Return to Cairo - Mosque-Madrassa of Sultan Hassan and Al Rifa’i Mosque

Cairo may not look very far from Luxor but if we were to drive, it'd probably take an entire day.  Instead it was about an hour flight and we now have time to visit a couple of very well-known mosques in Cairo.

Background on the Madrassa of Sultan Hassan

A Madrasa is the Arabic word for any type of educational institution, secular or religious.  Our first stop this morning after we arrived back in Cairo is to visit the Mosque-Madrassa of Sultan Hassan.  This means that this building is both an educational institution as well as a place of worship.  This mosque was built in the 14th century and is one of the biggest in the world.  

The Iman giving us a lecture

The Al Rifa’i Mosque was built in 1912 to showcase the modernization of Egypt's capital while embracing the glory years of its Islamic history.

On our way back to the Cairo Marriott hotel we were driven through Tahrir Square, scene of the 2011 Egyptian Revolution that overthrew President Mubarak.  At the center of the square is a large traffic circle, where an obelisk of Ramses II was installed.  Tahrir Square has been the traditional site for numerous major protests and revolution over the years.

Entrance to the Cairo Marriott

After checking into the hotel we have the afternoon free.  I asked my fellow travelers if anyone was interested in visiting the original Egyptian Museum.  No one took me up on my offer.  I called an Uber and was taken to the Egyptian for about $2.  It would have been too far and too hot to walk. It is next to Tahrir Square.

I was surprised by the crowd and the number of guides working at the museum.  There were many tourists from all over the world.  I heard at least five mandarin-speaking guides leading tour groups from China.  There were many exhibits crammed into the building.  The most famous was items from King Tutankhamen's tomb.  In a few weeks it will be moved to the new Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM).

Layout of the Tomb

Part of what you can see inside the Tomb

Head of King Tutankhamen 

Other exhibits were equally impressive.  There were so many that it would take days to finish seeing them.  I wonder what will happen to them and the original museum after GEM is fully opened in November 2025.

This is our final evening together.  We had a wonderful farewell dinner at the hotel.  Most in the group will be flying home to the US.  Four of us will extend our trip to Alexandria.