Egypt 9-3-15

The Citadel, The Alabaster Mosque of Mohammed Ali.

This used to house a Sultan and his family

The Sultan and his family once lived here.

It is currently under restoration.

Upper courtyard

Upper courtyard

Inner courtyard of the Mosque

Side entrance to the Mosque

Inside the Mosque

Inside the Mosque

The red rug on the floor –its original, over 1000 years old.

The "Alabaster Mosque"

The Sultan had a mosque built patterned after the Blue Mosque in Turkey (only on a much smaller scale). It's called the Alabaster Mosque since it has alabaster throughout the building.

View from the Mosque

The upper court yard offered a view of the city. The brown streak you see is caused from smog. I asked my guide why most of the buildings were painted brown. She said they originally are painted colorful, but the smog discolors everything. Some days the smog is so bad it is equivalent to smoking a pack of cigarettes.

I experienced a taste of a marketplace frequented by mostly locals. Not as clean or organized as the government endorsed shops but the quality and prices were great if you know what to look for.

Cairo Museum

The Museum houses Tutankhamun treasuries. Unfortunately no photography was allowed inside because the treasuries were spectacular.