Notes on Cairo - Part 5
Diary Entry 4
Seeing Al Azhar, Imam Hussain’s mosque, Khan al Khalili Souk for the first time was awesome. The sun shone down brightly in September, and when the Uber dropped us right at the entrance of Imam Hussain’s mosque it was a little confusing where we were supposed to go. We ended up praying Juma’ah at Imam Hussain’s as we were getting late. Praying the Friday prayers under the umbrellas to keep off the sun, the like of which we see at the blessed Prophet’s Mosque in Medina, Saudi Arabia, was wonderful. Made even more special because of the group of pigeons who used the outer buildings surrounding the mosque their home. I still remember the beautiful breeze as the imam ended his prayer, and the birds flew round and round, as if in ecstasy, delighted by the beautiful place they were in!
Surrounding Imam Al Hussain Mosque is Khan Al-Khalili Souk, where all sorts of trinkets and treasures can be bought. It’s always busy, a fantastic place to pick up a hot mint tea, or freshly squeezed mint and lemon drink.
Tables are set up for tourists, and the street sellers are well used to foreigners roaming the narrow alleyways, searching for a bargain. Some learn the language, shouting phrases like, ‘How can I take your money?’, and ‘Please spend your money here!’ much to our amusement!
The path to Al Azhar mosque was slightly further ahead, and across the road via the subway.
It’s a glorious mosque, reminiscent of the mosques in Mecca and Medina, but not nearly as busy. The pure white open courtyard is attractive and spacious, and when prayer time is over, families gather there to chill and chat, and it’s generally a really lovely place to hang out. Ramadan taeraweeh prayers here were out of this world, and highly recommended. Everyday, in this blessed month, they would distribute free Iftaar meals, and everyday, you’d see queues curling up around the mosque, mostly Chinese and Malaysian students, of which there are many at the mosque and surrounding areas, a few hours before sunset to take part in this enormous fast-breaking gathering.
Pretty much straight after every prayer, public lessons take place in Arabic. The ladies’ prayer area has long wooden desks and lots of chairs and books scattered everywhere, a reminder that first and foremost, this is a place of learning for millions of students from around the world. Al Azhar University has over four thousand connected campuses around the entire world. It is the second oldest university in the world, with the oldest being the University of Al-Qarawiyyin in Fez, Morocco, founded by Fatimah Al- Fihri (smashing all stereotypes of Muslim women being oppressed, by the way!).
The difference between the two being that Al- Qarawiyyin is a general university and Al- Azhar is an Islamic Studies university. Both have been around for thousands of years, and both are definitely worth a visit!
Do you have any questions about our visit to Al-Azhar and the surrounding areas?
Let me know in the comments below!
Until next time,
Peace and Love,
Sidra
PS Yes, this was the Travel Tuesday post, delivered to you on a Thursday!