Boot Out the Looters

 This is the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. Nine men managed to enter the museum on Saturday, January 29th, 2011, and break a few things belonging to King Tutankhamen of the 14th century B.C.  So sad.  I took this picture when I went there last year.  Pity we were not allowed to take our cameras inside the museum. I hope the present unrest in Egypt does not take away from this world all the priceless treasures in this building and other parts of the country.  I'd like to go back there again some day.  There was so much to see and such little time!!
Tourism is Egypt's main industry; it's ancient peoples are such an inspiration to all of us. I hope we can keep everything and everyone safe.

Egyptian Ants vs. Grasshopper World

Ancient Egyptians left no stone un-carved. There are hieroglyphics on every rock, stone and pebble in Egypt. Reminds me of Wordsworth's:

There was a time when meadow, grove, and stream,
The earth, and every common sight
                 To me did seem
            Apparelled in celestial light...

Read hieroglyphics for "celestial light".


If there were mountains, they dug tombs in them.
If they found rocks, they made obelisks.  They dragged these rocks hundreds of miles on the roads, rivers--absolutely obsessed with construction. And their entire lives were spent preparing for death.  I am not sure they ever just enjoyed themselves.  Life was serious business.

Modern Egyptians are now digging up stuff the ancient Egyptians left behind.  The man above is gainfully employed (he extracted a dollar baksheesh once I took his picture).  This photograph was taken at the site of Djoser's step pyramid, Saqqara, where excavations are still going on.

Egypt's Pride: Doctor Peseshet

The first woman doctor ever belonged to Egypt. Her name was  Peseshet; she was not only a swnwt (woman doctor) but also a imyt-r hm(wt)-ka (woman director of the soul-priestesses) and lived around 2500 B.C.  Nothing much is known about her except that she was the mother of Akhethetep in whose tomb her stela (carved or inscribed stone slab) was found.

Women of Ancient Egypt could enter any profession they liked, unlike in modern times.

The picture on the left shows some of the instruments she may have used.  Most of these tools were used for embalming as well.

 
http://www.crystalinks.com/egyptianwomen.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Egyptian_medicine

Grilled Eggplant Egyptian Recipe

BABAGHANOUG

picture courtesy of: TheBon

In Egypt, eggplant is roasted over hot coals until the skin is charred. One can char the eggplant directly over the gas flame, turning frequently with tongs until the juices begin to ooze out or bake it in a 425°F oven for 30 minutes.

• 2 large eggplants
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley

Char eggplants over gas flames until soft, then allow them to cool. Peel the eggplants and let them drain in a sieve. Purée the eggplant in a food processor with the lemon juice, ground cumin, olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Serve with tahini (sesame) cream.

TAHINI CREAM

• 1/2 cup tahini (sesame) paste.
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin.
• 1/2 cup yogurt.
• Juice of 2 1/2 lemons, or more to taste.
• Chopped parsley for garnish
• Salt to taste.

Mix tahini paste, cumin and salt. Add the yogurt and lemon juice gradually, beating vigorously to make a smooth thick cream. This can all be done in a blender, which makes a smooth tahini cream. Garnish with parsley, and serve with babaghanoug.

Recipes modified from the Egyptian Daily News

TOURISM IN EGYPT

...and a song about King Tut

8.6 million people visited Egypt last year. All these people caused major scuffing of walls and wearing away of paintings. Try not to breathe or sweat while you are there, because the humidity and perspiration are ruining the buildings. Tourism brings in many many piastres, so it is imperative something be done to preserve these treasures.  Egypt is looking into rotational or limited opening of key sites. I am glad I am able to go before all these changes take place.

In an unrelated story, the boy King Tut, it is now believed, died of a broken leg. What an anticlimax...the leg wound became infected and that is what killed him. Stories of murder are just not true. He was not attacked for reverting to polytheism--all the theories about conspiracy, tunnels, asps, high priests with dangerous daggers are all figments of someone's imagination.   A shard of bone was found in his skull but researchers now believe that was caused by the embalmers accidentally dropping the body. It is so hard to find good help!!

 
This video of Steve Martin in Saturday Night Live is a homage to the boy king...






















If you are not able to view this, try this link:

http://www.kossan.se/roliga-filmer/steve_martin__king_tut.htm

A review of "Midaq Alley" by Naguib Mahfouz. My Egypt Tour begins.

I start my tour of Egypt with a study of its best writer, Naguib Mahfouz, Nobel Prize winner for Literature in 1988.  Midaq Alley was one of his early novels set during the Second World War.  The novel is about the residents in Midaq Alley, an impoverished part of Cairo city. The World War has wrought changes in the city: It  brought electricity (the new radio in Kirsha's cafe), it brought money (mercenary soldiers) and it brought a collapse of the traditional value systems.  And no one in Midaq Alley escapes these influences. There is no single protagonist in this novel, but one dominant theme--self-indulgence at any cost. It is no wonder then that these people face the tragic consequences of their desire for money and sensual pleasures.  Critics claim that the novel is about the conflict between the past and the present and the ever changing value system.  But I disagree.  It is about human failings, and about overreach.