1/1/11

Today, we visited Bab Zuwayla which is one of seven gates of Cairo. Bab Zuwayla was built by the Fatimids, now known as the Shitte sect of Islam. Although the Fatimids spent the least amount of time in Cairo out of all of the sects of Muslims, they are responsible for building these massive structures and minarets. Once I climbed up the stairs and looked out at the city, I realized why Cairo is called the City of a Thousand Minarets. There were many minarets and each one was different from the next in some way. They were also different shapes—some thinner than others, called pencil minarets.

Then, we went into a nearby mosque. We had to remove our shoes as shoes are dirty and not permitted in the mosque. Also, all the girls covered their hair with scarves to show respect to the beliefs of those who visit mosques—that women’s hair should be covered at all times in the mosque. We saw the tomb of the martyr Hussein. Dr. Denis explained that he had one tomb here in Cairo and one tomb in Iraq because when he was martyred, his body had been split into pieces, some of which are in Cairo.
In the mosque, I really liked the complex Quranic verses inscripted along the borders of the walls. Although I can read most Arabic, I had difficulty reading these scripts because they were written in a calligraphic style, which I’m not used to reading. Although I’ve been to several mosques in my life, both in New York and in Pakistan, in those mosques I’ve never seen the Imam’s pulpit, as I saw here.

Later that day, we went to City Mall to watch an Egyptian movie in the theater called “678.” It was about the topic of sexual harassment faced by women in Egypt, a topic considered to be taboo in many cultures. I basically loved this movie because it talks about a topic that not only the media, but also family members don’t want to talk about to each other. I think the more society sees that such topics are being discussed in public, the less afraid they will be to step up for their rights as humans. These types of movies are the forefront for a new attitude toward sexual harassment of women by men. They raise awareness and make women stronger.

The minarets of Bab Zuwayla

Inside the first mosque at Bab Zuwayla

 Pop-up poster of the movie "678" at the City Mall