Blog Post #9: Arrival in Luxor, where (almost) everyone is a Haggagi!

Day 4 – Cairo (continued)

On Friday, my eldest sister, Yousra asked if we could spend the day together. After a wonderful conversation over coffee, she took me to lunch at an upscale Cairo restaurant full of young Egyptians. After a while, we were joined by my gregarious and outgoing cousin, Sohila who wanted a chance to meet me too. 

We laughed and compared experiences growing up in the United States and Egypt respectively. We also spoke very openly about the unbelievable circumstances of my life vis a vis the large Haggagi family in Egypt. Sohila says she tells friends she has a cousin in America who is a priest and they can’t believe it because our family in Egypt has such deep Muslim roots. My sister said that my homecoming is like a script for an Indian movie! It was a rich conversation full of a lot of laughter.

The last adventure of the afternoon came when Yousra was driving us home and we got a flat tire. So, sister and brother got out of the car and worked together to repair the tire on the side of the road to get us home safely.

That night, we attended a large dinner at the modern home of my uncle Muharram back in Heliopolis, where I again met several more relatives.

Muharram kept looking at me while saying, “wow, Adam,” and noting how unbelievable it was to see me after forty years. My aunt, Nahed, who knew my mom as a child, teared up as she hugged me close. She also cried because she agreed with many in the family that I look very much like my uncle, Shaban who died of cancer about five years ago.

We continue to eat lavishly prepared meals in keeping not only with Egyptian culture around hospitality but also because, in the eyes of my family here, “Adam has finally come home.” On this evening, dinner consisted of a big table of seafood followed by sweets and Turkish coffee (which is offered to us endlessly). While we ate and talked, the African Cup of Nations SuperCup final, involving the Egyptian club team, Zamalek flickered on the screen. 

The evening ended somewhat early (by Egyptian standards) because of our scheduled early departure to Luxor on Saturday morning. 

Day 5 – (Arrival in Luxor, the Haggagi family’s ancestral home)

After waking up bleary-eyed at 4:30am, Adam and I were picked up by Mr. Esam and taken to the Cairo airport with my father alongside us. We flew out of the capital city on the domestic airliner, FlyEgypt, at 7:00am and landed in Luxor promptly at 8.

As we walked into the Luxor airport, it became immediately apparent that this was our family’s hometown. My father personally greeted a number of people and, at baggage claim, I met a first cousin of his. My cousin, Sohilia, in commenting on our family roots in Luxor, says that she jokes with friends that everyone in Luxor is a family member of ours!

We checked into our hotel, another wonderful spot overlooking the Nile River chosen by my father to welcome us to Egypt. Thankfully, we got a short nap before beginning our first day of touring Luxor.

As we began to walk around this ancient city, I not only noted for myself that this was the center of the ancient Egyptian world and the Haggagi home but also the place where my story began. I had learned in Cairo, for instance, that it was in fact at the Luxor train station that my mother first met Hamada. She was vacationing with her family along with the American actress, Amanda Plummer, who was a childhood friend of my aunt Yancey’s. I still marvel that my mother took my father up on his request to go out that day and, in time, made the decision to stay in Egypt and get married. It was quite a bold move for an early twenty-something from Manhattan. 

That afternoon, we toured the east side of the Nile, the so-called “City of the Living” because it is the side of the city where the sun rises. We visited the enormous complex that is Karnak Temple which was used by Egyptian Pharaohs as a place for festivals and grand processions. Thousands of years ago, Karnak connected to Luxor Temple that we also saw as the sun started to set. Our knowledgeable guide passed on an enormous amount of information. 

The tour of these ancient temples, constructed thousands of years go, and built and rebuilt many times by conquering invaders, Christians and Muslim alike, was breathtaking but it was not the only noteworthy part of the day. 

Our guide found out, in conversation, that I was a part of the Haggagi family and, somewhat taken aback, proceeded to spend much of our tour trying to impress upon me how important my family is to Luxor. We learned that the Haggagis (prounced by Upper Egyptianers as Hajjaji, a play on the Arabic word, “hajj,” describing the annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca) are descendants of Saudi Arabians and the Prophet Mohammed himself!

My grandfather, Abdelrahim, in my guide’s estimation, is one of the most important figures in the history of Luxor tourism who revolutionized the industry and moved it to what it is today. He told me, in a reverential tone, that everyone in Luxor knows my grandfather not as Abdelrahim (a name that means “the slave or servant of Allah” in Arabic) but as “El Horem,” a nickname meaning strong like a pyramid. He portrayed my family as a prominent one and my grandfather as a benefactor for modern day Luxor. Our guide knew many of my family members personally and talked about them for much of our tour.

That evening, we were picked up by my father and taken to the family compound, where he once lived with my mother, to have dinner with my aunt Selwa and her family. As we drove through the winding and dusty streets of downtown Luxor, my father kept stopping to introduce me to cousins and other relatives. I really do seem to be related to most of the people in this city. My father says that everyone keeps noting what a blessing it is that I’ve finally come to Egypt. Once we arrived at the family home, we again feasted on an enormous celebratory dinner as we all tuned into a Liverpool soccer match cheering on the Egyptian soccer star, Mohamed Salah. It was a great dinner and Liverpool won 1-0.

Day 6 – Luxor (continued)

Sunday morning began bright and early with a 5:00am departure for an early morning balloon tour set up by my father and cousin, Abelrahman, who is training to be a balloon pilot. Though weary after the early rise and a late night out, my friend Adam and I both agreed the expedition was completely worth it!

As we gently soared through the air gazing down at an aerial panorama of Luxor with the sun rising over the Nile, the moment certainly felt like its own kind of church. Farmers down below, cutting sugar cane and pushing their donkeys along dirt paths, looked up and waved at us as we sailed past. It was breathtaking.

Following our balloon ride, we quickly grabbed breakfast before heading off again to tour the so-called “West Bank” or “City of the Dead.” This is where the kings and queens of Egypt were buried thousands of years ago along the side of the Nile where the sun sets.

As we toured the famed Valley of the Kings and the mortuary temple of Queen Hatshepsut, I was struck by the sheer grandeur of these sites as well as the theological imagination of ancient Egyptians. As with previous sites we’ve toured, it is also clear that this sacred ground has been utilized over the millennia by many different faith traditions reflecting the diverse spirituality of Egypt. First came the spiritual traditions of ancient Egypt, then came Christianity and an era when many of these sites were used as desert monasteries and havens for Christians to hide from persecution, and then came Islam and the erection of mosques.

After resting that afternoon, we were picked up and taken to visit my uncle Ramadan aboard, the Royal Viking, the cruise liner he owns and operates along the Nile. Ramadan is a jovial and gregarious man who is larger than life in so many ways.

It was enjoyable to watch he and my father rib one another and share their memories of my mother’s time in Egypt over dinner. Throughout this day, I have been struck by just how rooted the Haggagi family is in the city of Luxor. It’s amazing to consider the depth of connection my family has with this ancient and sacred city. As in previous days, I have continued to be warmly welcomed to take my place in this familial landscape and humbled by the generous spirit I have encountered.

Happily, we have a less scheduled day tomorrow but will begin with a coffee at the Hotel Etap, where my mother and father spent a lot of time during their married years.