Blog Post #8: Cairo Homecoming

Arrival and first day in Egypt –

On Tuesday afternoon of February 11th at 4:30pm local time, after nearly fifteen hours of travel, we finally arrived in Cairo. Words cannot describe the emotions of setting foot on Egyptian soil for the first time. While weary from the jet lag, it was thrilling to begin this long-anticipated adventure. 

We were met at the airport by Mr. Esam, a close friend and colleague of my father, who quickly ushered us through airport security and into a waiting van. From there we headed to Heliopolis and, after winding our way through the controlled chaos of Cairo traffic, arrived at my father’s office. Here we saw my father and I met, for the very first time, my eldest sister, Yousra and youngest brother, Hamza. It was surreal to finally begin to meet the brothers and sisters I have longed to see for years. They greeted me with a warm embrace.

After some conversation, Yousra and Hamza took my friend Adam and I for a short walk to the apartment of my father’s stepmother, Zahra. Zahra was anxious to meet me because my mother had lived with her before getting married to my father in the late 1970’s. She remembered helping to prepare my mom on her wedding day and fondly recalled the time they shared together. She even gave me the photo (below) of the day my mother got married.

While at Zahra’s apartment, she showed me the room my mom lived in while she was in Heliopolis.

After this visit we were taken to our hotel before we headed back out to have dinner with my father and some of my family members. Here we met one of my father’s two wives, my youngest brothers and sister and some cousins while we feasted on a sumptuous Egyptian dinner of pigeon and lamb.

It was a wonderful first evening in Egypt. My friend and I were welcomed and my arrival was treated like a true homecoming.

Day 2 –

After a good night’s sleep, Adam and I were picked up early from the hotel and taken by guides of my father to the great pyramids of Giza. At Giza, we joined throngs of others in gazing up at the wonder of these towering marvels made thousands of years ago by ancient Egyptian kings and queens. We also saw the great Sphinx and toured the Giza plateau by camelback. It was an incredible experience even if we almost fell off our camels at one point when the two started to tussle with one another!

That evening, we dined at the house of my father’s other wife and my three eldest sisters who live in “New Cairo,” a development outside of the downtown area. It was indescribably wonderful to see them together and begin to make a personal connection.

Day 3 –

We’ve spent today exploring Coptic Cairo and Islamic Cairo, old parts of this ancient city with roots in all three of the Abrahamic faith traditions.

In Coptic Cairo, we started at the Coptic Church of the Holy Family that houses the site where tradition has held that Mary, Joseph, and Jesus took shelter for three months to hide from King Herod’s wrath.

We also visited an old synagogue close by and were told by our guide of an era when all three Abrahamic traditions coexisted peacefully in this same Cairo neighborhood.

While strongest in the Mediterranean city of Alexandria, the Jewish community in Egypt is quite small. We were told that Christians today make up about 19% of the country’s population of approximately 100 million people.

We then toured a fourth century Coptic Church called “the hanging church” because it was built without foundation and elevated off the ground. At one point, this church was a center of Christianity and was used to shelter Christians from persecution prior to Emperor Constantine’s conversion to Christianity.

Lastly, we walked the streets of Islamic Cairo, strolling past old markets to the sound of the “adhan,” the hauntingly beautiful Muslim call to prayer. We ended our tour in the famous Al-Azhar Mosque, the center of Islam for the Sunni Muslim world.

Tonight, we head into town for a night out with my family as Thursday here is akin to Friday in the United States. Given the nocturnal rhythm of life in Egypt, we expect to be out a long while.

It’s been a whirlwind of wonderful so far. More later!