aud’acious

Cairo is depth and breadth.

Giza, now almost a suburb of Cairo, is home to the great pyramids adding a sense of timelessness to the city.  The pyramid building era ended in about 2150 BC which means that you are looking at structures that Abraham (approx. 1813-1638 BC) and Moses  would have seen passing through the same land.  What thoughts pass your mind when you stare at the pyramids?  Would any of those same thoughts have passed through Abraham’s mind?  You have now shared an experience with Moses.  In other words for me, whatever else there is about Cairo, it definitely has depth.

The pyramids and the city sort of press upon each other.  You can drive from thriving metropolis to ancient wonder in minutes.  I stayed at a swanky sprawling hotel with a large group of BYU students the first time I went outside the city.  We often escaped into the air conditioning of the hotel lobby and restaurants after our hot days.  I remember a song playing over and over that pulled me into the evening air to gaze at the stars.  “Don’t Cry for me Argentina.”  After seeing some of its ancientness, the song made me contemplate Cairo’s breadth.  Why?  The song is from an American made movie about Argentina which I saw for the first time in Israel with Hebrew subtitles and then heard again in Cairo.  I guess it reminded me that for many people Cairo isn’t just about pyramids, it’s about their lives which are entwined with the world to whatever degree.  Cairo has breadth.

See previous Middle Eastern City posts:

Cairo Part I: “Pre-Cairo, My Aunty”

Damascus

Middle Eastern Cities Poll