Cairo really doesn’t disappoint. It’s a city where lepers can still be found. And as we learned today they still butcher animals in the streets. Today we went for a walk in downtown Islamic Cairo. Carolee, a few friends and I went to check out a few mosques during the Muslim Eid Feast.
Our first stop was the Mohammad Ali mosque in the famous Cairo Citadel. It was my second time going into the Citadel and I’m still impressed by it. I've read a few travel book reviews on this mosque and heard some disappointed tourists say its not worth your time. I however believe its still quite an impressive site. However the day’s adventures became truly insane when we were on our way see the Ibn Tulun mosque. As we walked down the side walk we could see the streets were full of puddles of goat, sheep and cow blood. As we walked further down the road we saw piles of animal skins, hooves, heads and entrails. The smell of all the blood was very thick in the air. As cars passed through the large puddles of blood it would get sprayed so we had to take cover on the sidewalks.
The Muhammad Ali mosque
Carolee and I inside the mosque
Carolee just peeled an orange and wasn't ready for this picture. It still looks good though.
The view from the top of the Citadel. Can you see the pyramids? Thanks to the Cairo pollution its a bit hard. Look closely in the middle of the picture.
Blood in the streets of Islamic Cairo
A pile of guts on the sidewalk
A goat hove on the sidewalk
Piles of hides at a butcher. You can see a cow about to become dinner.
Much larger puddles of blood near the butcher.
Yes, that is ALL blood. The butcher didn't want me to take a picture of his place. Opps.
Some butchers having fun.
Up on the roof of a mosque in Cairo
At the top of the mosque's minaret.
A nice view from the top of the minaret.
This is the minaret we climbed. It was modeled after a famous minaret in Iraq.
This is a butcher we met in Maadi a few blocks from out house. The hand prints are obviously blood.
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