CAIRO THE SPHINX KARNAK
THE PYRAMIDS LUXOR THE DAM AT ASSOUAN
It is no wonder that the Egyptians through all their history have
worshiped the Nile; for that marvelous river is the spine, the marrow,
and the life of Egypt. Indeed, it is Egypt; for living Egypt is only a
narrow strip twelve or fifteen miles wide,--simply the banks of the Nile.
Herodotus called Egypt "the gift of the Nile." The river nourishes and
controls the land. All along that waterway are to be found wonders and
mysteries of the past. The mind balks in contemplation of the monuments
of Egypt. They whisper messages from so far distant a time that we
stagger in trying to grasp their meaning.
A visit through Egypt usually begins with Cairo. And it is just as well
that it is so; for in Cairo there is much that is modern and much that is
familiar to the English traveler. It is, therefore, a good way for the
visitor to break into ancient Egypt. In Cairo modern people mingle with
the sons of ancient Egyptians. The English soldier is to be seen almost
everywhere, and in front of Shepheard's Hotel you may at times almost
forget that you are in Egypt.
That is because you are bound down in Cairo, mingling with your own
fellow visitors and too close to hotel life. Get up early in the morning,
and go to the top of the hill known as the Citadel, and there you will
get an impression of an Egyptian city. Look at one of the greatest
buildings, the Mosque of Mehemet Ali. It is called the Alabaster Mosque.
There is a great deal in modern Egypt that is imitation. That is the
reason that this building of pure alabaster is to be valued. Its interior
is rich and beautiful in design.
[Illustration: TOMBS OF MAMELUKES, CAIRO]
[Illustration: MUSKI CORNER AND MINARET, CAIRO]