this Sultan Al-Ashraf Qaytbay Mosque, but was only allowed a limited amount of time.
In the end the driver "suggested" we drop the tour guide off at his apartment, and he would take me on the second half of the tour. The driver was a lovely local guy who showed me some cool stuff and invited me to eat with his family that night.
As for the info. You are of course correct. I will edit my post to reflect this important detail. Thank you very much.
What a shame you missed out on some great photo's
heres the view from the citadel i took this year across to the Pyramids - I use to see these everyday and never got bored of seeing them - now moved so no more :(